F94

Yeonho laid out all the evidence he had in front of his mother and father. He told his father in detail what Seong Junhee had done to him.

He made sure his father saw, with his own eyes, the consequences of ignoring Seong Junhee’s crimes. But he didn’t bring up the truth about Seong Junhee’s death. There was no need to make himself vulnerable unnecessarily.

His father let out a heavy sigh and repeated “I’m sorry” over and over again. He accepted the fact that everything had now been exposed to Yeonho’s mother with an odd calm, as if he had expected this to happen ever since Yeonho had thrown himself from the cliff at the ski resort once more.

Yeonho studied his mother’s expression carefully. When she found out that, just like with Seong Junhee, the same thing had happened with Seong Junyoung. And that her husband had hidden both of their crimes, she staggered and collapsed to the floor. Her face was twisted with a rage that words couldn’t express.

She must have worn the same expression when she first saw the phone that held Seong Junhee’s record of abuse. Yeonho had simply never seen it.

Sobbing uncontrollably, she screamed at her husband.

“Because of your sons, my poor son tried to kill himself!”

His father knelt and held her as she fell, crying out his apologies. Watching the emotional storm unfold, Yeonho remained steady. He calmly said what he needed to say.

“Dad. I was going to keep all of it to myself and die. But somehow, I survived. And if I’m going to keep living, I can’t keep carrying this. I’m going to expose everything Junhee did, and I’ll make sure Junyoung is punished by the law. I’m sorry for breaking my promise to keep this from Mom.”

Still holding her and trying to comfort her, his father looked up at Yeonho with sincere eyes and said,

“Your brothers, Junhee and Junyoung, were born to a woman I didn’t love. But you, you were born to the woman I did love. That’s why it wasn’t about them being more important. It wasn’t about reputation either. We’re not some famous chaebol family, I’ve got no face to save. What mattered to me most was your mother. I was scared she’d find out and leave me, take you with her.”

Looking back over the past eighteen years and the way his father had treated his mother and children, Yeonho felt sure this wasn’t a lie. He continued to listen.

“To be honest, none of the kids ever meant as much to me as your mom. I didn’t have love left to give to you all. Kim Siwoo? I didn’t have anything personal against him. I only went after him because I was afraid he’d be the one to tell your mom what Junyoung did.”

His father had become so honest it was almost shameless. Yeonho lowered his head and let out a small laugh. He realized now that just like him, his mother hadn’t wanted to let go of his father, even after everything that had happened. What his father was saying now might just be the very thing to sway her heart.

His father went on.

“I’m sorry. Do whatever you want with Junhee. Expose everything. Make sure Junyoung pays. I’ll be on your side, I promise. Just please… not your mother…”

Yeonho looked at his mother. She was staring at his father with sorrow in her eyes. And from that expression, Yeonho understood something clearly, human hearts don’t always follow the decisions they make.

He had originally planned to push hard for his parents to divorce. But he changed his mind. It wasn’t emotion that changed it, but logic. Cold reasoning.

Rather than launching a long, exhausting fight against his father, it would be far more advantageous to tie him to his side using his mother. He would use the emotional bond that connected himself to his mother, and his mother to his father. That much, he could allow himself.

“Whether to divorce or not is Mom’s decision. I can’t force it. But if she decides not to, then remove Junyoung from my sight by other means. I’ll try to forgive you. But not him.”

“I won’t let Junyoung anywhere near you. I’ll make sure he’s punished. I promise.”

“And there’s something I want.”

After finishing the conversation with his parents, Yeonho climbed into the car parked outside the house. Siwoo was already in the passenger seat waiting for him. As soon as he got in, Yeonho pressed kiss after kiss to Siwoo’s cheek, exhaling deeply and speaking with breathless excitement.

“Everything that was supposed to go to Seong Junyoung? I’m taking it all. I’m not even someone who cares about money or property, but this time I fought tooth and nail to get it, golf course, hotel, everything. It’s mine now.”

Because of Siwoo, Yeonho had been able to shamelessly ask for something he never would have dared before. The difference between having someone to protect and not having someone was like night and day.

Siwoo looked at him with warm pride, seeing how bravely he had faced his parents and said everything he needed to say.

“Well done. You deserve to be compensated.”

“Dad says he’ll be on my side no matter what. The fact that he said it in front of Mom means he wasn’t lying.”

That made Siwoo smile even brighter than Yeonho. He was genuinely relieved that Yeonho once again had a parent he could lean on. Siwoo had experienced enough of what it was like to be unprotected by your own family for the both of them.

How great must the betrayal have been for someone like Yeonho, who had grown up with love and security, to be abandoned by his family one by one? Siwoo felt a pang of guilt, remembering that there had been a time when he had wanted Yeonho to be cast aside by his family too.

Yeonho leaned over and buckled Siwoo’s seatbelt, then started driving as he spoke seriously.

“Drop everything and come to me. Just your body is enough. I’ll take care of your family problem now.”

“…”

“I’m not joking, hyung.”

Siwoo fell silent. He had no easy answer, just like last time.

He still had all the records he’d collected of the abuse from his childhood, photos of bruises, hospital reports, therapy and counseling transcripts. It had gone on for so long that, unlike Yeonho, he didn’t even need to be obsessive about gathering it. The evidence was endless.

But he had never truly imagined using any of it.

He had told Yeonho that everything was okay now, but the truth was, nothing had actually been resolved. He was more emotionally stable, yes. But the situation itself was unchanged. He had simply become someone who did what he wanted regardless of his parents’ judgment, though he still had to worry about the consequences afterward.

He could now brush off verbal abuse without flinching. He could stop his father’s beatings by twisting his wrist away. If his father picked up a blunt object, Siwoo would reach for one too. That was how he got through moments of violence. It was shameful, but it was all he had. Nothing had truly changed.

His whole life, he had vowed to endure until graduation, then cut ties after becoming independent. But after coming back to Korea post-graduation, he still hadn’t severed things. Yes, he had been preoccupied with Yeonho, but it was also true that he hadn’t been able to make that decision.

Love for his parents? Lingering attachment? A belief that they might reconcile one day? Hope that they still loved him somewhere deep down? No, none of that.

What he truly lacked was the courage to give up what he had.

It was ironic, the biggest reason he couldn’t bring himself to leave his family was Yeonho. If he had Yeonho, he could give up everything. But how could someone like him, who had nothing, ask to have Yeonho?

It wasn’t about pride. It was about practicality. Without a family background, could someone like Kim Siwoo comfortably love someone like Joo Yeonho? The truth was, his wealth and standing had played a huge role in getting Yeonho back. There were so many moments he felt he wouldn’t have succeeded if he’d had nothing. So now that Yeonho wouldn’t leave him, did any of that matter anymore?

Of course, Yeonho wasn’t the only reason. Siwoo had been stuck in the habit of violence for so long that it had made him feel powerless, like escape was impossible. Without realizing it, he kept falling back into orbit around his parents.

When they stopped at a red light, Yeonho reached over and brushed his fingers against Siwoo’s lips.

“Hyung. You told me to just bear it, to carry the weight of your crime. So now it’s your turn. Just accept this and follow me.”

It was a command. And it was rare for Yeonho to speak so forcefully.

But sometimes, courage and action needed force behind them. Siwoo understood that more than anyone.