You heard him clearly. He was asking you to marry him. You gasped after hearing his words and realized that it was nonsense for a guy like him to ask someone like you to marry him.

You looked at him and chuckled, "What?! Marry you?! Are you crazy?!"

Kris remained calm, nodding his head, "Yes. Marry me andㅡ"

"And what? You are going to say that I won't have to pay for it if I agree to marry you? Hah! Nonsense, dude. You deserve to marry this tiny cactus rather than marrying me." You held a tiny cactus that was placed nicely on the table, almost shoving it to his face. Kris took a step back before his good-looking face get ruined by you.

"Relax. I haven't finish yet." Kris spoke. He tried to calm you down but you just couldn't stop glaring at him; deadly.

"You better stop before I punch you in the face."

"Well, you better listen to me first. It's not like I'm asking you to marry me for nothing."

You titled your head and raised a brow, "Then?" He took a deep breathe and motioned you to sit on the chair again. You took a seat on it without talking much and wondering what he was going to say.

"I was thinking for the second choice, well, if only you agree for this. Though I really hope youㅡ"

"Just straight to the point because I have no time to listen to your speech, you brat." Kris sighed when he saw how your face wasn't showing like you were interested to spend your time in his office.

Better tell her directly or else she'll leave this room and you won't get anything, Kris.

"So, for the second choice, we'll get married. More like a contract marriage. And from that, I'll give you a chance to pay for what you have done to my car  by working with me, in this company. As my new secretary."

"What?" You stared at him, confused. He cleared his throat and leaned closer to the table, "You know exactly what I mean, Hyejoo-ssi. If you can't pay me in two weeks, why don't you marry me instead? You can pay for what you have done, just by working as my secretary and I'll cut a part of your salary for the car."

You chuckled, "Do you think I would fall for this offer? Being as your secretary just to pay for your damn car! Wow, you're totally something, Wu Yifan."

Kris looked at you when you stood up from your seat and you patted on his shoulder, "Sorry, dude. But the second choice isn't working on me. I'll choose the first one and I'll try to pay it in two weeks. No matter what."

With then, you left the room and Kris let out a soft chuckle to remember how you could easily reject the second choice.

"We will see how you're going to find the money in two weeks. I bet, you're going to beg me for the second one." He whispered.

You walked along the street alone thinking about what Kris said to you. Marrying someone that you never know in your lifeㅡyou really thought that it was insane. You couldn't simply marry to a stranger. It would never be your choice.

Even if I have to die, I'd rather do that than getting married with someone like him. I will never agree with the offer. Never will.

As you walked, your phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. You frowned. You decided to answer it without thinking much.

You felt like your heart stopped to beat for a moment after the caller told you something.

Something that you didn't expect to happen on that day.

"I..I'll be there." You said in stutter before ended up the call and ran.

---

"Umma!" You cried when you found the ward that was told by one of the nurses. Your mother was sitting on her bed, smiling at you. You bit your lip and couldn't hold your tears.

You hugged her tightly, "Umma.." You sobbed. That was the only thing you could say. She patted your back and pulled away. "Why is my daughter crying? I'm alright. Don't worry."

"Of course I'm worried. They said you fainted when you were about to leave the house and our neighbor brought you here."

She could put on a smile on her face though you were worrying about her condition. She slapped on your thigh, grinning, "I told you that I'll be okay. Stop worrying about me. Hey, the doctor that checked on me looks so handsome and smart. I should pair him with you."

"Umma~ This is not the time to talk about pairing me with anyone. It's about your health." You said, hugging her arm. She laughed and caressed your head, "Aish, you're so stubborn. You should go and continue with your work. Woobin and Chorong will be thinking otherwise if you're skipping your work."

"I'll tell them later. They will understand. Now, I want to make sure that you're alright." You spoke, closing your eyes to feel the warm hug from your mother. She smiled. She caressed your back and kissed on your head.

You bit your cheeks inside. It was hurt to see your mother being admitted to the hospital for her sickness. Bad things happened twice in a day. Kris offered you such a stupid thing and you didn't want to agree with it and all of sudden, your mother fainted as she was about to leave the house. You sighed heavily.

Before you could speak to your mother again, the door was opened and a doctor came in with a smile on his face. Your mother carved a smile for him and nudged you in the ribsㅡsignaling you that he was the one that she told about. You pouted. But still, you admitted that he looked handsome.

Well, pretty much better than the brat that I met just now. Tsk.

"I hope you're feeling much better, Ms. Choi." He spoke to your mother. She nodded her head, smiling, "Yeah."

He smiled again before looking at you. "Miss Hyejoo, I would like to talk to you for a moment." He said, before excusing himself to your mother and left the ward with you.

He waited at the outside and you bit your bottom lip, wondering why he wanted to talk to you. You stood in front of him and looked at the doctor.

"I'm sorry if this is going to make you feel down, Miss Hyejoo but the cancer that she suffers now is getting worse. It has reached stage 4."

You felt like thousand of bricks fell on you. Something stabbed deep in your heartㅡmaking you felt so hard to breathe. He took a deep breathe. "And she might have a few months left."

"No.. Don't tell me she's going to die. Y-You can't simply say something like that." You said, trying hard to hold your tears from coming out. He felt guilty after saying those words but he had to do so.

"I'm really sorry, Hyejoo-ssi. I can't say anything about this matter as it has getting worse. The only way is we have to let her undergo an operation. At least, we could do something for her."

"…Operation?"

"Yes. Though the chances for her to get better is 50-50, still, we can try. Miracles can happen."

Your tears rolled down on your cheeks. The operation would cost a lot of money and you just didn't know how long it was going to take to collect all of the money just to pay for it.

"…I-I'll do anything for her. Just do whatever that can makes her get better."

The doctor nodded with your words, "Sure. We will try our best. And for the moment, please cheer her up. I'm scared she will lose hope if she knows about this."

You weren't saying anything and let out a heavy sigh. You nodded, "I will. Thanks, doc."

He patted on your shoulder before leaving you at the outside of the ward. You sat on a chair and pressed your lips together, thinking about the things that you had to face in your life. Finally, tears rolled down on your cheeks and it came out for non-stop. You couldn't hold the tears anymore.

Umma, if I can give my life for you, I'll do that as long as you'll be healthy like before. I would do anything for you. I can't imagine if I have to lose you in my life. The person who has been staying by my side ever since I was born. I'm sorry, umma. I can't take a good care of you.

You took about five minutes to enter the ward back and see your mother on the bed, reading her favorite book. You carved a small smile when she took off her glasses and put it on the side table.

"So, don't tell me that you're falling for that doctor?" She teased and you chuckled at her words. "Umma. I'm not falling for him."

"Why not? He's good enough. Tall, good-looking, smart, a doctor and nice. What else do you want?"

"I want you, umma." You said, holding her hand and tried to form a smile for her. Not wanting her to worry about her health. You kept telling to yourself that she was going to be alright.

She grinned as she your hair, "You can't have me always, my dear. You need to get married soon. Have someone in your life so he can takes a good care of you. That person is going to be with you until you die."

"But I want to be with you, umma. Not anyone else." You bit your cheeks inside, trying hard not to cry again.

"Aww, look at my baby. This is why I love you so much. Come here, let me give you a kiss." She pulled you and gave a peck on your forehead. Your lips carved a smile for her.

"Umma.." She hummed to you call. You stared at her, "If you're given one wish, what do you want to have in your life?"

She put down her book on the side of the bed and thought. Her lips curled upwards before her hand caressed your soft hair, "Seeing you getting married with a guy that will be by your side, before I die."

You froze to hear her wish. You knew she really wished to see her only daughter with a white wedding dress, getting married to someone that would be stay by your sideㅡforever.

"What about you?" She asked, staring at your eyes. You tried your best to smile for her and reached for her hand, "To see you happy."

---

On the other day, you worked as usual and decided to gain more money for your mother and the damages that you made on Kris' car. Woobin and Chorong knew that your mother was in the hospital but you didn't tell them that you needed money to pay for the operation. You didn’t want to make them worry and you wanted to find the money by your own.

You tried to work from the other places and you hoped that you would gain a lot of money just in two weeks, enough for everything that had to pay.

Day by day, you started to worry. It seemed like the things that you expected didn't happen like what you thought. You knew, even you had to work for thousand years, you wouldn't get enough money for your mother. And even to pay the damaged car.

But you were glad that Woobin and Chorong would be visiting your mother in the hospital. They brought some fruits and chats with her so she wouldn't easily get bored.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Kris decided to pay a spy so he would know how you were trying to gain the money. Kris got a few pieces of your pictures from his spy. He could guess that you worked really hard to get the money within two weeks.

"Find out more about this girl. I want to know if she's having another problem beside this."

"Alright, sir." The spy said after he got an order from Kris. The tall guy stood by the window and viewed the scenery of Seoul. As he was enjoying with his life, he didn't realize, someone was struggling to get the money to continue their life.

Just in a day, Kris found out that you were facing a problem with the payment of the operation for your mother.

"So, her mother is suffering lung cancer?" His spy nodded when Kris asked him.

"And her mother has a few months left unless she undergo the operation which costs a lot of money, sir." He told. Kris bit his lip and let out a big sigh. He didn't understand why you could refuse to marry him and work as his new secretary. Probably, with the salary, you could get enough money for your mother.

"Never mind. That's all, I guess. I'll handle the rest. Thanks." Kris said. The guy bowed and excused himself to leave the room. Kris closed his eyes and his mind thought about the pictures of youㅡworking hard every single day for your mother.

Am I too cruel for treating you this way, Han Hyejoo?

You got a call from Kris as he asked to meet you at a café, privately. You rolled your eyes after ending up the call. You knew you have a few days left before the due date of the payment but that didn't make you to give up in gaining money.

Come on, you can do this, Hyejoo. For the sake of your mother and to pay that damn car!

Woobin and Chorong looked at you from the other side when you were wiping a table.

"I guess, she's working hard to pay the bastard's car."

"Don't you think that she might be having another problem?" Chorong looked at Woobin, wondering he would agree with her words but her just shrugged, "I don't know. It's hard to say. She always give that poker face and acts nothing. It's hard to read."

"If only I can help her."

"Same here. Or maybe I can give a free package for that guy. A punch in the face." Chorong chuckled at his words, "You might end up in the prison, oppa."

"Well, he deserves that." Woobin crossed his arms across his chest.

You got another call from Kris and you started to feel annoyed with it. You took off your apron and told Woobin that you had to go out for awhile.

"Seeing him again?" You nodded. Woobin sighed, "Oh, come on, Hyejoo. I thought you guys already made a deal and everything is okay."

"Already did. But this brat is being so annoying; saying that he wants to meet me. Be back later." You rushed out from the bakery shop, leaving Woobin who keep shaking his head with your answer. Chorong knew exactly what was happening.

"Again?" Woobin nodded, "Yeah."

---

You went to the café that Kris told and found him sitting at the corner, taking a sip of his coffee. You pressed your lips together before went to the table. He lifted his face to look at you.

"Have a seat." He said, politely. "No. I'm here for five minutes. Just say what you want or I'll leave."

Kris breathed in, "Why can't you choose the second choice?"

You chuckled, "Why do you even care? " "Because I know you won't be able to have enough money to pay me."

"I will. There's a few days left before the due date so stop telling me what to do." You were about to leave but he gripped your wrist, making you to turn around and look at him.

"I know you're struggling with many problems. And I can tell that it's hard for you to get the money just in short period. I told you, I'll let you work with me. You just need to agree and marry me."

You pulled your hand away, "Just easy like that? Wow, are you that desperate to get married, dude? Go and find other girl."

Kris stood up and held your shoulders, staring at your eyes, "And are you going to make your mom wait for such a long time until you get enough money to pay for the operation?"

You gasped and pushed him away, "You stalked on me?!"

"I had to. I'm sorry. I just want to find out about your life and know how you're living your life."

"Who are you to stalk what I'm doing?!"

Kris pulled you closer to him and held your shoulders, not letting you go. "Please, Hyejoo. Just for this time, think about your mom. Even if you can pay for the damages that you made on my car, still, I can tell that you won't be able to pay for the operation. It might takes time."

"I know what I'm doing and I'll figure out until I get the money."

"Think about this for the sake of your mother. If you want her to get better and undergo the operation, then, agree with the second choice and work with me. Trust me, it's just going to be a contract marriage. That's all."

You brushed his hands away from holding your shoulders. You gritted your teeth and left him in the café without saying any words. Kris sighed and bit his lip. "Nice try, Kris. Now, she hates you a lot for stalking her."

---

You were in the hospital, accompanying your mother. She fell asleep and your eyes landed on her face. It was hurt to see that she looked pale and getting skinny than before. You palmed your face, breathing heavily to figure out how you could gain more money without borrowing the money from anyone; including Woobin and Chorong.

 "If you're given one wish, what do you want to have in your life?"

 "Seeing you getting married with a guy that will be by your side, before I die."

"What about you?"

 "To see you happy."

You remembered the conversation that you had with your mom. Her words kept crossing in your mind. She wished to see youㅡgetting married with someone that would be by your side. Before her last breathe.

Tears were pooled in your eyes; thinking about her words. You wanted to make her be happy again. That was the only thing you could do. You just didn't have any ideas how you were going to gain more money for the operation so that she would be healthy like before.

"Marry me."

"Think about this for the sake of your mother. If you want her to get better and undergo the operation, then, agree with the second choice and work with me. Trust me, it's just going to be a contract marriage. That's all."

The words that Kris said kept playing in your mind. You bit your lip as if it was going to bleed. You didn't know if it was a good idea to agree with it. But you didn't want to get married with someone that you never know in your life.

But thinking about what he said, made you started to get confused.

"Contract marriage."

The words kept appearing in your mind. You held out a heavy sigh and closed your eyes. Deciding the best for yourself and your mother.

And you knew, the decision that you were going to make would be for someone.

For the sake of your mother.

---

Kris was busy doing his works though he has been having bad days at his homeㅡwhen his mother kept nagging and telling that he was wrong for his sudden decision to cancel the wedding.

He didn't want to get married with Yejin. It was his mother's decision to plan for the wedding and he couldn't even say a word. But he knew, he made a good decision for himself.

Yejin has been calling him every single day and he knew, she was trying to talk with him and persuade him to continue with the wedding. Kris decided not to answer her calls because he didn’t want to think about the wedding anymore.

Kris got a call from his secretary, telling that someone wanted to meet him in his office. He frowned. "Who is it?"

"It's Miss Hye Joo." Kris was a bit shocked to hear the name but then he formed a small smile. "Alright then. Tell her to meet me in my office."

With then, Kris fixed his hair and his necktie before sitting on his chair like a boss, waiting for you. Just in five minutes, he heard a knock from the door.

"Come in." He said. The door was opened and he saw you were walking in while closing the door behind you. You tried to act normal in front of him and not even carving a smile for him even though Kris has been smiling when you entered the room. He just wondered why would you be in his office. Unless, you had something to say.

"Have a seat." He spoke. You took a seat and bit your cheeks inside. Your hands were sweating and you grasped it.

"So, what made you to be here, Hyejoo-ssi?" He asked. Your eyes weren't looking at his face. You tried to avoid his gaze.

"I..I.."

"What is it?" He stared at you.

You took a deep breathe and looked at him, "I've decided to agree with the second choice."

Kris' eyes were locked on you, completely shocked with your words, "You what?"

"I..I'll marry you. And work with you. For the sake of my mother."

Kris was speechless. He knew he wasn't wrong. He heard it very clearly and he knew, you were being serious with your words.

New chapter posted! It's Huang Zitao's birthday! Wow, the kungfu panda has turned to 21 this year. LOL. Anyways, i hope you guys enjoyed with the chapter. and thanks a lot for those who subscribed bcs i didn't expect to get a lot of positive feedbacks from the readers hehe. thanks to CLICK&CLICK; Advertisement Shop || Batch 2 ~ OPEN  for advertising this fic :) 

Happy birthday to Tao ge! ^^ 

Until the next update