⫣35⫦ Act of a Lifetime

And....SCENE!

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"Are you ready?" Taehyung asks as he parks the car in front of our house. I take a deep steadying breath. The closer we drew to the house, the less sure I felt. Could I really look into my fathers eyes without feeling sick? Without breaking?

I don't know and the thought is driving me crazy.

I look over at Taehyung behind the drivers seat of the fancy BMW. He is already looking at me and when he sees my expression a flicker of understanding crosses his face. "If you feel like you can't come up with something, just tell them you still feel confused, and I'll take over." "You've done this before?" I ask while my stomach is one nervous mess. "What? Going undercover? You could probably pick any random occupation right now, and I bet I've played it." "Really?" My eyes have gone wide, but I don't doubt his words. He leans over the centre console, bringing his face close to mine. The glow in them makes me forget everything for a moment. "I've impersonated a policeman on several occasions- taught me a good deal about how to use handcuffs. I would just love to show you on occasion. And I look good in uniform too."

My mouth dries at the words and the image it conjures up. As if on instinct, I lean into him. But before I can reach him he pulls away like something burned him and looks past me towards the front door. My head snaps around too and it's worse than I thought as I see my father step out. He's the same. He looks just like when I last saw him- maybe a bit more worn out and paler than usual, but as always dressed in a fine suit, polished shoes and styled hair. Only now I can't get the photos of the beaten and killed women out of my head.

His fault.His selfish wish for power and riches. "It looks like he's going to the car, Lian. He's probably off to another police station. We have to get out now. " I look into the empty space in front of me for a second, trying to gather all my courage and store away my feelings and finally nod, making a decision. All or nothing. Now or never. I open the car door. Taehyung is at my side before I make it one step on the pavement, lending me a helping hand- just like a concerned doctor would. We reach the gate just before my dad makes it into his black, shiny Cadillac. "Dad!" I call out, the word tasting like acid in my mouth. His head snaps around so fast and I'm sure he must have broken something. His eyes land on me and I see them widen as he stares at me through the white metal bars of our gate. Then they narrow and I've never seen such a dark look on my father's face. The face of a man I don't know. It would have taken a step back if Taehyung wasn't still holding me. Hate floods me. Hate so deep, I never thought I'd be capable of. "Lian! Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried me and your mother were?" As if on cue, the front door opens and my mothers face comes into view. I've never seen her anything but perfect- until now. Her blonde hair is down and falling messily into her face. Her make-up shows traces of smudges, like she has been crying. Only the dress, lilac and skin tight is the proof she usually holds herself with a lot of grace."Lian!" She screams out the moment she sees me, rushing out the door. The two of them meet halfway to the gate on the little path leading from the fence to the main door. For a moment the world slows down and I can see the world split in two.

One moment they are my well versed, noble and honest parents, raising a child with only the best intentions and hopes for her future. And then I see the monster behind the curtains of that little happy family. Someone who allowed and supported men to hurt, rape and kill other peoples daughters- other young girls, some not older than me.

And all of it to further his own purposes.

I see both, until I can only see the latter.

I shake with the hatred running through me- and the determination. Fury is still written on my father's features, while my mother looks mostly worried. Yet I can't let myself feel sympathy for her- not when I need to play the role of my lifetime- this one last time.

"Lian," my father fumes, opening the gate to step out towards me.

He ignores Taehyung completely as he grabs both my shoulders with force and shakes me. I've let my hair down, letting it fall over my face- all part of the plan. Let him be angry and loose his shit, so that when we tell him how I was hurt after following his instructions, the guilt will hopefully crush him. I want it to.

I want to see this man beg for my forgiveness- for how he broke my heart with all his lies and betrayals- and for being his daughter! And then I want to deny it. Want to see him wail as I walk away without looking back. "I never thought you would be this irresponsible, not answering your phone or even text us? Look at what you did to your mother! She was crazy with worry. We thought something terrible might have happened to you! I've called the school and they told me you never came in this morning! Do you know where I've been all day? This will have serious consequences my la-" "Sir, you really have to stop this, your hurting your daughter!" Taehyung's voice appears next to me and he has a hand laying on my father's shoulder, not pushing him off, just trying to get him to stop shaking me. I want to tell Taehyung it's good that he does, because I'm one step away from breaking out in hysteric laughter at the absurdity of his words.

Something terrible might have happened to you? Oh, you mean like to the women you helped to be raped, beaten and murdered?, is all I want to scream back.

Only the pain in my shoulder, reaching all the way to my temple, is keeping me from doing so. "I don't know who you are boy, but this is between me and my daughter!", my father yells, not even bothering to look into his direction as his anger is completely focused on me. My mother has not said a single word. She only stands a step behind my father, watching me with big eyes. It shouldn't disappoint me- she always stands behind my father, never raising a voice to him or arguing with him about anything- but it does. And it makes her pitiful. I've never seen my mother as weak before, but now I know she is. She's is nothing but my father's puppet. She might love me, but all she ever truly cares about is money, wealth and a high place in society which she can only get from my father.

"And you, young lady, will not leave this house until I hear a proper explanation!" "Sir!" Taehyung's voice shouts now and my father finally deems him important enough to spare him a glance. "Sir, I'm one of your daughters physicians. Please let go of her, she is still weak from the anaesthetics and stabilizers we gave her." I force myself not to stare at him- he doesn't sound like himself, even his voice changed and his entire attitude is reduced to that of a perfectly reasonable young man. My father shoots him a confused look and my mother finally deems it right to speak. "Her physician? Why did you need a physician, honey? What happened?" "Sir, If I may?" He asks my father politely, pointing at the hands still holding my shoulders in a tight, painful grip.My father has gone a bit pale, but I think it's only the confusion that actually makes him step away. Then Taehyung comes to my right, drawing the hair from my face and revealing the angry red wound, freshly stitched. I hear both my parents breath in in surprise and step back, a hand in front of my mothers mouth and my father's mouth drops open as he looks at the wound, his mind already trying to find an explanation- always thinking, always planning. "What-?" I lower my head and let my shoulders drop. My eyes tear up as I draw upon every talent of acting I possess. A tear already drops to the floor before I even open my mouth. "I'm so sorry dad!" I sob, sniffling my nose. "I shouldn't have said those things on the phone. I feel terrible about it.I... I don't know what I've been thinking..." I look up and make them see the wreck I'm pretending to be- well, there is not that much pretending. I am a wreck after what the truth about him has done to me. "I know that you were right, and so I told my friend I couldn't stay over after all. But when I walked home...I..." I break off, fake sobs running through my body. And then Taehyung is there, holding my hand and patting my back in a reassuring gesture.He turns to both my parent's who have gone utterly still. There is nothing but sympathy in his voice as he speaks. "Your daughter was robbed last night. Someone hit her on the head and left her unconscious in the streets. Someone called 911 and we brought her to the hospital. But she didn't have anything on her, so we couldn't identify her or contact you. She has a concussion and once she woke up, she was extremely confused and disorientated. We gave her a few medications and she calmed down. Sir, this isn't our usually procedure, but your daughter insisted on being brought home immediately, saying her parent's must be terribly worried. She wouldn't give us any other chance. She only wanted to get home as fast as possible."

Perfect.

Everything about him is perfect.

"Oh God, my poor baby!", my mother lets out and starts weeping as she pushes forward and hugs me.

For a flicker of a moment I actually feel bad at her honest concern for my well being. She might be a puppet, but she does care for me. I'm her daughter after all. I hug her back weakly, but my eyes are on my father and the way he ceases up Taehyung. "Aren't you a bit young to be a doctor?", he asks with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Ah," Taehyung lets out a bit uncomfortable, scratching his head and actually blushes a little!Tae... the bad boy with the reckless nature all but gone. "I'm Lee Jae-min. I'm a first year intern at New Seoul St.Mary's Hospital Care, pleased to meet you." He makes a full bow to the waist and I have to to my best not to grind with my teeth. In no world should it be right for Taehyung to bow to a man like him. Finally, my father turns to me with wide, guilty eyes, and maybe that makes me a bad person too but I feel a sense of triumph flow through me. I told the boys there's a flicker of hope that I hold about my father being innocent. The moment I saw him though, I realized just because I wanted something not to be true, doesn't make it so. And the evidence they showed me- no one would have any doubt about my father's involvement. And now, no longer do I. Because if I turned out to be a person so different from the one I pretended to be all these years, so could he. He comes over to me and my mother immediately let's go of me, letting my father step in front of me as he inspects the wound. His eyes are filled with worry. "Oh, my poor baby girl... I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I had no idea." I look up at him with big round eyes and tell him the biggest lie of all. "Of course, dad. I could never be angry at you. I'm the one who is sorry for saying those things. I'll never disappoint you again, I swear." He nods and draws me into a tight hug. It makes my skin tingle but more like a thousand ants are attacking my body. I can't help the shudder running down my spine. My father steps away and quickly says. "Let's get you inside, you're shaking." I nod, unable to speak. But then he turns to Taehyung, realizing he is still there too. "Is it really all right for her to have left the hospital? She still looks pale and shaken."

Taehyung is quick to nod his head.

"It's perfectly safe, or we wouldn't have allowed her to leave. Here," he adds, handing my father a folder.

"It's her medical record. You'll find all the information there. But it was really only a minor concussion. All she needs now is rest and maybe a hot soup. Here is her medication as well. Just something for the headaches and to calm her down." He also hands my father the little box with pills.Vitamins, nothing more, but they don't know that. My father takes them with a little bow of his own. "Thank you doctor Lee," he tells him, but Taehyung only shakes his hand and smiles embarrassed. He even turns a littler redder, for good measures. "I'm no doctor yet, but thank you. Oh, and before I forget, we've forwarded you're daughters case to the police a few hours ago. They've just started investigating. Since you're daughter left the hospital so early, they hadn't had a chance to question her yet, and since she must still be a little out of it, they decided to postpone it for as long as possible. So please don't be concerned when the police shows up in the course of the next day or so." My fathers eyes narrow at the words while both nervousness and excitement rush through my body at the thought of meeting and lying to the police. "You're a physician, son and I'm thankful for what you've done, but I'm a lawyer and I will make sure this is investigated properly." Taehyung only nods like he agrees with him. Before I left the bunker, Yoongi had already reassured me that there would be no problem. He had already sent the medical records as an official report by the hospital, explaining my condition and asked for an official investigation. It had left me speechless- not only that Yoongi was capable of such things, but that I went from robbing a gas station, to being chased by security guards to this: faking a medical record and being officially investigated by the police for a crime that never happened.

The thrill that ran through my body had been as present as all the other times when I did forbidden and illegal things.

Perhaps I am born for this. Meant to do this. "Come on, darling, let's get you inside." My father says, ripping me out of my thoughts. I look at him with doe eyes and nod. "Thank you, Mr. Lee, for bringing my daughter home," my fathers says with one last bow to Taehyung and then turns me towards the front door. But before we make it there, I turn one last time. I can't help myself. My eyes meet Taeyhung's who is already next to the car, but has clearly watched me go. A little smile unwillingly appears on my face. How many times has he just left me staring after him, while leaving without a second glance? I guess he can no longer do that. He doesn't look all that happy about me entering the house with my parents, but I see the little nod: Well done, it seems to say.

Then the front door closes and Taehyung's face is gone. I turn to my parents. Now, it's up to me.

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Guys... now that BTS is doing a lot of individual stuff, do you know what would literally kill me in the best way possible?Taehyung in a new K-drama. Please... we need to make it happen!

If you need a reminder what an effin good actor our TaeTae is...

https://youtu.be/_N1Y9poAPv8