The wedding was off.  Kaput.  Canned.  Cancelled.

Alice Park was staring at herself in the dressing mirror at the private club house.  She wondered out loud, “Why can’t I cry?”  The staff heard her and felt her pain and felt sorrow for her.  The staff realized that sometimes no matter how wealthy one is in life their personal life might not be ideal.

The pain was there as she sat dry-eyed staring at her reflection.   The staff running around thought her a picture-perfect bride.  Her small body was in an off-shoulder ivory satin gown embroidered with small ivory seed pearls.  Her black hair was in a short bob framed with wisps of a transparent gossamer veil.  She was beautiful and all who saw her remarked on her beauty.

There were many famous people at the private venue.  In a surprise to the paparazzi, Park Shin Hye, the Korean actress and model was the bridesmaid for Alice Park.  No one knew the two women were friends.  There were many pictures in the tabloids of Park Shin Hye entering the private club.   Another famous Korean family attending was business man Lee Hon Mun and his son, Lee Min Ho, the famous actor and model.  The guest list for the private affair included a who’s who of famous people from the world of entertainment and business. 

The guests had a view of her as she walked down the aisle alone, silent and dry-eyed.  She stood ashen-faced before the group of invited guests apologetically stating that the wedding would not take place.  Her quiet fortitude and solemn voice gave weight to her words and the guests felt her pain. 

The guests thought she was a beautiful bride – the guests and staff at the club knew she would have been one of Korea’s most beautiful brides if her groom had shown up.  He didn’t bother to send anyone either.  She was left to face everyone and tell them the wedding was cancelled.  She thanked them for coming, telling them the reception would proceed as planned at the world famous hotel resort 2 miles from the private clubhouse.  The clubhouse had been decked out in the most elegantly stylish wedding design that money could buy.  It was sophistication personified.   Pictures were snapped and already on social media sites.  It was a dream wedding venue.

As soon as she left the small stage set up for the nuptials she headed for the dressing room.  A few minutes later, Park Shin Hye was seen moving quickly toward the staff area to get bottled water for Alice Park.  No one in attendance thought anything about not seeing the two together.  It was assumed Shin Hye was taking care of her friend, Alice Park.  There was a remark or two about how the two could be have been sisters because they bore a remarkable resemblance to each other. 

The staff swore in statements to the police later that they saw Park Shin Hye banging on the dressing room door of Alice Park pleading with her to let her in.  They swore once Park Shin Hye entered the room they could hear her consoling a heartbroken Alice Park.  In fact, two of the young women on staff stood outside the door in case one of the ladies should need assistance.  They were able to swear to most of the conversation that occurred inside the dressing room.  The police statements were clear and concise on the conversation between the women as sworn by the two staff.

Shin Hye:  Alice you have to get up and change.  He isn’t coming.  Most of the guests have now left and we can go wherever you want to go.  If you want to go to the reception we will go.  If you want to go home we will go.  Please just change and let’s leave.

Alice:  Shin Hye he left a note.  Did you read it?  He said he decided he needed to rethink our commitment to each other.  He said he was fooled and blinded by my wealth.  Why would a man say such things?  Why would he tear my heart out?  Why Shin Hye, why?

Shin Hye:  Alice, he isn’t worth you.  Any man that would think or act this way isn’t worth your time or trouble.  Come on, change and let’s go party.  Or let’s go on a vacation just the two of us.  Please, Alice get up and change or let’s just go like this.  I don’t care if you don’t, let’s just go.

Alice:  Shin Hye, can you give me a moment?  Let me change and get myself together and I will leave with you.  I am too embarrassed to be seen by anyone else.  It is too hard to face everyone knowing he dumped me so shamelessly and at my wedding venue too.  How cruel can one person be, Shin Hye?

The women heard sobbing then.  And soft murmuring sounds of comfort from Shin Hye.  The women looked at each other and shook their heads at the fact sorrow and heartbreak could strike anyone. 

Slowly the venue cleared and all the guests were outside or had left.  It was a solemn affair that the guests left.  The only people still in attendance were a few staff members, the Lee men and a few lingering guests.  The staff members including Shin Hye’s father, Yang San He, were members of Yang San He and Lee Hon Mun’s group.  The plan was proceeding smoothly and the next step was about to be put in motion.

The back part of the clubhouse had been staged so that no one could enter from the outside.  Normally this wouldn’t happen but the group planning this needed to make sure no one could enter except for the path planned in advance.  There would be no traces of the blocked entrance or exit later.

The closest firehouse was 3 miles away but any fire truck would have to stop and get clearance from the locked security gates.  Those gates had been locked as soon as the majority of the guests left.  One member of the special group was a photographer and he was stationed so that he would get the pictures necessary to spread the story and verify its truth.

Everyone was in place.  The photographer was on the front steps waiting for the action to begin.  Min Ho was in place just outside the clubhouse standing in a group as if casually talking waiting for his cue.  This has to work Min Ho was thinking.  Please, Shin Hye, be careful and follow the script exactly.  He found he was holding his breath as he waited nervously.

Suddenly one of the staff placed inside came running out yelling, “Fire!”

Another staff member came out with smoke trailing after him, pointing back toward the club and gasping out, “The women are trapped.  Call someone – help!”

Another staff called the fire department and a fire truck along with a rescue vehicle were sent and a report was now on file.

Shin Hye sprayed the chemical accelerate as practiced and locking the door she ignited it.  She ran to her spot just inside the front doors of the club to await Min Ho’s rescue.  She could smell the smoke and see the fire in the background.  This was the most dangerous time for her.

Outside the women among the remaining guests were yelling that Park Shin Hye and Alice Park were trapped inside.  They were screaming where were the firemen?  Where were the police?  There was much crying among the group and a look of horror on the faces of those outside.  The photographer was snapping away.

It was Min Ho’s cue.  He jerked his jacket off and ran toward the front doors.  Several of the staff made a show of trying to hold him back from entering the clubhouse.  One staff member gave his testimony to the police that Min Ho said he was friends with both women and could not stand idly by while they died in a fire. 

Min Ho jerked the door open and within minutes came out carrying a disheveled and smoky smudged Shin Hye.  He handed her to one of the staff and made an attempt to go back inside.  There was an explosion at the back of the clubhouse and the fire was out of control.  To all appearances, Alice Park was trapped inside her dressing room in the very back of the burning clubhouse inferno.

Everyone outside had moved away to the safety of distance.   The gates were opened allowing the fire truck and rescue vehicles inside.  The police cars were not far behind.  The rescue team had Min Ho and Shin Hye to the side treating them for possible smoke inhalation.  They would be transported to the hospital as soon as the emergency personnel thought transport safe. 

The firemen were struggling to put the fire out and the police were busy taking names of witnesses for statements later at the station.

So far so good.  Suddenly another explosion at the front of the clubhouse caused the whole building to collapse.  The firemen would be busy for hours putting the fire out and then the investigators would start their job.

Investigations take time and as dusk started to fall, the Lee Hon Mun’s group went into action. 

The remaining guests were on social media sending pictures of a distraught Lee Min Ho rushing into a burning building to rescue Park Shin Hye.  The pictures of Min Ho holding an unconscious Park Shin Hye as if she were the most precious cargo in the world were being discussed and forwarded so many times, one server crashed and was off-line for a few minutes.

Lee Min Ho, as a hero, was in all the news cast and media sites.  Park Shin Hye as the woman he risked his life saving was the topic of the day.  They were suddenly the couple of the moment.   Alice Park was a mysterious and exotic woman that little was known about and Lee Hon Mun made sure the printed news and TV news shows carried the story he wanted known.

Six weeks prior to the fire as the plan was formulated:

Alice aka Shin Hye, Min Ho, Min Ho’s father and Shin Hye’s newly discovered Father were in the study.  Min Ho had just asked Shin Hye’s Father a question.

Alice aka Shin Hye suddenly felt nauseous.   She heard Min Ho ask her Father,   “If I might ask Sir, what do we need to do to save Alice and Shin Hye?”  And then she heard her Father say the most ludicrous statement ever heard.  She saw her Father look at Min Ho and without a blink say, “We need to murder Alice.”

We need to murder Alice?  Oh my goodness – how on earth – do they know how impossible it is to make a fake death look real? Do they even know how difficult it will be to rig a scene like that? Television dramas have the magic of cameras but in real life, fooling real police men and real doctors might be beyond their ability?  How would they make something like that seem real?  Is there no other solution?  And why the Alice persona, why not the Shin Hye persona?  She was really puzzled by a plan that she had no say other than to go along with pretending to be murdered.  At least she is hoping the plan is pretend – well, she thought, with the way my luck is running……

She realized she was babbling within her mind.  She needed to take a deep breath and stop thinking.  She needed to be calm and collected, she thought, along with whatever-in-the-hell-a-girl-is-supposed-to-be-that-just-found-out-she-has-to-fake-her-own-murder.   OK, OK, I’m good, really, Shin Hye you are good.  She smiled and looked over at Min Ho.  He had the same look on his face she did – at least she wasn’t going batty without company. 

Min Ho said, “How?”

Shin Hye’s Father glanced at Hon Mun saying, “We have it all planned out.  Actually we have planned several scenarios out but only need one very convincing story line and several top notch actors.  That is where you two come in.  As much as we have tried to keep the number of people knowledgeable about my past to a minimum there are a few who know me as Yang San He.  Those few will also help because they too are part of an exiled world as I am.  My world was made up of fear, a deep non-ending fear that North Korean agents would discover my identity and through me, Alice’s identity, and murder both of us.  If we can effectively, in everyone’s minds, kill off Alice in such a dramatic way that North Koreans will believe it to be true then Shin Hye can live as she wishes.  So we have a ‘drama script’ so to speak of and we need an actor and actress to play the lead roles.  What do you two think?  Can you do it?  Will you do it?”

Min Ho looked at Shin Hye – really looked at the faint circles beneath her eyes, the slight tremble in her hand and the look of exhaustion in her eyes.  She was a woman that was pushed to the limit.  Min Ho looked at her and he realized he had always known from the moment he met Shin that she was the woman he wanted.  He had known from the moment he saw Alice Park that she was Shin Hye.  He just didn’t want to acknowledge it because he lived in a world of words he had built around his character Alice Park.  So as he looked at Shin Hye aka Alice, he let all his preconceived ideas and hatreds go.  He immediately relaxed not only his mind but his body.  He reached for Shin Hye’s hand and said, “I’m sorry.  I am really, truly sorry.  Please forgive me and can we start over?”

Shin Hye’s father had lost the name Nue Man Shik the day he buried his friend, Yang San He.  He was also part of a small underground group of exiled North Koreans who worked to protect exiled North Koreans.  They did not know that Yang San He was a former North Korean agent.  They only knew he needed to fake his daughter’s death so she could be free.  They had the knowledge to make it happen.  So began an elaborate and well-planned “death” drama.

Shin Hye entered the clubhouse making sure she was seen.  She moved toward the dressing rooms speaking or nodding to people along the way.  Min Ho and his Father entered the clubhouse 15 minutes after Shin Hye arrived.  They were escorted to their seats nodding to acquaintances along the way.   Min Ho was apprehensive not because of himself but because he worried that something might go wrong and Shin Hye would be harmed.

 It had been six long weeks since the tragedy of Alice Park began.    

Alice Park became engaged to a notable young man of Korean descent from Canada named Chung Seong-jin.  He was part of the underground group.  He had wined and dined Alice Park publically and much to the delight of the paparazzi they did not try to hide anything.   He asked Alice to marry him in a public event.  She said yes in front of a room full of business acquaintances and friends.  It all appeared to be on the up and up and no one questioned anything.  Alice looked and sounded like a woman in love.  A wedding date was set and all was ready for the behind-the-scene directors, Lee Hon Mun and Yang San He.

And it began.  In everything that transpired the small dedicated group made sure that it was well documented and played out within the public’s view.