CHAPTER ONE

December 2013.

“What?!”

“You heard right, sweetie. Mark’s parents and I are already planning your wedding!”

Jina could not believe what she is hearing from her father. It was only last year when she got engaged with a man she barely knew and here they are, already planning something bigger.

“Why do you look so stressed? Mark seems like a good man. Everyone thinks you two are a perfect match. Once you get married, I’d let him take the helm then you can do whatever you want,” her father adds.

“There’s also Yugyeom, Dad,” Jina reminds her father but the latter ignores her.

“We’re aiming for a December wedding next year. Please do this for me, sweetie.”

“But you also have Yugyeom, Dad…” she repeats.

“Ah, my son, Yugyeom… Jina, we both know he is not a bit interested in business. He also doesn’t have what it takes. Besides, he’s always out having fun with various girls. If he leads this company and he continues with that kind of lifestyle, who knows what will happen to this organization?”

“But aren’t you being unf—“

“Oh dear! I have to meet Raymond Tuan right now. Let’s talk later, sweetie,” he pats his daughter’s shoulder and leaves.

Jina sinks back on her chair and closes her eyes. She tries to keep herself from crying but holding back was giving her a headache and making it hard for her to breathe.

‘This is so unfair! Why do I have to make all the sacrifices? Why can’t I have fun like my brother? He doesn’t have what it takes my foot! Dad has always favored Yugyeom that’s why he never wanted to burden him with this company! He’s making me suffer because Mom died after trying to save me from that accident…’

At the thought of her mother, Jina could feel the lump on grow. This time she doesn’t hold back; instead, she lets it go.

‘Mom... please come back... I need you here with me...’

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 “But I have to see her!”

“I’m really sorry, Sir, but if you do not have an appointment with Miss Kim, then you cannot speak to her.”

“But I—“

“Please listen to me, Sir, and don’t make me call the security,” Jina’s secretary warns the man clad in white shirt, blue denim jacket and chino pants.

Just as the man was about to leave, Jina comes out of her office.

“I’m going home, Youngji. If you’re done, you can go, too.”

“Ma’am—“

Seeing Jina, the man rushes to her. The former, taken aback, did not have the strength to fight and was pushed back inside her office.

“W-who are you? What do you want?” Jina tries to hide her fear by putting on a tough face.

“I am—“

“A scammer? A con artist?”

With a straight face, the man answers, “I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I am not. That product you released last week? The recipe you used was my family’s so stop claiming that it is an original idea of yours.”

As if she’s heard this before, the woman answers back in a mocking tone, “Ah, I get this… You want the company to pay you, don’t you? How much do you want? Just so you know, since last week, we’ve had about ten people going here claiming the same thing. This isn’t new to us, Sir. You know, every time we launch new products, people do this to us. People try to rip us off. So, how much do you want? I can write you a cheque now if you want me to… Mister Scammer…”

“What did you say?!”

Jina was about to insult the man further when the door suddenly swings open, startling them. A red-haired man enters and orders the security guards, “Get him. Make sure he’ll never be able to access this building again.”

The other man struggles but was cornered by the guards. Eventually, he gives up and leaves.

Jina takes a seat and sighs. The red-haired man rushes to her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for saving me, Mark…”

“You shouldn’t have provoked him. Scammer or not, you could’ve gotten hurt. You should be more careful, Jina.”

“But I—“

“Shh…” Mark shushes her by placing his finger on her lips.

He smiles at her, “Let’s just go home, okay?”

“Okay…”

Mark takes Jina’s hand and whispers to her as they make their way out. “You should always be careful… I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to you…”

Feeling a little uneasy, Jina simply smiles at the man before her.

Mark is Kim Foods Industries’ Finance Head. Only twenty seven years old – a year older than Jina – he’s already achieved so much in his career. He’s been with the company for only three years and yet, he’s already an executive. Although he’s the son of the Tuan’s, a family friend of the Kim’s, Mark’s success is attributed to the determination and skills that he possesses.

Despite Heechul letting his daughter take the helm, he is still set on finding a man to lead the company for him. While Jina’s performance tells him otherwise, he still thinks she’s not fit for the job. Heechul can never trust someone who carelessly placed someone else’s life in danger – not even if it’s his own daughter.

After his wife’s death, Heechul felt broken. While he did have all the affluence, he felt incomplete without the love of his life beside him. If not for his daughter’s recklessness, he wouldn’t have lost Casey.

-FLASHBACK-

“Just what do you think you’re doing here, young lady?!”

“I... I was just looking for my favorite toy...”

“A toy? Inside your parents’ room?”

“Yes... When we went out this afternoon, Mommy placed it in her bag so I won’t lose it...”

“You still should’ve asked first for permission to enter! This is not how a proper girl behaves, Jina!”

The little girl starts to tear up. “I’m sorry, Daddy...”

“Ah, so you’re going to cry now, huh? You always play the victim card on me!”

“Heechul! Jina! What’s happening here?” Casey enters the room. She had just come from the kitchen when she heard her husband yelling at someone.

“Your stupid daughter here—“

“Don’t call her that!” Casey hisses. She kneels in front of her child and wipes the latter’s tears. “Don’t cry... It’s okay... Try to understand Daddy... He’s not his usual self today...”

“He’s always like this to me, Mommy…”

“What did you say, you stupid kid?!”

“Stop calling her stupid, Heechul!” Casey caresses her daughter’s face. “Honey, please don’t cry…”

But Jina has had enough of her father always picking on her. He would always scold her regardless of what mistake she made. She’s always on the wrong and she’s certain he hates her. “NO!” She runs out of the room then out of their house.

“Jina!” Casey follows her daughter, leaving Heechul behind. The latter sits on the bed, shaking his head at how his daughter’s behaving. ‘This is why Yugyeom’s my only hope...’

“Jina, please stop! You might hurt yourself!”

“No!!!”

The little girl just runs aimlessly until she ends up at the road.

She panics as cars honked at her, signaling her to move out of the way. She walks forward not knowing that a van’s coming her way.

Seeing this, Casey runs for her daughter and pushes her out of the way.

“Are you okay, my baby?” she asks, both of them temporarily forgetting about the danger Jina was in a while ago.

The child opens to answer but screams instead as the van hits her mother right before her eyes.

“Mommy!!!”

-END OF FLASHBACK-

Heechul never considered that he might have played a part on his wife’s death. To him, Jina’s the only one at fault. She was the one to blame and he’s out to make her suffer.