'Is there no other way? Mi-soo said to her father in tears, 'I really do not want to marry him, everyone knows him as a Casanova, please father don't subject me to this kind of marriage'
Mi-soo knelt down in tears but her father seems to have made up his mind, she turned to look at her mother but she just turned her face away from her because everyone in the family feared her father and his word was always the final word and that is why the family is in this predicament right now. If only her father had listened to her uncle and not made that investment maybe they would not be in this situation right now and she would not have to get married to the towns biggest Casanova.
Her father turned to look at her angrily. 'would you rather become the daughter of an ex-convict? Do you want to see your father thrown in jail when you had a chance to save him? Nobody would want to marry the daughter of an ex-convict or a girl who can't save her family when she had the chance to' her father said angrily pushing her aside and walking away. He stopped in his steps and turned to face her, 'this conversation is over, I don't want to hear anything else on this matter. Prepare to go and meet with your future in-laws.
Mi-soo sat down on the floor crying after her father left and her mother came to her side to console her, they both looked so powerless.
Mi-soo's father ran a huge construction firm and they were very well to do but her father Jung So-hyun had gotten involved with a foreign investment scam and now the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. His father's childhood friend had promised to acquire the company and make it a subsidiary of his own company why her father still maintains his position as the company's C.E.O. This was great for her father's company but now the condition was that Mi-soo was to marry his wayward second son Kim Young-han as the first son Kim Young-jae was married and overseeing a branch of the company abroad. He was hoping to use Mi-soo and the marriage to make his wayward son more focused. And this was not going down well with Mi-soo who had always dreamt of getting married to a man she was really in love with and who loved her equally.
Okay maybe Kim Young-han liked her because he had always flirted with her the few times they had met in the past but she had never encouraged or returned his advances because she did not want to be among the many women in his life and she found nothing attractive about him.
............................
The day Mi-soo was supposed to with her future in-laws filled her with dread everything was not going her way from her makeup to her dress, she was so nervous and terrified and her mother came inside her room to help her out and finally after much struggle and trying almost every dress she had in her wardrobe because she had refused to shop specifically for the occasion as that would make it feel special and to her it was more of a nightmare if anything she finally got ready and walked with her mother to the waiting car. Her dad was going straight from the office so he could not join them but he was going ahead of them and they would meet him up there.
As she sat down in the car her hands trembled and her mother held her hands in hers and whispered softly in her ears, 'he can't be really that bad, just do this for your dad.'
And when they arrived at the venue and got into the room her mother was right about one thing, he did not look that bad and if looks were everything he would have passed but unfortunately they weren't
As Mi-soo and her mother entered the room Kim Young-han stood up to greet them and he was handsome enough to take any girls breath away, any girl that did not know him that is and Mi-soo knew him very well.
He was dressed in a nice tailored suit that felt as though it was designed specifically for him, and his smile carried with it a degree of warmth but Mi-soo was not fooled by it, she bet he smiled that way to every girl and that's probably how he got them into his bed so easily, that and his family's immerse wealth which was very obvious in their house, the design of which looked like something that came out of a fairytale.
Everyone knew about the Kims and everyone would be so desperate to marry into the family and honestly Mi-soo would not have really cared if it was someone else, I mean one can grow into love but not with someone like Young-han.
But as she sat down at the table she made up her mind to try and make things work at least for the sake of her father and her family. They welcomed them very warmly and they exchanged pleasantries and the family sat down to a very lavish dinner. They complimented Mi-soo's beauty and good character and she smiled politely trying to look like the perfect daughter in-law. After dessert was served Young-han was asked to take her out for a walk in their garden and they could spend some time and talk why the parents talk about other things.
Young-han agreed and asked Mi-soo if she did not mind and she politely accepted politely with a smile that disappeared as soon as she left the presence of the elders. After they had walked for awhile on silence Mi-soo stopped and turned to him, 'I can understand why I accepted this offer but I can't understand why you would' Mi-soo said to him. He paused for a while as if processing the question then he laughed out loud the facial expression he was maintaining all evening disappearing and the obnoxious guy Mi-soo knew had finally returned.
'First of all I'm just glad you know I would never settle for you,' he said to her but like you too I was forced', 'my father threatened to dis-own me if I refused he said, and honestly when I thought about it some more I realized this was also going to work in my favor. He slowly moved towards her and slightly stroked her face with his hands with a look of lust in his eyes as he looked into her eyes, 'I can have the one woman I thought was above my reach and give my parents the grandchild they so desire while still having the freedom to live my life the way I want.' He said smiling coyly. He leaned in and whispered in her ears 'at least if anyone complains about my behavior I can blame it on the fact that I was forced into this marriage.'
Silent tears flowed down her eyes as she saw a glimpse of what her future was going to look like, he looked back at her face and laughed. 'Is it not too early to start crying he said to her?' 'Hold them in, I can promise you will have plenty of opportunities to cry in the future and he walked away leaving her standing there the tears now flowing without control.
She went to the restroom to fix her makeup and encourage her reflection in the mirror she had to stay strong for her family. When she rejoined the table she realized that they had fixed the dates and other things in her absence and she just sat down there in silence resolved to her fate.
............................
In the elaborate mirror, Jung Mi-soo's reflection was a vision of cool, collected grace. His family's social prominence was evident in the grand chamber's magnificent tapestries and gilded furniture. However, today's affluence simply helped to emphasize the gravity of her situation.
She adjusted the exquisite pearls that adorned her neck as she struggled with a whirlwind of contradictory feelings in her head. This was the day that her destiny was set, a day that had been looming over her since she was a young child—a betrothal that her parents had arranged, a business deal between families, a route she had never chosen.
The room was filled with a hushed anticipation. The wedding planners fitted about, ensuring every detail was in place for the arrival of the esteemed guests. Among them would be Kim Young-han, the man to whom Mi-soo was to be bound in matrimony. The alliance was meant to strengthen both families' positions, yet it felt like a prison sentence.
Mi-soo's gaze fell to her hands, her fingers lightly tracing the intricate patterns of her gown. The silk felt cool and smooth beneath her touch, a stark contrast to the tumultuous storm raging within her. She wished to scream, to rail against the injustice of it all, but propriety demanded she maintain her façade of compliance.
Her friends came around to take pictures with her and she had to force herself to so nobody would sense her distress. Some seemed genuinely happy for her while others had an idea of what was really going down and as shocking as it might be some of them were jealous of her. If only they knew.
A soft knock on the chamber door drew her attention. Her mother's voice, gentle yet firm, floated through the room. "Mi-soo, my dear, they have arrived. It is time."
Taking a deep breath, Mi-soo schooled her features into a serene mask and moved towards the door. Her heart beat like a caged bird, longing for freedom. As she stepped into the hallway, her father, resplendent in his formal attire, offered her a somber smile. His eyes, however, held a glimmer of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of her plight.
The procession made its way to the grand hall, where an assembly of dignitaries and aristocrats had gathered. The air was thick with perfumed fragrances and stifled whispers. Amelia's steps were measured, her movements deliberate, as she approached the figure standing at the center of the room—Kim Young-han.
Tall and dignified, he cut an imposing figure. His dark hair was meticulously combed, his attire a display of impeccable taste. As their eyes met, Mi-soo detected a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze, a reflection of the same apprehension that gnawed at her insides. May he had a little conscience after all she thought, maybe her marriage to him will not be as bad as she imagine she hoped.
The formalities began, the voice of the officiating clergyman blending into an indistinct drone. 's Mi-soo mind, however, was far away, lost in a sea of thoughts. She stole a glance to her side, where her younger brother, Mi-san, stood. His eyes, too, held a mixture of sympathy and helplessness, a mirror to her own emotions.
And then came the moment that would forever alter the course of her life. As the ceremonial ring was placed upon her finger, sealing the arrangement, a profound silence enveloped her. A silence that was not just external, but a reflection of the one she had held inside for far too long.
Betrothed to a man she hardly knew, bound by duty and tradition, Mi-soo's heart cried out against the injustice of her situation. The promise of a life unchosen, a future untold, lay before her like an uncharted landscape.
As the ceremony concluded and applause filled the hall, Mi-soo's gaze met another pair of eyes across the room—Kim Young-han's elder brother, Kim Young-jae. Unbeknownst to anyone else, that fleeting exchange sparked a connection, a thread of understanding that would later weave a tapestry of forbidden emotions and unspoken desires.