Resurgence ~VKOOK~

Chapter 2: The Kims - A Life Of Power And Pretense

The Kim mansion stood tall and regal in the heart of Seoul’s most exclusive neighborhood, a symbol of wealth, power, and the carefully curated image of a perfect family. Kim Taehyung, the 32-year-old CEO of Kim Industries, had earned his place among South Korea’s elite. His name commanded respect, his business acumen was unmatched, and his charm disarmed everyone he met. Yet, beneath the surface, Taehyung’s life was far from the flawless picture the world saw.

He had grown up with privilege, the son of an influential business family. His father had built Kim Industries from the ground up, and from an early age, Taehyung was groomed to take over the empire. His upbringing had been one of discipline, education, and expectation. The Kims weren’t just another wealthy family—they were the kind of dynasty people read about in history books.

For most of his life, Taehyung had followed the script laid out for him. Hardworking, focused, and dedicated to the family legacy, he had never strayed from the path expected of him. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t wanted more.

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The Wedding of Taehyung and  Anna

Three years ago, Taehyung had married  Anna. Anna's family, known for their extensive wealth and influence, had been an ideal match for the kims. Their marriage had been an arrangement orchestrated by their parents, sealed during a business deal that promised both families an even greater stake in the country’s economic landscape.

Taehyung had met Anna during a corporate meeting between their fathers. She had accompanied her father, Gabriel May, as a spectator, a beautiful woman with striking features and an aura of sophistication. She had been twenty-five at the time—four years younger than Taehyung—and their meeting was brief, businesslike, and somewhat impersonal. But when Anna’s eyes had lingered on Taehyung, her interest was clear.

Taehyung, on the other hand, had been indifferent. He admired her beauty, appreciated her intelligence, and respected her upbringing, but he hadn’t felt the spark one would expect when meeting the woman they were meant to spend their life with. For him, it was simply another step in his preordained life.

A few months later, they were married. The wedding had been extravagant—an event of the year that dominated headlines for weeks. Every influential figure in South Korea had attended, and the media had painted them as a power couple, destined to rule over their respective industries. The perfect couple, they had been called.

But behind closed doors, things were different.

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The Strained Marriage

Anna had fallen deeply in love with Taehyung, or perhaps the idea of him. He was everything she had ever dreamed of in a husband—handsome, powerful, and respected. Their marriage had started with hope on her part, a belief that their bond would grow into something more meaningful, something more intimate. But for Taehyung, it had always been an arrangement.

Over the years, Anna had tried to make their marriage work. She played the part of the devoted wife, attending events by his side, maintaining a pristine public image, and making every effort to capture his heart. But Taehyung remained distant, kind but detached. He respected her, admired her loyalty, but love? It was not something he could give her.

Taehyung’s life revolved around his company. Kim Industries was his true passion, and he poured every ounce of himself into ensuring its success. While Anna spent her days indulging in high society events and shopping sprees, Taehyung was in meetings, working late nights, and flying across the world for business. Their lives were parallel but never intersecting.

This distance had taken its toll on Anna. She grew frustrated, hurt by Taehyung’s indifference. She had married him expecting affection and companionship, but what she received was formality and distance. Her love turned into jealousy, especially when Taehyung’s attention shifted to anyone else but her. Over time, that jealousy festered into bitterness.

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The Current Situation – A Crumbling Marriage

Three years into their marriage, the cracks in their relationship were beginning to show. Taehyung, though still respectful towards Anna, had grown increasingly distant, spending more and more time at work or traveling for business. Anna, feeling isolated and ignored, had become resentful and desperate to rekindle what she believed was a dying spark between them.

She had tried everything—lavish dinners, surprise trips, even changing her appearance in an effort to capture his attention. But Taehyung remained unmoved. He was polite, as always, but emotionally absent. His heart simply wasn’t in the marriage, and deep down, Anna knew it.

To make matters worse, rumors had begun to circulate among the elite circles that their marriage wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Anna’s outbursts at social events, her increasingly erratic behavior, and her attempts to keep Taehyung’s attention hadn’t gone unnoticed.

But Anna wasn’t ready to give up. She loved Taehyung, or at least the idea of him. She loved the status their marriage afforded her, the admiration she received for being Mrs. Kim Taehyung. But that wasn’t enough anymore. She wanted the man she had fallen for, the man she believed was still somewhere behind the cold exterior.

Yet, Taehyung had begun to withdraw even further, emotionally and physically. The weight of his responsibilities, coupled with the pressure of running his family’s empire, left him little room for the personal life Anna desperately wanted from him.

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