The Bad Boy's Dirty Little Secret BL Chapter 72: Failures and Disappointment

Kai’s P.O.V

I had always imagined a perfect world where our parents would stand up for us, their children, where they would defend us and protect us from harm…where they would listen to our side of the story before judging us for what we did, or didn’t do.

But in this cruel world, my parents were horrified at what I had done to their beloved ‘to-be’ son-in-law; worried about Rick’s well being more than Kia’s as they tried to help that filthy bastard stand.

I took a step forward, to make sure that the bastard stayed down for good, but my dad shot a hand out to keep me away. “Back off, Kai,” he growled, and I felt my heart shatter a thousand times over, before hardening again, my fists along with it.

“Stop spewing nonsense; you don't know the whole story, Kai,” my mother argued, her eyes wide, her body tense as she stood protectively over the scheming bastard. “You don't know anything!”

I shook my head on a scoff. “Even though I no longer live in this house, I’m the only one who sees the real story, unlike you two. You always take that bastard's side as he torments my sister! Are you not ashamed? You failed as our parents!” My voice shook from the force of the emotions swirling within me, but I tried to keep myself together.

I took a step forward, until I was standing face to face with my father. “You should look at Kia first and foremost; look at her bruises, her pain. Then you tell me if it was done by someone who ‘never meant to hurt her’. Do her bruises look like an accident to you? And you think these are the only ones?”

I could sense both Night and Kia grow tense behind me. If I listened carefully, I could hear Kia’s breathing start to become rapid and Night trying to soothe her.

“Kai, you do not interfere with the quarrels of a couple!” my mother said, raising her voice. “I did not raise you to be so meddlesome!”

A flare of anger made me throw my arms to the side in frustration, and my mom flinched even though I didn't hurt anyone. “So when should I get involved, mother? When should you and dad get involved, huh? After your daughter is dead?”

I saw the slap as it came, and my head snapped to the side from the force of it when my mother’s hand connected to my cheek. “How dare you say such a horrible thing about your sister!” she screamed.

I wanted to scoff…I wanted to laugh. Was she serious? Why did I say such horrible things about my sister? Then what is she going to say when the horrible did happen? Why wasn’t I there to protect her? Why did I never tell her anything? My parents seemed to have gone completely blind even though the truth was right in front of their bloody eyes!

This was why Kia was so afraid of telling them the truth, because she knew they would never believe her. This was why I left this house to stay at a dorm even though staying here would’ve been easier. They always wanted their word to be the gospel of the home. And when their authority was questioned, they play the victim, always unaware of the consequences their words can have on our lives.

But as the tension within our family escalated, Rick saw what was happening and wanted to take advantage of it like the opportunist he was. “It’s alright, Mrs. Hunter, it’s not Kai’s fault for taking his sister’s side…” he said faux-shakily. “We did get into a couple’s quarrel. Things just happened to, er, escalate. Right, Kia? And I already apologize to you many times, and you’ve forgiven me each time. You understood that it wasn't really serious…then why are you making it such a big deal today? Just let it go, babe…we can start all over again…I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you…”

And there it was, the all-too familiar manipulation he’d been using all this time.

And the worst part was that he had just admitted, in front of everyone…that this wasn’t the first time this had happened…and this certainly wasn’t going to be the last.

But he wasn't done just yet. “Please, I beg you…it would also do us all well if we just…forget this incident. Even I am willing to do so, just so everyone can move on with our lives like nothing happened,” he pleaded. “Kia and I… we’re happy. We truly are. So what if we get into a few disagreements from time to time? I mean…every couple does…don’t they? Mr. Hunter…don’t you agree with me?”

Anger bubbled through my blood, raw and wild. It consumed me whole until I saw red. The more the bastard spoke, the more I wanted to punch the life out of him, until I finally snapped.

“Shut up,” I screamed, before I swung my fist at his face. This time, I heard the sickening crunch of my fist connecting with his nose and then the gush of blood that made everyone in the room gasp in horror. “Oh, sorry. Forgive me.”

But I wasn’t done. I was too fired up to let this bastard go, especially after what he had just admitted to.

I kicked him in the side, and he doubled over in pain, falling back to the floor once more. “Sorry,” I said again. “You forgive me, right?” Not giving him a second to breathe, I hauled him up by the collar of his shirt, then brought another round of punches and kicks—to his eyes, to his stomach, up his groin—apologizing each time I hit him.

In the background, I could hear my mother scream, “No! Stop it, Kai! You're gonna kill him!”

But none of that fazed me. Blow after blow, I let him get a taste of what he did to Kia, only worse.

Once I was satisfied with the way his face was all mangled and bloodied, I let him go, watching him crumple to the floor, writhing in pain. “I’m really, really sorry Rick,” I cooed, voice dripping with sarcasm, my breath coming in pants as my own knuckles bled from the impact. “But now I am ready to move past this incident and forget that it even happened. Since I already apologized, you should all forgive me, right? Let's just move on with our lives like nothing happened.”

I didn’t need to turn around to know that Kia and Night were looking at me in horror, maybe a little pride. But one thing I knew for sure…my father wasn’t happy.

“I’m disappointed in you, Kai,” my father finally spoke, his voice harsh, after the tension ebbed a little, and the fight slowly left my body as I felt that I had delivered justice for my sister. “You’ve turned into a horrible man! Do you think you can take responsibility for your actions today?”

Before I could stop myself, the laughter roared out of me. “You? Disappointed in me?” I laughed again, shaking my head at his ridiculous words. “Who are you to feel disappointed when you have no idea what disappointment even feels like?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He spat out, stepping closer to me. Once, I would’ve flinched back and even bowed away, but no more. I was done with this shit!

“Do you even realize that you’ve been my biggest disappointment?” I spat out, looking him directly into his eyes so he knew I wasn’t bluffing. “Have you ever been my father? All my childhood you were always absent from the house. My mother told me you are admirable for being in constant pursuit of greatness, but just how great of a father did you think you could be when you could never stay home and just left mother to take care of two children on her own?”

I continued, unstoppable now, “You had never been present in any of the important events of our lives! Kia graduation, mine, our sports tournaments, Kai’s acceptance into medical school? Where were you then? Where were you all our lives? And now you think you have the right to lecture me about disappointment? For all your supposed greatness, you sure are dense.”

I gritted my teeth, trying my best to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Years of frustration, years of disappointment had all piled up one on top of the other, and now, it finally burst like a dam, gushing out all at once. “My sister is in trouble—your daughter is being abused. You see her bruises and the way she flinches when Rick speaks. Fuck, the bastard himself just admitted that this wasn’t the first time! And yet, even with all that, you still think of me as the troublemaker, as the disappointment, just because I actually had the balls to stand up for my sister—something you could never, would never do.”

My mother blinked soundlessly, shocked, while my father gaped at me, stunned. By my feet, Rick stirred on the floor, but I paid him no mind.

“You're disappointed in me?” I scoffed. “Breaking news, I’m shocked. Well, guess what? I don’t care about what you think of me?” I pointed an accusing finger at my parents. “Because I’m here, doing your job while you stand back and prepare to send your daughter into the same hell that she’s been trying to escape from!”

I’m pretty sure I hit a nerve. Serves them right, anyway. Even now as I stared them down, they could not find a word to say to me.

“And this guy?” I pointed downward, my eyes following belatedly. But I wasn't able to continue what I wanted to say, because Rick was no longer on the floor.

From the corner of my eye, I saw something move, and when I looked up, Rick was charging at me with a candlestick he picked up from a nearby table.

I couldn't react on time, but Night did. And he pushed me away just in time as Rick went to hit me, the candlestick raised in his hand as he let out a roar of anger.