Chapter 2
There are days like that.
Days when something deep inside tells you not to go home.
But that instinct isn’t some wild delusion—it’s based on long-standing, hard-earned experience.
“I’m not letting that bastard get away with this! How could he do this to me, Mom? After everything I’ve done for him!”
“Dahae, honey, calm down—please.”
Just as she’d feared, Soyu’s gut feeling had been spot on again.
As she carefully stepped inside, the chaos greeted her instantly.
Her stepsister, Dahae, was in the middle of one of her usual tantrums.
And as always, there was only one likely reason: she had fought with her boyfriend, Jaehyun.
“Mom, just kill him. Can’t you do that? You could if you wanted to, right? I can’t stand the thought of Seok Jaehyun with another woman! I’d rather die!”
Did she even realize how horrifying her words were?
When Dahae screamed and raged like this, she became like a car with no brakes—completely unhinged and terrifying.
Even Yeonok struggled to keep her daughter under control during these episodes.
“That bastard, Seok Jaehyun!”
Trying to stay invisible, Soyu moved quickly, hoping the fire wouldn’t catch her—but Dahae’s wild eyes soon locked onto her.
“This is all your fault.”
It was her usual line.
Whether she got a bad grade, didn’t get into her dream school, or the weather just sucked—somehow it was always Soyu’s fault.
Unlike Yeonok, Dahae had been openly hostile to Soyu from the very beginning. And Yeonok never did a thing to intervene.
“You must be thrilled, huh? About to marry into a chaebol family? Over the moon, I bet!”
Soyu stopped walking and let out a quiet sigh.
These past few days had pushed her to the edge.
She’d been forced to accept a marriage she didn’t want, just because her mother insisted. She was barely keeping it together after navigating the cold, clinical arrangements with Taeoh—as if their personal lives were items on a business agenda.
Soyu was human. Her patience had limits.
She hoped—begged—that Dahae would stop now.
“You think you’re better than me now? Gonna look down on me once you’re a chaebol daughter-in-law?”
“Did you and Jaehyun fight again?”
Unlike Dahae, Soyu’s voice was calm.
Jaehyun was someone Soyu knew too. He was her childhood friend.
“If that’s what this is about, I could—”
“You crazy bitch.”
Of course. Dahae had no intention of stopping.
Before Soyu could even finish her sentence, Dahae threw a photo frame from the display shelf.
It missed Soyu by inches and smashed to pieces on the floor.
A strange heat began to rise in Soyu’s chest. She tried to suppress it, but it only grew.
Her gaze dropped to the floor.
“What—what now? The Kanghwa heir isn’t enough for you, so you’re going after Jaehyun too?”
Inside the shattered frame was a photo of young Soyu in her father’s arms—both smiling, healthy, and happy.
Soyu walked over and knelt in front of it.
“Don’t kid yourself. Jaehyun just feels guilty because you’re an old friend. That’s all.”
She carefully brushed the broken glass off the picture, revealing her father’s face more clearly.
When she stood up holding it, her face was colder than before.
“He doesn’t see me as anything more than that—”
“Then why do you take it out on me?”
The words escaped her like a shaky breath.
Even Soyu didn’t quite know what she was saying.
“What?”
Dahae flinched, clearly thrown off by Soyu’s unexpected pushback.
Soyu had always shrunk under her sister’s words like a scolded dog.
“Seriously. Jaehyun doesn’t like me that way. So why do you blame me every time something goes wrong?”
A sliver of glass crunched beneath Soyu’s fingers.
Just like her heart—fragile and scattered.
“And if you want this marriage so badly, you take it. You can marry into the chaebol family instead.”
“You little—!”
“You’ve already taken everything else anyway.”
Her voice wasn’t angry. It was quiet and steady.
But it carried weight.
“You’re dead meat today.”
Dahae lunged and grabbed a handful of Soyu’s hair with practiced ease.
Soyu’s frail body was yanked around like a doll in Dahae’s grip.
“Don’t care who’s watching anymore, do you?”
Soyu flipped the photo frame over to face the floor.
Even if it was just a photo, she didn’t want her father to see her like this.
There had been a time when she tried to earn Dahae’s affection.
She had tried so hard.
But no matter what she did, Dahae always hated her. Always kept her at arm’s length.
What had she done so wrong?
She had followed every rule.
Given everything, they asked of her.
So why couldn’t they love her?
As a child, Soyu had asked herself that question night after night, crying quietly into her pillow.
Ten years of this.
Now she was exhausted.
Utterly drained.
“Dahae! Let go of her, now!”
The one-sided beating finally ended when Madam Gong stepped in.
She usually pretended not to notice anything, so her sudden involvement was surprising.
“You’re meeting Vice President Kang tomorrow. What if he sees your hair ripped out like this? People might get the wrong idea.”
Soyu let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Your hair’s a mess. Go to the salon first thing tomorrow.”
Of course. Even now, it was all about Taeoh.
“And Soyu, apologize to your sister and make up with her. You’re getting married soon. Fighting now only reflects badly on both of you.”
It didn’t matter that Dahae was the one who threw things and pulled her hair.
As always, Yeonok told Soyu to apologize.
“If someone lays another hand on you, I’ll snap their neck.”
That deep voice echoed in Soyu’s head, warming something inside her.
The words—so cruel and brutal—had been the first to ever make her feel like she belonged somewhere.
They kept playing back, over and over again.
Those harsh words had touched something buried deep in her heart.
And made her realize something.
Yeonok and Dahae weren’t just hurting her.
They were damaging her—again and again.
And they had no right to.
She had done nothing to deserve this treatment.
Her self-worth had been crushed to the ground—and no one had stepped in to protect her.
Not even herself.
“Go on. Apologize.”
Yeonok’s voice turned firm when Soyu didn’t move.
“…Why should I?”
“What—what did you say?”
A dying spark of courage somehow came back to life.
“She’s the one who did something wrong. Why should I be the one to apologize?”
After everything—after enduring it all and being forced into a marriage she didn’t want—was she not allowed even this?
“Jung Soyu!”
Soyu gently placed the photo frame into her bag.
“I’m the one being sold off for the company. I’m the one giving everything up. So why should I apologize?”
Her lashes trembled.
It was one of those nights where she missed her father more than anything—his warm smile, the comfort he always gave her.
“If I had done something wrong, of course I would apologize.”
This time, Soyu didn’t back down. She looked Dahae straight in the eyes.
“But I haven’t done anything wrong.”
To most, it might’ve seemed like the tiniest act of defiance.
But for Soyu, it was the boldest thing she had ever done.
And strangely enough, she wasn’t afraid—not like before.
Because this time, she knew Yeonok couldn’t just control her as she pleased.
Yeonok needed the Kanghwa Group. And to secure that, she needed Soyu.
Just being “Kang Taeoh’s fiancée” gave Soyu the power to speak her mind—and that, more than anything, proved how powerful Taeoh truly was.
Without saying another word, Soyu walked calmly to the front door, leaving Yeonok and Dahae behind in silence.
Then, she paused.
“Mother,” she said, turning just slightly. “Have I ever truly been your daughter?”
Yeonok said nothing.
Soyu hadn’t expected an answer, but the silence still rattled something loose inside her.
And then she left—shoving the front door open and stepping out.
She walked with no direction, no destination in mind.
The honking of traffic, the drunken laughter of strangers—she let it all blur past her, letting her feet guide the way.
She thought she’d end up at the hospital where her father lay unconscious.
But surprisingly, she found herself somewhere else entirely.
Soyu stared up at the tall, luxurious building before her.
A world that couldn’t be further from her own—glittering, elegant, unreachable.
She murmured to herself, her voice filled with emptiness.
“What am I even doing here? It’s not like anyone’s waiting for me.”
Kanghwa Hotel.
Where the man she would marry in a month served as Vice President.
Not exactly a comforting destination.
With a tired shake of her head, Soyu turned to leave.
She should go to the hospital, lie down, try to rest.
But just then—
“Weren’t you coming to see me? Where are you headed?”
The voice stopped her in her tracks. That low, familiar voice that had echoed in her mind all night.
Startled, she turned sharply.
The tinted car window rolled down.
And there he was—Taeoh.
Of all people, at this hour… she hadn’t expected him.
“In that state?”
His eyes swept over her—her disheveled hair, the rumpled blouse near the edge of revealing more than it should.
Only then did Soyu register how she looked.
The earlier fight with Dahae had left her hair tangled and wild, and several buttons on her blouse had popped open, nearly exposing her undergarments.
Blushing deeply, she hurriedly clutched the fabric to close it.
Taeoh stepped out of the back seat, and his car quietly pulled away.
“Should I let you stay the night?”
She was too dazed to even realize he was speaking informally.
“As you can see, I have more than enough rooms.”
He gestured casually toward the hotel lobby, his expression unreadable.
But Soyu shook her head quickly.
“I—I wasn’t here to see you. I was just… passing by.”
“Passing by?” he repeated. “Did a mugger jump you on your little walk?”
She tried to change the subject.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you this late. I should go now.”
She turned to leave—run, really—but his large hand reached out and pulled her back.
Firmly. As if he wouldn’t allow it.
Soyu’s body jerked forward, landing her just inches from him.
Close enough to feel his breath.
The faint scent of his cologne surrounded her, making her dizzy.
“So, what will it be?” he said. “You want to sleep here tonight, or come with me and find that ‘mugger’?”
He hadn’t used a single curse word, but it was by far the most threatening question she’d ever heard.
“You’ve been marked again,” he said, exhaling sharply, like a predator on the verge of attack. “I warned you.”
His anger felt wild, barely restrained. He looked like he might pounce at any second.
“Are you ignoring me now?”
There was something violent and merciless in his expression—like a beast that would tear its prey apart.
Yet the hand that held hers… was careful. Gentle.
That contrast confused Soyu even more.
“Taeoh.”
His name slipped out in a whisper as she looked up at him.
She wanted to speak—something, anything—but no words came.
“My pride’s a little wounded,” he said finally. “So I need one of two things from you.”
It wasn’t that she wanted to protect Yeonok or Dahae.
She just feared what Taeoh might do if his fury fully exploded.
And suddenly, a strange thought struck her.
If Taeoh treated a contract bride with this much intensity—what would he be like if he actually loved someone?
The possessiveness that radiated from him was dark, hot, and undeniable.
“If anyone saw this, they might think you actually cared about me.”
She drew a line—before either of them crossed into dangerous territory.
Still, Taeoh said nothing.
He simply looked at her.
“…I’ll stay,” she said quietly. “I don’t need rumors spreading either.”
She gave in—again.
And Taeoh, without a word, slowly slid his hand down to clasp hers.
Just like before, his touch was strangely tender.
It felt like something shared between lovers and Soyu’s heart skipped a beat.
Without releasing her hand, Taeoh led her into the hotel with long, confident strides.
“Suite.”
He spoke curtly to the front desk.
“Yes, sir. Here you go.”
The clerk, used to the Vice President’s orders, didn’t question him and handed over the key card immediately.
Soyu reached out for it, but Taeoh beat her to it.
As Soyu stood there with a question mark practically floating above her head, Taeoh started walking again.
“W-Wait, Taeoh.”
It wasn’t until they were both in the elevator that she realized something felt… off.
Taeoh tightened his grip on her hand slightly and replied without much interest.
“Why? Didn’t you choose to stay at the hotel instead of going out to hunt down a mugger?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Her words trailed off.
A wave of uneasy thoughts started to creep in.
They were about to get married, so technically nothing about this was wrong—but still, wasn’t it all too sudden?
“You won’t be uncomfortable.”
Soyu froze in place.
Yet, strangely, the hand holding hers felt like it was on fire.
So hot, it felt like it could burn her skin right off if it didn’t cool down soon.
But Taeoh showed no signs of letting go.
Fidgeting slightly, she glanced sideways at him.
It was the first time she’d looked at him this closely.
She’d always known he was handsome, but seeing him now made her catch her breath.
His facial lines were sharp without flaw, his brows neat and composed. His eyes were hypnotic, dangerously deep. His nose rose high and proud like the hotel tower itself. And those lips—just slightly upturned—looked like they could charm anyone into submission.
She couldn’t believe this man would soon be her husband.
“What are you staring at?”
“I… I wasn’t.”
She averted her gaze quickly, playing innocent.
The elevator stopped at one of the upper floors, where the city night view sprawled brilliantly behind them.
She followed Taeoh out, heart thudding wildly in her chest.
She couldn’t tell what the feeling was.
Was it fear?
Or… was it anticipation?
Soyu didn’t even recognize herself anymore.
Was it because she’d never spent the night with a man?
Or because she was being pulled toward this overwhelming presence before her?
“Alright, then.”
Taeoh tapped the key card on the reader and opened the door.
Then he turned slightly toward her.
Not knowing what to expect, Soyu reflexively tensed and shut her eyes.
…
“What are you doing?”
His voice was calm—almost bored. Not a hint of excitement.
She opened her eyes.
Taeoh was simply holding out the key card toward her.
“…Huh?”
It took her a second to register what was happening.
And then her face turned a deep red.
He had merely walked her to the room. That’s all it was. The moment of physical closeness—she’d misunderstood entirely.
“Oh.”
It was only then that Taeoh seemed to realize what she’d been thinking.
“Were you… expecting something else?”
“N-No! Not at all!”
“I’d hate to disappoint my fiancée,” he said with a lazy smile.
“I swear, that’s not what I was thinking!”
“Guess I misread the situation.”
Soyu wanted to disappear into the floor.
Desperate to end the moment, she snatched the key card from his fingers and slammed the door shut behind her.
She hadn’t even managed to say goodbye.
Now inside, she clutched her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.
She heard a low chuckle from the hallway, followed by retreating footsteps.
Face burning, Soyu buried herself into a pillow.
So embarrassing. So, so embarrassing.
Still, she realized the incident had helped her forget, if only for a while, about everything that had happened with Dahae.
[If you’ve got nowhere to stay until the wedding, you can stay here.]
A text from Taeoh popped up on her phone moments later.
