Shadows Of Stardom

Chapter 57

The atmosphere in the room was thick and oppressive, a stifling shroud woven with fear and unspoken threats. Taehyung's mother moved with a chilling elegance, like a predator stalking its prey. She took her seat, exuding a cruel calmness, her gaze sweeping over me with obvious amusement.

Her eyes, typically sharp and calculating, sparkled with a cold, sadistic pleasure. They consumed me, taking in the cheap, revealing dress that felt like a mark of shame, the painful grip of the handcuffs biting into my wrists, and the raw, palpable fear reflected in my eyes. A burning heat crept up my neck, coloring my cheeks with humiliation and a simmering, helpless rage.

"How are you adjusting, getting ready for your new life as a worker here?" she purred, her voice smooth yet laced with venomous mockery.

Each word struck like a blow, brutally affirming my darkest, most terrifying fears. She was aware. She knew about Seolim, about his twisted intentions, and she was here to take pleasure in my complete and utter downfall.

Tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision, as silent streams of anguish traced paths down my cheeks. Each drop was a testament to the excruciating pain, the paralyzing fear, and the overwhelming weight of my captivity. Outside, the world thrummed with life, freedom, and the possibility of love. But here, confined within these gilded walls that felt more like a prison, I was utterly alone, ensnared in a nightmare orchestrated by Seolim, with no escape in sight.

"Oh God, you've started crying already?" Her chilling, theatrical laughter echoed in the stifling silence. How could this woman, this monster, be the mother of Taehyung? "Your suffering hasn't even truly begun yet, Seoari."

My breath caught, a strangled sob escaping my throat. "What do you want from me?" I managed to ask, my voice quivering with repressed hysteria. The question felt weak, almost naive, in the face of such calculated cruelty.

"Hmmm… I want a lot from you, Seoari," she replied, her gaze sharpening, the amusement replaced by a predatory glint. "Or should I say, Jennie Kim?"

She paused, relishing the shock that coursed through me. "I've uncovered quite a bit about you."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. The walls seemed to close in, pressing against me.

"That your real name is Seoari," she continued, her lips curling into a sickly sweet smile, one far more vicious and terrifying than anything Seolim had ever shown. "And, coincidentally, your birth mother managed to get on my bad side by becoming my husband's mistress. Such a shame she died before I had the chance to deal with her myself."

My heart raced against my ribs, a frantic rhythm in the stifling silence. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be my life.

"Of course," she continued, her voice dripping with feigned sympathy, "this isn't really related. My real issue is those files your lovely mother kept, the ones detailing my… indiscretions and my company's practices."

TThe files. The files that San had found concealed within Mom's artwork. The files that led to my breakup with Taehyung, the reason I was labeled a heartless cheater, the reason I lost the only man I ever truly loved. The files San had desperately tried to shield me from, the files that had the potential to unravel everything.

"And," she went on, her tone dripping with satisfaction, "I happened to discover that your beloved aunt holds a bit of… resentment towards you, sweetheart. I don't care much for the pathetic details, but let's just say I found her to be a useful pawn in bringing you here."

So, I had been right. Someone was backing her aunt, manipulating the situation, orchestrating this entire nightmare. It had been her all along.

"The most amusing part is that you got my son tangled up in all this," she added, her voice turning cold, filled with possessive rage. "He stood up to me for you, time and again. He never does that, never with such determination. And now I hear you two have broken up, and he truly despises you. That just amplifies your suffering, Seoari. No one hurts my son."