CHAPTER 5

She thought that she had already had a handful of unexpected things so far nothing could surprise her anymore. Proven she was wrong.

When she went down for breakfast that morning, she was welcomed by a peculiar view in front of her eyes. There were her parents looking awkward and tensed, her little brother with his amused face and Heo Youngsaeng, all smiling and seemed at home.

“What are you doing here?” The question slipped out of right away.

He frowned, staring at her confusedly. “Is it the first time I do this? I mean, I never visited your house before?”

Damn. She was forgetting that he was amnesiac and to add with it, he was having some false believe about their relationship.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, “No, I-what I mean it’s still early in the morning. So…”

Youngsaeng was back smiling again at her explanation, swallowing her lie in the way she wanted it to be.

“Ah, I just want to have breakfast together with you, Abeonim, Omonim, and Seungjin here. I totally forgot him. I can’t remember that you have a brother. Well, I actually forgot everyone though.” He laughed merrily.

Seungyeon was mentally rolling her eyes inside. What would you remember anyway when you didn’t even know us in the first place.

She proceeded to sit across him, praised the Lord Seungjin already took the place beside him. They went on eating with him saying, “Please don’t mind me, just carry on comfortably.” Guessed he could sense the uncomfortable aura around her parents.

He insisted on bringing her to work and to pick her up also. She rejected it, at first. Just, if he didn’t explain the following.

“They told me that we need to buy our engagement rings today and do the fitting for your dress and my suit. I wanted to tell you in the first place, but it seems like your contact is accidentally missing from my phone, and you know, I haven’t recovered yet I can’t remember it.”

There was a pregnant pause, and then he said, “I’m sorry. I’ll take the treatment more diligently.”

It made her guilty that he appeared to be someone really kind. She wasn’t sure of his feeling but he must had believe that they really loved each other before. While in fact, he was just a toy she and his father used to fulfill their own goal.

***

His driving license was suspended for one year after the accident. A driver accompanied him everywhere he wanted to go for the time being. He told her that he would drive her later after their marriage, when he got his license back.

She only smiled.

“Tell me more about your self.” He had spoke, one hand holding hers all the way to her office.

She answered bitterly. “Why don’t you just pay someone to search on me? Isn’t it easier that way? You’ll get plenty in a short time.”

And you’ll get to know the truth about everything.

He inhaled, clutching her fingers tighter.

“I wanted to do that. Well, people in our circle do that often, you know.” He stopped halfway.

Then?

“But it’s rude. I don’t want to invade your private life without you knowing. I want you to share things you want to and keep the things you aren’t ready to share. I’ll wait until the time you have your full trust back on me so you’ll tell me whatever it is.”

And he pecked her forehead.

Couldn’t someone save her and that clueless guy?

***

They went to the boutique his mother had assigned to do fitting for their engagement outfit. Heo’s family trusted person, Secretary Yoo, assisted them along the process.

She was given five dresses that were selected by his mother and asked to choose one. Each of it had different color and style. She picked a soft peach colored one that ended up right below her knee. It was a really simple and chic one. It matched her wish to not appear as some glamorous girl. She didn’t plan to attract much attention anyway.

His part was easier since the mother already decided one for him. All he needed to do was to try whether the size was perfect or not.

As they moved on to the next destination, which was the jewelry shop, she thought that all this they were doing were meaningless. The boutiques, dresses, his suit, and even the jewelry shop were selected thoroughly by his mother. What were they doing? She knew their engagement and marriage were no less than a fake one but if his mother was going to set everything up to their rich family standard, then why they even needed to do this?

Formality, some act to put on.

***

Her suspicion was right. The next morning she found their picture,―the one that was taken when they stood side by side choosing the engagement ring―in the front page of daily newspaper. The headline written was ‘Heo Youngsaeng of Daehan Group to Tie the Knot’.

Streams of phone call came to their house, her father and mother’s cell phone as her name and little of her background were mentioned in the news. Her own phone beeped several times, showing names of her old friend, even the ones who weren’t that close to her. She didn’t even bothered to pick any of it up and tossed the small device inside her bag.

Her office building was bombarded too. Reporters camped outside of it when she arrived, it was really a relief they had underground parking lot, she could safely reached her floor. She told her secretary to reject all non-work related phone calls. They needed to focus on finishing their projects since they had received the “donation” from Heo Gongshil.

Around lunch time, four men dressed in black suits appeared in her office.

“Annyeonghasimnikka, Han Seungyeon Agasshi. Youngsaeng Deoryeonnim sent us over.” One of them said. “He is very worried since you didn’t pick up his calls. The press won’t back down any time soon, so we will be protecting you from now on.”

What was this again? It had only been a few days and she already found her self in that mess.

They leaved outside after answering to her several questions. She immediately reached her handbag and dug for the cell phone. They had exchanged their numbers yesterday and she found there were five missed calls from him.

His call came in the same time when she was about to call him back. She picked it up and had wanted to spit words at him but his worried and concern question cut her off.

“Are you okay? Did the press do something to you?”

She messaged her temple.

God, it will be a lot easier if he’s some jerk or heartless bastard.

Inhaling deeply, she gave the answer that calmed him. “Nothing happened, they couldn’t even catch a glimpse of me.”

She heard his sigh of relief. “Thank God. Have the bodyguards arrive?”

“Yes, and…”

For the next minutes they went on arguing about why she needed bodyguards. She thought it was really unnecessary. She could completely take care of her own self. He said he only wanted to ensure her safety. He didn’t want anything happened to her even just a slight brush because the press could go all brutal to get the news.

Again, she surrendered at his argument.

Maybe because she felt guilty for “using” him she became weak every time he reasoned his action. Maybe that was her punishment for deceiving him.

The phone call ended up with a promise to spend the day together on the weekend. She couldn’t refuse him at all, strangely. 

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A/N:

Short update. I'm in the mood of writing, and coincidentally it's hard to sleep at night lately, so I spent the time writing.