Someone to Love

Forty-One

I'm guessing this is gonna be a long dinner. Lucas was seated at the end of the table, the one that's literally facing his father, I sat down on Lucas' left side, and Lucas' mother sat on her husband's right. It was a good thing they didn't use the long table because we probably wouldn't have heard each other or got the chance to talk to one another.
"So, I understand that you two are getting married." Lucas' dad said, finally breaking the silence, which made the three of us stop eating.
"Yes, Ara and I are getting married in four days." Lucas replied.
"And you didn't even consider the family."
"With all due respect, Dad, but I was and still am under the impression of your statement made when I was still eighteen, you know when I decided that I won't be running the family business-"
"You are still a Seo, you still use it every day. I bet your doctor's coat says it. Your fiancée would probably use it after you get married."
"Well, I couldn't change it to Choi."
And then his father looked at me.
"I assume, you would be taking the Seo surname, Miss Hayden?"
I would have reached for Lucas' hand if I could but reaching it would be so obvious, and I am a strong independent woman. Mr. Seo would not scare me.
"Actually, Luc-uh, Lee Kyung and I had a talk about that and taking the husband's surname isn't a Korean custom-"
"But you are American."
"British-American actually. I am both a citizen of the US and of the UK. There's no need to point that out but, Lucas and I made an agreement that I would just be hyphenating it."
"That is if I let you use it."
"Aboji!" Lucas suddenly shouted.
Lucas' mother reached out to her husband's arm, as if to calm him. And I looked at Lucas.
"Why don't we just continue eating?" Eomma said
And we did for a while.
"I was fine when you said that you'd be cutting me off from everything, you know when I told you I wanted to be a surgeon. And now, I am one, I'm doing great actually, and not once you asked how was I doing? Is it that hard to hear that I'm actually doing great in the choice I made?" Lucas suddenly said, which made me and Eomma stop eating.
"You are doing well in the hospital that your girlfriend owns!"
"Dad, I was there before, way before HI owned it. And I did not become a doctor because of Ara and Ara did not do anything with that."
"I made you what you are."
"I made me what I am. You never want anything to do with me after I told you I didn't want S&C, and here you are now, acting all concerned with the fact that I am marrying a Hayden."
"Because Haydens are our rivals, no offense meant, Miss Hayden."
"Oh believe me, I am not taking offense in any of this." I whispered.
Of course, both men are heated up and my statement was ignored.
"Business rivals? Aboji, I am not doing anything with the business, I don't even know what the hell goes on with the business! I haven't been there for what, 13 years?! I don't have business powers. While I still hold shares, you know, as an honorary Seo-" Lucas then suddenly shifted to Korean. That was good for at least 20 minutes. It was a pretty messed up argument.
"—Ara maybe the second most powerful person in Hayden Industries, I never set foot in any business meetings, took part in any decision making stuff. While it is true that I get a few shares when we get married, I'd gladly not exercise my rights, if it would rest your soul, however, I take joy in not following you so—"
His father breathed.
"Your brother is having a girl." He suddenly said
Oh my god, the secret is out.
"What, all of a sudden, you want me to go back here and run S&C? Or, suddenly, you want this marriage to work, so that Ara and I can give you a grandson?"
I blinked.
"The latter. If I were to be honest, but I know that you won't change your mind. You are my son after all."
Lucas suddenly looked at me, looking all confused.
"I never wanted to take over the business. Although it may seem, that I wasn't entirely on your side in most of your decisions, I really wanted to support you."
What the fuck is going on? Lucas' dad is actually what, the good guy? My dad should take notes.
"That's why I got you that apartment, through your mother-" and then the speech turned Korean and Lucas was suddenly crying, his mother was crying and of course, Mr. Seo also.
I really should have started learning Korean a few months ago, this is really sad that I am missing most of this reconciliation. If they were just having this in Mandarin or English.
Lucas' father stood up and hugged Lucas. I think they are reconciling. Oh my god, my father should have been here to see this, he probably would be either pressured to do the same or just watch as these turn of events unfold and look at this with one eyebrow raised.
"Miss Hayden?" His father said as he let go of Lucas.
"Yes, sir?" I said
"This isn't actually how I wanted or even pictured how I or we would welcome you to our family, but hyphenated or not, you will be a Seo in a few days time, and we'd be honored to have you as a member of our family." He said, offering me a hand.
Again, this is an interesting turn of events.
"Thank you, Mr. Seo." I said
It really took us time to leave the Seo residence because Lucas' mother didn't want us to leave and that his father was still in the mood to chat. However, we still managed to formally invite them to our wedding and the engagement party. I couldn't read what Lucas is feeling right now, but I'm guessing it's a mixture of confusion and relief,
"You okay?" I said, he replied by holding my hand.
"Can we eat?" He said
"Oh, yeah. Sure, where do you want to go?" I said
And then he told Charles the directions.
We arrived at this tent where they served some street foods and Lucas of course, ordered soju. And well, I am so not dressed for this.
"Charles, what are you doing?" I said as I saw Charles motioned to sit on another table.
"Well-"
"Sit with us, no point of eating alone. Plus, I'm buying." Lucas said
"I-"
"Come on. Sit down." I said, Charles sat down and Lucas suddenly shouted some stuff in Korean and the lady replied something then we got food.
"Dig in." Lucas said as he ate.
He was obviously bothered with what happened a while ago, that he decided to stress eat. Or I can't remember if he ate at his parents' house.
"Did you eat at the Seo residence?" I asked Charles.
"Yes, they were kind enough to feed me."
"Then please eat more. Lucas and I weren't able to eat that much."
Charles was a bit hesitant but then Lucas got impatient and just put some food on the plate.
"You okay?" I asked Lucas.
"Honestly? No. I have no idea what the hell happened and why it happened."
"Did you like what happened?"
"Yes, uh, no. Yes, I don't know."
I looked at Lucas as I ate some fish cake.
"It's just not a good conclusion with what the hell happened to us, you get me?" Lucas said
I nodded.
"I mean, if that happened to me and my dad, I'd probably laugh at his face."
"Yeah, Mr. Hayden is not one man to apologize." Charles said, which made me and Lucas look at him.
"What?" I said
"Oh, you know when you had that accident, well, we, and he personally threatened to sue me for what happened and to make me pay for both the car's damages and your damages and Kate's damages and not to mention my damages. He called me an imbecile driver." Charles said
"Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that Charles." I said
"Nah, nothing to apologize for. I still have my job and I'm in Korea." He said as he ate.
"And you are being paid to be bere."
"I know! Isn't that great?!" He said
Lucas and I looked at Charles as if we were faced with a new man.
"Why aren't you like this when we are in New York?" Lucas asked
"Oh, because I am working."
"But you do know you don't have to be so formal to me." I said
"Miss Hayden, if I may, you are still a high official in the company, and I am working for you." He said
I nodded.
"It just doesn't make sense." Lucas said
Charles sighed.
"Miss Hayden is the Vic-"
"Not that. He has his other issues." I said
"Even though he apologized, I'm sure he is not expecting me to accept it right away. I mean, he literally did not want to talk to me for at least what, 18 years? I'm not just accepting his apology." Lucas exclaimed.
I just looked at him.
"What, all of a sudden he waited for me to get married?" Lucas said as he shouted something in Korean again, and then food came again.
"Lucas, you don't have to accept it right away. I mean, babe, it took him what? 18 years to talk to you again and to so-called forgive you." He looked at me as if I lit up.
"Am I really marrying you?"
I smiled.
"In four days." I said
"Well, what's a wedding without a good-ol family drama? I was kinda expecting it to come from the Hayden side." Charles said
"Excuse me?" I said
"I was contacted by Mrs. Hayden a while ago, saying to pick her up at the tarmac tomorrow morning, and she doesn't know what time would she be flying in but I should not come not a second too late. She says, she doesn't want to miss anything." Charles said
"She already missed a lot. Plus, it's not your job to drive her around Korea. It's your job to drive me, it's not my or our fault that she didn't bring her chauffeur here. You answer to me and I am not allowing you to pick her up." I said
The two of them just look at me.
"Look, I pay you. You are my employee, what did she call you?"
"Carl." Charles said
"If she called you by your name, it would have changed my mind, but my mother kept calling me Aliyah for quite some time. I'll tell her you won't be available tomorrow. And thank you for informing me." I said
"You got it, chief." Charles said
It was about midnight when we got back to the hotel,  and Lucas and Charle were probably full and I was just tired. I don't think I can handle any more drama. In a few hours, we're gonna have another photoshoot, the one that's gonna be for the cover of the magazine and other pages of it. Plus, I'm gonna have my gown fitting, and I kinda find it weird that I am not at all that stressed. Three days, I kinda wish that we'd get married tomorrow because I feel that the preparations are too long and a waste of time, we're gonna get to the end anyway, can we just rush it?
We entered the hotel arm in arm, of course, not with Charles as he took care of the car. Lucas kissed the side of my head.
"I love you." He said
I smiled, honestly, I don't think he says those words that much. But I could feel it, and he shows it and for me, that's more than enough.
"I lov-" I started but then I was cut off when I heard someone literally shout my name.
"Ara! There you are!" I got a bit scared when I heard that which made me grip Lucas' arm hard, but he stood a few steps in front of me as if to protect me. But before we could even pinpoint who it was, Charles was already standing in front of Lucas.
"I've been trying to reach you."
Fuck, I know who is.
"Mother?!" I said