Light streamed through the large windows of the company firm. The pristine tiled floors almost seemed to glitter with the light shining upon them. Dress shoes and high heels clicked against the floor as men and women dressed in business suits and blouses and skirts bustled about with tablets, files, documents, and coffee in their hands. Receptionists at the main desk answered calls and typed on the computers, their painted nails ticking against the keyboard keys.

Amidst the bustling of the place, a woman named Seo Eunmi entered through the glass doors of the building, her black stilettos clicking against the floor. She wore a black dress that hugged her figure and was so short that it would universally be considered inappropriate in any office setting during business hours. Though having just entered the building, she kept her dark, designer glasses plastered to her face. She tossed her head, flipping her hair over one shoulder as she made her way over toward one of the elevators.

The elevator had one sole occupant inside waiting to go up. He held several folders in his hands and seemed to be looking inside the topmost one. Upon hearing the click of the woman’s heels draw near, the man glanced up from the folder in his hand as the elevator doors began to slide to a close. Fumbling with his folders, he reached a hand out to hold the door open. He shifted slightly as the folders started to slide from his grip.

Eunmi entered the elevator with a nod in gratitude. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” the man said, hastily shifting the weight of the folders to both arms again as the folders teetered precariously in his grip. As the elevator doors slid to a close, he turned to her with a polite smile. “Which floor?”

“The top,” she replied brusquely.

He nodded. “Alright,” he said, pressing both his floor and hers.

She eyed the man from behind her glasses. He was handsome to say the least. Her eyes grazed over his shoulders. She could tell that under his suit lay some sturdy muscles. She glanced at the name tag on his lapel; Park Leeteuk. Her gaze lowered, continuing to take in the handsome man with her eyes.

Feeling her continued gaze upon him, Leeteuk flushed slightly under her scrutiny and glanced at her out of his peripheral.

The woman’s mouth curled into a smirk. It was always amusing to see how her father’s employees reacted to her presence, especially when she made it obvious that she was checking them out.

He shifted his feet and opened one of the folders in his hands to begin surveying the material within.

Eunmi’s eyes lowered from behind her sunglasses as she continued to smirk. She leaned back, pressing her back against one of the walls. She placed her hands on the railing, hoisting herself up so that she was sitting somewhat precariously on it. She stretched out her legs, purposely trying to get his attention.

She watched as he continued to look through the folder in his hand, completely oblivious.

Her eyes narrowed.

He was probably a simpleton.

Her lips curled into a smirk as another idea struck her. She reached into her clutch and pulled out some lotion. She lifted one of her legs up, carefully watching the man’s reaction as his shoulders stiffened and he shook his head slightly. She began to put lotion on her leg, gently her leg seductively.

Leeteuk’s face flushed, and he turned his body slightly away from her.

Eunmi held back a laugh. It was great fun to be teasing him like this. He was a greater simpleton than she believed. She began to put lotion on her other leg, hoping to embarrass him further.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened and Leeteuk made his way out hastily, nodding politely to her as he left. “Have a good day,” he said, his eyes carefully avoiding contact with her.

As the doors to the elevator closed behind him, Eunmi pulled out her cell phone, chuckling. It was indeed amusing to tease someone like him. His type fell for her all too easily and became blind to everything else.

She slid her finger across the screen, ignoring the numerous texts her father had sent, asking where she was and why she was currently late. Noting that her battery was at two percent, she let out a slight huff and slipped her phone back into her clutch.

The elevator finally came to a halt when it reached the top floor, and the doors slid open. Eunmi slipped out and walked past the desk of her father’s secretary, as the secretary was busy speaking on the phone. She slipped in through the glass doors and walked toward the wall closest to her father’s desk and took her phone out of her purse and a charger. She plugged her phone into one of the electric sockets and then made her way to one of the sofas, plopping herself onto it.

“Where have you been?” her father asked, glancing up from the papers on his desk. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

"Out,” Eunmi replied off-handedly.

Her father heaved a sigh as he stood up from his desk and he began to head toward the sofas. “Eunmi,” he said in a quiet voice. “We need to talk.” He sat on the sofa across from her.

She raised her eyebrows. “About what?”

Her father pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re kidding, right?” He let out another sigh. “Did you forget about your latest—what do I even call it—‘fling’?”

Eunmi scoffed. “What about it?”

“Your ex-boyfriend’s company is withdrawing their support from the project now.”

“So?” Eunmi shrugged. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“Eunmi,” he began, rubbing the sides of his temple, trying to relieve a prolonged headache. “It’s—” He sighed. “This isn’t the first time one of your scandals has cost the company millions. I—” He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think it’s time we consider your future. I think it’s time you settle down. Get married.”

“What?” Eunmi sprang up from her relaxed position and stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, Eunmi. I am,” he said, folding his hands behind his back. “I haven’t been more serious before in my life. I haven’t been the best parent for you, I know. I’ve indulged you—let you have whatever you want since you were young—but I can’t let you continue to live this carefree life without consequences.” He shook his head gently. “My company is suffering because of your choices.” He looked Eunmi squarely in the eye. “If you do not wish to listen, than you will be disinherited.”

Eunmi stared slack-jawed at her father.

How could he do this to her?

He knew that she had no intention of settling down. Not after--

She was a free woman, and she wanted to stay that way.

However, she knew that she could not live without her inheritance. True, she was a model and had her own source of income; however, the only reason she got the job in the first place was because of her father’s company. The appeal of an heiress attracted the attention of numerous magazines, but without that, what would become of her career?

Also—and this was a shame—she valued her materialistic life. To have anything less would be unsatisfactory, even repulsive. She needed a distraction from reality.

However, she did not want to be tied down to a marriage either.

She clicked her tongue.

Perhaps she could find a man who was a simpleton; one whom she could marry and who doted on her while she carried on with whomever she wanted in private. He would have to be handsome though. She could not—would not—marry someone unattractive. It would simply ruin her image... And she knew that with whomever she was tied down to would never measure up to--

She closed her eyes, shaking the thought from her mind. 

Upon hearing no reaction from his daughter, her father continued to speak. “I can arrange a marriage meeting for you if you like. If there’s anyone you’re interested in, let me know. If not, I can find someone who I think you’d be compatible with.”

At that moment, the buzzer rang on her father’s desk.

“Mr. Seo. Mr. Park is here to see you. Shall I have him wait or send him in now?”

Eunmi glanced through the glass windows toward the secretary’s desk, where she saw Leeteuk standing there with several folders in his hand. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a smirk. “Dad, there is someone I’m interested in.”

****

The court room echoed with the sounds of a gavel pounding against the podium. “I’ll have no swearing in my courtroom,” the judge said to those standing in front of his seat.  

Leeteuk sat in one of the chairs of the courtroom, next to his fiancé, as they awaited their turn. He glanced down at the woman next to him.

Eunmi sat with her legs crossed and a compact mirror in one of her hands. She stared down in the mirror, her lips puckered as she reapplied her deep red lipstick for the umpteenth time that day. She smacked her lips together a couple times and reached into her makeup bag, which was precariously placed on the seat next to her. She placed her lipstick in the bag and pulled out an eyebrow pencil, the bangles on her wrist jingling quietly.

“You don’t have to do that again,” Leeteuk whispered quietly as he leaned close to her ear. “You look pretty enough already.”

Her eyes darted toward him. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I could have had a real wedding. With a makeup artist to do my makeup.” She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the mirror, examining her face once more.

Leeteuk sighed inwardly. He would have preferred the circumstances of their impending nuptials to be a little less business-like. However, it seemed the matter was quite out of his hand. His circumstances were a little less than orthodox.

The judge pounded his gavel against the desk. “We’ll resume this case at 10:30 a.m. next Thursday,” the judge said. “That’s February 27th.”

The group nodded and confirmed that they would be there, before exiting the room.

The judge shuffled the papers on his desk and his assistant set down the next folder. “Next we have the case regarding Park Jaeeun.”

Leeteuk stood from his seat and made his way toward the judge’s seat.

The judge shook his head, looking at his papers. “Let’s do this one later. It’s a complicated case.” He turned to his assistant. “Wasn’t I supposed to marry someone? Let’s get that out of the way.”

“Oh, uh—” Leeteuk began, but quickly shut his mouth when the assistant began to whisper in the judge’s ear.

“What?” the judge said, listening to his assistant. “His wife? Oh... Oh, that’s sad. Very sad.” He cleared his throat as his assistant pulled away. “So, you are Mr. Park?”

"Yes, sir,” Leeteuk said with a nod.

“Mmm,” the judge hummed, looking down at the file case in front of him. “It appears your wife, Park Jaeeun, disappeared seven years ago after the ship she was traveling on capsized.” He looked up from the papers, tilting his glasses a bit. “May I ask what woman would go traveling alone when she has two babies at home?”

 “Well sir,” Leeteuk began with a shrug. “One of her friends in Japan was getting married and she went on the boat with a friend of hers who was also invited to the wedding. I was originally going to go with her, but work kept me busy and I couldn’t go.”

“Hmm.” The judge continued to peruse the file in front of himself. “The boat capsized and—” The loud rattle of bangles caused the judge to pause and look up from the file. “Who’s making all that racket?” He glanced about the room, his eyes falling on Eunmi. He narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. “Young lady, stop making that racket.”

Eunmi paused in her application of makeup and looked about, ascertaining if he was indeed talking to her. “Me?” she mouthed.

“Yes, you,” the judge replied sternly. “You shouldn’t be putting makeup on in here.” His eyes looked at her face a moment, his brow furrowing. “You should be washing your face instead of painting it.” He t