Once I realised that Hyun Joong was better than I thought he was, I left angrily back to the cottage to pack up my belongings. I was born too strong for love, cynical some may call me, but too smart to be used. Changmin had Yeon Hee, I… I had my life in my hands. From now on I will control it. My career? I will just have to go strike a deal with his grandmother. I kicked open the door to his cottage, racing into the small bedroom and grabbing everything I could see that was mine in sight. I began shoving it into the small overnight bag that Changmin had packed for me. My lips were tightened and I forced myself to concentrate only on the clothes, there was no need to think it through. I was getting out of this marriage, exactly like how I planned, when I signed into it.

“Seung Ni!”

I rolled my eyes, Changmin had made it back to the cottage.

“What do you want?” I spat, shoving my pajamas in, but it failed to fit because I was too hasty to fold it.

“Stop!”

I shook my head, “No Changmin. I can’t. I have a career now. I don’t need to marry you anymore. There is NO blackmail!”

He put his hand on mine, preventing me from stuffing my clothes. I quickly shook him off.

“Don’t touch me!” I yelped, “It’s in the contract!”

Changmin’s lip tightened.

“The truth is out, you can get back to your life. I’m terminating the contract now!”

Changmin froze, looking down at the floor.
“Now, if you would follow me up to the house, we can get this sorted.”

I swallowed hard, composing myself, even when he looked up at me hurt or confused, I was hurting too much to tell.

“If that’s what you want…” he whispered.

I nodded firmly, “Yes. That’s what I want.” I quickly spun on my heal and headed out the door, the bag in my hand. It was much harder to walk in tight jeans, in heels, with an overnight bag, and my heart feeling like a tonne. I came into the mansion with a ‘bang’ the doors swinging angrily as I ignored them and crossed into the sitting room.

“Seung Ni!” Halmeoni said pleasantly.

I sniggered.

“Nice for you to come in this evening.”

I closed my eyes and swallowed. Civilized, I must be civilized.

“Halmeoni,” I said kindly, “I have something to discuss with you.”

She nodded, pointing to the victorian couch, “Take a seat.”

I threw my overnight bag down and took a seat on the couch. Changmin came barging in soon after.

“Halmeoni!” he sighed. She wavered him quiet. He took a seat as well.

“Halmeoni,” I smiled, “Since this is a marriage of inconvenience, I am willingly agreeing to terminate all the contracts, and take all the consequences that will result because of the termination.”

Changmin opened his mouth, but his grandmother wavered him silent. She smiled at me pleasantly and took a sip of her Lady Grey. I was grinding my teeth.

“You understand that because you’ve signed the pre-nuptial agreement, you will be taking nothing with you.” She raised a brow at me.

I nodded firmly, “Yes. I understand that.”

“And your graduation?”
I bit my lip, “I was hoping you would help me out with that.”

She smiled, soon it turned to a grin, “Since you have made it pleasant living with Changmin, and he hasn’t complained to myself or his parents, I will help you with your graduation.”

I nodded. 

“So it is agreed, you will no longer marry Changmin, no longer work for the company, and you will take nothing when you leave.”

I swallowed hard, trying to cover my shivering lip, “Yes.”

She smiled, “Butler!” she grinned. Immediately a manilla folder was placed in her hand. I hid my shock.

“Then you will sign,” she slid the file towards me.

I smiled, scanned through its contents and scrawled my name on the paper. I slid the file back to her not daring to look at Changmin.
She grinned, “Then you are not welcome here anymore,” she said. I bit my shivering lip, stood up and nodded.

“It was nice meeting you,” I swallowed, “Annyeong hi ga sip sio!” I picked up the overnight bag, my heal and walked straight out the door. Outside, Hyun Joong helped me with my bag, circled his arm around my shoulders and walked me out the gate.

======================================================

Changmin’ P.O.V

I stared, shocked, frozen as she signed her name onto the papers. ‘No.’ I had wanted to shout, but I could see Hyun Joong standing just outside the doors. She probably planned this with him, it was him that she gave her heart to. I was just a contract, something to help her graduate. I swallowed the lump in my throat as she handed the contract back to my grandmother and stood up. She was going to leave, and I… I was too scared to stop her. She her heels, not even looking at me. I was hoping that she could read the pain on my face, but she didn’t look. And in seconds she was out the door. My head whipped around to see her for the last time, but Hyun Joong circled his arm around her and that was it. I had lost.

“Changmin,”

I turned around at Yeon Hee, she had an innocent face on. 

I raised a brow, “Yeon Hee,” I sighed, “I don’t think I’ll be staying for the weekend anymore.”

quivered, but I ignored it. 

I pushed myself up from the chair, “Halmeoni,” I smiled, “I’ll see you another time.”

My grandmother frowned, “Stay longer,” she chimed, “You just got here.” I inhaled deeply, she just threw away the closest thing I had to love and she was sitting there asking me to stay with her. I smiled pleasantly at her, “We just lost our lead architect, I think I have to go back to the hotel and organise a new one.”

She sighed loudly, “I’m so old, and my grandson won’t even stay a bit longer with me.”

I shook my head, “You’ve always told me to look after the business halmeoni, I’m just doing everything you’ve asked.”

I turned around and walked out the door.

“Changmin,” Yeon Hee called, running towards me, “I’ll come with you.”

I shook my head, pushing her hand off my arm, “I’ll be fine, you stay with halmeoni.”

She nodded, “Anything for you Changmin.”

I snorted, and left.

The next few days was a mess, I heard from the maids that Seung Ni would sneak in after I had left for work to get her things. I had came home yesterday to see all her things moved out of my room, my walk in wardrobe returned back to its original order. On the bed laid the ring in its original Tiffany box, beside it was the coat in its original box, the bag in its original box and the bracelet. I sighed heavily, sinking into the bed and picking up the ring. She was so persistent on getting something that my parents didn’t want, now she didn’t even want it herself. I let my hand wander to the boxes on my bed, my lips raised into a smirk. She even kept the boxes. I sat in silence letting my mind run, was I to chase after her? Was I to let her be with Hyun Joong? He was probably a better husband than I. I chewed my lower lip, letting my head sink into my hands, she’d probably be best without me and with him. 

“Changmin are you home?” my parents shouted from downstairs.

I frowned, “What?” I shouted out the room.

“He’s home,”

I climbed down the stairs, a scowl on my face, what did they want now? Didn’t they do too much damage already?

“You’re home,” I mother said softly.

I nodded, “And I’m leaving now.”

She frowned, “Changmin don’t.”

I shook my head, “No, there’s too much work to do. The hotel lost an architect, it’s holiday season, we have weddings…” I choked.

My mother frowned, “You’ve been working non stop for the last three days now.”

I shook my head, “I have to get everything done.” I turned towards the door. My mother’s hand landing on my shoulder.

“You haven’t had dinner.”

“I’ll have it at the hotel,” I growled.

“But I want to have dinner as a family.”

I turned around, trying to dampen my temper, “I have work.” I turned at my heal reaching for the door.

“Stop working!” my father roared.

I raised a brow, not daring to turn around.

“You did this the last time too, now that she’s come back, you’re retreating back to work?”

I whipped around, anger resonating from my body language, “What?” I spat. 

My father took an angry step towards me, “You, we’ve done everything to get you to come home with us, and you just threw it back in our faces. Work? Is that all you care about? The hotel? I will fire you right now.”

I clenched my fist, not saying a word.

“Now come have dinner with us.”

I faltered, but followed them to the dinner table. I couldn’t lose my job, where would I go to if I didn’t have my job? We ate in silence, our metal chopsticks clinking against our bowls. I pushed my food around but didn’t eat, I couldn’t. I can’t eat when there is too much work to do.