Lee Whan refused to look at his elder brother, who was looking at him with concern and worry.
He was upset as he continued to speak over the call. "How do I know why he is not picking up my call? I do not know what goes on in his head!"
But whatever his mother said as a response was so harsh that he laughed in anger. The humourless laugh finally revealed the old Lee Whan, who never holds back.
The true self that even his family had not seen!
"Can you repeat what you said?" Lee Whan's voice was unaffected, but his anger blazed through his eyes told a different story. He took the phone away from his ears and turned on the speaker mode.
As much as Lee Yong wanted to take a step back at the uncertainty of what to expect, he still took a step closer to his little brother, hoping to redeem the situation.
But the female voice yelling at the other side shocked everyone. "Repeat it! What the hell is wrong with you? Have you gone deaf along with growing stupider than you before? Nothing but useless piece of shit!"
Lee Yong's eyes grew wide in shock as he heard his beloved ever-so-sweet mom harshly speaking with his little brother. More than the words, the tone she used was so hurtful.
Lee Yong felt shame crawl over him just by hearing the tone, and he looked at his little brother, who was at the receiving end of such a tone. Something clawed at his chest as he felt like a failure of an elder brother.
"I wish I am deaf at this point. As for becoming more stupid, I am not sure. Why don't you tell me, mom? Along the way, please enlighten me on why I am a useless son!" Lee Whan made eye contact with his elder brother as he aired the dirty laundry to the crowd and showed his mother's true colour to his sibling.
"Instead of talking back, why don't you make yourself useful? Always bringing shame to the family!" Oh Dan-Bi's disgust for her son could be heard through the tone even to the stranger.
But all these people in the room have met her before. They always thought of her as an elegant woman and a loving mother. They could not believe she had another side reserved for Lee Whan.
Lee Whan smiled deprecatively as finally, the truth was out. But that won't hold him back as he listed down the questions he wanted to ask her over the years.
"Shame? What shame, mother?"
"Is it because I brought the company to the next level?"
"Or me listening to everything you guys want me to do without even considering my wish and want?"
"Or my sexuality?"
"Tell me, honestly, what exactly do you think is a shame to the family?"
Lee Whan listed everything he did for the family over the years, and he knew none of it was a shame. As per his mother's definition, the shame that was never addressed all these years since he came out was his sexuality.
He knew his mother could not accept his sexuality.
She and her stupid pride would never let her accept his sexuality.
But she assumed it was erectile dysfunction and wanted him to get treated.
Lee Yong stood there frozen. He never knew about his brother's sexuality. With the way his mom speaks, he assumed his brother was gay.
He remembered his mother complaining about every fight and argument she had with his brother. She always called Whan stubborn and useless. None of it made sense when Yong listened to the fight without knowing the context. But back then, he tried to soothe his mom and never tried to get the actual story.
He felt like a shitty elder brother.
He never even knew his brother's orientation was not straight and never even knew when his brother came out to their mother.
The urge to smack himself grew stronger in Lee Yong, and his eyes teared a little. But he refused to cry and give pity to his brave little brother.
"Disgrace. Never speak about it with me till you get over that phase and start the treatment for your issue!" Oh Dan-Bi was very reluctant to say the word sexuality.
"Phase!!! Issue!!!!" Lee Whan repeated the words bitterly.
In times like this, he wished he was never born or had such a mother. He wished his mother was aunt Song.
The calm woman gave him a glance with a genuine smile and then continued with the report when he came out to her. Aunt Song simply asked if he wanted to celebrate his sexuality or if he had something in his mind to speak about.
She did not fuss about it or priced him like it was an out-of-world event. She treated it as a regular occurrence.
Maybe the calmness came with years of being a teacher who was approached by students when they were in trouble.
He still remembers the day he came out to her.
He still remembers how he broke down on her lap, knowing his parents would never accept him. But over the years, his father accepted his sexuality.
He still remembered aunt Song's soft fingers running through his hair reassuringly as he cried for never being enough for his parents but not even once urged him to stop crying. She let him vent out his insecurities and pain without trying to reason it out.
He still remembered how his aunt Song mentioned it was okay to love who you want and when you want.
He still remembered aunt Song saying she would love him all the same - as her child, even if he never loved anyone. She promised she would love him even if he believed no one loved him.
He still remembers being loved by aunt Song for who he was - with all the flaws and ugly-petty tit-for-tat mentality.
The comfort of the memory was destroyed as soon as he heard the woman who gave birth to him shriek over the phone. "Stop being useless. Your brother stepped out of business and let you have it does not mean you will be the heir in future. I will reinstate him if you keep on neglecting him. God knows what you did to upset my son for him to avoid you?!"
Oh Dan-Bi's partial treatment toward her sons was as clear as day and night.
"I did not do anything to upset him. It was him who avoided interacting with me!" Lee Whan looked at his elder brother.
Lee Yong took a step back, realising his mother's cruelty and how his little brother was subjected to it. But he had his head buried in the sand to realise the issue in the family.
He realised he was a significant cause for the torment his little brother was going through at the moment.
His attitude and arrogance...
The bile rose to his throat as guilt burned him.
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Two chapters will be dedicated to the readers for writing the review and rating the book.
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Thank you for the votes and support my dear readers. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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