Chaerin followed behind Minzy in shock, "Y-yah! so it's true?" Minzy just sighed and headed up to her room, she threw herself on her bed thinking of a plan to somehow get out of this. "Chaerin what if i ran away? Maybe my parents will go crazy looking for me and realize that their daughter should live a normal life like being able to choose who she wants to marry." Chaerin on accident laughed out loud and felt Minzy glare at her back as she was picking out Minzy's outfit for the night "I mean Minzy... you know your parents" she smiled apologetically at minzy. “I just…” Minzy just sighed as a sign of giving up.

She laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling letting time pass by she felt maids tug at her to get up and get ready. “Minzy-ah!” Chaerin yelled at her. Minzy looked up at her confused “Why aren’t you ready yet? I left all your stuff ready” she pointed towards to her outfit and the makeup on her bed next to her that she selected “Chaerin… I don’t want to do this” she pleaded as if she had the power to pull her out of this mess but Minzy knew deep down that no one could pull her out of this. She gave up and ended up getting ready.

She looked at herself in the mirror before heading out to the car waiting outside her house. She hopped in and she headed to the hall, during this time she felt so alone. Chaerin wouldn’t be there with her to offer moral support it was in this moment minzy realized how Chaerin was just a friend who couldn’t be there in situations that she needed her the most. She knew she depended on Chaerin too much because Chaerin offered a different lifestyle that Minzy was able to escape from her horrible reality. It hurt Minzy so much now more than ever because it was just going to sink in more her reality.

She arrived at the hall and before getting off she was handed a tiny square box by the driver. She looked up at the driver “your dad ordered you to wear this” he said not looking at her. Minzy had gotten closed with all her workers so she knew they didn’t want her to be given off this way but even they knew they were from two different worlds. She opened the box and looked at the big diamond ring it was huge and noticeable so every news outlet waiting outside could see it. She put it on her ring finger, sighed one last time, knocked on the window for the worker outside to open the door and put on a show. She walked out with a big grin waving at the cameras with her left hand to give them the show her parents wanted. She could hear the reporters admiring her look for the night and then the first reporter to see the ring exclaimed “are you getting married?” And all the reporters swarmed at her with security quickly getting into work to protect her and rush her in quickly.

Inside the party was packed by lots of rich business people and celebrities. She introduced herself to several people before finding her parents talking to some people she didn’t recognize. She headed to them and introduced herself “Minzy!” Her dad hugged her and kissed her as a show of affection “Hi appa!” She smiled sweetly “Hello gong minzy” the couple hugged her, minzy eyes widen in surprise. “Minzy these are your future in laws” her mom said delightly “I….” minzy was at loss of words “you are so beautiful… just perfect for my son” her future mother in law said patting her cheeks, minzy just smiled confused. She looked towards her parents with a confused face “ah! I’m sorry minzy isn’t up to date with all the details. Minzy these are the famous Lee’s you will be marrying their son lee Taemin” her dad said. Minzy tried to remember if that name sounded familiar before a light bulb lit up! “Ahhh! The lee one of the top 3 families in South Korea” minzy replied with all of them nodding. “Now

Minzy we are going to reveal the news” her mom said as she grabbed a glass of champagne and tapped it with a silver spoon “Excuse me everyone….: Excuse me” she said as the musicians playing classical music stopped and everyone turned to look at them who were standing in front.

Minzy felt her heart pound harder and became a little dizzy with all the lights facing them and all the eyes staring right at them. She felt as if everyone could hear her blood rush rapidly and her heart pound faster. Mrs. lee grabbed Minzy hand as a sign of acceptance to the crowd. “I would like to congratulate my daughter and Lee Taemin for their engagement unfortunately he couldn’t be here because of his studies. But we would like to celebrate with all of you the happy news that they will be getting married once lee Taemin graduates from school which will be in 2 years if everything runs smoothly in the meantime the family will dedicate all the time for preparations for the perfect wedding” Mr. gong said as everyone broke into a applause. Minzy smiled fakely and hugged her in laws as a show, throughout the rest of the night she thanked all the people who approached her to congratulate her. In a way she felt much better that the wedding wouldn’t be so quick.

Once the party was over Minzy headed back home with her parents without a word being said. When she arrived home she quickly got off and stormed into her room locking it wanting to be alone. She took off the ring and threw it across the room screaming “I didn’t choose this life”. Now she understood that being as wealthy and successful as her family everything came for a price but minzy didn’t want to be that she wanted to be a normal girl who people wanted to be friends with and close to for the real her not the minzy they see in magazines or tv with fancy clothes. She was being given to a complete stranger who she had no idea what he looked like or anything about him for all she knew he was a creep who was the total opposite of her. It scared her to be married off with no hint of what he looked like or anything, she got an idea and went on the internet to look for information regarding ‘lee Taemin’ but no information was available he was not in the public eye other than his family's surname.

The next morning, Chaerin opened the door she was the only one who had the key to her room and laid next to minzy. Minzy feeling the bed shift opened her eyes before hugging Chaerin annoyingly “Minzy-ah stop… Omgosh you have drool! Stop!” Chaerin tried to fight back and ended up falling off the bed which made minzy burst into laughter. Minzy went into detail on how everything happened and explained her worries, Chaerin as a friend tried to bring her hopes up. Minzy got up picked up the ring where she saw it was at when she threw it last night and put it on going through her day.

For the rest of three years minzy tried to live a normal life before marriage, the thought was always on the back of her mind but tried to push it away. Taemin as reported ended up taking an extra year to graduate instead of two so all the preparations were shifted to an extra year which minzy did not mind one bit. She hoped that somehow it would get canceled, however, when the invitations were officially made and sent out minzy knew that it was all a reality. She saw the invitation and her heart dropped a simple wedding invitation in ivory. For the next months she was ordered to pick a wedding dress from the designers that had sent one for her already fitted and all since they knew her size that her mother had sent to them.

Minzy If tried to remember the process she wouldn’t be able to. She was in a daze she had no memory of what wedding dress she ended up choosing or what makeup look or hairstyle, and to be quite honest Chaerin probably did all that herself. One morning minzy was called to go downstairs to the family room, Minzy paid no attention and was joking around with Chaerin laughing around jumping on her till they got to the family room. Chaerin quickly got minzy off her and bowed and excused herself, Minzy blinked confused before noticing the presence of three figures. She bowed and let out a light gasp as she saw it the was lee family, the third figure was a young man who looked around her age with dark black hair, pale skin, thin but had a sculpted body as if he worked out. “Minzy this is lee Taemin… lee Taemin this is Minzy” minzy mother said, he just nodded not even batting a eye at her. Minzy was so offended “W-wha- what a jerk” minzy thought to herself and at that moment he looked at her as if he heard her thought and her eyes widen “k-kai?” Her mind quickly thought “he looks so much like him” she thought before looking away her heart raced wincing at herself for remembering that face and that name. “I know you guys don’t know each other but put on show as if you guys had been in love since years ago” Taemin nodded in agreement to what his mother had just said “wow! What a loyal dog” she thought rolling her eyes annoyed by his presence.

They were ordered to do a couple photo shoot the next day for the media. They were going to do it with a famous photographer who Minzy was really close to which made her feel slightly better that she wouldn’t be completely alone with strangers. She headed to the spot and when she arrived she saw lee Taemin was already there she didn’t bother with introductions or anything and headed straight to her room where she got ready. She put on a white simple long strapless dress with her hair done up with some curls hanging on the side of her face and a simple makeup look to keep everything natural. Once she was done she was told everyone was waiting for her. She headed out where she saw Taemin in a black tux with his hair nicely done, she couldn’t lie that he definitely was handsome. They made eye contact and she froze staring at him and it came to a realization she was afraid of him. She was afraid because even if he was handsome he is a stranger, because with this stranger she had to live with now in a random home all for the media to continue to become richer with their union of marriage. She looked away and smiled at Kwon Jiyong she ran up to him and hugged him “oppa!” He laughed and hugged her back “congratulations minzy-ah!!!” She pouted “if oppa was richer and more famous I could have got married to you” she teased “minzy-ah!! Yah! You my little sister” she laughed nodding “don’t talk like that in front of your finance” he scolded which she just responded by smiling innocently. She thought to herself “kwon jiyong is way more handsome than that jerk” of course Minzy would never date him she saw him way too much as a brother than anything else.

“Alright everyone we going to start soon!” Kwon jiyong screamed at his crew. Minzy and Taemin headed to the center standing awkwardly around each other and everyone stared at them confused “you guys are getting married! Get closer! This is too painful to watch” jiyong said as everyone agreed. Minzy sighed looking down in embarrassment she didn’t know what to do then she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her closer which minzy looked up at Taemin in surprise and then the camera began to flash “cool! Perfect! You guys do you and I’ll take pictures of this beautiful couple!” Jiyong said. She looked towards the camera and smiled, Taemin and her synced up perfectly with the posing. She knew all of this was a fake act but in this moment they worked as a team in posing as the perfect couple, they even did cute photos and once all of that was finished they went back to as if nothing, with him going to his room to change. Minzy undressed and headed home. The next morning her phone was buzzing like crazy with messages congratulating her as the photos have been revealed, she looked at them surprised at how nice they turned out and how they actually looked like a couple when they were far from that.

Minzy was ordered to attend Taemin graduation ceremony, she convinced Chaerin to go with her. At the ceremony it was a lot of people staring at her and her not knowing what to do. As the ceremony ended she headed to go to the car but Chaerin stopped her “minzy-ah just go over there and congratulate him!” She said throwing a gift basket into her arms and pointing at Taemin direction “Chaerin..” she was going to protest but she had walked away when she looked towards Taemin she saw him and his group of friends staring at her. She walked towards him smiling and bowing to the group “congratulations” minzy said lightly and shyly “I’m minzy… taemin’s…” she didn’t get to finish before getting interrupted by a girl “oppa! We should have a party at your house!” She said all close to him. Minzy could see that they had something going on “naeun is right!” Said a guy she recognized as key since he was also from a prestigious family. Minzy stepped back when a girl talked to her “hi minzy right…. I’m bom” smiling brightly at her, minzy smiled back “nice to meet you” minzy said shyly she had never felt so out of place as today, “excuse their rudeness they are all like that naturally don’t take it the wrong way” she said bringing her into the group “guys we should leave the couple alone!” Bom said yanking off naeun from Taemins arm “be nice to her! It’s not her fault!” Bom whispered at him but minzy was able to hear. When they all left they stood there awkwardly both looking past each other’s shoulders. “I-“ for the first time minzy actually tried speaking to him but he cut her off “I know you were ordered to be here for the cameras” he said coldly taking the basket from her hands and looking away. Minzy sighed and got upset with herself for how often she sighs these days she rolled her eyes frustrated and looked up to him to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed he was staring at something or to be accurate at someone. She looked at what he was staring at and it was at the girl naeun and the way he looked at her was so different she instantly recognized it cause she longed that way for kai when she was younger “he loves her” she thought to herself finally understanding why he was so cold to her and how hard it must be on him. She felt pity for him and knew the longer she stood there the longer he wished he was with her right now “I’ll get going” she said and walked away quickly to the car where Chaerin was waiting for her.

“How did it go?” She asked “I think I should stay away from him till the wedding” minzy replied “why?” Chaerin looked at her and followed minzy’s gaze who was looking at Taemin and naeun “he loves that girl and I should let them have their last moments happy together” minzy smiled “I envy them for having a mutual feeling like that” she said painfully remembering her first love. A first love she doesn’t speak to anyone about because it has left a scar in her heart that continues to open up when she is reminded of him. She wishes one day to be able to delete him from her mind as if he never existed. He was the cruelest first love who has left her afraid of love.