Chapter Text
Previously on To Know:
Almost a year of being married brought Mingyu a sense of freedom he had never envisioned he would ever get while still living under his family’s care. He wasn’t controlled, demeaned, beaten or scorned. He was cared for, with friends — old and new — and a husband who was kind to him. His life had finally taken a turn for the better.
Until he showed up. Unannounced.
The lobby phoned the penthouse, and Mingyu could not refrain his reaction to the man he saw on the screen.
“Father?”
In a moment, Minghao was by his side holding his hand while Jisoo was trying to get the concierge to reject the alpha. That was, until Mingyu saw his mother standing behind him.
Not her… He could never turn her away.
“Shall I send them up, Sir?” the beta over the intercom repeated. With a shuddering breath, Mingyu pressed the microphone.
“Yes.”
⛓️
It would be the first time he’s seen his parents since the wedding. The guest elevators allowed him some time to try and compose himself, tidying up the space as much as he could, making sure he hid the baby toys and rocking chairs as best he could.
“Uhm, is it okay if everyone hung out upstairs?” Mingyu asked urgently, handing a gurgling Haon back to Jeonghan. “I’ve already stocked the mini-fridge with their purees, and some noise-cancelling headphones to keep them distracted.”
None of them seemed to want to move, but for the first time since their friendship, Mingyu pleaded with them, eyes slowly growing more and more fearful. Jeonghan and Jisoo both returned to their own apartments first, leaving their pups with the nursery staff, away from whatever Mingyu was afraid of.
Everyone, save for Minghao and Jihoon, walked upstairs — the pair adamant about staying. When the doorbell rang, Mingyu took a deep breath in before opening the door.
There in front of him, was the man he swore his whole life he would try and run away from.
His father was every bit the God he had raised Mingyu to believe he was; a head and a half shorter than him and stocky, but undeniably strong. Back straight and chin up like he owned the house he walked into. Habit caused Mingyu to bow as his parents walked in. His father simply pulled his coat off and dropped it on top of his bowed head.
“Good to know that you still know your place. It’d be a shame if I have to restart everything I taught you after living this,” he stared into the penthouse in unmasked disdain, “cushy life.”
Mingyu raised, but knew better than to answer. He’s survived long enough to know how things worked. Don’t speak, only answer questions. Small talk is useless.
A small hand rested on his. He turned to see his mother.
She’s a beautiful woman, but weak. His father wanted the slimmest omega. The one he deemed sexiest. Never did the old man think that such thinness would result in her being too weak to bear multiple pups.
After Mingyu, he kept trying and trying. Over and over and over again in hopes he could have another. And each time, Mingyu watched as his mother would collapse to the floor in a pool of blood, losing pregnancy after pregnancy, before his father finally decided he was done with paying the hospital bills and ignored her entirely.
She almost never spoke in his father’s presence. Quiet. Docile. Obedient. Everything an omega was ‘supposed to be’. The only reason he stayed married to her was because her beauty served his ego. Alphas and betas would fall to their feet trying to get her attention, and he glowed in the knowledge that she only ever held his arm.
She had only ever opposed him two handful of times in her life. All of them ending with her unconscious on the floor. The last of those times was when he simply commanded Mingyu to accept the Jeon family's proposal, holding the omega by the nape — an iron rod in hand. It came swinging down each time Mingyu refused.
She walked in on him mid-swing and launched herself towards him. It was a blur. Next thing Mingyu could remember was falling limp on the carpet next to his unconscious mother, the pen he signed the proposal with still in his hand.
Mingyu looked at her again, a small smile on her face, almost hopeful. He knew what she was hoping for. The last time he saw her was the altercation in his room before he walked down the aisle. Mingyu simply held her hand with both of his before pressing a kiss to both her cheeks and her head, smiling back at her sweetly.
Her teary eyes and the way she grasped his fingers in relief was worth it.
“How has it been so far?” his father boomed from the living room.
Mingyu cringed at the volume, herding his mother towards Minghao and Jihoon to get her into the kitchen.
“It’s been good.” Mingyu answered robotically, standing across from him. “The Jeons treat me very well.”
“Good, good.” His father nodded, as if he cared whether they were. He stopped looking around, turning and giving Mingyu a once-over “Are you still in the first trimester?” he nodded at Mingyu’s stomach. “You’re not even showing. Then again, you’re so huge for an omega I won’t be surprised if the baby would come out to term without you even changing.”
The barked out laughter spread through the walls like mold. Mingyu’s heart was in his throat. His stomach dropped to his feet. He knew what his father was talking about.
“I’m not pregnant,” he answered softly. The old man’s laughter died down, almost too abruptly.
“Speak up, boy. I hate mumbling,” his father’s gratuitous tone sharpened into something dark.
His heart was hammering in his chest. His mouth went dry. He licked his lips before clearing his throat.
“I’m not pregnant,” he repeated.
The house went pin-drop silent.
His father’s face suddenly went blank. Serenely calm. Eye of the storm.
“Did you lose it?”
“No.”
“Did your Jeon want you to get rid of it?”
“No.”
“Then what?” his jaw snapped.
“I—” he looked up, facing his father head on. “I was never pregnant. We haven’t even… been intimate.”
It went quiet once again. Mingyu could hear his heartbeat in his ears.
“Why,” his father started, quietly, “would I have given away my only child to my enemy’s son? If it wasn’t to make me an heir.”
His father’s back was to Mingyu.
“I came here with that sorry excuse of an omega called your mother, after almost a year since your wedding, hoping to see that you would be doing something right with your worthless life to make me an alpha grandson.
But you’ve been – what? Playing rich housewives with the Jeon brat’s employees, sitting around on your fat ass doing nothing?”
The old man turned around. His face was absolutely thunderous. His eyes glowing red with alpha rage.
“What could I have done… to deserve… such… A USELESS BITCH OF A SON?”
The slap came out of nowhere. Mingyu wasn’t ready to brace it, stumbling sideways with the force of it.
He didn’t get the chance to fully recover before a fist slammed into his jaw.
“EVERYTHING I’VE DONE!” his father roared.
“TO SECURE EVERYTHING I’VE BUILT!” Another punch straight to his cheek.
“DOWN THE DRAIN!”
Mingyu heard the commotion before he saw it. His usually silent mother ran from the kitchen with Minghao right on her heels trying to stop her.
“Minjae stop!” she cried, reaching towards the arm he raised towards Mingyu.
“Get off me, woman! I’m teaching this bitch a lesson!” He shoved her off easily enough, but there was the same fire in her eyes that always made Mingyu’s blood run cold.
In his 25 years of life, Kim Minjae had always been cruel. But he could count the number of times he’s been hit on two hands; and each of those times were the only moments where his mother would stand up against the patriarch, only to be beaten down with a few hits. Mingyu saw the moment his father’s fist geared up in his mother’s direction in slow motion.
No more.
He’s lived his own life in the Underworld that nobody but him and his demons knew. He wasn’t about to let his mother be hurt anymore.
With speed that rivaled his father’s, Mingyu snapped up, catching the old man’s arm with his own and whirling him around and sending him flying against the wall. The old man crumpled against it with a pained grunt.
Mingyu lowered on a bent knee to get his mother to stand.
“Mama,” he sighed, heart shattering at her trembling hands. “Go upstairs with Myungho and Jihoon hyung. I’ll never let him hurt you ever again, I promise. But you need to go upstairs.”
“No,” his mother shook her head violently. “No, Petal, no-”
“Yes.” Mingyu left no room for argument. He hoisted her up as gently as he could before pressing a kiss to her head and pushing both her and the two betas towards the stairs. Minghao looked like he wanted to rebut, but with wide eyes, he looked at something behind Mingyu before pulling his mother behind him.
“Mingyu duck!”
Both men managed to dodge out of the way of the side table being hurled. Mingyu turned to see his father fuming. Eyes mad, hair rumpled. He was breathing so heavily Mingyu could swear he could see the smoke from his ears.
“I should’ve killed you when you first came home a useless omega!” he roared.
Mingyu glanced back at his mother; her eyes wide and filled with tears. He looked back up at Minghao and Jihoon, nodding at them both towards the stairs. He turned back around to face the man he had been terrified of his whole life, his blood pumping through his veins.
He’s not the lonely little flower to be crushed under his father’s foot anymore.