Author’s POV

Mirae stared at her mother. Had she heard correct? “Mom... I said he hurt me,” she repeated. She emphasised the word ‘hurt’ to make sure that her mother heard correct this time. Mirae stood in the doorway and her mother sat by her mirror, fixing her morning makeup. How they’d ended up like this, Mirae wasn’t sure. She only knew that her mother had wanted to talk to her before they went over to Luhan’s house. Mrs Kim applied her powder and glanced at Mirae in the mirror.

“You said he’d held your wrists so hard that you got marks. But you don’t have any marks now. Am I supposed to believe your word when you have no proof?” Mirae gaped at her words.

“Proof? I need proof to make you believe me?! Mom, I am your daughter! Of course you should believe my words! I did not want to show you the marks because I was ashamed! Not only for me, for our family as well.” Mrs Kim shrugged. “Jongin has seen them,” Mirae said, as a last attempt to get recognition.

“Sweetheart, I don’t care what your brother knows and doesn’t know. Has it crossed your mind that it might be right of you to feel ashamed? And I would also be ashamed if I was Han. His future wife cried like a baby just because she doesn’t like him and on top of that made up lies and cried in front of her mother! Ra Hael, I suggest that you get it together fast. You may not be worthy of being his wife. You’re just supposed to make him believe that you are. The second he knows it too, you risk being thrown out. And I can assure you that neither I nor your father will be able to prevent that from happening! Now go! You’re not appropriately dressed! I don’t want to hear another bad word about Han. Or I will make sure you don’t say another word in your entire life.”

Mirae clenched her fists. “Fine, mother. If you do not care about my life then I might as well end it. I am not living my life as a fake, smiling wife to a bastard like him!” Mirae shouted. Mrs Kim slammed her powder into the mirror, causing a crack to appear in it and stood up. Mirae, knowing she’d angered her mother incredibly much, ran out as fast as she could but unfortunately her mother called the maidens who blocked her way down the stairs. Mrs Kim grabbed a hold of her daughter’s hair and pushed her own flesh and blood into the nearest wall. Mirae let out a scream in pain.

“You ungrateful brat!” her mother screamed in her face. “You have no idea what I have gone through to come here! I’ve done everything in my power to make you happy and have tried my hardest to make you smile! What do you know about love anyway? You’ve never even kissed anyone, have you? You don’t know anything about love, Ra Hael! So I suggest that you don’t speak of it as if you know it!”

”Just because I haven’t been in love, I still deserve it!” Mirae sobbed breathlessly. She’d never heard anything about this before. Did her mother really not care about her feelings? Was she not allowed feelings anymore? Mrs Kim took a step back.

“Ra Hael, you have to learn your purpose in this life. You’re a Kim. You belong to this family and must show your best side! I will not have you crying and whining about this like a five year old! Your father has worked hard for this to work. Family first, then yourself, Ra Hael.”

“You cannot blame me for being born in this family. Shouldn’t you understand? Father never loved-” Mirae felt the blow against her cheek. She sank down on the floor with a thud, lowering her head.

“Be quiet.” Her mother brushed off her sleeves as though Mirae had dirtied them and then added, “I hope you learn your lesson, Ra Hael. Lu Han might not be as kind as your father has been to me. And unless you prove yourself worthy of his love, I can guarantee that you won’t ever receive or deserve it. Be ready to leave in five minutes. Not a second later.” Her mother vanished inside her room again, leaving Mirae still on the floor. She had no intention of standing up and getting dressed, yet the pain reminded her of the rage her father could unleash if her mother told him about this incident. Carefully, Mirae got up on her feet again and stumbled down the stairs, getting to her room a minute later. It took several deep breaths and a whole lot of inner strength from the girl to get ready and four minutes later meet her mother in the car outside – her father was already seated in the passenger’s seat. They drove to her fiancé’s house and knocked on the door. Mirae hoped her makeup would cover most of the redness on her cheek but when Mrs Lu opened the door and her eyes instantly flew to Mirae’s cheek, she was felt certain the cover-up hadn’t been good enough.

“You’re here! Welcome inside,” Mrs Lu exclaimed, not sounding as energetic as usual. Mirae got shoved inside and would’ve bumped into Luhan if she hadn’t regained her balance in time. Luhan titled his head to the side.

“Did you fall on your head recently?” he asked flatly. Mirae rolled her eyes. What else could she have expected from the boy in front of her but a nonchalant, hateful commen