UNLIKELY MATCH | HEESEUNG

5 - The Business Proposal

SENA'S POV

I don't tell Steph that Ujin and I have fought and we're taking a break because of me, she might be my manager, but she doesn't need my emotional baggage. Instead, I plaster on a smile and pretend like everything is normal when she asks how brunch went. "We had a great time. Did you see the new post? The food was so good." I fake the enthusiasm and the excitement in my voice, hoping Steph doesn't catch on to what's happening underneath.

As she scrolls through the posts on her phone, I distract myself by rearranging the items on my desk. Anything to keep from breaking down right in front of her. But Steph looks up from her phone, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Is everything okay, Sena? You seem a bit off today."

I force another smile, this one even more strained than before. "Yeah, just a bit tired, you know? I'll have to meet my parents this afternoon and you know how much I hate small talk with them." I brush off her concern, hoping she buys my excuse. Well, it's not entirely a lie, I do hate meeting my parents. Cross that, I hate meeting my father. I already know what he'll say—the disappointed look, the subtle remarks about my career choice, the comparison to my successful cousins and siblings. It's exhausting, and I'd rather avoid it altogether.

"You know you need to talk it out with them. Avoiding them will only make things worse in the long run." I know. I'm aware that avoiding my issues with my parents won't solve anything, but right now, it just feels like too much. "I'll organize your schedule for next week and send it to you later tonight. Make sure to check and approve it, okay? I'll go back home and sleep for the next five or six hours so I can catch up on the sleep I've been missing lately."

I nod along absentmindedly, barely registering what she's saying. My mind is elsewhere, replaying the harsh words Ujin threw at me over and over again. How could he say those things to me? And why do I feel like it's all my fault? I'm already thinking of the hundreds of ways I could have handled the situation differently, replaying every moment of the argument in my head, searching for the point where I went wrong and the hundreds of ways I can apologize and make him realize that it's not just about me and my career.

It's afternoon when I head back to my parents' place and the familiar feeling of dread settles over me as I approach their house. I take a deep breath and walk through the huge garden my father holds so dearly because Mom apparently wanted a 'dream garden.' It's a beautiful façade to an otherwise strained relationship. I spot her in the kitchen along with our two maids, and when she sees me, her eyes light up.

"Sena, sweetheart, it's so good to see you," She says, pulling me into a hug. I hug her back, resting my head against her shoulder for a moment, soaking in the motherly love I usually yearn for. She's a good mother, sometimes a little harsh but that's just her way of showing she cares. But today, I can't shake the feeling that something is off. The way she looks at me when I pull away, the way her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes—it's like she knows something I don't.

"Are Yejin and Min Woo home?" I ask, looking around inside the place to see if I can find my siblings. We grew up quite distant, them being older than me and in the same work field, their interests never quite aligning with mine. But I still enjoyed their presence, watching them from afar as they shined like two bright stars in the family's eyes.

"No, they're busy. Min Woo will go to England next week and Yejin is busy working on her latest project." Mom replies, and instead of sounding sad, she just sounds proud of her children. I wonder if she's as proud of me as she is of them. But before I can dwell on that thought, my father enters the room, a stern look on his face that immediately makes my stomach drop.

"Sena," He looks at me over his glasses and his tone screams disapproval. "We need to talk."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as I follow him to his study, a room I'm all too familiar with. It's where all the serious conversations happen, where my father dispenses his wisdom and expectations like a judge handing down a sentence. Once we're inside, he closes the door behind us and takes a seat behind his massive oak desk, gesturing for me to sit in front of him. I do so, feeling like a child being scolded by a disappointed parent. And in a way, that's exactly what this feels like. "Is something wrong?"

"Your mother and I were thinking," He finally breaks the silence, setting his glasses down. I brace myself for what's to come. "Maybe it's time for you to consider getting married." My stomach sinks at his words and I start thinking of how I'm supposed to tell him that Ujin and I are so unlikely to get married now, after what happened at brunch. But before I can speak, my father continues. "It will be beneficial for our business and for your... influencer career."

"What do you mean?" Why would marrying Ujin be beneficial for his business? The main way my father gains huge amounts of money is by sponsoring Formula 1 teams and I fail to see how my relationship status could have any impact on that. "Ujin and I are-"

"I'm not talking about Ujin, he's not going to marry you, Sena." The way he says it so nonchalantly, so matter-of-factly, sends a shiver down my spine. I'm momentarily stunned, struggling to comprehend his words. "Lee Heeseung, a Ferrari driver. The two of you get married, we sponsor him and you become the face of our brand. It's a strategic move, Sena. Your marriage to him would elevate our family's status and open up countless opportunities in the business world. You can also keep your little hobby and share your life with the public. It's a win-win situation for all of us-"

"You don't even care about what I do! Don't pretend that you're doing this for me or for my career. You're just using me, Dad!" I feel like the air has been knocked out of me. Arranged marriage? This is the 21st century. I thought my parents understood that I wanted to make my own choices, that I wanted to marry for love, not convenience. But this is too much. "Please stop treating me like this."

"I've let you do whatever you wanted with your life, Sena, I've let you pursue your so-called career as an influencer," He responds, his voice cold and unforgiving. "But there comes a point where you need to put the family's interests above your own selfish desires. This marriage is not negotiable. It will happen, soon, and you'll have to be a responsible member of this family."

"I won't marry someone I don't love-" I want to say but he raises his voice and I feel like a helpless child being scolded.

"You will do as I say, Sena. Your feelings are irrelevant in this matter. This marriage will secure our family's future, and you will comply!"I flinch when his fists collide with his desk, the sound echoing through the room like a thunderclap. I shrink back, feeling small and insignificant in his presence. "If only you were like your siblings, I wouldn't have to resort to such measures. But no, you had to be the difficult one, the rebellious one. Well, it ends now."

All I do is stand up and storm out of his study room, my heart pounding with both anger and fear. I cannot breathe, cannot think, cannot understand. I pass by my mother but I don't even bother glancing her way because I know she knew about everything and yet, chose to turn a blind eye.

Once I arrive at my apartment, I collapse onto my bed, burying my face in my hands as tears finally spill over. It's all too much to bear—Ujin's harsh words, my father's ultimatum, the realization that I'm nothing more than a spoiled heiress to be traded like a commodity for the benefit of others.

What am I going to tell Ujin? That I'm simply going to dump him because I'm about to be sold off in an arranged marriage? That I'm simply going to abandon him without any explanation, leaving him to wonder what went wrong? No, I owe him more than that. Despite what happened the other day, I know Ujin loves me and I know I love him too.

I know when my father sets his mind to something, he is going to do everything in his power to make it happen. But I'm also not going to abandon Ujin for someone I know nothing about. And that's when that crazy idea starts to form in my mind—a plan so audacious, so daring, that it might just be crazy enough to work.