It was a long day but Dara had a smile on her face as she was driving home. The traffic didn’t even bother her. She spent hours in multiple photo shoots directing models as they posed for the cover of Vogue Korea. As she spent hour after hour behind flashing lights and dealing with slightly annoying models, she could finally go home to sleep and start all over again the next morning. Dara felt as if she was at the peak of her career, she finally became head photographer after 5 years and had work pouring in from every corner. Her days were spent smiling as she clicked away at the sights before her. She parked her car and entered the elevator as her phone vibrated from an incoming text. It was Sanghyun and all he wrote was “Noona…” The text confused her but she let it go because her brother had a tendency to mess with her from time to time. When she entered the apartment, she saw an extra pair of shoes by the door but didn’t pay any extra attention to it since it could’ve been Sanghyun’s friend.

“Yah Sanghyun, what’s up with the text you sent me,” Dara called out as she entered the living room but the last word barely made it out of when she saw who was sitting on her couch. It was her father. The father who abandoned her family 14 years ago for another woman. The same father who never looked back to ever ask about his three children or the woman he claimed to have loved with all his heart. She looked at his eyes and it was obvious how much he aged. As a kid Dara used to think her father was the most handsome man in the world, he was a king while she was his princess. But now, he looked tired, ragged, and his once bright eyes were now sad and droopy.

He stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He whispered a “Dara-yah,” almost as if he lost his voice at that moment. Hearing his voice made her get out of the trance she was in.

“What the hell are you doing here?” She hoped her voice wasn’t as unstable as she felt.

“Dara…” Her father seemed taken aback by her words, he wasn’t expecting Dara to be so cold.

“Omma! What is he doing in our house?” She screamed at her mother who didn’t reply back.

“Please Dara, let me just explain!”

“What are you going to explain? Why you left? Why you’re here now? What is it, do you need money? Did your wife leave you?” Her eyes formed tears as she questioned her father, it hurt to look at him.

“No! I would never ask you for money. I came here to tell you something that I should’ve told you two years ago.” His words confused her, so she let him continue without interrupting him.

“I came here to give you this,” he handed her a paper, it looked like a legal document. As she flipped the paper over she realized what it was. It was a marriage certificate, it was her marriage certificate.

“What the hell is this? Why is my name on this? I’m not married.” She saw her mother drop heavily onto the chair under her.

“You… are married, since 2013.”

“Is this some kind of sick joke? What the hell are you talking about?” Dara began to laugh, it was a bitter laugh full of disbelief.

“When you were 6 years old, you met a boy named Choi Seunghyun and his father. You probably don’t remember him now but you two were close. When his father began to get really sick, he made me promise him that we would get you two married because then he’d have a family to look after him. In the beginning we agreed as a joke but when his father was on his death bed it was his last wish that we actually do get you two married. So our lawyers met and we created the documents to get you two married when you turn 25… So you’ve been married to Seunghyun for two years now.” The room fell silent after her father explained the situation. Dara looked around the room; her mother was still sitting but looking down at the floor with her hands covering her face. Her younger siblings were staring at her with scared and confused eyes as they peeked out of their rooms. She finally looked at her father again.

“You can’t be serious. I WAS SIX! You can’t do that it’s illegal! I don’t even know who Choi Seunghyun is!” Dara felt the room closing in on her.

“It isn’t illegal we worked out all the details with our lawyer and technically we didn’t get you married at six, we got you married at twenty five, with your consent.”

“What do you mean with my consent? I never signed this!” She held up the papers and shoved it in his direction.

“You did, when you were younger.” Dara was speechless so she walked to her mother.

“Did you know about this? Look at me! Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Her mother finally looked up at her, she was crying.

“I’m sorry Dara, I forgot about it. I didn’t think it would still be in effect after all these years! Especially after he left us.”

“I don’t care if it’s still in effect or whatever. I’m not accepting this at all. You have no right to come back into our lives after all these years just to tell me I’m married! You lost any right over me or anyone else in this family 14 years ago, so leave right now.” Her voice was shaking now but from anger. Dara was close to breaking down but she didn’t want to show her father this side of her.

“I understand you’re mad at me for leaving you guys, I do but this wasn’t my fault. I did this for my dying friend and your mother agreed with me. I can’t let you break the promise I made to my friend.”

“You care more about the promise you made to your friend, than the promises you made to your wife and kids?! I don’t care who you promised or who was dying, my life isn’t something that can be played around with. I’m going to my lawyer tomorrow morning to get this mess sorted out. So leave, now.” Dara didn’t wait for him to answer or to leave, she walked into her room and slammed the door shut. The moment the door was closed, she fell onto her bed and couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out. It was crazy how fast the night could change. An hour ago she was smiling and finally satisfied with her life, and now her life was falling apart.

But Dara refused to just cry and let her father control her life. She sat up and wiped away her tears as she reached for her phone. She sent a quick email to her lawyer setting up an appointment. After she clicked on the “send” button, it felt as if a fraction of the burden was lifted off her shoulders, and she fell into a deep slumber. 

****I guess the first chapter went up faster than I expected... lol I got excited at the new story. This chapter is kind of boring in the sense that TOP hasn't entered the story yet, but it gives a look into dara and her father's relationship. I hope you like it! And as for the concept of getting married and the legal stuff... im sorry if it doesnt make sense realistically, i know nothing about this. It's all fiction in order to make the story good(?) Thank you for reading!