Narrator POV

“You’re late! I told you to come right after class.”

Ara tried not to wince as her mother swatted her across the arm.

“What time did your class end?”

“Two,” she didn’t have the energy to lie.

“What time is it now?” her mother asked red in the face.

“Eight,” she sighed.

“The whole family was waiting for you. I am so embarrassed, your father wanted us to have dinner together.”

“He is not my father,” Ara bit on the inside of her lip so hard that she could taste blood.

Her mother silenced her with a glare, she then fanned herself to calm down, “Your father is in the living room, come right now and apologise.”

Not having a choice, Ara went in after cleaning her shoe. Don’t get the wrong idea, she’d love to mess up this mansion any day but in the end it would be the maids and servants scrubbing the floor. The old man would just be sitting in a different mansion waiting for this one to be cleaned.

Two servants opened the gigantic double doors revealing an even bigger room with silk curtains hanging over the glass walls.

In the middle of the room, the old man looked up from his thick book.

What a fake, Ara thought when she saw the tiny font, there was no possible way he could read that thing without his glasses.

Her mother cleared urgently and Ara plastered a pleasant smile.

“I am sorry for keeping you waiting, I realised how selfish my decision is and I will reflect upon it.”

He nodded in approval, “It is fine, just make sure it won’t happen again especially in front of others… we don’t want the outside world to think that us Chaes have no courtesy.”

I’m an Im, and I respect people who deserve it, Ara held her tongue and nodded.

“So,” he tried to make conversation, “What do you usually do after class?”

“I work,” she answered hoping this would all end soon.

“You work?” he looked intrigued, “Where?”

“At a retail store.”

“Ah… how is the pay?”

“Good.”

“How would you like a better job?”

Ara opened to protest but he kept talking.

“How would you like to be an intern at Chinook Cooperation? I know their CEO quite well and I’m sure an intelligent girl like you will have no problems working there.”

“That is nice,” she rejected politely, “But I’m still in university and I can’t work full day –…”

“Nonsense,” he waved his hands, “I can get them to do part time and work around your schedule, it will look good for your image.”

You mean it looks good for your image, Ara wanted to smirk.

“Thank you but I really enjoy my job and –…”

“She will do it!” her mother interrupted.

Ara snapped her head around, not even bothering to stop herself from glaring at her mother.

“This is a wonderful opportunity,” her mother spoke with both hands clasped in front of her chest, “I’m sure Ara is very grateful.”

The old man looked delighted, “Then it is settled,” he pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to her, “Here is your schedule.”

Ara scanned the sheet; everything was planned around her classes like promised. Her brows rouse with irritation. So everything was already planned way ahead of time. Asking for her opinion was all just a show.

Well, all I need to do is get myself fired on the first day, she concluded, shouldn’t be that hard right? 

“Hyungwon,” the old man pressed a button on the device on the table, “Come downstairs and help your sister move in.”

Right, Jackass lives here too, she mentally groaned hoping that maybe he wouldn’t hear the intercom. 

Much to her dismay, a click was heard from above and a door opened. The sound of footsteps down the stairs neared until a person came into view.

The first thing Ara noticed was his newly dyed hair. She remembered that he had worn all black when they met first met; it made him looked like a grim reaper. So the new color was refreshing and it added a soft glow to his fair skin while bringing out his pale pink lips.

I bet he’d make a really pretty girl, she thought to herself.

Somehow the hair also made his eyes look a little bigger – definitely bigger than hers giving her one more reason to hate him.  

Like yesterday, he didn’t even bother to look at her. He just bowed at his father wordlessly.

“Help Ara bring her stuff in and show her to her room.”

“Yes Abeoji,” he spoke like a robot.

The two de