The Billionaire and Me

Ji-Soo was on the verge of screaming. Nothing Father said made any sense. She watched them sitting across from her like you would watch a movie in a foreign language.

"The Kang family is one of the richest in the country. We are very lucky to have a chance to become part of such a family", Father said.

But she loved someone else.

"Think about your future Ji-Soo. Think about the company. Connections with the Kang family can help your Dad a lot", her mother urged.

"But me and Han-Soo..."Ji-Soo started to say, but her mother cut her off.

"We are securing your future, making sure you marry into a good family, but you want to run around with that...that freelancer..."

"He is a journalist, mother!"

Ji-Soo rarely talked back to her parents, but the thought of marrying anyone but Han-Soo was heartbreaking. He was not rich, but they were in love. She had never asked for anything, so why wouldn't they let her marry the man she loved?

Mother was looking at her like worms had crawled out of her mouth.

Her heart was beating wildly; she had done something wrong, again. She did not want to disobey her father or upset her mother, but she never wanted anything more than to be with Han-Soo.

"Han-Soo and I love each other, and he has been working very hard. We were even planning to get married after his promotion. I just..."

"Enough!"

Lee Yoon-Jin was not a man of many words. When he said something it was final and Ji-Soo knew she had lost this battle the moment it started. Still, she could not help the tears that had started to form in her eyes

"You are going to marry into that family and that is final!" he said, his face unresolvable.

"But father!" Ji-Soo's voice was a quiver. She was fighting the tears.

"We have been too lenient with you, letting you see that boy and now you have forgotten what you owe this family!"

Now the tears pushed their way down her cheeks and she let them.

So-Yun put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Ji-Soo was so gullible, make one mention of her debt to them and she would do anything.

So-Yun would never let her daughter marry the Kang family's monster but they needed the family's connections and she knew Ji-Soo would do anything to please them. All she needed was a little buttering up.

So-Yun cleared her throat," Ji-Soo dear you know we want the best for you. We want you to live a happy life where you have everything you need. You also know that things have been shaky for your Dad and the company."

There it was, the guilty look, she saw the wheels in Ji-Soo's head turn and knew she almost had her. Just a little more. She got down on her knees and watched as Ji-Soo's face turned from guilt to shock, the tears were pouring from her eyes.

"I am begging you. Lee So-Yun is begging you Ji-Soo. Not for myself but for the family. I am pleading with you to make this sacrifice for us, for you."

She took Ji-Soo's hands and drew them close to her, placing them on her chest.

"I know we are asking for a lot and I know it will not be easy, I know. I had to make sacrifices too when I married your father."

"Mother" Ji-Soo whispered, guilt and pain overcoming her as she saw her mother on her knees.

Bingo. She had her. Just that was left was a little extra acting.

"Ji-Soo, women like us do not get the luxury of choosing who we marry. As the oldest daughters we have duties to our families and marriage is one of them..."

Ji-Soo felt something in her throat like a thick cloth had been pushed down there. Her mother was on her knees crying and she...she was thinking of only herself, forgetting her duties to her family.

So-Yun did not realize when the tears came but she did not want them to stop. She wanted Ji-Soo to feel they needed her. She squeezed Ji-Soo's hands.

"Who we marry can make or break us and our family. Please, for our sake, for your sake, do your duty. We have let you have everything you need, you owe us this much."

She looked at her father, he was looking away from her. His face was hard and Ji-Soo could not help the beat her heart skipped.

How could she be so selfish? They had been so kind to her and this was how she wanted to repay them. She has to make things right.

Ji-Soo knelt next to her mother and wiping the tears from her eyes, she felt her throat loosen.

"Father, mother, I'm sorry. I just really love Han-Soo and I forgot that my family should come first. I know the marriage has already been decided with or without my consent. I will not argue further and I will do my best to get accepted by the Kang family.

She saw her father's lips twitch. This Time he looked at her.

"You have come to your senses. That is good. So-Yun set up a date, and the families need to be formally introduced."

So-Yun could not help the smile.

"Thank you Ji-Soo, you don't know what you have done. Today you have proved you deserve to be in this family. I'm proud of you."

Ji-Soo smiled too. Mother was proud of her. She knew this was the right thing to do but there was something else she had to do.

. . . . . . .

Min-Jae yawned.

"You should rest sir"

Min-Jae looked up at his secretary, a small smile playing on his lips. He was the closest thing he had to friends.

"Mr Park, I think you are the one who needs more rest. You have not been home in days. I'm sure my Unni misses you."

Their eyes met and they both burst into laughter.

"More like she is happy I'm gone!"

"If I were her, I would divorce you," Min-Jae Snickered. "What was it this time?"

"She was planning to set up a blind date for you with my cousin".

Min-Jea's laughter had stopped.

"Did my mother make her?"

Park put a hand on his shoulder when it came to Min-Jae, marriage was a delicate subject.

"She is just worried about you. You are not getting any younger and she also wants to turn your children into her minions"

They both burst into laughter again. He could imagine Mr Park's wife, Min-A, commanding a group of children to terrorize them.

Mr Park cleared his throat.

"On a more serious note, you should be thinking about marriage..."

Min-Jae stopped laughing and Mr Park knew what he was going to say next.

"Nobody is going to marry me."

"Nonsense, you are rich, manly and you are handsome!"

"Was handsome," Min-Jae did not like talking about it but Mr Park was the only one he knew who said exactly what they were thinking.

In Mr Park and his Unni's eyes, to his family, he would always be handsome but that did not change how he felt, that did not change what he saw when he looked in the mirror every morning, that was not what everyone else saw, that was not reality.

"Nobody is going to give their daughter to a man like me," he raised a hand and pointed to the right side of his face," no woman would be willing to sleep or wake up next to this."

"That is not true."

Mr Park had been working as Min-Jea's secretary for five years now. He had first been the Kang family chauffeur but after Min-Jea's accident, he had become his secretary.

Min-Jae did not want anyone outside the family to get close to him. He knew what people said behind his back, especially the employees and he did not want them to be around him all day. The fake smiles, the looks of pity or repulse, the silent whispers-at least he knew Mr Park was not afraid of his face. So he had made Mr Park his secretary.

"Want a beer?", Min-Jae asked, closing the files in front of him and standing up

Mr Park grinned a little. Always going to change the subject huh?

"Soju?", he replied.

"Why not?", Min-Jea grinned back.

. . . . . . .

Where are you?

So-Min waited but got no reply to her text. She was about to call when she saw her mother's figure walk towards her.

"Where have you been a mother?

So-Yun smiled. She took her daughter's hand and locked them with hers.

"Let's go get a table first".

They walked into the restaurant and picked a table next to the window. So-Min did not know why her mother was so happy but she could guess.

"Did she say yes?", So-Min leaned forward to ask.

The smile widened. So-Yun was like a child who had just discovered a stash of candy. So-Min smiled in disbelief.

"Is my Unni that stupid?", she scoffed

"You needed to see her crying," So-Yun chuckled," she thought she was really that important".

So-Min eyed her mother. Ji-Soo was gullible and that was her problem. All So-Min cared about was not marrying Kang Min-Jae. She could not stomach the thought of waking up next to a man who looked like that, so how could Ji-Soo?

"Does Unni even know who she is agreeing to get married to?"

So-Yun stopped smiling. With Ji-Soo that was possible. Kang Min-Jae liked to avoid the spotlight because of his face. So his name was known but his face remained a rumor. She had heard he sent representatives whenever it was necessary he made an appearance. Ji-Soo probably would not see his face until the day of the wedding!

Then again, it was Ji-Soo. So-Yun's smile returned.

"You know how she feels about the family, she is indebted to us. Even if the man had one leg as long as we remind her what she owes us, she would not back down"

"Are you sure?", So-Min took a long sip of her coffee and stared at her mother with a blank expression.

"Do you not trust your mother?"

"The last time I trusted you, she got Yoon!"

So-Yun's smile dropped again. She felt the other people in the restaurant looking at them.

"I am working on it, So-Min. Once she is married Yoon will have no reason but to turn to someone to fix his wounded pride. And you will be waiting...."

"I am tired of waiting!" So-Min hissed. "She is always better at everything yet she acts like she does not want to be. I am so sick of her, I do not know how she trapped Yoon, he does not even love her, he..."

"Pities her"

So-Min rolled her eyes and looked at the cars driving past.

"People like Ji-Soo only attract pity. They try to please everyone and pretend not to want anything for themselves. That is why he is still with her because he knows she will never speak up and he pities her so much, he can not leave."

So-Min's head turned to look at her mother. "What about me? I wanted Yoon first!"

Now So-Yun was sure everyone was looking at them. She breathed in and in a voice so calm, it could pierce glass, said,

"You will not do this here."

So-Min looked up and saw some people looking at their table and whispering. She looked back at her mother and knew she'd soon cross her limit.

"I'm sorry Mother".

So-Yun smiled, she knew it wasn't her fault.

"It's okay. You just have to let me handle this. I would do anything for your happiness. You are my daughter, You. Ji-Soo can try all she wants but she will never be able to do that better than you. Very soon, her pitiable act will not be able to deceive anyone. Just remember, you are real and she is fake "

. . . . . . . .

"And the girl?"

"Already said yes"

Jae-Min let out a breath. All that was needed was to convince his son.

"What if he says no?"

Jae-Min squinted in thought. what if he said no?

"Well," he looked up, a knowing grin playing on his lips," we can always trust his mother and his Unni to convince him"

They both chuckled.

"Set up a date for an official meeting between the two families"

"Yes sir"

"And make sure he comes in person"

"Yes sir"