Chapter 3 :

Taehyung could utter a word in response, a booming voice echoed through the lounge, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"What on earth is going on here?"

The voice was heavy with authority and laced with simmering rage.

Everyone turned around to look.

"Mom!!"

The anger on Taehyung’s face was gone, replaced by a deep, wide smile. He spoke with pure excitement. Just like a little child, he pulled his arm away from Jimin’s grip, rushed past Miss Kim, and went straight to her.

Meanwhile, Miss Kim watched with tears in her eyes. It hurt her to see how excited her son was to see his stepmother

"Mom, do you have any idea how much I missed you?" Taehyung said excitedly while hugging his stepmother.

Miss Reena hugged him back warmly. "Oh, my dear child! Mom missed you too," she replied. She gently held Taehyung by his arms, moved him back slightly, and kissed his forehead.

No… you’re misunderstanding. It wasn’t like that. I swear,” Miss Kim said softly, lowering her gaze.

“When I’m talking to you, look at me!” Reena shouted.

Slowly, with shaking hands and fearful eyes, Miss Kim looked up.

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Introduction: Miss Reena

"Miss Reena is Mr. Kim’s first wife. She is a successful businesswoman who manages the family business alongside her husband. She is a very strict woman with her own set of rules and high status. In her eyes, poor people are no better than the dust on her shoes; she sees them as a burden on this world. She is filled with pride and arrogance. For her, the only things that matter are money and status—everything else is worthless.

Miss Reena could not have children, so she allowed Mr. Kim to marry just for the sake of an heir. Mr. Kim’s mother had arranged his marriage to the daughter of her own cousin, a simple and less-educated girl from a poor family. Miss Reena protested a lot, Miss Reena wanted Mr. Kim to marry someone of her own choice—someone who matched her high social status. However, she couldn't go against her mother-in-law's wishes, so she remained silent for the time being, waiting for her moment."

Three years after the marriage, Taehyung was born. By then, Mr. Kim’s mother had passed after one year Taehyung birth, leaving Miss Reena in total control of the house. As soon as Miss Reena took him into her custody. Miss Kim was only allowed to see him to change his clothes or feed him. Perhaps this is why Taehyung grew up to be exactly like his stepmother."

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Mom, where is Dad?" Taehyung asked, looking behind Miss Reena, searching for his father.

"He went straight to the company from the airport. There was some urgent work, so he will be back by tonight. But tell me, how is your work going?" she asked while walking towards the sofa. She sat down gracefully, crossing her legs with pride. Her eyes were fixed only on Taehyung, as if he was the only person in the entire lounge.

Jimin looked at his 'Bari Mom' and rolled his eyes. He was well aware of her habits. Meanwhile, Miss Kim was still standing there in silence.

"Mom, it’s going great! We’ve secured two big projects, and work starts next month," Taehyung replied with a smile, sitting down right next to Reena.

"That’s good, dear. I am so proud of you. After all, you are my son," she said, placing her hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. She glanced toward Miss Kim, clearly trying to make her feel like she had no status or importance.

Jimin rolled his eyes again. "Bari Mom, we are also here besides Taehyung. Give us a little love too!"

"Oh, Jimin! Sorry, son. I didn’t even notice you. How are you?" she said in a dramatic tone, pretending she truly hadn't seen him. Miss Reena could fool anyone, but not Jimin. He knew her personality inside out.

"It’s okay, Bari Maa. I think as you’re getting older, your eyesight is getting weak. You should get your eyes tested; it would be good for your health," Jimin said while gathering his files. His tone was polite and sweet, but his words were a sharp taunt meant to sting.

Hearing Jimin’s remark, a small smile escaped Miss Kim’s lips despite her sadness. However, as soon as she saw Miss Reena’s murderous glare fixed on her, she quickly apologized and left for the kitchen.

At Jimin’s words, Taehyung glared at him. "How can you talk to Mom like that?" he snapped.

Jimin gave a fake smile. "Oh, Taehyung! I was just joking. Don't I even have the right to joke with my dear Mom?" He smiled while gritting his teeth, playfully pinching Miss Reena’s cheek—though deep down, he really wanted to give it a hard pinch.

Jimin didn't like Miss Reena much because she criticized everything. She had to rule over every house matter, whether it was an event or someone’s personal choice. She was always questioning: "What is this? Why is it like this? It shouldn't be this way."

He especially hated how she and Taehyung treated Miss Kim. Although Jimin wasn't very close to Miss Kim or overly fond of her, he still respected her. He knew very well that Miss Reena was the one responsible for spoiling Taehyung's character.

Why not? You are just like Taehyung to me," she replied with a fake smile.

She couldn't say anything harsh to Jimin in front of Taehyung. She always acted like a victim—a simple, innocent woman who patiently endured everyone’s taunts—just to keep Taehyung on her side. But in reality, she was far from it.

Jimin knew this "innocent" act was a trap, but he decided to play along for now. He picked up his bag and turned to leave.

"Anyway, I have a lot of work to finish. Enjoy your mother-son bonding time," Jimin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

As soon as Jimin climbed the stairs and was out of sight, Miss Reena turned her gaze toward Taehyung.

"Taehyung, dear, you should go and get some rest. I’m going to go freshen up as well," she said with a sweet, motherly smile.

Taehyung nodded, hugged his mom warmly, and headed upstairs. But as soon as he was out of sight, the warmth in Miss Reena's eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp glare. Instead of going to her room, she stood up from the sofa and marched straight into the kitchen.

...***********************...

Miss Kim stood by the counter, quietly arranging the dishes, unaware that a storm was approaching from behind her.

Do you think you're very clever?" Reena’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

Miss Kim flinched, the spoon nearly slipping from her trembling fingers.

“R-Reena… I—what do you mean?”

"Don't act innocent with me!" Reena hissed, stepping into her space. "I saw that smirk on your face when Jimin was talking back to me. You think you can use him to humiliate me in my own house?"

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion and rage.

“I understand everything. This was all your doing. You thought you could use him to humiliate me in my own house?”

“No… you’re misunderstanding. It wasn’t like that. I swear,” Miss Kim said softly, lowering her gaze.

“When I’m talking to you, look at me!” Reena shouted.

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Slowly, with shaking hands and fearful eyes, Miss Kim looked up.

“Know your place,” Reena said, her voice dripping with venom.

“You are here only because your name is tied to my husband… because you gave birth to Taehyung. Don’t forget that.”

She suddenly grabbed Miss Kim’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze.

“This house is mine. Kim is my husband… and Taehyung is my son.”

Her grip tightened.

“If I ever see you trying to be clever again…” her voice turned ice-cold,

“I won’t even let you see his shadow… let alone his face. Do you understand?”

Miss Kim nodded silently, her eyes filling with tears.

Reena shoved her away and looked her up and down with disgust.

“Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror?” she said mockingly.

“You saw your worth in front of your own son today, didn't you? Did you see how easily he threw that glass and how he insulted you without a second thought?"

Miss Kim’s heart sank. She looked at Reena, her eyes wide with shock. "What? That means... you were standing there? You saw everything happening and you didn't stop him?"

Reena let out a cold, heartless laugh. "Stop him? Why would I stop such an entertaining show? I enjoyed every second of it. I hate you, I hate your low status, and most of all, I hate this forced relationship that ties me to you. Taehyung is my son because I raised him to be like me. To him, you are nothing but a servant… someone who takes care of children. That’s the only reason you’re allowed to stay here.”

This time, Miss Kim slowly raised her head. Her voice trembled—but it wasn’t weak anymore.

“Maybe I am just a servant in this house… maybe a maid,” she said, gathering what little courage she had,

“But you can never deny what I am to him.”

Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t look away."

“In front of the world… in this house… no matter what you do, I will always be his real mother. His real mother.”

Her voice grew steadier.

“You can try to take my son away from me… you can push him as far as you want… You can poison his mind for me, but that won’t change the truth He is my blood, Reena."

A bitter pain crossed her face.

“And you—no matter how much you claim to be his… you will always remain a stepmother.”

She took a shaky breath.

“If you truly were his mother… then he wouldn’t be the way he is today. The way he treats me… that isn’t from a real mother.”

Reena’s expression darkened instantly

“How dare you say all that!” she screamed.

“You bitch—”

She raised her hand to slap her.

But just as her hand was about to make contact, Taehyung walked into the kitchen.

"Mom? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to freshen up," he said, looking confused.

Reena’s hand froze in mid-air. In a split second, her expression shifted back to a sweet, loving smile.

"Oh, Taehyung! I was just coming in for some water," she said smoothly. "And I was just telling your Choti Mom that I wanted to cook something special for my son today since you haven't had my handmade food in so many days."

Taehyung stepped forward and took Reena's hand. "No, Mom, there’s no need for that. You must be exhausted from the travel. We have a chef for that."

Reena sighed dramatically. "Fine, if you say so. But since I'm not cooking, maybe your Choti Mom can make something. I don't like you eating food from a chef when both your mothers are here. Right, Miss Kim? You’ll make it, won't you?"

Taehyung’s expression darkened as he looked at Miss Kim. "No, Mom. I’d rather die of hunger than eat anything made by her hands. Let's go from here, I don't want to eat anything right now."

He grabbed Reena’s hand to lead her out. Before leaving, Reena turned her head back and gave Miss Kim a cruel smirk, making sure she felt every bit of her insignificance.

...*****...

_______Other Side

Jungkook was still chasing the balloon. Without realizing it, he ended up right in the middle of the busy road. Suddenly, the loud, angry sound of car horns brought him back to his senses. He looked around, startled. Cars were speeding past him from every side.

Jungkook started to feel terrified. He didn't know what to do. He gripped his shirt tightly with his hands, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He was stuck in the middle of the road, and the loud noise began to make his head ache. He had never been out alone like this before, and he wasn't used to such a scary environment.

He pressed one hand against his ear, trying to block out the frightening noise that was making him panic. His other hand was still holding onto his shirt for comfort. While he stood there frozen, a Mercedes came speeding toward him. Jungkook’s eyes went wide with terror as the car headed straight for him.

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To be continued

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