LET THE WORLD BURN || P.SH X K.SN

N I N E

CHAPTER NINE: DOLLHOUSE

'KIM SUNOO'

The drive to my father’s mansion was suffocating. The tension between Sunghoon and me was palpable, the kind that made your skin crawl. I kept my eyes fixed on the passing scenery, letting the familiar sights of the city blur together as memories of this place—a house, not a home—flashed through my mind. Every visit to the mansion was like stepping back into a nightmare, a place where my father’s disapproval and coldness loomed over every corner.

I didn’t want to be here. If it weren’t for Sun-ah, I would have found an excuse—any excuse—to avoid this charade. But my sister had begged me to come, to bring Sunghoon and show a united front. “For me,” she had said, her voice soft and pleading. I could never say no to her, even if it meant enduring the discomfort of pretending everything in my life was perfect.

Sunghoon, sitting beside me in the driver’s seat, kept stealing glances my way, but I refused to acknowledge them. I knew what he wanted—to talk, to break the silence that had settled between us like a heavy fog. But what was there to say? Our marriage was a joke, a farce built on obligation rather than love. Every time I looked at him, all I could feel was resentment. I never wanted to marry him, and yet here we were, playing the roles of a loving couple for a family that didn’t care about anything but appearances.

As we pulled up to the mansion, my stomach twisted into knots. The grand structure loomed before us, a cold and unwelcoming reminder of everything I had tried to escape. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the inevitable interactions with my father. His judgmental gaze, his sharp words—it was all waiting for me inside. I could feel Sunghoon’s hand brush against mine as we exited the car, but I quickly pulled away. The last thing I needed was for my father to think there was any truth to this charade.

Inside, the mansion was decorated for the occasion, balloons and banners in soft pastel colors hanging everywhere. It was supposed to be a celebration, but all I felt was dread. My eyes scanned the room, searching for Sun-ah. She stood near the center, glowing with excitement in a flowing dress that highlighted her pregnancy. Seeing her like that, so happy and full of life, almost made me forget why I hated this place so much. Almost.

But then I saw him—Ray. He stood beside Sun-ah, his arms crossed, a bored expression on his face as he watched the guests. My heart sank. I had never trusted Ray, not from the moment I met him. There was something off about him, something that set off all the alarms in my head. And now, seeing him here, barely paying attention to Sun-ah, I knew I had been right. He was trouble.

I could see how much Sun-ah adored him, how much hope she had pinned on this relationship. But I knew better. Ray wasn’t going to marry her. He was just stringing her along, giving her false hope until he got bored and moved on. I could see it all playing out in my mind, the heartbreak that was waiting for her just around the corner. And it terrified me because I knew my sister—knew how fragile she could be when it came to matters of the heart.

As the time for the gender reveal approached, I found a spot near the back of the room, away from the crowd. I didn’t want to interact with anyone, especially not my father. Sunghoon stood beside me, awkward and out of place, but I barely noticed. My mind was too occupied with what was about to happen, with the gnawing feeling of dread that was creeping up on me.

Sun-ah and Ray took their places beside the large, decorated box. I watched her hands tremble slightly as she reached for the string, her face lit up with a mix of excitement and nervousness. And then she pulled, releasing a flurry of pink balloons into the air. It was a girl.