"𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍"

BECAUSE OF HIM

I felt utterly shattered and devastated at that moment. All my hard work seemed pointless; I had endured so much stress over this foolish contract, only for him to tear it apart in front of me.

He just discarded my efforts like they meant nothing.

"You deserve this," he said, his face devoid of emotion.

"The marriage is set for next week. You can leave now," he smirked, turning toward the bed where a bottle of champagne lay. He took a sip as I turned away, my heart heavy with despair.

I was at a loss for what to do. It felt like I was about to marry someone who despised me. But why did he choose me out of all the women out there?

I got into the car and said to Mrs. Choi, "Please take me to the hospital." I stared down, feeling regret as she looked at me, surprised.

"Hospitals? Are you unwell? What happened, Ms. Lee?" she asked, concerned looking at me.

"My mom fainted this morning," I replied, just thinking about her tightening my chest. "Is she okay now?" Mrs. Choi inquired.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Choi. She's fine now." I smiled to reassure her. The reason I had agreed to this marriage was for my mother.

I didn't want her to suffer. Ever since my dad's death, her health had been declining, and the stress of our situation was only making it worse.

"Why did you want to come here, Ms. Lee? And what was that paper you had?" Mrs. Choi asked as she continued driving, prompting a heavy sigh from me. "I'm getting married," I stated flatly. She stopped the car, gasping, "What?! Are you serious? Who is he?" she exclaimed, wide-eyed.

I must have given her a mini heart attack. It was undoubtedly heartbreaking news, at least for me. "It's Jungkook," I said, sighing again as I gazed out the window. "WTF-Are you kidding me?" she almost shouted.

She looked at me as if I were a strange creature. "You're going to marry your rival?" she asked, incredulous.

"He's not just a rival; he's my enemy," I shot back, signaling her to start driving again. Soon we arrived at the hospital. I paid the bill and picked up some medications prescribed by the doctor. When I entered her room, I found my mother awake, sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the wall. As I approached her slowly.

"Here are your meds, Mom," I said, avoiding her gaze. "We need to talk," she said, glaring at me with intensity. I was taken aback-how did she know?

I shot a look at Ms. Choi, who avoided my eyes, pretending nothing was happening. Oh, why is my life such a mess? I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "How could you do this, Yn?" she shouted, making me feel uneasy.

"I'm not letting this happen," she added, visibly furious. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I have to," I tried to explain, but my words only made her angrier.

Her eyes, still filled with rage, looked as if they might burst. "Because of him, I'm in this state. Because of him, we lost our company. Because of him, we lost everything!" She yelled, breathing heavily, which only worried me further. Yet, I felt the need to tell her the bitter truth.

"I'm marrying him," I blurted out, gazing into her pained eyes. Guilt washed over me for the choice I was making, and her expression turned to one of disgust.

"You're no longer my daughter. You don't belong to the Lee family anymore," she said, tears streaming down her face. Her words pierced my heart; it hurt deeply. I fought back my own tears, not wanting to show my guilt for the decision I had made. Perhaps I had made a grave mistake, a choice that could ruin my entire life.

And it was all because of him...

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