His Man | Taekook ☑

Chapter 23: Now

"Do you have to keep her handcuffed to the bed even when she is sick? Does she look like she can even walk without help? Let alone try and escape? She has been here for 6 years. If she wanted to escape, she would have tried it by now. Get that handcuff out of my sight", Taehyung grunts at the police officer, his glare threatening.

"Tae! It's okay. I am used to it", Mrs. Kim pats her son on his shoulder trying to pacify him but he doesn't stop glaring at the officer, "You know who I am. Don't you?"

"I do Sir, but I am sorry. These are the rules. We need to keep the prisoners in handcuffs for as long as they are out of their cells even if they happen to be in a hospital".

Taehyung lowers his gaze to read the badge on the officer's uniform, "Mr. Lee Ho-yang? Is that right?"

"Yes sir"

"The goverment won't reward you for keeping the handcuff on but you will offend Kim Taehyung for the same. I'll remember your name if you don't unlock the handcuff on my mother's hand and trust me Mr. Lee, you don't want me to remember your name.", Taehyung stares right into the officer's eyes making him gulp hard. He signals his subordinate to uncuff his mother's hand from the bedpost.

"Now leave us alone", he grunts. The officer and his subordinates immediately leave the two alone.

"You haven't changed one bit", his mother chuckles feebly.

"You have no idea how much I have changed since the last time I saw you Omma", he smiles warmly.

"When was it Taehyung? The last time you came to see me?", Mrs. Kim chokes on her words as tears threaten to leave her eyes.

"8 months, 16 days", he answers, apologetically.

"You remember?"

"Of course I do Omma. I think about coming to see you everyday and then I just...don't", he shrugs his shoulders slowly as if she was supposed to know all this already.

"Oh my beautiful boy! I have missed you so much", she breaks down in tears in front of him.

"Omma! Omma don't. Please. This is why I can never bring myself to come see you. My guilt consumes me yet again and then I see you sobbing in front of me and I just..It's just too much" , Taehyung takes a deep breath.

"How many times do I have to tell you to forget about your past and move on with your life Tae? Just live. Be happy. What is so difficult about it? I will be so much happier here if I know you are out there actually living your life, not stuck in your past.", she says patting his head gently.

"Omma how do you expect me to move on with my life when I know you have been stuck in a cell for the last 6 years because of something that I did?", he responds with teary eyes, "Everytime I see you Omma, I am reminded of how I ruined your whole life"

"My life was already destined to be ruined the moment I married him. It was my decision Taehyung, it's on me. I had to do this so that atleast you could have a life, but it's been 6 years and you are still stuck in the past. Are you going to let your life go to waste just like I did mine?"

"I told you to not marry him Omma. Didn't I?", he says glaring into the space, not looking her in the eyes.

She takes a deep breath as a tear drops down her eye, "I was in love Taehyung. I was blind. Maybe, someday you'll understand what love can make you do. It makes your life a bliss if you fall in love with the right person and makes it hell if you fall for the wrong person. I made a mistake. I fell for the wrong person. I know, you will not understand this yet but-"