F.R.I.E.N.D.S. [K.TH]

#23

Haeri was glaring at the two people lounging on her sofa, as if they didn't just come into her dorm unannounced. Her mother's manicured nails were resting on her lap, her sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Shin Hyerin looked every inch of her daughter, except for her daughter's height, which Haeri had gotten from her father. 

Meanwhile, the ogre in the room had his arms sprawled on the sofa, his legs crossed as he looked around. His greying hair was slicked back with gel, his beard trimmed down. His suit was neatly pressed, a fake petunia tucked into his breast pocket.

"I hope you know why we're here," He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. 

"No I don't. Get out," She seethed, and her mother's lips pressed together.

"Hailey." Her mother reprimanded, and her daughter turned to her, stunned.

"Mother," She glared at her mother, yet she was also hurt. Haeri didn't know why she expected any more from her mother. Her own mother, who since day one of her new marriage, has been nothing but a pain in Haeri's backside. Even the sunglasses she always wore made her mother feel like a stranger to her.

Her own mother, who once doted on her daughter and showered her with affection, is now a complete stranger to Haeri. While Shin Hyerin liked to think she was changing for the better, Shin Haeri liked to think that her mother was being brainwashed by her stepfather.

Oscar Whitlock... sorry, Sir Whitlock was the devil in disguise. Ever since he appeared in Haeri's life, he would try to pull on her strings, and break and bend her to his own will. He was exceptional at playing the 'caring father' act in front of everybody, but behind closed doors, when it was just the two of them...

...he was hell on Earth.

His son was a dropout with a cocaine addiction, but the CEO didn't even care. He knew of course, but he didn't care about what it was his son did, because his son wasn't the ideal heir for the business. His son was dyslexic, and Whitlock preferred to blame his former wife for that, opting to divorce her.

Haeri, on the unfortunate side, was everything he was looking for, and he would try and shape her into the ideal businesswoman he wanted her to be. He was expecting her to be docile, as most girls in high society were. What he wasn't expecting for the girl to be rebellious, even leaving the house so she was far out of his manipulative reach.

So here he was, in her place, with no authorisation apart from his own. His plan? "You're attending a party on Christmas Eve. It's a friend of mine's birthday, and he's been wanting to meet you for quite a while now. Everybody who is anybody is going to be there."

"And what if I don't want to be there?" She raised her chin in defiance, and the man's eyes narrowed.

He stood up, grabbing her face. His grip was harsh, and she was sure it was going to leave a bruise. "As your stepfather, if I tell you to do it, you will."

She pushed his hand away from her face. "And if I say I don't want to, then I don't. You have no power in this place. I do."

"Hailey." Her mother stood up, crossing her arms. "This is your first chance to be presented to the public as the heiress of WhiteLock and Co. You will not ruin this because of meaningless outings with Kai."

"Mother! You're not understanding the point no matter how many times I repeat myself. I don't want the company," She glared at the both of them. "I don't care how many times you try to make me, I'm not going. You can go the stupid party yourselves."

Her stepfather slapped her with a gloved hand, the sound sharp and made her ears ring. Her glasses fell onto the ground, and they remained forgotten as she stared at him with such blinding hatred. "You will not ruin our public image for something so selfish."

His hand fell to his side, and he tucked his hands into his pocket. "You are attending it. Final. I will have someone come collect you in the evening for the event. After that, you can stay here for the rest of the holiday. There's no reason for you to be home this year." He walked to the door, his cane tucked into his arm, his wife's hand on his other arm. Opening the door, he stopped. "You have one chance. Don't disappoint." His eyes darkened even more when he turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"Or there will be severe consequences." The door slammed shut behind the two, and grabbing her glasses, she pulled out her phone and went to the first person on her mind. Her throat was clogged up with incoming tears, and she harshly wiped her tears.

Ruth🤍

ruth

can i come over?

heyyyyyyyyyy

dud somrthung happen

...you're drunk aren't you

nooooo

omg the strssss

they looook si vute

...you're defo drunk

nvm i was gonna ask if i can come over

i'll just go to kai's

i'm gonna ask someone to watch you

i'm an adukt 😡

idc

i asked gyu and he said he'll come over

yayyyy

he's sooo cukte

[Seen]

haeri's stepdad <<<<<<<<<< 

omg beomgyu gonna watch over drunk ruth 😩