When Love Forgets

Chapter 6

                    

                      Mina’s POV

The streets of Seoul glistened under the soft hues of autumn. A light, crisp breeze played with the fallen leaves, swirling them around my feet as I walked aimlessly through the city.

Autumn had always been my favorite season. There was something comforting about the cool air and the golden hues that painted the world around me. It reminded me of peaceful days before life became so complicated.

Maybe that’s why I loved this season so much, it was a reminder of simpler times—before my mother passed, before my father remarried, before everything fell apart.

Next week is my birthday, mid-September, a time I should be looking forward to. But instead, I felt a sense of dread deep in my chest. I wasn’t the same person I used to be. And this year, I would be spending my birthday as someone’s wife. Someone who didn’t even care.

Lost in thought, I didn’t realize where my feet were taking me until I looked up and saw the looming figure of my parents' house. The place that had been more like a prison than a home for the past few years.

My heart skipped a beat, and I felt an icy shiver run down my spine. This house held memories I tried so hard to forget, memories of pain, rejection, and endless loneliness. Yet, here I was again.

I had no choice but to come. My stepmother had called earlier, demanding I meet her today. Her voice still haunted me, cold and authoritative. Ignoring her wasn’t an option. It never was.

I stood in front of the gate, hesitating for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. The familiar chill washed over me as I walked through the entrance.

The house was beautiful on the outside, but inside, it had always been cold, sterile. It never felt like home, not since my mother was gone. I remember the first time I entered it with my stepmother. Everything changed that day.

The door creaked open, and the echo of my footsteps filled the empty hallway. I made my way to the sitting room, a place where I had spent so many hours feeling small and insignificant under my stepmother’s watchful gaze. Nothing had changed. The room still felt as cold as ever, decorated with luxury but devoid of warmth.

“Mina,” came the sharp voice of my stepmother as she appeared from the other side of the room.

Her eyes scanned me, filled with disapproval.

“You took your time getting here,” she said, her lips curling into a thin smile.

“Sit down.”

I obeyed, my legs trembling as I sat across from her, the tension in the air thick and suffocating.

She was dressed in her usual impeccable designer clothing, her hair styled perfectly, and the air of control she exuded always left me feeling small.

“You’re married now,” she began, her tone icy.

“You’re the wife of one of the wealthiest men in Seoul, and yet, I hear nothing about you two being close. How do you expect to maintain this marriage if you don’t act like the wife you’re supposed to be?”

I swallowed, feeling the familiar tightness in my chest.

“We… we’re not like that,” I said quietly, trying to avoid her harsh gaze.

“I don’t want to force anything—”

“Force?” she cut me off with a scoff.

“That’s nonsense. You need to act like a proper wife, Mina. Spend his money, show off your status, make sure people know who you are. You’re not just anyone anymore. Start behaving like it.”