Jennie sat in her room, her mind racing. The wedding was just days away, and yet, her thoughts were in complete disarray. She couldn't understand where these emotions were coming from—why, after all this time, doubts and unresolved feelings were bubbling to the surface. For years, she had buried every question, every feeling, every memory. So why now? Why, when everything was supposed to be perfect, did it feel like something was unraveling?
Her frustration with herself only grew as she tried to compose her thoughts. She clenched her fists tightly, staring blankly at the wedding schedule in front of her. This was what her father wanted. This was what she had convinced herself she wanted—or at least, what was best for her. Yoki had always been kind, patient, and understanding. A perfect partner. So why did her heart feel so heavy?
Jennie sighed deeply, running a hand through her hair, when suddenly the door opened, and in walked her father, Robert Kim. He didn't knock, nor did he give her time to prepare. His stern expression carried an air of authority that Jennie knew all too well. She sat up straighter, trying to mask the emotions warring inside her. "Father," she greeted him, her tone neutral but cautious.
Robert stood in front of her, his arms crossed, his eyes scanning her face as if searching for something. For a moment, he said nothing, and Jennie felt a familiar chill crawl down her spine. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice sharp and measured.
"It's funny," he began, tilting his head slightly, "I did not recognize the person painting you and your fiancé in the photos."
Robert's sharp eyes didn't miss the crack in her composure. He stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "That's Lisa Manoban, isn't it?" he said, his voice colder now, more calculated. "The girl you had a relationship with back in college?"
Jennie's heart sank, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at her father, wide-eyed, as memories flashed through her mind like lightning. The late-night confrontations. The cold, harsh words. The threats he made to ensure Jennie broke up with Lisa. The way he dismantled everything she thought she had with Lisa, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but regret and heartache.
Jennie sat silently in her room after her father's abrupt visit, staring blankly at the wall as his words replayed in her mind.
"It would be just work, right Jennie?" he had said, his tone laced with warning. "Don't let this go beyond what it needs to be. Yoki chose her, and I respect his decision. This wedding is too important to risk any... complications."
Jennie had nodded in response, giving him exactly what he wanted—a calm, obedient agreement. "I understand, Father," she had replied evenly, her voice devoid of any trace of emotion. On the outside, she had seemed composed, professional even. But on the inside, it was a completely different story.
Her thoughts were in chaos. She didn't know how to feel or what to make of the situation. She had told herself repeatedly that Lisa's presence in her life again was nothing more than a coincidence. An uncomfortable twist of fate, perhaps, but nothing more. And yet, every time she saw Lisa—working so diligently, her artistic passion shining through—it was impossible not to remember what they had once been.
She had thought those feelings were long gone, buried under years of self-discipline and trying to live up to her father's expectations. But seeing Lisa again was like reopening a door she had locked and sworn never to touch. It was disorienting, like stepping back into a version of herself she had tried so hard to erase.
Jennie rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her. She knew her father was watching her closely now, and that any misstep—any hint that Lisa was more than just a hired photographer—would only escalate things. He had made it clear all those years ago that Lisa was a mistake, an anomaly that didn't fit into the grand plan he had laid out for her life.
