Chapter 4

                Hyosung opens her eyes, the bed side clock shows 5:23 am.  She looks around her room to find herself in the same situation she has been for the last few months.  The young heiress gets out of bed and heads to the door.  Gently placing her ear to the wooden door, she tries to hear any noise that may come from the other side.  She hears nothing.

                She decides to turn the knob slowly but the door does not open.  It is locked of course.  She turns her head toward the large white drawer on the opposite wall.  In a speedy yet silent march she heads to it.  Opening the bottom right drawer she removes her underwear and grabs the screw driver that had been hiding there for several days.

                With the screwdriver in hand, she heads back to the door.  Very carefully, she places her tool against a small screw head that attaches the door knob in place.  With a bit of force, she turns it to the left to loosen it.  She does this to both screws and removes them.  She then removes the entire door knob and places it on the floor.  Using the screwdriver once again, she fondles with the rest of the contraption until the rest of the parts are removed. 

                A small push is all it takes for the door to open.  She peeks out to observe.  The hallway is quiet and still dark.  Hyosung heads back to the middle of her room and reaches under her bed.  She pulls out a backpack containing some clothes, jewelry, and a bit of cash.  She’s had that packed for months but never had the opportunity to actually escape her prison. 

                With her pajamas still on, flat shoes on her feet, and a packed bag on her back, she heads into the dim hallway.  She felt confident that this would be the day she would see the outside world.  She had been locked in her room for over two months.  Ever since Doojoon found her kissing Lee Kikwang, her parents had kept her locked away.  She felt like she had been living a dark fairy tale with her looked in the tower with guards surrounding it.

                On this day, she would make an escape.  A maid had snuck in a screwdriver one morning with the breakfast tray.  Today was trash day and it is the maid’s job to take out the large canister to the curb before six o’clock, the hour it gets picked up.  The maid had promised to leave the back door unlocked as well as the front gates.  The only trouble she may encounter was the night guard.  He takes several walks around the house making sure all is locked and safe.

                The morning light enter through windows of the house.  Hyosung is able to distinguish the various hallways throughout the mansion.  She takes a hallway that heads to the east wing.  The she finds a spiral stairway used by only the maids.  Once on the bottom floor, she heads to the maids’ residence.  She is not sure how many maids are loyal to her mother so she walks as quiet as she can. 

                Passing several rooms, she hears women talking from within one.  She panics as the doorknob turns and opens slightly.  Two women are visible.  Only one notices Hyosung standing there while the other is busy in conversation looking the opposite way. 

                “Wait, uhh, You have a spider on you.”  The maid yanks her friend back inside the room.

                “What? Where?  Get it off me!” 

                The door closes and Hyosung rushes down the hall to exit the house.  Safe outside she regains her breathing.  She almost got caught but thankfully her trustful maid helped her out. 

                Cold wind blows and makes her body shiver.  Hyosung makes her way toward the front gates but stops as she sees the guard on the other side of the black iron gates.  Quickly, the young lady jumps behind the bushes, lays low, and waits for an opportunity. 

                The guard looks around for a bit and enters before walking pass Hyosung’s hiding spot and toward the house.  Once he is out of sight, the female gets up and makes her way toward the gate.  She gives the gate a push but it does not budge.  In confusion she pushes again, this time with more force.  Again, it does not open. 

                “Oh no, no, no, please open up.”  Terror sets in as she realizes the guard had locked the gate on his way back.  “Why? I need to get out.” 

                “Hey!”  The guard yells at her.  “Miss, you cannot leave.  I have orders to not let you leave.” 

                Hyosung panics, not knowing what to do she decides to climb the gate.  Using the bit of strength she has in her arms, she tries to pull her body up.  In her weak state, her arms cannot hold her weight.  She slides down.

                Arms grab a hold of her.  “Let me go, please!”  Hyosung tells the guard.  “I don’t want to be locked in there.”  With tears in her eyes she holds onto the bottom of the gate with all her might.  The guard pulls her and she loses grip of the gate. 

                “Miss, please don’t make this difficult.”

                Hyosung flings her arms and is able to hit the guard in the face.  His grip around her small frame loosens up and she runs returns to the gate.  With a jump, she grabs hold of the top and begins to pull herself up.  Her legs try to help but only slip.

                The guards hands grab onto the backpack.  “I cannot let you leave the house.”  With force, he yanks her down and pulls her away.  The girl struggles but she no longer is able to escape. 

                Hyosung’s screams resonate inside the house.  The rest of the maids and employers wake up to her cries.  The guard carries the heiress to the second floor where he is stopped by Mr. Jun.

                “What is going on here?”  The old man questions.

                “She escaped sir, I have orders to not let her leave.”

                “Put my daughter down!”  The guard does as he is told and Hyosung falls to the floor.  The father goes to his daughter and embraces her.  Hyosung cries in her father’s arms.

                “Daddy please let me leave this house. I don’t want to locked away.”  She wraps her arms around the man and continues to plea.  “Please daddy, I’ll die if I stay locked away.”

                “Sir, I have to take her back to her room.”

                “Leave us alone.”

                “Sir, I have orders.”

                “Orders from who? My wife?  I am the man of this house and I order you to leave me and my daughter alone unless you want to get fired!”  Mr. Jun commands.  The guard bows and leaves.

               The old father continues to hug Hyosung until her cries diminish.  He grabs onto her hand and picks her off the floor.  He removes the backpack from her shoulders and wipes her tears.

                A woman exits the room next to them, they turn to see Mrs. Jun standing there.  Hyosung’s mother steps between the her husband and daughter.  With a angered look she raises her hand and slaps Hyosung across the face.  The young girl stumbles backward.

                “How dare you try to escape.” 

                “Honey leave her alone.”  The worried father tries to hold back his wife before she delivers another slap.

                “Why are you doing this to me?” 

                “Why? Because you are going to ruin your life if I let you leave this house.  I have tried my best to give you a good life and you were willing to give it all up because of a boy.  You will marry Doojoon next week and that is the end of the discussion.”

                Feeling defeated, Hyosung makes her way back to the her room.  Tears running down her cheeks she cries into her pillow until her eyes can no longer produce any tears.  For the following days, she is kept in her room alone.  The only visitor she gets is the maid who brings her meals three times a day.  Without a phone, computer, or television, she loses track of the days.  She has no way to connect to the outside world or any means to communicate with Kikwang. 

                On a morning just like any other, the maid comes in extra early.  The sun light has not yet peeked through the crack in the curtains.  The maid turns on all the lights in the room and awakens the young sleeping beauty.

                “Wake up Miss” She gently shakes Hyosung. “It’s time to get up.”

                “What time is it?” Hyosung rubs her eyes and yawns. 

                “It’s 5:30 Miss, I didn’t want to wake you so early but we have to start the preparations soon.”

                Another maid enters the room with a huge white box in her hands.  She walked toward the bed and places the box next to her. 

                “It arrived last night.  I hope you don’t mind, I opened the box earlier to take a peek.  It’s beautiful.”

                Hyosung opens the box and inside she sees a white gown.  It’s her wedding dress… today is the day she weds Doojoon.