FOREVER LIES

Part 25

Lisa

I spent the rest of the day hiding in my apartment. Taehyung and my father both did me the courtesy of leaving me alone. I called in sick at work, letting my staff know that I wouldn't be in the rest of the week. I was too upset to handle life. I needed time to decide what my next move would be.

My emotions acted like a carousel with different horses rising up and down on poles. I'd left Bang Chan in a haze of despair and hurt, but by the next morning, anger had trumped all the other emotions, taking the lead. I was furious that any semblance of control I had over my life had been taken from me, manipulated in ways I'd never even known.

So many lies.

My life had been built on them.

Midway through the morning, Moonbyul called me. I debated not answering. I was pissed at her for being included by my father and for not telling me herself about our family, but Moonbyul never called me, and my curiosity won out.

"Hello?" My curt greeting was lukewarm at best.

"You need to stop acting like a child."

"Excuse me?"

"Everything Dad's done was to keep you and Minnie safe. You find out and throw an unholy tantrum, pissed you weren't included in the secret like it's some game." That was Moonbyul, always telling it exactly as she saw it.

"I know this is no game, Moonbyul. That's exactly why I'm so upset. This is my life, and now I'm inextricably bound to a family of criminals without any say in the matter."

"You could always leave."

Her words stunned me. "Is that what you want? You want me to leave?"

"I didn't say that—don't put words in my mouth," she shot back, a touch of anger in her voice. "You don't want to be a part of this, leaving is always an option. Don't say you don't have a choice. If you stay, then yes, to some degree, you will always be connected, especially now that you know."

"Why did he tell you and not us?" My question was rife with hurt, and I hated myself for showing her that vulnerability.

"You and Minnie were always too good for the life. Dad wanted to give you two the chance to be free of the family."

"And you?"

"I was a different story. Surely you remember what a terror I was as a kid. Dad knew I would get myself into trouble if he didn't guide me and give me an outlet for all my raging emotions. Hell, I broke Kim Seokjin's nose when I was only ten—I wasn't like you two. Never was, never will be."

My heart hurt for her. Why had she been so tormented as a kid? Could I have done something differently to help? She had been the closest in age to Hanbin, and her discipline problems had started around the time of his death. I could only assume she had taken his loss harder than the rest of us.

"I wasn't trying to throw a tantrum," I attempted to explain. "You have to try to understand that my life was just turned upside down. Everything I thought I knew was wrong, and now, I'm struggling to sort it all out."

"I get it. You've led a charmed life, though, and you need to understand there are all sorts of ugly out there. Just because you grew up thinking life was sunshine and rainbows, doesn't mean it is. You may think we're monsters, but we are far from the worst things out there. It's time for you to accept that life has its darker side."

"So, I've heard. I'm surprised you're even talking to me about this over the phone. Aren't you worried about wiretaps or crap like that?"

She choked on a laugh. "It's not like the movies—don't let your imagination run away from you. We're very cautious— we only use iPhones because they're encrypted, and not even the feds can get in. We don't have regular meetings, and the bosses are rarely ever seen at all. Business is often done online and always very discreetly."