╔.▪.═══════════════╗
CHAPTER EIGHT
• ᴍᴀɴ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴅ •

╚═══════════════.▪.╝

-flashback-

"Get the fuck up you piece of shit!" Taehyung's father grabbed the beaten boy's hair and pulled him up. "You worthless fucker."

"Why do you do this, appa? I have never wronged you." He sobbed.

Taehyung's dad punched him harder than before and he fell to the ground again.

"You killed your mother!" The father kicked his son in his stomach repeatedly.

"Appa, please! Stop!" Taehyung pleaded as he covered his head with his hands.

"Don't ever fucking forget what you've caused!"

• • • •

"Kim Taehyung! You are not the man I raised you to be!" Jiwoo yelled into the phone. "How could you say that to sweet Y/N?!"

"I was angry, eomma." Taehyung tried to explain himself.

"And that makes it fine?"

"No," Taehyung answered ashamed.

"My son," Jiwoo sighed. "Do you really believe Y/N would do that?"

"No."

"Exactly! Jaesuk was lying to get under your skin. He's done it multiple times before. Why would you believe him? Now get over there and apologize to her you idiot!"

• • • •

"Is Y/N here?" Taehyung asked Jimin, who opened the door.

"She's sleeping."

"Can I wait until she wakes?"

"I don't know, Tae. You really hurt her with your choice of words last night." Jimin rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know. Just please let me wait here until she wakes."

"Fine." Jimin stepped out of the way and Taehyung walked into the house. "She's in your old room."

"Thank you, Jimin."

There you lay—peacefully on the bed. How can someone look so beautiful whilst sleeping?

Taehyung thought as he walked over to the bed and sat next to you.

"I'm sorry for hurting you... both physically and verbally. I promise that will never happen again." He moved the strands of hair that covered your face. "You should know that I always keep my promises. They're important to me."

"And why is that?" You slowly opened your eyes and looked at a surprised Taehyung.

"You were awake?" He asked.

"The doorbell woke me up."

"Oh." Taehyung simply responded.

"Tell me," You sat up. "Why are promises so important to you?"

Taehyung thought for a moment before speaking, "When I was younger a man who I cared for always made promises to me, but he never kept them. Since then, I promised myself to be the opposite of that man. I promised to be a man of my word."

I also promised to never hurt innocent people just as he would hurt me.

"Who was that man?" You titled your head slightly in curiosity.

"No one important." Taehyung gave you a small smile. "Y/N," Taehyung grabbed your hands. "What I said yesterday was so ignorant. I may not know you perfectly, but I know you enough to know you would never do what I accused you of."

Taehyung saw the uncertainty in your eyes and proceeded.

"I will never hurt you. I married you to protect you from your dad's enemy's and anyone who means you harm. I gave my word to your mother to do so and I will always look after you for as long as I live."

You breathed in deeply then sighed.

You trusted him. You could sense the sincerity in his words.

You leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I believe you." You whispered.

His beautiful boxy smile appeared on his lips.

"Shall we go home?"

"Ah yes, back to your pregnant girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend anymore." He answered shyly.

"Kim Taehyung! Did you just break up with your pregnant girlfriend?!" I sarcastically spoke and opened my mouth in surprise.

"I was planning on doing it once she got back anyway. Plus," He placed his hand on your cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "My heart holds another."

You were lost in his gaze for a moment before clearing your throat and looking at your wrist.

"Would you look at the time." You got off the bed.

"You don't even have a watch on." He laughed.

"Well, I just know it's late."

• • • •

"You're home!" Naeun yelled in excitement and ran to hug you. You stayed still as her arms wrapped around you. "I missed you!"

What a snake.

"Get off of me." You lightly pushed her off since she was pregnant. "You know you don't like me. This sweet girl act you're putting on won't get Taehyung to want you again." You rolled your eyes and walked up the stairs to your room.

Naeun was left surprised and Taehyung tried not to burst out a laugh.

"What's her damage?" Naeun scoffed.

"Nothing." Taehyung smiled as you walked up the stairs. "There's nothing wrong with her."

• • • •

"Is there something wrong?" Taehyung's voice startled you.

You turned around to see him in his pajamas and his messy bed hair.

He still manages to look good.

"I had a nightmare. I came downstairs to drink some water." You pointed at the glass that was on the counter.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

You thought about the nightmare and your vision became blurry because of the tears that gathered in your eyes.

"Not really." You spoke in a hushed tone.

Taehyung saw your teary eyes and quickly pulled you into a tight embrace.

"It's okay," He whispered into your hair. "It's all over now."

"But it's not." You mumbled into his chest.

"What makes you say that?"

You pulled away and looked into his eyes, "Because it's a nightmare I'm living in real life."

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"I thought you died in that house, Taehyung. Those moments that passed when I thought that... they broke me." Tears started to stream down your face. "It reminded me of the pain I went through when my father died. I felt the exact same pain again." You wiped the tears that fell. "That's when I realized I can't lose you. I wouldn't know what to do if I did."

Taehyung cupped your cheeks.

"Y/N, you're not gonna lose me. I will always be here with you." He assured you

"You said you're a man of your word," You reminded. "Do you promise?"

Taehyung chuckled and raised his right hand like he was going to say an oath, "I, Kim Taehyung who never breaks promises and is a man of his word, promise to always be here to take care of you and look after you. I promise to never let anyone hurt you and if they do, they will die."

You smiled at his words and hugged him again.

"Thank you." You whispered.

"You have nothing to worry about, Y/N." Taehyung ran his fingers through your hair. "I'll keep that promise." He whispered.

I'm not like that man I told you about.

-flashback-

"I'm sorry, Taehyung." His father rubbed the young boy's shoulder. "I promise to never hurt you again."

"You say that all the time." Taehyung sobbed as he wiped the blood running down his nose.

"But this time I'm serious." The man gave young Taehyung a smug smile. "Now clean up, son. I don't want you to remind me of what you've driven me to do."

✣ ━━━━━━ ✣ ━━━━━━ ✣

Yay for you and Taehyung, but a big fucking boo for Taehyung's dad