--- 2019 ---

There are moments in one’s life that a person will never forget.

Woo Somin only had few such moments.

The first was the day she found out the truth of her family.

The second was the day her sister left the family.

It was also the day she was to get engaged.

“Return home tonight,” the old man spoke.

It was a fine day. She had slept well for the first time in forever, although she had the sleeping pills to thank for that. She had arrived at the office, and it was one of the first times that her colleagues at the architecture firm weren’t talking about her. They were all too caught up in their phone or computer screens to be paying her any attention when she walked in. Her father seldom called her, unless it was to inform her that she was required to make an appearance at the family home.

“Hello to you too, Father,” she greeted him. “Is there another event tonight?” she asked, her eyes skimming through her planner. “I’m afraid my assistant forgot to inform me of this, I’m not quite sure if I can attend,”

“I don’t want any excuse,” he replied curtly.

“May I ask what is so important about tonight?”

“Hye Min is gone. You are to take her place,”

“Gone? Taking her place?” Somin’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about, Father?”

“Your sister has left. She decided to leave behind the Woo family name for some low-life,”

“His name is Kim Seok Jin, he is not some lowlife,” she muttered under her breath.

“It does not matter what his name is, nor does it concern me. Hye Min has chosen her path. As for you, you are going to fulfill the alliance in her place,”

“Father…”

“The alliance was made for Hye Min and the elder son, but at the end of the day, there just needs to be a marriage. Min Designs and Woo Studio will officially be merging in business through a marriage - yours and the younger son, Yoongi. The official engagement and announcement is tonight. Do not show up late. Arrive by 5 PM, your mother has arranged for a hair stylist and make up artist,”

She thought that by obeying her father, she would be allowed to choose certain aspects of her life. Where she could live. What she could eat. Who would marry.

Who knew that Woo Hye Min would actually have the guts to do what she wanted?

“One day, I’m going to leave all this behind,” the older woman said, painting her nails a bright shade of pink.

“Why would you do that?” Somin looked up from her laptop. “We live a very comfortable life,”

“Somin, aren’t you sick and tired of this? You’re being forced to study architecture so you can eventually take over the company. Is that what you really want to be doing with your life?”

“Unnie, are you happy with your life? Are you satisfied with being an elementary school teacher?”

“I am, because it’s what I want to do. It’s what I chose for myself,”

“Then as long as you’re happy, and Father is happy, it’s alright,” Somin nodded her head.

“I know you’re being forced to do all this because I went against Father, and I am sorry for that,” Hye Min sighed, closing the tube of nail polish to sit next to the younger girl.

“I had the choice to say no if I wanted,” Somin shrugged, but Hye Min didn’t reply.

They both knew the truth.

Somin never had a choice to say no.

She would go along with whatever their father told her.

After all, an illegitimate child should be thankful for whatever they had.

“Well Somin, it was your fault for thinking this would be the day you make all your own choices,” she said to herself, studying her reflection in the mirror. She knew that by sitting in her car, she was just dragging out time, but it wouldn’t save her from anything. Just hours from now, she was to be engaged to a man that she had only seen less than half a dozen times, spoken to even less than that.

“Woo Hye Min, you couldn’t have given me a heads up?” she said, turning her attention to her phone screen, messages sent to the older woman left on read with no reply. She threw her phone into her handbag, finally leaving the car and passing the keys to one of the many servants employed at her family home to park her car, her heels making her presence known as she entered the house.

“Welcome, Aghassi,” one of the maids bowed, Somin bowing back.

“Where is my father?” she asked.

“In his study. The hair stylist and makeup artist are upstairs in your old bedroom,”

“Thank you,” Somin nodded. “Mrs. Nam, if you don’t mind, can you please have a coffee sent upstairs? I’m going to need the energy,”

“Of course,” the old woman smiled, walking to the kitchen as Somin made her way up the staircase. Growing up, she loved playing on these stairs with her sister.

They were better times, living in ignorance of what adulthood was like.

“Ms. Woo, we’ve been waiting for you,” the young girl said as Somin entered. “Your mother has chosen a dress for you already, as well as how to get you ready,”

“May I ask what your name is?” Somin asked.

“Aera, ma’am,” the young girl smiled.

“Well Aera, I am very well capable of making my own decisions, so I will be making the final decision on what I will be wearing as well as how my hair and makeup will be done,” Somin replied, going through the dresses that were hanging on the rack. “Which dress was picked out for me initially?”

“This red colored dress,” the young worker replied, pulling the dress off the rack.

“I will be wearing this dress instead,” Somin replied, pulling a midi wrap dress in pearl pink. “The shoes I’m currently wearing should pair well,” she looked down at the pumps she was wearing. “For the makeup, something light and simple, very subtle. I tend to break out with heavy make up, and let’s curl the hair, but nothing over the top,”

“This is everything different than what your mother told us to do,” the young girl interjected, a worried look on her face.

“Aera, worry not about what she will say. After all, I’m the one getting engaged tonight, not Mrs. Woo. Any complaints that she will have, I will deal with them,” she reassured her, sitting down in the seat. “Let’s begin,”

“You seem very different from all the other brides that I’ve worked with,” Aera said, pulling out her makeup kit.

“I guess it hasn’t fully sunk in thatI’m getting engaged. I did only find out,” she paused, eyeing the time on her phone, “six hours ago,”

“An arranged marriage?” Aera asked.

“Arranged life, it seems,” Somin sighed, thankful when she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,”

“Your coffee, Aghassi,” Mrs. Nam said, placing the hot cup on the table next her.

“Perfect,” Somin replied, closing her eyes as she took a sip. “I needed this,”

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“What the did you just say?” the 26 year old exclaimed, shards of a broken mug scattered on the wood floor.

“It seems as if the initial arrangement that was set between your elder brother and the older Woo daughter has fallen apart, so your father has decided that you will be the one getting married to the younger Woo daughter instead,”

“I didn’t actually want you to repeat it, I wanted an explanation as to why I am getting engaged in six hours!” he roared, the workers in the small office peeking from their work spaces.

“Yoongi, take a chill pill,” the older male figure on the couch spoke, scrolling through his phone.

“Easy for you to say since you’re not the one getting married anymore,” he frowned, taking a seat at his desk. “Assistant Jeon, I’m waiting for an answer,” Yoongi shot him a look.

“It appears that Woo Hye Min, who was set to get engaged to your brother a few months ago, has left the Woo family. She was disowned after deciding that she wanted to remain with her long time boyfriend, a man by the name of Kim Seok Jin, who she met at the school she works at,” Jungkook read off the tablet in his hands. “Since she is no longer part of the family, she cannot be betrothed to your brother. Chairman Woo has a younger daughter, Woo Somin. She is 25 years old, currently the head at the Seoul office here of Woo Studios. Chairman Woo and Chairman Min have decided to carry out the alliance through you two,”

“My father must be crazy if he thinks that I’ll actually go through with this,” Yoongi shook his head, picking up his phone.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you this,” Junki started, looking at his younger brother, “but I never really wanted a promotion,”

“Hyung, can you say something that makes sense?”

“You probably know that the reason that they’re going about this business merger is because Min Designs and Woo Studios, despite their success, would eventually be overrun by some larger corporation. Merging together makes sense if they don’t want to eventually go out of business,”

“No ,” the younger rolled his eyes. “What does this have to do with us?”

“Our fathers are old fashioned, by selling off their children together, this gives them security that one party won’t back out last minute. After all, a broken marriage will remain in the headlines much longer than just a simple business deal, but everything comes at a price,”

“Can you get to the point, Hyung?” Yoongi asked, getting frustrated.

“I was told that once the marriage was complete, through the new merger, I would be made the new CEO. Since I’m no longer getting married, but rather you are…”

“Getting married means becoming the CEO of not only Min Designs but also of Woo Studios,” Yoongi finished off, the realization setting in.

“I told you that I don’t care about getting promoted, I like the simple tasks of being an architect. Everyone knows that you’d be a better fit for CEO. Plus, you never know how the younger Woo daughter is. Even if you don’t have a real marriage based on love, you might just make a new friend,”

“There are no such things as love or friends when it comes to business, Hyung, and that's exactly what this marriage is,”

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“That is not the dress that I choose for her,” the older woman walked in the room. “Can you not even follow simple directions?” she looked at the young girl.

“I’m the one that told her I would not be wearing that dress. I didn’t choose to get engaged, nor did I choose my groom. I think I deserve to choose how I look as I get pawned off,”

“Is this how you were raised to speak to your mother?” the older woman glared at her.

“Aera, thank you very much. You are absolutely talented,” Somin said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “Please be sure to enjoy the dinner that we will be serving downstairs shortly, and do leave a card or a number that I can contact you at. I will be hiring your services for my wedding ceremony,”

“Of course, ma’am!” the young girl smiled. “I look forward to working with you in the future.” Somin nodded, standing up and fixing her dress as the young girl quickly packed up her belongings and exiting the room.

“I didn’t say anything while she was in the room, but you are not my mother,” Somin’s eyes remained on the mirror as she put on diamond studs, but she knew the older woman was still there. “You have never ceased to remind me that I am an outsider to this family, so please do not try to play the role of a mother to me in front of others,” she turned around to give the older woman one final look before exiting the room. She stood there for a few moments, already able to hear the large crowd gathered on the first floor.

“You can do this, Woo Somin. Just another performance. Smile and nod. Just like all the other times,” she whispered to herself. She checked her phone - still no messages from Hye Min. “Just like all the other times,” she nodded to herself, about to go down the stairs when her eyes caught on to the family portrait hanging on the wall. She stood there, studying the faces of the people she once shared this house with.

Before he was Woo Sangmin in her world, he was just simply Appa. Her early days were filled with a smiling man who no matter how tired, always tucked her into bed, reading her a book as she slipped into dream land. He was the man that took her and her older sister to the park on the weekends, buying them ice cream even when it was a little too chilly to enjoy the treat. He was the man that always surprised her with toys.

But that was before Woo Studios really took off. It seemed that the more successful the company became, the further he strayed from his image of Woo Sangmin, loving father of two to Woo Sangmin, founder and Chairman of Woo Studios, one of South Korea’s up and coming architecture firms. The more time he spent on the business, the more time Somin spent away from him. It was fine at first because she had Hye Min.

But then Hye Min decided that taking over the family company was not what she wanted, all that pressure was turned over to Somin. At the young age of 14, she had known that she would grow up to become an architect and work at the company.

“You may get the company, but don't forget who you really are. His illegitimate child. A mistake.”

Her stepmother never failed to remind her that.

One drunken night and one year later, Woo Sangmin was informed that he had another daughter - a two month old. While Gu Hyekyung allowed her husband to bring Somin into her home, she never allowed Somin to be part of her life.

“You were just a mistake. I took pity on you and your father. He may have given you a name, but never make the mistake of thinking that he will ever give the company to an illegitimate child of his.”

Hye Min did her best to help Somin whenever her mother started her usual attacks, but there was only so much she could do.

“When I make enough money, I’m going to get out of this place, and I’m going to bring you with me,” Hye Min said. She was only 19 at the time, Somin just shy of 14. “Seok Jin and I are going to go somewhere far away from Seoul, from all this nonsense, and you’re going to come with us,”

“I don’t think he wants to be stuck taking care of a young teenager,” Somin chuckled, her attention on her homework.

“Then, I’ll leave him. But I’m not leaving you here to deal with that woman,”

“She’s your mother, Unnie, you shouldn’t talk like that about her,” Somin sighed.

“So?” Hye Min raised an eyebrow. “You’re my sister, and I don’t let anyone talk like that to my sister. This is my promise to you, I’m going to make a new world, a new life for us that will be much better than this,”

“You broke your promise, Unnie,” Somin whispered to herself, eyes hardening as she turned away as she walked down to the first floor.

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“Do you even know what she looks like?” Junki asked his brother, a drink in one hand as he looked around.

“I’ve seen her a few times, but never had an official introduction. Chairman Woo and Father are supposed to do that before they make the announcement,” Yoongi replied, taking a sip of his champagne.

“Yoongi, Junki,” a deep voice spoke, causing the two brothers to turn around.

“Good evening, Chairman Woo,” Junki greeted as Yoongi bowed as well.

“I’m very sorry as to how this all played out,” the older man sighed, his eyes darting about.

“It is not your fault, I’m just glad that you and my father were able to work something out to save the alliance. After all, this merger will be great for both of your companies,”

“You are right,” Chairman Woo nodded. “I don’t see your father here?”

“He was dealing with a few issues in the office and then returning to the family home to get our mother, but he should be here shortly,” Yoongi spoke up.

“Very well,” the older man nodded. “Well, I don’t think his presence is important for this part as they have already met. Junki, Yoongi, follow me to my office, my daughter is waiting there for us,” he said, leading them through the crowd and towards the back of the house, pushing against a large wooden door, leading into a study. A large mahogany desk desk in the middle of the room where a young girl sat.

“Father,” Somin stood up, bowing at her father. “Good evening.” He nodded at her, taking a seat in the large swivel chair behind the desk.

“Somin,” her father began, “meet Min Yoongi, your fiance,”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Somin greeted him, turning her body to shake his hand.

“Pleasure to officially meet you, Ms. Woo,” he shook her hand.

“Please call me Somin. We are to be wedded soon, there’s no need for formalities,” she said, taking a seat in the chair. “While we are all gathered, we should decide on a date. No need to drag this out any longer. We need to minimize any damage that will be spread in the news once the reporters find out the real reason why the younger heirs are getting married,”

“Hyun Ki and I have already discussed it. The wedding is to take place three months from tonight, just like we originally planned. Yoongi and Somin, as we speak, your matrimonial home is nearly completed, you two will move in on the night of the wedding. You two are to be married on October 25th, and October 28th is the next shareholders meeting. Yoongi, that is the day that the companies will be officially merged and you will be voted at the next CEO,”

“You will never get the company,” Hyekyung’s words ran through Somin’s head. Both her and Yoongi were being forced into this marriage, but the difference was that he was being compensated for this.

Her stepmother was right.

She never had a chance of getting the company.

“I look forward to this business merger,” she said, turning her head to look at Yoongi.

“You two are getting married so don’t think of it as a business deal,” Sangmin said, standing up from his desk. “Junki, come with me and give these two some time to talk to each other. I’ll send for you when your parents arrive,” and with that, the two were alone in the study.

“If not a business deal, then what is this?” she muttered under her breath.

“I know that this isn’t ideal,” he started.

“It really isn’t. I know you are well aware of the exact situation leading to our marriage, and now I know why you aren’t so opposed to this marriage. I do not know about your father, but I know about mine - a divorce will never be possible between us. The only way we can survive the rest of our lives together is if we learn to live together, or if one of us fakes our death,” Somin cut him off. “I’ve been living my life doing anything that my father has asked of me, and this is one of those commands, so I’m telling it the way I see it. This isn’t a marriage, it’s a business deal,”

“I don’t like to think of my the rest of my life as a business deal,” Yoongi said, getting up for the door. “I’ll be sure to make you look good in the public eye and in front of our families, and I hope that you do the same for me. We will eventually need to produce an heir for them, but there are many ways to have a child these days. That’s something we can discuss at least a year into our marriage. I can’t promise that I can love you the way a husband loves his wife, but I can promise you that I will not make your life a living hell. Think of us being roommates rather than a couple,”

“Roommates?”

“Roommates,” he nodded. “Think of our marriage as an arrangement of us rather than a business deal. I think we’ll make an excellent pair, Woo Somin,”

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“Do you, Min Yoongi, take Woo Somin to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,”

“Do you, Woo Somin, take Min Yoongi to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Somin paused for a moment. This was the second time since she got engaged that she was seeing Yoongi, and it was their wedding. The last three months of her life consisted of her going to the office to work, planning the wedding, and then returning to her apartment. She had only lived there for a few years, but she felt great pain when she had to pack her belongings as there was already a new tenant ready to move in.

Somin never did anything for her life, and it led her to the very moment where she was about to marry a man who she could only match a name to.

Her decision to let her life be controlled led her here, and she couldn’t even blame anyone.

“I do,” she whispered, loud enough for the priest.

“By the power vested in me by the Republic of Korea, I pronounce you two, man and wife.”

Welcome to your new life, Woo - no. Min Somin.