Jiyong and I were standing side by side at the top of our spiral staircase, waiting anxiously for my step-father's roll call. My hands were clasped together, fingers constantly fidgeting as I imagined what my father could be planning under his sleeve. I sighed heavily, earning a worried look from Jiyong who looked calm. 

Perhaps, was he only putting up a front? 

I wanted to do so, but I couldn't. I had no control over my emotions right now because this was the day. It was the day that I cannot predict my father's motives at all. I used to not care at all, but right now, I had to. "Feeling anxious?" Jiyong asked, still looking at me with his pair of brown orbs. I looked away and bit my lip. 

"Yes... no, maybe," I anxiously uttered. 

He chuckled and suddenly took my left hand in his, clasping our two hands together. I looked down on our molded hands and saw how perfect it looked from my perspective. Did it look the same way from Jiyong's perspective? I moved my gaze up to Jiyong and saw him looking down the staircase before turning to me and smiled. 

"I forgot to tell you, you look breath taking," he complimented. 

And with just one sentence, I was immediately blown away. I looked away due to shyness as I felt my cheeks heat up. It felt entirely unusual that I, Park Sandara, got shy just because of one compliment. Ever since I have met Kwon Jiyong, my supposed fiance and future husband by arranged marriage, I've been showing new sides that I haven't shown before. 

I cleared my throat and shook it off. 

"Stop trying to be cunning," I rebutted. 

And before he could say anything else, my father has finally set out his roll call, "As the current CEO of Park Corporation, I hereby, call upon my youngest daughter, Park Sandara and her soon to be husband, Kwon Jiyong of Kwon Enterprise!" 

---

"I know everyone must have been curious all these time about my youngest daughter, but the time has come where I am proud to introduce to you my wife and I's youngest daughter, Park Sandara!" My step-father exclaimed as I stood stiff beside Jiyong who held onto my arm pretty securely. He glanced at me, "Are you okay?" 

I briefly looked at him before nodding my head in response. 

The crowd cheered and clapped as my father signaled the both of us to climb to the stage created at the centre of our foyer. I held my dress, being careful not to trip as Jiyong and I made our way to the stage. We walked beside our father who was by the podium at the left corner of the stage and smiled down at us. 

It was a very uncomfortable sight to see. 

I looked around and saw my brother and my sister clapping for me, giving me a sign of encouragement as they both held their thumbs up. I weakly smiled and listened to my father continuing his speech, "Every single one of you must have been aware that this is the first time Dara has appeared in one of the Park Corporations Annual Ball, and it is such an enlightment for me and my family to see her standing here with her fiancé all healthy and beautiful." 

The blood circulating in my body suddenly stopped at the mention of my health. 

I glanced over my father and furrowed my eyebrows as he looked at me with a smirk. I clenched my fists, worried about what his next words might be. "Due to personal reasons and mutual agreement, Dara and the rest of the family have decided to keep her status and existence on the low," and before my father could continue, someone faintly shouted a question I did not want to answer, nor did I want my father to answer.

"I've been a shareholder for Park Corporation ever since my father had given me our company, but how come I have never heard of your youngest daughter's existence?" 

I looked at the old man who asked my father the question and I badly wanted to stop him from asking that question. 

I looked at my step-father, and saw him looking right at me. He looked away, "As I said, it was due to personal reasons and let me just say her education was one of them. We had enrolled her for private tutoring ever since she was a little child until she turned into a highschool student. After achieving such high grades, we decided to send her off to Harvard University where she was welcomed with open arms."

In just a second, I was already the talk of the night. I was the main attraction and I was the one everyone was talking about. I didn't have an anxiety attack but I felt like the air I was currently breathing was slowly dissipating. What was going on? Why was he telling everyone my life story? He had no utter right to ever tell anyone what happened in my life. 

Although I couldn't hear the soft whispers everyone was saying below the stage, the attention and the stares made me uncomfortable to the point I stumbled on the spot. Lucky enough, Jiyong had caught me. He looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed, "Are you alright? Do you feel sick?" I looked at him, sending him an S.O.S. in my mind. 

Take me out of here, please.

And as if making me the centre of the attention wasn't enough, my father continued to tell my miserable life story to the unknown. 

"As a child, she was weak and sickly but was a very dedicated child. She did not give up her dreams to study and achieve high grades to make her family proud. However, just in the age of 13 years-old, she was diagnosed with..." and before he could mention what I was dying from, my eyes widened, while Jiyong looked at my step-father with worry in his eyes. 

Please stop him. Please, don't let anyone know... Appa, please stop him.

I kept begging inside my head, but I guess even my late-father's spirit could not save me from my step-father's scheme. 

"...stage I lung cancer." 

And as if my eyes were a waterfall, the tears fell unknowingly as I tore away from Jiyong's grasp and ran away from the humiliation I received from my