A Scandalous Pair | Kim Mingyu FF | Svt

Mingyu

I felt a mixture of anger and disbelief at his words. How could he bring up marriage so casually, like it was some sort of business transaction? "Marriage to Hyerin? Dad, this isn't the 19th century. We don't arrange marriages anymore, especially to someone I have zero feelings for. Moreover, if you don't remember, I once broke my engagement with her."

My father's expression darkened at my response, his displeasure evident. He leaned forward, his voice growing stern. "I don't care about your feelings for Do-hee. They have changed once before, so they may change again." He paused, fixing me with a sharp gaze. "As for Kang Hyerin, breaking off your engagement was a mistake. It's time to set things right. That girl is much more worthy to be your partner and a member of our family. I don't know what foolishness got into you back then to break the engagement with her."

I felt my patience wearing thin, my voice rising in irritation. "Dad, do you even listen to yourself? Do you have any idea how condescending you sound? You're just treating me like some sort of property, parading me around like a puppet for your business relations. You don't care about MY happiness. You only care about appearances." I pushed my chair back and stood up, my hands clenched into fists. "I'm not marrying Hyerin. End of story."

My father's expression hardened at my defiance, his eyes narrowing. He was not accustomed to being contradicted, especially by his own son. "Mingyu, sit back down," he ordered, his voice firm.

I remained standing, refusing to obey. My heart was pounding in my chest, my anger and frustration reaching a boiling point. But my father wasn't done yet. "If you won't marry Hyerin, then break up with Do-hee. Her presence is causing too much commotion, and I won't have it jeopardizing our family's reputation."

I let out a humorless laugh, incredulous at his audacity. He truly thought he could control every aspect of my life, including my relationships. I met his gaze defiantly, my voice cold and unwavering. "I won't break up with Do-hee. I love her, and I'm not letting her go. Not for you, not for any of your business dealings. She means more to me than you can ever understand."

My father's expression turned from irritation to annoyance at my declaration, and he shook his head in disappointment. "Love? Don't be naive, son. I know your relationship with Do-hee is just a ruse, a fake PR stunt to boost your public image. You're not actually dating, are you? You're both just pretending. If you think I don't have proof, let me tell you that Do-hee herself confirmed your relationship. I don't know what you get out of this pairing, but I can guess enough about what Do-hee gets from it. No wonder she's reckless enough to create all this commotion about her. She doesn't love you, son."

His words stung, but I refused to let him see it. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? But you know what, Father? You're wrong. Yes, our relationship may have started as a fake one, but somewhere along the way, things changed." I paused, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. "I care about her more than you could imagine. She may be stubborn and reckless, but she's also passionate and strong. That's more than I can say for someone like Hyerin. Moreover, the things happening right now are not caused by her. Someone's trying to ruin her career and life."

My father rolled his eyes, unimpressed by my defense of Do-hee. "You're blinded by the idea of love, son. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Don't be naive. You might be fond of Do-hee, but that doesn't change the fact that her presence in your life is causing problems. She's a liability, and she's bringing unwanted attention to our family." He paused, fixing me with a firm gaze. "You need to break up with her. Love someone else other than her."

I met his gaze unflinchingly, my resolve unwavering. "I won't do it. I won't give her up, no matter how much you order me. You can threaten me, you can disown me, but you can't dictate who I love." I took a deep breath, my voice clear and unwavering. "I love Do-hee. I won't let anyone, not even you, tear us apart."