You're My Melody

Chapter 27: Engaged

Seohyun thought her life couldn’t get any worse but she was surprised when her father went to meet her one day and told her the worst thing ever.

“You’re going to be married soon,” her father said as if he was talking about the weather, cold and emotionless.

“M-marry?” she asked again hoping she heard wrong.

"Yes," her father said confirming she heard right.

“W-wae?” she still couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“For years I’ve seen you as something of no use to me. At least now make yourself useful and marry the man I chose for you.”

Seohyun let out a bitter laugh. Any more of this and she will probably go crazy. “No, dad. I’m not marrying anybody.” She was about to leave and return back to her room when suddenly her father grabber her arm a little too hard and she was forced to face him again.

“You are going to marry him whether you like it or not,” he hissed.

“No dad. I won’t. Isn’t it enough that you have to lock me up? Now you even have to make me marry someone I don’t even know? What’s next? Are you going to order me to kill myself? Well honestly dying sounds even better than being forced to live a life I didn’t want in the first place.”

He slapped her hard across her face but she expected it so it was not a surprise. She fell again from the impact. She hit the table and she felt a searing pain in her arm. She suddenly regretted provoking her father. Her eyes started tearing up partly from pain, anger, and fear.

She looked up at her father with eyes full of hatred and asked, “Do you really hate me this much? What have I ever done to you for you to make me suffer like this?” she couldn’t help asking.

“The fact that you live in this world… that’s your biggest mistake.”

She knew it. At the back of her mind she knew it all along, even before her father admitted the truth. He had always been blaming her for the death if his wife. Her mother died after giving birth to her and ever since then her father sees her as nothing but an unwanted child.

She grabbed a chair and tried to force herself up trying to ignore the burning pain on her arm. The bruise from the last time hasn’t healed yet but it was nothing compared to the throbbing pain in her heart. She faced his father with teary eyes, “Dad, just once… even if it’s a lie… will you please tell me you love me?” It was hopeless but for once she wanted to hear it from him…just this once.

“Don’t be pathetic…”

That shouldn't have hurt. It's not as if she didn’t expect it because she did. She realized her heart wasn't as numb as she expected it to be.

Seohyun cried and she swore it’s going to be the last.

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“Dress up nicely tonight. You’ll be having a formal dinner with your future husband.” Her father told her a few days later after the argument they had. She suddenly had the urge to look her worst but apparently her father expected it because he sent stylists at home to dress her up despite her protests.

Now she was forced to wear a black evening dress and high heels that she was not even comfortable wearing. She found her father waiting for her outside her room. Apparently this marriage means a lot to him that he’s taking his time to make sure everything goes perfectly well.

He gave her one last look before he told her to get in the car. Her father looked pleased but it didn’t cheer her up even a bit. For years she tried to make her father notice her, to make him proud of her but not even once did he spare her a glance. But now as he stared at her with a look of approval, surprisingly she doesn’t feel anything.