Until I Met You │ Mark Lee

News

"This is not a game Mark." His father stood tall in front of him. Mark sat in a chair in his father's office. "You can not choose when you want out or in. You cant decide whether you want to attend organization functions or not." Mr.Lee held a stern look on his face. Tired from a long day of work, he looked at his son as just another one of his business-related problems. "Irene, your future wife, was at the party and you didn't care to show up and introduce yourself." Mr. Lee shook his head in disappointment. "You have never been a problem before. You have always done what you were told to do with no complaints." His words felt harsh to Mark. Mark didn't want to be obedient, not anymore. He looked towards his hand where he fiddled with a dainty gold ring he found just this morning on the floor of his balcony. The owner of the lost ring was no other than Ryung Yi. He held it in his hand tightly, lingering his fingers on the cold metal surface. "Where were you that night? I had my men looking everywhere for you." Mr. Lee finally sat down at his desk. His son sat silently across from him, wishing for this conversation to be over. Mr. Lee sighed, unable to comprehend what was going through his son's head. "You are going to take over this business one day Mark. Is this not what you have always wanted?" Mr. Lee stared long and hard at his son. Mark let out a small sigh. "I've never wanted anything more in my whole life." 

"Vey well then." His father stared at Mark almost like he was threatening him. Marks father was malicious when it came to business. Emotions didn't matter when you had a status to uphold and trillions of dollars to protect. Nothing mattered more to Mr. Lee than the work he did and Mark grew up knowing that. As Mark chassed the love his father couldn't give him as a young boy he decided that being the model heir was the best way to grab his father's attention. Mark would never taste the satisfaction of his father's love and proudness without reaching the throne he craved so much. So Mark sat across from his father, understanding that everything in life comes with a cost. He now comprehended that the cost of his father's approval only relied on his arranged marriage and business persona. "A magazine is coming out today with news of the engagement. I hope to see you become a perfect fiance to the Welsh family." 

The phone rang, distracting Mr. Lee from the conversation. "That is all Mark." As Mr. Lee dismissed his son, he answered the phone. Mark stood up from his chair and slowly made his way to the door. On the other end of the phone, a wealthy businessman released the information regarding the Yi family. "The Yi family? Impossible." Mark's father gaped in shock as his fingers squeezed the telephone tightly. Mark stopped in his place at the sound of her name, resting his hand on the knob of the door. The news had broken out about the Yi family's fraud case, shocking Korea like a thunderbolt. Mark looked down at his other hand to see the thin band of gold. A symbol of Ryungs presence was rested on the tough skin of Marks but, she had never seemed to be farther away from him. "Release all of the investments toward the Yi business immediately." His father yelled over the phone making Mark clench his hand, concealing her ring. His mind wandered carelessly to the thought of Ryung as he sighed and opened up the door to his father's office to leave. 

-

Ryung liked the smell of flowers. The field below her family's estate bloomed with the most radiant tulips she ever laid eyes on. As she walked through the field her stomach felt uneasy. She watched from afar as countless detectives with polished suits and ties raided her once-beloved home. One by one they moved the Yi family's possessions out of their home in front of their own eyes. It was morning now and the sunlight burned a dark hole in the center of her heart. Her mother's muffled sobs from the porch masked the beautiful sound of the tree branches rustling in the wind. The larceny her Father created sent shocking waves throughout Korea and she couldn't help but wonder what Mark was thinking at the moment. He told Ryung that her parent's actions did not define her. She wondered if he still thought the same thing in the daylight after returning back into his high-class world. Ryung bent down to smell the freshness of the flowers. She appreciated the little things in life that were most often ignored. She closed her eyes for a moment, her fingers tracing the soft petals that felt cool to the touch. "Ryung!" Her father yelled from the estate, breaking her away from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to look back at her father. His figure in the distance looked tiny and she couldn't help but grimace at the ignorance he held. 

Mr. Yi always taught Ryung to work hard. At a young age, she understood the value of ethics. Ryung was always told to have manners and to accept nothing more than she deserved. After seeing how her parents struggled with the weight of their debt growing up, she began to learn that people never got what they deserved. She was lectured to strive for greatness in a poor household and after a while, she realized that greatness was not something that happens to the outvoted, no matter how hard you strive for it. So Ryung grew up freely, not caring about the trials of tomorrow or the amount of money she had in her bank account. Ryung cared about flowers. She cared about whatever made her heart feel gracious. Now, looking at her dad who was calling her to come back up to the house her heart fell numb. The man who lectured her young soul about work ethic and taking what she deserved, took what he didn't deserve or worked for. She stood tall, wiping the soil off her loose dress that flowed in the wind. 

She walked back up to the house slowly, glaring at the sight of her mother on the porch. She looked weak. If there was anything her parents taught her about their status of 'new money' it was to always look the part. As she reached the porch she let out a small laugh, catching her parent's attention. "You think this is funny? The bank is taking our house!" Her mother yelled. Ryung bit her lip, trying to hide the resentful smile she held. "I do actually. This situation we are in is making me very nostalgic for my childhood." She sighed and grabbed the piece of paper hanging on their front door. It was the foreclosure notice from the bank. "If you are looking to plead not guilty I suggest you get up." Ryung's eyes pierced through her mother's and she stopped her tears. Ryung's father always admired how his daughter graced herself. With the mess he had created in his family's life, he esteemed Ryung as capable. She was able to live below her means and the amount of money they had to their name meant nothing to his daughter. He only worried for her fragile heart that would crumble at the harsh words of other people. His worries only lasted a moment as he watched his daughter's eyes hold fire at the resentment she held deep down. He had never seen such emotion on Ryungs face and as she said, "You might want to clean yourself up mother. News reporters will be here soon and you know the protocol; look the part of an innocent, high-class family." he knew that she was ready for what was to come.