in love, legally || CHOI YEONJUN

Chapter 19

"Are you telling me that's the engagement paper Kai is holding?" Hyemi asked, growing aware of Saeri's disappointed look. Her heart seemed to have split.

When Yeonjun didn't respond, it was a confirmation. Hyemi sighed, mentally preparing herself for whatever was going to come next.

Saeri on the other hand was getting paler. She was dressed quite lightly for the cold weather too. As she let out a faint weak cough, Yeonjun flinched. He walked towards her, instinctively giving his hand to lean on which she declined. She weakly walked to the elevator and he knew better to follow her without any complaints. He turned back to catch one look at Hyemi, but her mom was already dragging her towards the garden exit.

"Mom, let me explain," Hyemi's voice trembled, as she tried to wrestle free of her mom's grip, her heels digging into the bricked path. The anger was evident as Mrs. Kang's fingers dug deeper.

She finally let go of her arm when she reached a quiet corner of the hotel garden. She rubbed her sore arm as her mom's gaze carved into her. A mix of fury and disappointment made a lump form in her throat.

"I thought—" she started but her mom's sharp voice cut her off.

"What were you thinking?" her voice hissed in a slow tone, "All these years of raising you, for you to role-play a fake fiance? You should have as well chosen to be an actor then instead of a lawyer,"

Hyemi's worked her jaw, but she couldn't come up with a reply. There was never a two-way conversation with her mom.

"I heard they made you a team leader specifically for his company,"

Hyemi nodded.

"The next thing you know is you'll be kicked out of the Kang's Group. A mere group's team leader has zero job security,"

"Mom. Taehyun is never going to do something like that to me. And...being a team leader is more fun than sitting in that office as a legal director,"

"Don't be delusional. Taehyun barely has power, if it wasn't for your uncle, he wouldn't be in the position. We mean nothing to this family. You are just here because their blood runs in you–" Hyemi blinked, hot tears spilling down her cheeks despite her best efforts to hold them back. Her mother's gaze hardened further as if her emotions were nothing. She pulled his coat tighter around herself, shielding him against the wind that swirled relentlessly around them.

"Twenty-four, and you're standing here crying like a child," Mrs. Kang scoffed, crossing her arms. "Cut off this ridiculous agreement as neatly and quietly as you can. You'll be getting engaged to the Lee family's first son. That's final."

Hyemi's stomach dropped. She opened her mouth to protest, but her mom's steely expression silenced her.

"Mom," she began weakly. Forced into marriage? The thought was ridiculous. She couldn't believe her mom would even consider doing that. The man in question, the Lee family's eldest son, was someone she'd encountered a handful of times at social events, and he was insufferable. He was indeed influential, but what else? Nothing.

Her mind unconsciously drifted to Yeonjun. Compared to that man, Yeonjun was a hundred times better. He might be a little too straightforward and flirtatious for her liking—but it was always in moderation. She never felt uncomfortable around him. Underneath his teasing personality, he was always kind and sweet.

And then there was the part even she didn't want to admit to herself. She liked him. She definitely liked him. She was just afraid of committing to someone so far. She liked him not just as a business partner or this unexplainable agreement they both had made up that night.