Chapter One

Mina Kim, 17 years old and just graduated from her 12th year, graduated a year early since she had the right smarts to skip a grade. She was currently working in a bakery shop due to her insufficient funds to actually go to college. For the time being she was working at the bakery to save up until she was able to enroll in the college. She was a smart girl but her school only gave scholarships out to the kids who gave funds to the school, mostly from the rich kids that walk around the school with their noses high and seeming like they’re better than everyone else.

She was also working due to the fact that she had to take care of her little brother, Jun-min, since her mother is always away trying to make money to support the family, she was never home. And so, due to the fact that Mina was the older sister she stepped into the shoes of being his mother. He was her heart and soul and she cared about him immensely, there was no one that she loved more than her younger brother, because he was just so important to her. Although Mina had thought she was going to be working all through the summer for her funds for college, her mother seemed to have other plans for her.

When she arrived home one day her mother was home sitting at the table, her eyes b with tears and her hands clasped together. The room’s atmosphere suddenly turned grave as she walked closer to her mother, this was unusual. Then she saw the piece of paper that had her mother’s smoothe signature over the dotted line.

A marriage contract.

Her mother quickly explained to her that this had to be done since it was the only way she was able to pay back the debts that her father had left behind when he ran away with the women who ruined their happy family. Her mother’s whole body shook as she sobbed, knowing that this was wrong but it was the only way she was able to pay for the debt without becoming completely homeless.

Mina was in complete shock as she took in the information that her mother just passed onto her. This was not real, this could not be happening. But when Mina looked into her mother’s eyes she understood that this was the only way. She silently agreed as she went upstairs to take a shower before she was able to have a thorough conversation with her mother.

After her shower Mina calmly sat down as her mother began to pour her a cup of tea, it was green tea, her favorite. Taking a small sip she looked up to her mother, opened but no words flowed out.