CHAPTER 3

It was been three days since she decided to accept the marriage proposal. At first, her father was beyond angry for her to make the decision on her own but surrender at her mother’s persuasion, if not threat. He called him, whoever he was that offered it, and they arranged the family meeting to be on the next Friday.

On the fourth day, she finally found out the family she would be getting into. Not that her parents hid it before, they just avoided talking about the subject in details. First, they didn’t want Seungjin to know about the company condition. Second, the situation hurt a lot for her and both her parents, especially her father’s regret and pain at the thought of “selling” her.

She did little research after knowing the name of that so called friend of her father. Internet literally gave her many details, she didn’t want to know in the first place, but needed. Heo Gongshil was the person, owner of Daehan Group. The family was one of the most famous *chaebol in the country. Their business spread from hotels to apartment complexes, fancy restaurants, shopping centers and was said to involve in a bit of the country’s tourism line.

They had a quite respectable reputation for a conglomerate family. News portals only talked about the development of their business, no scandal detected. Three people were registered as the heir, two girls and one boy. But they were given the best protection from public, she couldn’t find any picture.

Even though she only read good things so far, it didn’t ease her heart. She could feel, there was something wicked she would find out later. And it was strange enough to have the idea. She obviously did not want the―association, but she was so sure the idea didn’t appear because of her unwillingness.

***

Another thing, she hadn’t talked to Sunggyu even a bit. She had been like a dodge ball in the past few days, always making excuse whenever he asked her out or just for a brief phone call. By this point, she was aware that Sunggyu had noted her act. He was just waiting patiently for her to be ready to tell him the problem, like always.

***

In the midst of the storm, there was one thing she had no doubt of. She must, needed to, tell her closest friends.

She called Gyuri, saying she had something to tell, and that girl summoned Seohyun to come along. So, there they were, inside a small café in Hongdae. Nicole was busy as an event was held on her restaurant, while Hara was overseas for a magazine shoot.

“What is it you want to talk about, Unnie?” Seohyun asked after they settled securely around a small round table. Gyuri was quietly sipping her chai latte.

She smiled down awkwardly, unsure of where to start.

“Unnie?” Seohyun urged.

“I’m getting married.”

There were two seconds of silence before Seohyun clapped both her hands together, ready to squeal in joy, but stopped mid-end. She sensed a mistake and glanced at Gyuri. She knew her inner feeling was right as she watched the older woman frowning with her arms crossed.

“And?”

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

“Tch.” Gyuri clucked her tongue. “Is that even a face of a girl who will be happily married? You can’t fool me. Just quickly tell us, what’s the problem?”

Seungyeon found her self laughing half-heartedly at Gyuri’s remark. When was the last time she laughed? Last week, Friday, right before the bad news broke out.

“Han Seungyeon!”

“Ahrasseo.” Seungyeon retorted, reaching and sipping her lime juice afterward, prolonging the time.

The left and right eyebrows of Seohyun had joined each other by the time. She was deathly curious. If she was in the right mood, Seungyeon would play around longer just to hear the young girl whined.

“There’s problem with father’s business. The choices are only two: we pay or they’ll sue.” She breathed. “In brief, father’s friend offered a hand, but I have to marry his son. So, yeah, I’m getting married.”

Seohyun’s eyes widened to a funny round shape. Gyuri was giving her ‘I can’t understand you’ look.

“We’re on dead end, Gyul. We don’t have any other choices and I’d rather die than seeing father―behind the bars.”

Gyuri was silenced by that, Seohyun too. They knew Seungyeon too well to argue about finding other solution. She was wise on her own way. She wouldn’t take that kind of decision if she had any other choice, they believed, nobody would.

“Has―Sunggyu Oppa knows about this, Unnie?”

Seungyeon shook her head, smiling faintly. The inside of her eyes turned darker.

“You have to. The sooner the better.”

Gyuri’s voice had turned really soft, the one she always used whenever she baby-ed them. She perceived that Seungyeon was silently begging them to understand.

“I know. I’m preparing.”

It was grievous, facing the family problem yet had to leave the one you love to be with someone you didn’t even know who. Words of comfort could directly go into the trash. The only thing they were sure they could do was to support her decision all the way and be there for her whenever she needed them.

Seohyun, always the optimistic one, reached for her hand.

“Cha, whatever happened, you still have to be the most beautiful bride in the world on your wedding, Unnie. Oh~I just wish this person you’re marrying isn’t some evil-old man. Please, God, please. Tell us tell us, what kind of person is he?”

It made Seungyeon smile at how innocent and positive that girl could be.

And come to think about it, she had never really thought about him. What kind of person he would be?

***

Things with life was when you were waiting for something you hated the most, it would pass by like second. You didn’t want it to happen yet the time was having their joy torturing you to face the reality. It had to be, no matter what.

She was given one week time to prepare her self for the first meeting with Heo family. She thought she would die of anxiety and nervousness in the process of waiting, but no. She was still alive, with the same fear, yet the time passed by too fast she hadn’t even succeeded gathering her guts to talk to Sunggyu.

Heaven could punish her later.

She woke up in the morning feeling suffocated. It was the day. How her life turned out to be like that she didn’t understand. She had been crying for nights in her solitude, loathing those bad people who did harms to her family, her own self for letting the small details slipping through her fingers, even God. Again and again, she did it over times until she lost excuses and tired even just for thinking to blame things around.

That was the reality. And she wouldn’t run away. She would walk into it and get out as the winner. It was the value her father had planted on the entire family since she was young.

Going through the morning routine felt much harder than usual. People could presume she was taking time to look pretty, while in fact, she was stopped and drowned in the surface of the mind from time to time. She didn’t even care what she wore; Yang Ahjumma had helped her preparing everything.

When she finally went down to meet her parents, she could see the tears swelling in her mother’s eyes while her father kept his expression stern. It was the same look he always had whenever he was holding in negative emotions.

She inhaled.

They walked to the car and spent the ride in silence.

The destined restaurant was one of the best in Seoul and belonged to the Daehan group, Heo family’s company. It was a really fancy one, serving Korean and Western foods in the same place as it was ultimately targeted for foreign tourists also domestic. Customers could freely choose whether to eat on the first floor with Western interior design, the second floor where tables were arranged according to the customary Korean restaurant or dining on the large garden behind.

Heo Gongshil chose the second floor in consideration of Han Jaeho―Seungyeon’s father―who wasn’t that fond of Western cuisine. They got the information, as soon as they arrived, from the family assistant who introduced his self as Secretary Choi and was assigned to wait and them inside, telling that his employers had been waiting for them. It gave her the impression that he must be a quite close friend of her father to know the fact.

They were brought across to the VIP room that was well-designed for people who wanted to get privacy over their time in the restaurant. Behind the sliding door was a middle size room, with a short-big table filled with Korean dishes. There was a big wall window that led to the view of the garden. And among it all, three pair of eyes were welcoming them.

“Han Sajang! Or should I start calling you In-law Han?” A middle-aged man whom she was sure was Heo Gongshil smiled widely upon seeing them. He stood up to exchange hug with Seungyeon’s father, followed by his wife and son who bowed righteously. Seungyeon soon followed her mother, bowing politely in return, not daring to look at their faces directly.

“How was the ride? Was it difficult to find this place?” Heo Gongshil asked in courtesy as they proceed to sit.

“No. It was fine.”

Seungyeon cringed at the way her father spoke. There was the feeling of inferiority emitted from his tone, and she didn’t like it. Her father was not the kind of man who should feel low in front of others.

“Abeoji~”

The painful shot she felt made her utter the word without her consent and suddenly everyone’s attentions were on her.

Heo Gongshil laughed wholeheartedly.

“Our Young Lady, Seungyeon.” He said. “How have you been? It’s been a while.”

Seungyeon frowned at his remark, but replied nonetheless. “Ah, n-ne.”

‘It’s been a while?’ She thought. Have they ever met before? She didn’t think so.

“Youngsaeng, Son, what are you doing being all quiet? Won’t you give greetings to your in-law and fiancée?”

Now that he mentioned it, Seungyeon remembered to look at the person across her. The moment she turned to him, their eyes met and a warm smile spread on his lips.

What is it happening?

Actually, when she said that she accepted the marriage proposal, she was still having her last hope for it not to be happened. Young people in this generation would never agree to such agreement, forced marriage. No one would be willing to do that. So, she was sure that her husband-to-be would make a fuss over it and the unison was never going to be real.

But there he was, bowing deep to both her parents with genuine smile plastered on his white face.

“Annyeonghashimnikka, Omonim, Abeonim. I’m sorry it took me so long to greet you again.”

‘Again?’

What kind of scenario is this family playing right now?

The continued with small talk exchanged between the parents after that. She didn’t say much, silently observing her surrounding. When the food served, she came to a conclusion that her soon-to-be-mother-in-law, Heo Gongshil’s wife, disliked her. But who was she to ask much. She came to the family for money anyway, whatever the real reason was to save her family or anything.

Desserts and tea came after they finished the whole Korean dish. Still, she sipped silently, listening to both fathers talking about their country’s economic and political situation. At times, she could feel Youngsaeng’s stare on her, but ignored it. She was not interested to know more. It could be done later. They were going to marry, anyway.

However, Youngsaeng didn’t think so. Halfway through the desserts, he suddenly asked the parents’ consent to take a walk with her on the garden behind.

“It’s been a while, I want to enjoy some time with Seungyeon.” He said, and Seungyeon frowned again at the remark.

When did exactly I meet these people?

Her father sent her a concern look. She nodded slightly to ease them and followed him outside where he waited while stepped into his shoes. When she finished wearing hers, he unceremoniously grabbed her hand, making her startled.

“Let’s go.”

They walked down through the wooden stairs in silence. Things were raging inside her mind, demanding to be explained and answered.

He could feel her hands wriggling inside his as they reached the garden.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, leading her across the green grass. In the end of it, there was actually a small hedge maze with a beautiful water fountain as the center.

“What, what?” She asked back, not getting his question.

“You look troubled. Why? Is it uncomfortable meeting each other after a long time?”

He looked at her tenderly, his free hand reaching the hair on her forehead.

The action the fire inside her. She wanted to snap at him and tell him to stop playing around and just got directly to the point. She was all ready for that, but his next words stopped her.

“Actually, it’s a bit uncomfortable for me too.” He started, smiling faintly this time. “To tell you the truth, I had a hard time recovering and it’s really a shame how I can’t remember you and our memories together.”

Seungyeon couldn’t help but gripping hard at his hand that holding hers.

What is it again? Recovering? Remembering? Memories together?

“I’m really sorry, Seungyeon. I feel guilty for being this kind of person, for hurting you. Now, that we will be together again, I promise I will do better. I will pay for all the lost time and pain you’ve gone through after the car accident.”

She felt like someone just shot her right in the head.

Car accident? Is he…

“I will try my best to remember you. Or even if I can’t, we can just make new memories together, right?”

Youngsaeng closed his speech with pulling her into a hug and landed a kiss on her forehead.

Seungyeon freeze on her spot, not knowing what to do or say.

What kind of mess she just got her self into?

********************************************************************************************

A/N:

Finally done writing Chapter 3 after drowning in my writer's block. I feel like flying woosh. I want to finish this story fast, but wanting and doing are totally different T_T

Lots of idea has been swirling inside my mind yet it's hard to bring myself to write it huks.

I hope you enjoy this update. Don't forget to leave your opinion on this. Thank you! ^^

PS: *chaebol = conglomerate