The Decision

Chapter One: The Decision

Tiffany plopped down in the driver's seat of her car and threw her purse in the passenger's seat. She slammed the car door shut and sighed. She hit her head against the wheel. Everything was just so frustrating.

She had worked so much harder than her brother, but her father would still not acknowledge her. She had helped his company grow so much, but she knew that her father still favored her older brother.

They both did the same quality of work, but Siwon had a way of doing everything so effortlessly, while Tiffany had toiled threw hell and back to accomplish everything she did.

It was quite clear who would be her father’s heir to the company - the perfect Siwon.

She already knew that her father’s advisers disapproved of Tiffany’s working at the company. They wanted her to just be at home, being a rich lady that just enjoyed her wealth. They looked down at her because she was a girl. They knew she worked hard, but they didn’t care. They wanted Siwon to be the heir.

She had even changed her last name and worked all the way from the bottom to prove her father wrong, but nothing had worked.

She looked at the building once more. In big letters, there were the words Choi Enterprises. She frowned and started her car.

Her father had requested for her to meet him at a restaurant close to the company building. He had insisted that it was urgent, knowing that Tiffany would try to find a way out of meeting him.

She had a feeling he would tell her something she didn’t want to hear.

…

“Hello, Director Choi,” she said while walking into the VIP section of the restaurant.

She sat down on one side of the long dinner table. There was a significantly big amount of space separating her and the man on the other side.

“Tiffany, we’re not at work anymore. I called you here to speak to you as a father.”

Her eyes softened as she looked up at older man across from her.

Sometimes, she wanted to give up this competition with her brother just for her father’s sake. She couldn’t though. She had put too much on the line to let it go.

Still, they had been so much closer when she was younger. She was always Daddy’s Little Girl, but now, it was different. He looked so much older now, and his eyes had lost the sparkle they once had.

She sighed.

“What did you want to talk to me about, Dad?” she said in a softer tone.

She watched as a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

“Tiffany, I know how hard you’ve tried for our company...” he started.

She bit her bottom lip.

“I know you put her whole life on the line, but it’s already been decided who will take over the company after I die. It wasn’t only my decision, it was the whole committee’s.”

She swallowed back her tears. She already knew this, but for some reason, she hadn’t wanted to accept it.

“It’s Siwon, isn’t it?” she whimpered out.

She felt tears form in her eyes but still refused to let them fall. Tears were a sign of weakness.

“Yes, Tiffany, it’s your brother. I’m sorry.”

She felt the warmth of his words, but it still didn’t make her feel better. It felt as if her whole future had been crushed.

“Tiffany, please don’t hate your brother for it. He didn’t ask for this, either.”

She just nodded. She already knew all of this. Her brother had always supported her, encouraged her to do something with her life. He had always been kind-hearted, but that’s what hurt the most. He was just too perfect that even though he supported her, he still couldn’t hide his flawless leadership.

She knew all of this, but why did it hurt so much?

She finally looked up, trying to look unmoved by the information she had just been given.

“It’s okay, Dad. I still don’t regret all the work I’ve done,” she said while trying to flash an eye-smile at her dad.

“Don’t try to lie to me. You’re still my daughter, and I can tell.”

Tiffany finally frowned. “What do you want me to do, then? I can’t just yell, throw a fit, or complain. Nothing would change.”

“No, you should be honest with yourself, though.”

She just nodded solemnly, looking down at her shoes again.

She sat there for a couple of minutes more, awkwardness finally filling the air. She grabbed her purse and stood up, heading towards the door. She didn’t want to be in the room anymore.

“Wait, Tiffany, I’m not done yet.”

What more bad news could there possibly be? she thought to herself before sitting back down in her seat reluctantly.

“Don’t worry, it’s good news.”

Tiffany raised her eyebrows at her father. What could possibly be good after that?

“You know Lee Electronics?”

She nodded. They were a huge company in Korea. It would be weird for her not to know what it was. Choi Enterprises bought many of their supplies from them. They also installed most of the wiring in the building.

“What about them?”

“They have a son...”

Tiffany rolled her eyes. She honestly felt bad for Mr. and Mrs. Lee. She had met them before at a conference, and they were very pleasant people. There were, however, pretty bad rumors about their son.

She didn’t know his name but it was pretty well known that he was lazy and irresponsible, not even helping with the company at all. He never attended meetings and spent most of his time using up his parents’ money. It was such a pity for such a well-raised boy to have turned out so rotten all on his own.

“Yes, I’ve heard about him,” she said.

“I’m sure you have,” he said with an uncomfortable look on his face.

“What about him?”

“His parents and I have been in a talk about being in a business partnership, but we thought it best if we further enhanced this partnership with a marriage between the two of you.”

She suddenly shot her eyes up to look at her father. He had said it so naturally that she almost missed the context of his words.

“Wait, what? Father, you cannot be serious.”

“I am as serious as I could possibly be.”

Her eyes widened as she noticed her father really was telling the truth.

“You can’t be. I know you have heard the rumors about him, as well. You know we would not be a good match.”

She could feel her face turning warm from anger. First, her father told her that his company would go to her brother. Then, he tells her that she was being forced into an arranged marriage in order to help a partnership with a company that wasn’t even going to be hers.

And this was supposed to qualify as good news.

“I haven’t finished, Tiffany. Will you just calm down?”

NO! I WON’T CALM DOWN! Tiffany said inside her head.

“This has benefits for you, too.”

She looked up, a little curious to see what he would say. Her eyes told him to continue.

“There was a specific reason Mr. and Mrs. Lee has selected you to become their daughter-in-law. It is a very well known fact that you are a very qualified girl who has what it takes to run a company. They, having a very unqualified son, specifically requested you to marry him in order for their company to run smoothly.”

She looked at him. So this meant....

“Yes, Tiffany, this means that you would technically be their heir if you accepted this marriage. And accepting this would also mean that both our companies would have a powerful partnership.”

“So, Tiffany, what do you say?”

There were many thoughts zooming across her head at that moment.

She could have her own company.

But she would have to marry someone she didn’t love.

But she could achieve the dream she’d been working so hard for.

She felt her heart beat loudly, and started to breathe heavily.

“I made my decision.”

She looked directly into the eyes of her father, who looked just as determined as her.

“I trust that you made the right decision,” he said, a small smile forming on his lips.

“I’ll do it.”