“I’m… getting married?”

He asked, voice slightly raspy and shaky at the end. The middle aged woman grazed her fingers on the wooden surface as she stared holes into the young man. The young man standing across the room could only gulp down his saliva, feeling small and tense at the suffocating tension inside the wide spacious room. He threw his gaze to the carpeted floor, trying to find anything, anything to distract him from the ambience that had made him nauseous. He heard a cough and he quickly turned his attention back to the woman. He knew that he had made a wrong decision by doing that as he was tensed once again under the scrutiny of her gaze.

“The engagement has been settled and there’s no way you could oppose to that idea.”

“But I’m only 25 and I can’t possibly…”

“Oh, you have to, young man. You’re the only heir of this company. Our lifeline. You must have the picture perfect family.”

Her tone sounded so stern that it made him winced a little. She left the desk and walked towards him. Even though she was much shorter than him, he felt really small and disgraceful, almost like a beggar being stared down at by the shop owners who had accused him for stealing their food. He didn’t realize that he had lowered his head again when his chin met with cold fingers tilting his head up so that he could look into her eyes.

“Never say ‘NO’ to me.” She said sternly before she retracted her hands from the tensed body who looked at her in fear.

“Don’t fail me, Choi Siwon.”

$$$

Siwon took a quick stroll at the park. Even with the bright sunlight and the warm summer wind, he felt really numb, lifeless… horrified. The sunlight and the wind didn’t do much of help. For him, it felt like they were mocking him, being happy and bright while he drowned himself in fear and agitation. He sighed for the umpteenth time that day before he brought his head up to stare at the majestic skyscraper that was his family’s company.

His jaws twitched at the thought of what was inside that building; pride, haughtiness, absolute obligations, money-minded scum, greed… A hypocrisy shadowed under the mask of deceiving perfection.

Everyone in the company was a devil in disguise—that was what Siwon had in mind for 20 years of living. He couldn't possible erase the dreadful memories of the family affair that lead to the death of his grandfather. As his father was the only male heir of the company, the man took over the crown jewel. But there was no difference made, as it was just as despicable as before. His father was also a devil in disguise.

Siwon couldn’t express how he loathed his life, his fate for being born in this screwed up family. He wanted to escape—hell, he even thought of ending his life. He had enough of these lunatics calling themselves ‘The Future Ruler of The Earth’. Comparing themselves with Gods was a blasphemy, and Siwon just wanted nothing more but to keep himself untainted from his family's greediness.

His head pounded and he quickly went to a nearby bench, throwing his body unto it. He gazed longingly to the sky, to the birds that fly high up in the sky, enjoying their freedom to spread their wings as far as they could. Siwon had always felt envious of the birds. Look at them, flying up higher and higher, flapping their wings with joy as if nothing could stop them. No one could stop them.

And then he looked at himself. Showered with materials of gold and diamonds, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, pampered and educated so that he could open up his mind to the mysterious world waiting to be explored. He was ready to spread his golden wings and fly.

But he couldn’t.

He was already chained in