POV Taehyung
Three days had passed. Mary was no longer the Mirae I once knew. Every movement of hers was sharp, every gaze filled with a terrifying confidence. She had changed—and I was responsible for that change.
I should have felt satisfied. But all I felt was emptiness.
Today, I returned home, exhausted after a long day at work. But the moment I stepped inside, my eyes landed on Emylia, sitting at the table with a slight frown. Blood dripped from her arm.
My heart pounded.
“What happened to your arm?” I rushed to her.
“It’s nothing, just a small cut,” she replied with a small smile, as if the blood dripping from her skin didn’t bother her at all.
I turned to Mary. Her face was neutral, but there was something in her eyes that unsettled me.
“Mary?”
“The hairpin needle accidentally pricked Emylia’s hand. I didn’t mean to.”
I went silent. My gaze fell on the hairpin in her grasp. I knew her precision now. I knew she wouldn’t make mistakes—unless it was intentional.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself not to say anything. I chose to believe it was just a coincidence.
“Let me treat your wound,” I said, grabbing the first aid kit. I carefully cleaned Emylia’s wound, wrapping a bandage securely around her arm.
But Mary just stood there, watching, as if she was challenging me.
And I hated that I knew she was testing me.
That Night
I just wanted to be alone. I needed to clear my mind. But before I could take a deep breath, my door opened.
Mary stepped inside.
I didn’t need to turn around to know she was there. I could feel her presence.
“Hm, what do you want, Mary?” I asked, not lifting my gaze from the book in my hands.
“Can I have you?”
That voice. That tone.
I looked up, staring directly into her eyes. There was something foreign in them—something that wasn’t Mirae.
“Mary, stop this. I’m going to marry Emylia. I love her.”
I tried to keep my voice steady, but Mary only smirked.
“You’re the one who taught me all of this. Hi, I’m Mary. A girl who is savage and evil.”
I exhaled slowly. Deep down, I knew this was my fault. I created Mary. I taught her how to survive, how to take revenge. But I never told her to destroy other people’s lives.
“This isn’t what I wanted.” I shut the book with a sharp snap. “I changed you so you could get revenge on the men who ruined you. Not so you could become someone who—”
Mary moved closer. Her hand landed on my shoulder, her touch light but heavy with meaning.
“If you say you wanted me to take revenge on the men who ruined me…” Her voice was a whisper, but every word struck me like a blade. “Then you should know—you ruined me too, Taehyung. You raped me. You killed my child. Just to ‘save’ me from Jimin.”
My whole body froze.
It felt like my chest was crushed, like something sharp had been driven into me. My breath caught in my throat, my vision blurred. Her words echoed in my head.
I tried to speak—to deny it, to defend myself, to beg for forgiveness—but no words came out.
Crash!
I jolted.
Mary went silent too.
Slowly, I turned toward the door.
And there stood Emylia.
Her face was as pale as a sheet, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and her lips trembled.
The world stopped spinning.
I knew I should speak. I knew I should explain. But what could I say?
I could only stare at her, my breaths heavy, my chest tightening.
And for the first time in my life—I had no idea what to do.
---
Crash!
The cup in Emylia’s hand shattered on the floor. Black coffee spilled between the tiles, but I didn’t care. My eyes were locked on the door—where Emylia stood.
Her face was pale. Her eyes glassy. Her hand gripping the cane trembled.
“Emylia, I—” I tried to step toward her, but she immediately raised her hand.
“Don’t come near me, Mary.” Her voice shook, but her tone was firm. She turned to Mary, an expression on her face that I couldn’t bear to see. “Is everything you just said true?!”
Mary hesitated. I knew she was debating whether to tell the truth or save herself. I stared at her, silently begging her to stay silent.
She looked at me. I looked at her.
And in that silence, I knew—I couldn’t control this situation anymore.
“Uh, Emylia…” Mary spoke, her voice heavy.
Emylia gripped her cane tighter and stepped forward. “Tell me the truth, Mary!”
I wanted to cover my ears. I wanted to leave this room. But I could only stand still, listening to Mary’s slow reply.
“Actually…”
I shook my head quickly, silently pleading for her to stop.
“Before I answer, let me ask you this. What exactly did you hear?”
“I heard everything!” Emylia’s voice trembled, but she stood firm. “I heard you say you wanted to destroy the men who ruined you. And Taehyung… he was one of them.”
My whole body went cold. I wanted to speak, to explain, but my tongue wouldn’t move.
Tears began to stream down Emylia’s cheeks. She shook her head slowly, as if trying to reject the painful truth.
Mary finally spoke. “You misheard, Emylia. Everything you heard was true… except for Taehyung being one of them.”
I inhaled deeply, relieved.
But Emylia didn’t believe her. “You’re lying, aren’t you, Mary?” She let out a broken laugh. “I might be blind to the truth… but I’m not deaf to what I heard!”
Her body collapsed onto the floor. Her sobs filled the room, and at that moment, I knew—she was completely shattered.
“How could you, Taehyung…” Her voice was only a whisper, but every word stabbed straight into my heart. “I never thought you were this cruel. You raped another woman.”
“No!” I almost shouted. I wanted to explain. I wanted to deny everything. But Emylia covered her ears with both hands.
“You misheard! Believe me, Emylia!” Mary tried to calm her down, but Emylia refused to listen.
She shoved Mary’s hand away and stood up.
“No! You’re all liars!”
I watched her run toward the door, panic flooding through me.
“Emylia! Please believe me… please.” I chased after her, grabbing her wrist.
But she rejected me with all her might.
"I hate you, Kim Taehyung… Fuck off!!"
It felt like a hard blow to my chest. I was stunned, my breath caught.
She ran out of the house blindly, without direction.
Mary and I both ran after her.
"Taehyung, if you really can’t accept a disabled woman like me… then leave me. I let you go. With someone you love."
Emylia now stood in the middle of the road.
"Emylia, stop!" My voice cracked with fear. I felt my knees nearly give out seeing her there.
She shook her head quickly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Then let me die. It’s peace for everyone."
It was as if my heart stopped beating.
"Emylia, don’t do this!" I shouted, running toward her as fast as I could.
She gave me a weak smile and threw her cane onto the road.
"I hate you, Kim Taehyung."
"EMYLIA!" I lunged at her, trying to pull her away, to save her.
But—
Screeech!!!
Boom!!!
A speeding jeep came hurtling down the road.
I saw everything in slow motion.
Emylia stood there, unmoving.
I was almost there… almost touching her hand…
But the car was faster.
And I wasn’t quick enough.
"KIM TAEHYUNG, EMYLIA… NO!!!"
I held Emylia in the middle of the road. I could feel both of our bodies getting hit and thrown to the side. Pain exploded through me, and I felt my consciousness slipping away.
•••
Taehyung’s POV
Faintly, I heard the slow beeping of a machine. The scent of medicine filled my nose. I tried to move my fingers, but they felt heavy.
Slowly, my eyelids fluttered open. The bright white hospital lights blinded my vision. I tried to focus, to understand where I was.
A hospital room.
Someone was beside me, holding my hand tightly. I turned my head slowly.
"Taehyung?"
That voice… a voice I knew well.
Emylia.
She was sitting next to me, her face filled with relief and guilt. I noticed her swollen eyes—she must have been crying for a long time.
"I…" her voice trembled. "I’m sorry, Taehyung. I let my emotions take over… I shouldn’t have said all those things to you."
I stayed silent for a moment, observing her face. Tears welled up in her eyes again.
"I was so scared of losing you, Taehyung. But I realize now… I was the one who almost let you go."
She squeezed my hand tighter.
"I was stupid."
I took a slow breath. My chest felt heavy, but not from pain— from guilt.
"I’m sorry too, Emylia." My voice was hoarse. "I should’ve been honest from the start."
She shook her head, looking at me with teary eyes.
"No… it was my fault. I shouldn’t have blamed you without listening to your side. I was hurt… but I forgot that you were hurting too."
I weakly lifted my hand and touched her cheek.
"What matters is… you’re safe."
She gave me a small smile, gently caressing my hand.
"Taehyung." She looked deep into my eyes, as if trying to read my thoughts. "While you were unconscious… you were talking in your sleep."
I froze.
"You said Mirae’s name."
My heart pounded.
"You called her… your sister."
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. I had kept this secret for so long. I never intended to reveal it, but now… everything was unraveling.
I opened my eyes and met Emylia’s gaze.
"Yes." I finally admitted. "Mirae is my sister."
Emylia didn’t look shocked. She only nodded slowly, as if she had already suspected it.
"Why did you hide this, Taehyung?"
I exhaled deeply. "Because I was afraid."
She remained silent, giving me space to continue.
"Afraid of losing her… afraid of losing you… afraid of facing the truth."
I looked at her hand still holding mine. "I’ve made so many mistakes, Emylia. I don’t want to make another one."
She gave me a small smile and shook her head. "No one is perfect, Taehyung. We all make mistakes."
I swallowed hard. "So… have you forgiven me?"
She stared at me for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I forgive you."
Relief washed over me. I squeezed her hand tightly.
"Thank you, Emylia."
She smiled, and this time… it was genuine.
And for the first time in a long while, I felt like… everything was going to be okay.
••••
Taehyung’s POV
The night air felt fresh as I stepped out of the hospital. After days of being trapped in a room filled with the smell of medicine, I could finally breathe freely.
Emylia walked beside me, slower than usual, as if still being cautious after what had happened. I noticed her gripping her cane tightly.
A car was already waiting in front of the hospital. I opened the door for Emylia before getting into the driver’s seat.
"Ready to go home?" I asked, glancing at her.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I just…" She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I feel guilty for making you worry."
I let out a small smile. "I made you worry too. So we’re even."
She gave a faint smile before looking out the window. I pressed the gas pedal, driving in silence.
We didn’t need words tonight. What mattered was, we were still here.
---
Arriving home
I parked the car in front of the house, then stepped out and opened the door for Emylia. She got out slowly, still clutching her cane firmly.
But before I could open the front door, a voice I knew all too well called out.
"You’re late, Taehyung."
I turned around. On the porch, two figures were waiting.
Ray and Haesong.
Ray crossed his arms, his expression as usual—calm, but with sharp eyes. Haesong stood with his hands in his pockets, watching me with interest.
I scoffed. "I just got out of the hospital, and you two are already bothering me?"
"Even if you weren’t in the hospital, I still would’ve come," Haesong leaned against the wall. "I need to make sure you’re not turning into an idiot after everything that happened."
Ray turned to Emylia. "You okay?"
Emylia gave a small nod. "I’m okay, Ray. Thanks for coming."
Ray nodded before shifting his gaze back to me. "You’ve got a lot to explain, boss."
I took a deep breath before opening the front door. "Come in first. I don’t have the energy to listen to your lectures outside."
They both followed me inside.
---
In the living room
I sat on the couch, letting my body rest. Emylia sat beside me, while Haesong and Ray took seats across from us.
"So, what do you want to discuss?" I went straight to the point.
Haesong gave me a sharp look. "I heard you finally admitted the truth about Mirae."
I nodded. "Yeah. I told Emylia she’s my sister."
Ray let out a long breath. "You know what that means, right?"
I stayed silent. I knew. There were too many questions that needed answers now.
"Does Mark know that you know?" Ray asked again.
I shook my head. "Not yet. But he’ll find out sooner or later."
Haesong leaned back. "And when he does, do you think he’ll let you live peacefully?"
I chuckled dryly, even though I knew this wasn’t funny. "I’ve never had a peaceful life, Haesong."
Ray sighed. "What’s your plan now?"
I clenched my jaw. I had already thought about this for a long time.
"I’m going to find Mark. I want to know why he hid all of this."
Haesong smirked. "And if his answer isn’t something you like?"
I met his gaze without hesitation.
"Then I’ll make sure he never hides anything again."