Chapter THIRTY-ONE

The next morning, Soojung came out of her room. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying and she dragged her feet to the kitchen to freeze some spoons.

She leaned against the counter, after pouring herself a glass of milk.

“Soojung.”

She turned to the voice and her eyebrows immediately knitted. She turned away from her father and went to the sink.

“I’m talking to you. Look at me.”

She faced him and rolled her eyes.

“What is it? Are you going to force me marry someone else? Are you going to ship me some place else?”

“Watch your attitude, young lady. Appreciate what I’ve done for you. What I’m doing now, is for your own good.”

“For my own good?” She scoffed and pointed at herself. “Forcing me to marry someone else, making me give up my own happiness, for the sake of you and the company. That’s called for my own good?”

“I’m your father, I know what’s best for you.”

“If you knew what was best for me, you would have asked me what I wanted. You would have respected my wishes.”

“Fine. What do you want?” Jaesung folded his arms.

“I don’t want to marry Chanyeol, please.” She said. “I just want to live my life, with my friends and boyfriend.”

Jaesung lifted his eyebrow.

“Friends and boyfriend?”

Soojung nodded, taking a step towards her father.

“Come on, my dear daughter. Those friends of yours are bad influence. They’ve led you astray! As for your boyfriend, that boy isn’t of any high status. He won’t be any good to you, or the business! Who is going to take over my place when I pass?”

Soojung’s face fell.

“So that’s all I am to you?”

Her voice dropped as her shoulders sagged.

“Just a tool for you to use to boost your business?”

Jaesung’s phone pinged just as he wanted to reply her. He glanced at his phone and then at his daughter.

“I have to fly over to Paris in 2 hours. And when I come back, you are going to marry Park Chanyeol. This is final.”

He his heels and left. Soojung heard the front door open and close, before her knees grew weak. She fell onto the floor. Her eyes were not seeing, her lips were parting in disbelief sobs.

---

“She hasn’t called me since yesterday.” Mark said as he stared at his phone.

He was at Jackson’s place. Yongguk had gone overseas for a school programme.

“She isn’t like this.” Jackson shrugged.

“I’m worried.” Mark whispered. “Do you want to visit her?”

With a blink of an eye, Jackson had already stood by the door, with his keys.

“Let’s go.”

---

Soojung laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn’t even bother to wipe her tears away. Why was this happening to her?

Ding dong

She sat up at the sound of the bell.

Soojung ran to the bathroom to give her face a quick wash up and headed downstairs. She arranged her outfit and cleared her face of her hair, before opening the door.

The smile she mustered all her strength to put on, faltered the moment she saw Chanyeol outside.

“What are you doing here?” She asked coldly. “Are you here to force me to marry you?”

“No. Soo, listen to me. This isn’t want I wanted. Trust me on this.”

He held her wrist. She looked away.

“I didn’t know about this. Really.”

“Let go of me, Park Chanyeol.” She let her voice drop.

“I’m not going to, unless you trust me on this.”

“Let go.” She tried to break free from his hold.

“Soojung…”

“I said let go of me!” She struggled harder.

---

Jackson was cruising towards Soojung’s place.

He squinted his eyes when he saw Chanyeol’s car parked outside the Park Mansion.

“Isn’t that Chanyeol hyung’s car?”

Mark sat up and looked out his window.

“What is he doing here?” Mark gritted his teeth.

They neared the house, when they saw Chanyeol at the door and Soojung was shrugging away from him. Jackson jammed onto the brakes and Mark jumped out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop.

He ran up to the man and pulled him away from Soojung.

“What the hell are you here for?” He snarled, pushing his girlfriend behind him.

Mark slid his hand down to Soojung’s lacing their fingers together.

“It’s between me and Soojung. It’s none of your business.”

“Go away Chanyeol. I don’t want to talk to you today.”

“But…”

“She already said she didn’t want to talk to you. So leave.”

Chanyeol folded his arms, with Jackson coming up behind him.

“It’s between me and my wi-”

Soojung widened her eyes in realisation of what he was going to say.

“PARK CHANYEOL!” She shouted.

Everyone looked at her.

“Shut up. Leave. I’ll call you.” Soojung sighed, giving in.

Chanyeol stubbornly stood there and Mark motioned for Jackson to bring him away.

Mark faced Soojung after Chanyeol was coaxed away, and cupped her face.

“You alright?” He asked, worry written on his face.

She nodded quietly.

“Yeah.”

They stood in silence until Soojung remembered something.

“What are you doing here so early in the morning?”

“It’s coming to noon, girl. How is it early?” Mark teased. “You said you’ll call me, but when I didn’t see your call, I called you, but you didn’t pick up. I thought something happened to you.”

Soojung reached for his hands on her face.

“I’m fine, don’t you see? You are such a worrywart.”

Mark smiled and frowned again.

He trailed her puffy under eyes and gave her a concerned grin.

“Why are your eyes looking like you’ve cried the whole night?”

In reflex, she turned away and touched her eyes.

“Really? I couldn’t sleep last night, maybe that’s why.” She fibbed. “Anyway, come on in.”

She stepped aside and Mark stood in front of her, pecking her forehead.

“You up for a day with Jackson and I?” He asked, as he settled down on the sofa.

“Of course. Let’s go to the arcade or amusement park.” She smiled genuinely for the first time that morning.

“Call! Whatever the princess wants, she gets.”

Mark chuckled and flashed a blinding boyish smile at Soojung, making her insides melt into goo. Her heart constricted in pain and guilt.

How was she going to tell this boy – who was madly in love with her – that she was going to be married?

And that the groom wasn’t him.

---

“How’s the doll doing?” Jackson bellowed when Soojung stepped out of the house with Mark.

“Shut up, Jackson.”

Soojung playfully rolled her eyes and padded towards the car. She pulled the car door opened and slid inside, all emotions wiped from h