Worlds Apart - Taekook - Book 2

Chapter 254 - Another Chance

The nurse assured the brothers that she'd got their mother out of the way to give them time with their stepfather but no-one could guarantee how long they would have so each of them prepared for her impending arrival.

Han-Shik didn't want to see her - he couldn't deal with the toxic emotional attachment he had to her theatrics. He hated himself for feeling guilty and having some sympathy for her but Emi had rightly pointed out that, that was how Nuri had been so successful with manipulating him in the past so his reaction was understandable. Han-Shik agreed with his wife but it didn't change how he felt and he didn't know how to combat it... so if he could just stay away from her... he wouldn't have to deal with her act or go through the rigmarole of emotions where he didn't know whether she was being genuine or not... it was emotionally exhausting and he'd spent too many years falling for her lies or shutting himself off so he could deal with her. The promiscuity had stopped since he married Emi but the craving to bury his head in something... hadn't... and he could only exercise so much now that he had a wife who wanted to spend time with him... if only he didn't care about her!

Kyong was feeling the effects of being without his family and he wanted to get back to Seoul as soon as possible. Speaking to Jara on the phone made his longing worse but he didn't need to worry about her or his boys because it sounded like everyone was rallying around and supporting them. He used to go away on business and wouldn't even think about how Jara was coping? He just assumed that she was okay... but now he knows different because she wasn't okay and he shouldn't have trusted his mother with his wife. Ironically, now that he had his eyes opened... now that he was away from her and was concerned about her... he didn't need to be because they had the best people around them and Seoul felt more like home with each passing month. There were times when he missed his mother... or the mother he thought he had... but the reality kicks in and he realises that the reality he thought he had wasn't reality at all. Kyong didn't have time for her anymore... he was done with it all and couldn't even be bothered to explain to her why he'd moved his family away... it was a waste of his time. He didn't feel an emotional attachment to her like he thought he did and he thought it was because he'd spent more time in Ryan's company over the years? Kyong had Jara and the business to keep him occupied. He had Han-Shik to deal with so the time with his mother was quite limited and when she was being theatrical, he wasn't mentally present. Jara reminded him that he might need to summon that strength to take charge of a situation with his mother should one arise as Han-Shik wouldn't cope with it and Jungkook had a tendency to leave so if anyone was going to get control of the situation, it may need to be him.

Jungkook had no inclination to see or speak to his mother. He was all too aware of how his husband was feeling and he hated his mother more for what she was putting Tae through. Jungkook thought that he was the only one affected deeply by her actions but that clearly wasn't the case and she'd indirectly caused problems beyond what she'd obviously hoped to achieve. He wouldn't be taken in by her again. He still felt like the most stupid person in the world when he thinks about how she orchestrated his graduation... the fact he'd been happy to see her and he'd allowed so many of those occasions to form a wedge between him and Tae... that irritated him... being her puppet made him feel weak and angry. He had someone that was more of a mother to him and Marie would never behave that way, it wouldn't enter her head to manipulate and treat people that way. The bottom line was that Nuri wasn't a nice person and her constant scheming, even now, was evident. Jungkook wanted to put her in the past, there was no place for her in his life and he wouldn't believe her even if she apologised.

Ho-Joon stood at the back of the room as he had done since Ryan was admitted. The three brothers sat in chairs on the opposite side of the bed to where they'd sat previously. Jungkook chose to sit this time, he knew here wouldn't be conflict and he didn't feel agitated enough to stand.