Married to the Villain
Chapter 1 ~ Shrew Òre
Kim Taehyung
I suppose there's a reason you barged into my office without an appointment.
*smiled faintly as he looked at the man standing before his desk*
Seo Kang Joon
I heard you called off our engagement
*said through gritted teeth*
He hated Taehyung's smile. It wasn't because of the way his perfectly shaped lips curled upward or the tiny dimple that appeared whenever he smiled. It was because the smile never reached his amber eyes. Behind it was always a calculating glint that made people uneasy.
As Kang Joon stared at him, memories of his parents repeatedly reminding him to marry Taehyung flooded his mind. Their struggling overseas businesses desperately needed the support of Taehyung's powerful family.
Seo Kang Joon
Why?
*he demanded*
Kim Taehyung
*Raised an eyebrow*
Why not?
Seo Kang Joon
I deserve an explanation! Our families have been planning this engagement for months! You can't simply walk away now! This will ruin our reputation—
Kim Taehyung
And that's my problem... because?
Seo Kang Joon
You... Tell me the reason for your ridiculous decision, or else—
His words were cut short when Taehyung casually tossed a thick envelope onto the desk.
Kim Taehyung
See for yourself.
Kang Joon immediately ripped it open.
His eyes widened.
Inside were photographs and investigation reports—clear evidence of him secretly meeting and sleeping with a young actress.
Seo Kang Joon
You... You had someone spying on me?
Kim Taehyung
*Scoffed*
Don't flatter yourself, Seo Kang Joon. It was nothing more than a business decision.
He calmly slid another envelope across the table.
Seo Kang Joon
What do you mean?
*asked before opening it.
His expression darkened even further*
Kim Taehyung
Acquisition
*replied*
I want your retail companies in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Seo Kang Joon
So this was your plan all along?
*hissed*
Is this why you agreed to marry me?
His eyes burned with rage.
His father had insisted on this marriage because their overseas subsidiaries were collapsing. By marrying into Taehyung's influential family, they believed they could save the company.
Kim Taehyung
*Leaned back in his chair*
Weren't you trying to use me for exactly the same reason?
Kim Taehyung
*A slow smirk appeared on his face*
Seo Kang Joon
How dare you!
*both hands onto the desk*
Do you think my family is someone you can threaten like this? Just wait—
Kim Taehyung
Tsk... Tsk...
*rested his chin on one hand*
Have you already forgotten about those photographs?
Kim Taehyung
*His smile remained perfectly calm*
Imagine how your board of directors will react after discovering that the honorable CEO, Seo Kang Joon, cheated on his fiancé with a third-rate actress. And with your half-brother outperforming you these days... do you honestly think they'll hesitate before replacing you?
Seo Kang Joon
You—
*face turned crimson as veins bulged on his forehead*
Only then did he realize the truth.
He had fallen into Kim Taehyung's trap from the very beginning.
Kim Taehyung
You're making me sound like the villain
*said with a lazy shrug*
This is business. Your family exploited my dying grandmother's affection to force this engagement because your company was desperate.
Kang Joon couldn't refute him.
Everything Taehyung said was true.
His mother had manipulated the close relationship between both families, hoping the elderly Madam Kim would agree to the marriage before she passed away.
Everyone had assumed Taehyung accepted only to fulfill his grandmother's final wish.
No one expected him to cancel the engagement barely a month after her funeral.
Kang Joon silently read the acquisition proposal.
The price Taehyung offered was generous.
More than fair.
Yet accepting it meant admitting that he had been completely outplayed.
He slowly stood.
Seo Kang Joon
*His eyes were filled with resentment*
Taehyung... I never imagined you'd become this ruthless.
Seo Kang Joon
*He laughed bitterly*
I always believed you were gentle, just like your mother and grandmother.
*His smile twisted cruelly*
But I suppose you inherited your personality from your bastard father instead.
The smug smile on Taehyung's face vanished instantly.
Seeing that reaction filled Kang Joon with satisfaction.
Seo Kang Joon
You think you're untouchable because you sit in this luxurious office?
*He leaned closer*
Did you really think everyone forgot what happened seven years ago?
Seo Kang Joon
*His voice became colder*
You're nothing but a disgrace.
Every word pierced Taehyung's heart.
Seo Kang Joon
You deserved every bit of humiliation you suffered.
Taehyung's fingers tightened around the armrest.
His breathing became uneven.
Satisfied with the reaction, Kang Joon straightened his suit.
Seo Kang Joon
I'll discuss your offer with my father and our lawyers.
*Without another glance, he turned and walked out*
The heavy office door shut behind him.
Silence.
Taehyung remained frozen in his chair, his complexion frighteningly pale.
He reached for the phone.
Kim Taehyung
Yang Mi.
*His voice was barely above a whisper*
Cancel all my meetings today.
Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call and pressed the Do Not Disturb button on his office phone.
Slowly, he turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking London's skyline.
Although it was summer, dark clouds swallowed the afternoon sky.
The wind howled between the towering skyscrapers.
A flash of lightning illuminated the city.
Moments later, thunder roared violently.
Taehyung flinched.
He hated the rain.
Rain always reminded him of that day seven years ago.
It made him feel powerless.
Fragile.
Like the frightened twenty-year-old man who had desperately wished someone would save him.
He clenched his jaw and grabbed the remote control.
The blinds slid shut, blocking out the rain pounding relentlessly against the glass.
The office became dim and quiet.
Taehyung leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes.
Kang Joon's cruel words echoed endlessly inside his mind.
Kim Taehyung
(Did I really deserve everything that happened seven years ago?)
Download NovelToon APP on App Store and Google Play
