Stuck With You || Kim Taehyung

Part 79

The words hung in the air, heavy and poisonous, echoing around the silent, illuminated pool. "I'm pregnant. I'm carrying Xander's child."

Taehyung swayed slightly, the alcohol in his system battling with the shock that hit him like a physical blow. "W-what?" he slurred, his voice thick with disbelief. He glanced at Y/N, whose face had gone stark white against the dark, shimmering brocade of her gown.

Y/N’s reaction was a silent, gaping terror that quickly morphed into icy skepticism. "W... T-that's impossible," she choked out.
Song-hee remained perfectly still, her teary gaze fixed on Y/N. "You don't believe me? Of course not. Why would you?" She reached into her clutch bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper and a small photo. "Wait."

She walked the few steps between them and pressed the sonography reports and the tiny black-and-white picture into Y/N's trembling hand. "Look at the date. It’s not a lie. If you want, you can take me to any doctor of your choice for tests and genetic confirmations."

Y/N stared at the images, the tiny, blurry shape on the photo, and the doctor's name at the top of the report. A fraction of belief wormed its way past her shock. This felt real.

Taehyung, however, was not easily swayed. His slight intoxication only sharpened his innate skepticism. "How can we be assure it's his child and not someone else's?" he challenged, his voice suddenly unstable, pitching higher with drunken anger. "What if you slept with someone else and are just naming Xander as the father? Hmm? Tell us!"
Song-hee looked at him with an expression of cold disbelief, her eyes screaming, Are you serious, you idiot man? She dismissed him with a flick of her gaze, turning back to Y/N.

"Y/N," Song-hee pleaded, stepping closer. "You are also a mother now. I am becoming a mother, too. Only you can understand my pain, my fear." Tears, real or faked, streamed down her cheeks. "I don't want any shares for me, Y/N. But for my child's future, for financial security, please, I beg you."

Y/N stiffened. "Your father is a successful businessman. Why are you not going to him and asking for help?"

Taehyung, ever the watchful player in the business world, supplied the answer with a sardonic chuckle. "How can that man ensure her financial security," he drawled, "when his own company is on the verge of bankruptcy?"

Song-hee looked at Taehyung, her composure finally breaking into genuine shock. Her eyes widened. How does he know this? Their businesses were completely separate, different industries, different markets. He was neither a shareholder nor a direct competitor.
Taehyung smirked, enjoying her visible defeat. "We are in the same industry, Ms. Song-hee. Business is business. Even if we're not in the same line of work, gossip spreads faster than light in the financial world."

Song-hee, defeated, finally conceded. "Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "My father is on the verge of bankruptcy. That is exactly why I need financial security for my child. Even I know that Xander will not feel right or be happy after seeing his child suffering like this..."

The mention of her dead cousin's name—Xander—on Song-hee's lips snapped Y/N's control. "Don't take his name from your filthy mouth!" Y/N spat, her anger finally erupting. "And Taehyung is right! How can we be sure it's his child and not someone else's?"

Song-hee looked at them, truly hurt this time, the fresh tears dripping onto her dress.

Taehyung regarded her, a flicker of something that resembled pity, or perhaps just cold practicality, in his eyes. "Look, I don't know about the lineage, but I can give you some money."

He reached into the inner pocket of his perfect suit coat, pulling out a slim cheque book. With the pool lights glinting on the pen, he quickly scrawled a figure and ripped the sheet out. He handed her a cheque for 5 million won.
Song-hee's eyes lit up, the tears instantly forgotten. Five million won was more than enough for immediate needs, a true life raft. Who knew, maybe Y/N would crack and give her the shares later. Joyous relief flooded her face. She snatched the cheque. "Thank you. Thank you, Kim Taehyung." She nodded curtly at Y/N, then practically ran from the poolside.