The ancient clock on the wall kept of ticking mercilessly.

Yoona's eyes strayed to it fleetingly before she looked back at the still closed main door.

That spark of life in his eyes. The spark that his late grandmother told her about.

The spark that she had expected that Yoona would be the one to bring it in her grandson's eyes. At least half-heartedly expected it

I was not the reason for that even for a second.

It might have been a happy occasion when Yoona had seen those lifeless dark brown eyes filled with warmth as he hastily left his bedroom and out of the now closed main door at half past 10 at night, not even sparing her a glance.

But I knew what that change meant.

Dread had pooled at the bottom of her stomach.

Sandara woke up, didn't she? After 3 long years.

Yoona knew this would happen. But she hoped. She couldn't stop the traitorous feeling of hope bubbling up as days passed by.

Hoping that Jaejoong would look at me. See me. Feel something for me.

__________________________________________


As any woman would be, Yoona was elated when the news came from her dad that she would be marrying the heir of the Kim corporation.

Kim Jaejoong. Rich. Handsome.

But Yoona heard the noises.

He would leave me as soon as she blinked her eyes open.

I will never be able to take her place.

Yoona couldn't help but hope that the other women were just jealous of her. That it wasn't true.

It was a lost battle to begin with.

The first meeting with the Kim family had left her feeling anything but elated. Her fairytale imagination in a dump.

His late grandmother's eyes had been friendly. Welcoming. But the warmth stopped there.

The cold eyes of the matriarch and the patriarch.

The disdainful eyes of her soon-to-be-husband.

She should have expected it.

She wasn't born into their world. An adoptive daughter of the Im family.

Yoona thought that's where it ended. Prejudices.

She could change that with time. Prove them wrong.

If only that was all it was.

The wedding was business. A sign on the paper, deal done.

Till now Jaejoong hasn't even directed a smile at her let alone kiss her.

But the hope was there.


"Who is she, hyungnim ?" Mockery was evident in the tone.

Yoona stopped on her track towards the balcony and turned back to sofas in the living room where the male voice came from.

Almost immediately she looked down at her feet when she met a pair of scornful eyes on an unknown face.

"An acquaintance, Seungyoon." Yoona's heart gave a painful thumping beat.

The question from the other man came almost immediately, "have you started giving rings to acquaintances now that my noona is in coma?"

Yoona discreetly looked up at Jaejoong, who glared at the younger man before gritting out, "you know what I mean."

A scoff came from the man, "of course Jaejoong hyung. But if i sense one wrong move..."

Jaejoong closed his eyes and released a deep sigh before opening them again to meet the other man's. "I'll wait for Sandara no matter how long she takes to come back to me, Seungyoon. I can be very patient when it comes to your noona. She's not getting rid of me that easily."

Yoona quietly left the room.

Things could change before Sandara wakes up.

Yoona still hoped.


It wasn't until the departure of the ancient woman in the Kim family that she got to know about the whole thing.

From the matriarch herself. Her mother-in-law.

"This shamble of a marriage was just for the property, girl. Don't start dreaming."

The words. Harsh. Cruel. Was delivered by Kim Hyori in the living room of the main house right after the funeral.

Kim Byunghoon looked on from the sofa. Nonchalant eyes and posture.

"My dearest mother-in-law wouldn't have written it on my son's name if he didn't get married."

"Marrying you had been the easiest solution for my son. An adoptive daughter. No one will frown when they hear about the divorce."

The last word had made Yoona look up in surprise.

Horrified eyes met cruel, scornful ones.

"Did you think this will last? Jaejoong will give you the papers soon. Sign it at the earliest."

Two days later, Jaejoong dropped the papers in her room.

"Sign it by tomorrow and get out."

Yoona spoke up before he could leave, "b-but where will I go? I can't go back to the Im mansion. My mother-"

"Dont give me a sob story. You're getting some of my assets. There's a flat in there. I couldn't care less what you do with it. Sign it and hand it over to me tomorrow."

It wasn't signed by her neither was it given to him tomorrow.

Because about 7 months from then Yoona didn't see him around the house.

She read and re-read the papers. Found a job at the supermarket even if the agreement gave her more than enough to fend her whole life