“Come Jessica,”

“Nooo, I don’t want to,” Jessica was pulled out of her room by her grandmother. For days Jessica stayed in her room protesting her thoughts about this marriage with Donghae. Every day, morning, lunch, afternoon, either one of Jessica’s parents would enter her room to convince her to say yes. After Jessica’s emphasizes once again that she has no fascination to marry her childhood friend, her parents would hand her meal and leave the room totally sadden by the fact they have failed to convince their daughter again.

A few days late and grandma Jung is sick of her granddaughters negative attitude. She sincerely wanted to help the Lee’s and wants Jessica’s cooperation. She yelled, argued, cursed and tried to escape her grandmother’s hard grip but the old lady continue to hold on to the young girl. “Where are you taking me,” the respect was gone along with the formality of speaking to an elder. Jessica didn’t want to face anyone, she wanted to continue to protest about this issue in her room. “Look,” grandma Jung pointed still holding onto her granddaughter’s wrist just in case she escapes.

The two were standing from the second floor reflecting at the view of the mansion they were blessed to live in. Suddenly, a tall boy dressed in a dirty white singlet and shorts walked into the sight of the two wealthy relatives from above. He took the towel on his shoulder and kneeled to the ground. Jessica could see the boy was exhausted but still continued to work as he stared wiping the floor with the towel. “Can you see this?” Jessica followed where her grandmother was pointing at. “I have no words, just look.”

Jessica continued to watch the muscular guy clean the 1st floor, flooring with a simply run down rug. She felt sorry for him, but still she couldn’t accept marriage. "Do it for Donghae, I know you care for Donghae, look at him. If you care about him as you claim you once did then look at him" Jessica continued to watch Donghae who was on his knees scrubbing the floor. He looked tiresome as sweat dribble down his forehand, he looked somewhat tired but still he continued to scrub the floor clean knowing it’s his responsible to get this job done.

"Have a heart and note that Donghae's parents don't have money to send him to college and you know Donghae's amazing talents in design and engineering. If you marry him, his life will be much better than it is here in Korea. Jessica, if you don't help out, he's going to be scrubbing floors his whole life and his talents will go to waste. So please help him out, you don't have to fall in love with him, you just need to pretend you do" Jessica's grandmother advice. Jessica sighed and did not say anything, what is she supposed to do? She wanted to help Donghae as he is her childhood friend at the same time she doesn't want to marry someone. It’s illegal to marry someone for citizenship, and Jessica is scared to lie to immigration that she is in love with someone she doesn't love. “Jessica, it’s only for a year.”

---

She heard familiar footsteps by her door, it’s funny how all these years she can still recognise the sound of Donghae’s footsteps. “Oppa,” Jessica called out by her door, she didn’t bother opening it but simply sat by the door to see if Donghae will answer back. “Yes?” Jessica heard a reply.

“What’s you dream?”

From the outside Donghae was confused, he knew that this was Jessica’s room, he knew that Jessica was still protesting. So he was confused as to why Jessica would even speak to him. He stood by the door anyway and question the girl behind the door instead, “Why are you asking?”

“Just tell me,” Jessica said so faintly, in almost a mute sound that Donghae couldn’t hear. He decided to sit down by the door leaning his head by the door and spreading his legs onto the hallway. “I want to be architecture,” Donghae answered with a sigh knowing it will never happen. It took for a while for Jessica to answer as she was too far in thought. “Oppa,” Jessica released a sigh and leaned her head on the door with her legs spread out. “Yes?” Donghae answered.

“I’m sorry,” Jessica felt the urge to say, “I’m sorry for being so selfish, I know marrying you will get you to your dream and I. I am the one stopping you from it.” Donghae could hear Jessica’s voice croak meaning she is crying or close to it. He hated seeing her cry, he hated it when she was sad. “Jessica, I understand,” Donghae knew how sincere his friend was, he knew how sorry she is and for days Donghae has accepted that the girl won’t marry him by force.

“No,” Jessica wiped her tears with her palm. She was disappointed in herself for acting such a brat, especially to someone who was nothing but a great help to her. “Oppa, you have nothing but been great to me all these years, so I want to return the favour, I want to give you your dreams. Oppa I am willing to marry you.” There it was, she accepted it using her own words, her own will, finally she has accepted to marry her childhood friend. “No,” Donghae knew she didn’t want it, and how she was doing it only because she felt sorry for him. “You don’t have to, there can be other ways.”

“Like what? No offence oppa but you’ll fail the scholarship test because of your limited skills in English, you can work all you want but it won’t be enough to buy you plane ticket. Marriage is the only way, so I will marry you. Will do a proper marriage ceremony under church so it can seem realistic, will meet with the immigration, will move in together. You can go to school with me and within a year we can get a divorce and go our separate ways,” Jessica planned. It sounded inviting and sure as hell will change Donghae’s life but in his heart he knew it was a process Jessica didn’t want to go through. But for him, he was willing to, anything to get him and his parents out of this unprivileged life.

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“Donghae!” an ecstatic girlfriend wrapped her arms around her boyfr