Author’s POV

On March 4^th 1988, on an empty London street, snow is gently covering the ground. It’s Saturday and most families are home right now, having dinner together.

A man is walking slowly along the London’s streets, despite the freezing weather. Today he just doesn’t feel like using his car and wants to walk home. He’s James P. Charles, vice president of his brother-in-law’s corporation, Woollim Electron. He’s one of the people who make the success of the corporation.

Suddenly, he saw a little girl playing with his Barbie doll in a small restaurant. Her parents are lovingly tending her. He signs. This scene brings him back to his unborn daughter and that painful memory.

**Flashback**

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing else we can do.”

The man falls down in shock, tears pouring out. It was just nearly six hours ago, he was expecting a baby girl. But now, she has a premature death. All his hopes, his expectation for the past eight months are destroyed.

How can his wife take this news then?

Ever since then, her smile has disappeared. It saddens him. How he misses her old self. She is not a sharp beauty. Her look is only considered as slightly better than an average Korean woman. But her warm smile could always make his day much better. If only he can do something to make her happy again.

Suddenly, an idea pops into his head. A crazy idea.

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The maids are busy cleaning around the house. Soon it’ll be 1997. The mansion must be spic and span for the New Year party soon will be hold here.

Your POV

A soft, wet piece of fabric touches my face. My mother is carefully cleaning me. She keeps humming a soft, sweet melody and smiling happily.

Until now, I still don’t understand how she and her husband became my parents and treat me so well. Sure, I heard from the television (my family is wealthy so they can afford a good one) that many rich people like to collect valuable things and treasure them, but how they treat me is unbelievably good. Actually, I was surprised even back there with their reactions when they saw me the first time.

***Flashback***

The men have finally done the last touch and are preparing to show me someone called Mr. James. He’s the one paid people to create a masterpiece: a human-like doll (which of course is me) and got the best men for the job.

“He's here!” One of the men shouted.

Wow. He's punctual.

“Good job. I hope the final result will please me.”

“Oh it will sir. We made careful planning and everything's right on plan.”

Yeah... Except the part I can think or I know what's happening around me. Well, I think no human will ever expect that. And damn! When will they take this cloth off. It's so stuffy in here!

I heard footsteps. Sounds like two people are in here.

“Honey, what's going on?” A female voice. That voice sounds nice and warm, but why I feel it's so lifeless?

Someone finally pull the cloth off. Some unfamiliar man. He seems to be in his 30s.

“Oh my-” That female voice again. I now notice her. She's also in her 30s apparently. Her facial features are quite strange, different from the men. She seems... shocked? Why?

“You love it honey?” The man finally speaks. So he's the man from before. Mr. James I guess. He then walks to the woman and hugs her gently. “This doll is yours.”

“Honey, she looks just like what I imagined our baby would be. So... beautiful.”

“Yes. I asked those men to give her your facial features, my hair and eyes. This, honey, will be our baby from now on.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We'll love her like how we would to our daughter. Now all she needs is a name honey.”

“...Rose... Rose Charles.”

OK. Maybe the reason they treat me so well is because they take me as their daughter. That makes sense. But giving me the best, most expensive products and personally taking care of me is a bit too much honestly. I’m just a replacement.

Gosh. Why I suddenly feel so sad?

Why is that maid looking at me dreamingly? I know this has happened a lot but this is just too creepy.

I guess she’s like most people, wanting to be like me. I, on the other hand, want to be a normal human like most people. I mean, look at me, I’m pretty (I’m not kidding, the combination of my parents’ features is no joke), I’m rich (I mean it. My dress right now costs more than what people normally earn a year) and obviously, I’m loved and admired by many people. But what’s the point of that. Sure, I’m pretty. But people are awe at my appearance for a while then they left. And yeah, I’m rich. But all of these properties are my parents’. Besides, I’m literally a doll. What can I do with money? Loved? Admired? People don’t even know my full potential. All they know is that I’m a doll which looks like a human girl. They see me as a masterpiece in a museum, beautiful but untouchable. While all I want is to get out off these glass walls (my parents built me a room and put me in glass walls for protection). I want to do things I like and try things people keep talking about. Heck, I even want to b a bit crazy, or my parents called wild, like some people I saw on television. But no, I’m stuck here, being a decoration.

Why those people want to be like me anyway? Well, I guess everyone wants what they don’t have and never appreciates what they’ve got.

Suddenly, a maid comes running in.

“Madam, Sir Lee wants to see you and he said it’s an emergency.”

Sir Lee? Oh, she means my uncle Lee Jung Yeop. He’s my mother’s brother. Did I mention he’s the president of Woollim Electron, where my father works? It’s a big and successful corporation of course. Whenever my mother’s with him, they talk in Korean (my father knows Korean too but he doesn’t use it often). That’s why I know a bit Korean. BTW, he’s also my godfather, or like what he calls himself, my appa.

Mom looks at the maid and tells her to invite appa in. She’ll go down in a minute.

“Darling, I’ll go talk with your appa okay?” She then gently kisses me on the cheek. It’s actually a funny sight. A woman in her mid 30s kisses a doll’s cheek. Not to mention I’m taller than her (I’ve got my father’s height probably. My mother’s just 1m64 while I’m nearly 1m70).

Author’s POV

“Dongsaeng, why are y-“

“No time noona. It’s hyung. He… he got into a car accident and now is in the ER!”

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Your mother nervously sits there, hands shaking. Your appa is trying to calm her down, despite being scared as well. They both quickly stand up when the doctors go out.

“Doctor, how is he?”

“… We’re sorry…”

Your appa and mother are frozen. They can’t hear what the doctor say except those two words. Your appa shakily turns around to your mother and…

“NOONA!”

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The workers carefully put you inside the big room appa repaired for you. They are scared of his anger if they do any mistakes. They’ve heard story how a worker got fired when he accidentally dirtied you dress a bit.

After your parents’ death, he feels like he’s responsible for you. He eventually decided to transport you to his house in Incheon and took care of you like how his sister and brother-in-law did. It’s strange in your opinion why he’s done that. Why, you never understand one’s mind anyway.

After the workers finished, he calls his family to gather inside your room. First you see four women. They’re all pretty. But three women look mean to you and the other one seems much nicer, a little mystery also. Then seven kids come in. Those boys have innocent looks. The oldest, you think, looks like he’s only six.

Your POV

“Appa, who is she?” The boys innocently ask appa. Aww… They look so naïve, so cute. If I could move, I’m sure I’d hug them to death. I’m not sure how, but I always have this soft side for small, cute things.

“Boys, meet Rose. She’s your cousin. But you guys will see her as your sister ok?”

The boys curiously look at me. Wow, their eyes really sparkle like little stars! I wonder what they’re thinking. Probably they think their appa’s weird and won’t accept me for sure. I mean…

“Appa, noona’s yeppeun!”

Wait. Yeppeun means pretty doesn’t it? And they call me noona?

Well, I guess I’m wrong. The boys do accept me and take their appa’s words seriously.

“Noona? Sister? I don’t know you’re this crazy, boys.”

“Yeah. Who would want to take in this useless doll? And even make her our family? Why don’t just sell IT?” She emphasizes the “it” word on purpose, I’m sure. “I heard people would spent millions for IT.” Again with the “it”!

“I know your sister and her husband are crazy, but you honey? Wow, I could never guess. And Ha Ne- Actually, I didn’t have much expectation for you anyway.”

Soon after, the three woman (I actually should call them aunts, or ummas like how appa asked) cackle. Whoa~ Evil witches laugh does exist. I thought actresses only did that to bring effect into the scene.

Anyway, those three really anger me with their [censored] attitudes… Oops, I slipped. I heard people use that word all the time so it has got into my head. Now, I have this sudden desire to be like Chucky, that evil cursed doll and stab them.

Lee Jung Yeop’s POV

My sister and brother-in-law? How dare those [censored] say such thing?

My blood boils. Nobody can say those things about them. I can only be successful and meet Ha Neul like today thanks to them. Nobody sees it (fortunately) but I can feel my eyes are getting redder and redder due to the anger. Inside my mouth, my t-

A warm pair of hands wraps around my waist and her scent fills my nose. Ha Neul. She needn’t tell me, but I get her message: “Don’t.”

I hold in my breathe, close my eyes and count to ten mentally. Once I get to the number ten, I open my eyes and breath out. Anger management class is really useful huh? With calmness, I talk to my “wives” and my baby boys. “Dear. I know you don’t like this idea but look… my sister and her husband must love her so much to take care of her likes that. Besides, our family won’t have problems taking care of her.”

“Honey… I know you love your sister’s family a lot, but this is just too much and…Oh god! I’m out off here. This is ridiculous.” Mi Yeon says and walks out. Ga Eun and Mi Jin also follow here. Among those women, she’s the leading figure. The other two, even I know they actually hate each other, like to copy her. I chuckle mentally. It’s like high school all over again. A trio of snotty, selfish queenkas.

“Appa. Are ummas mad? They don’t look happy.” Sung Yeol grabs my sleeve and asks me. The other boys also look confused. I give him a gentle smile. My sons are too innocent. They shouldn’t interfere with this business.

“No boys. Your ummas are just tired, that’s all. Stay here and talk to your sister ok? She won’t talk but she understands what you guys are talking. Your Ha Nuel umma and I must go now. Be good. Sung Gyu, take care of your brothers.” I ask Sung Gyu, the most mature one (both physically and mentally) among them.

As we got out of the room, Ha Neul talks to me about how I almost explode. Of course, she just gently remind me that I shouldn’t let anger get the best of me and how hard it would be to clean the mess if I hadn’t hold it in.

“I got it honey.” I say and do an Eskimo kiss with her. She chuckles with how I still use it to show my affection after years. “It’s just… how they talked about my sister’s family and our future daughter-in-law.”

“I know. I got angry too. But bear in mind honey, after all, they play big parts in the kids’ fates.” When she said “kids’”, I knew she didn’t talk about my boys only. “Even when it’s not necessary positive parts.”