Trouble with the Curve

Chapter One | First Impressions

As I descend the stairs, sniffles and cries touch my earms and I see a small frame squatting on the stair landing as she sobs. When I draw closer, the woman stands and hides her face away from me, but I catch a glimpse of the woman I now knew as Nurse Lee. Tears and mascara are streaming down her cheeks.

She must have come down here to keep the girl from seeing her crying.

Deciding not to embarrass her, I simply pull out a package of tissues from my hoodie pocket and hold them out to her, looking at my sneakers. She hesitates and her small hand accepts them, her slender fingers brushing against mine as she takes them. I don't say a word and continue walking down the stairs, thinking about what kind of world we must live in for cancer to still cause so many people so much pain.

***

Now as I stand next to Lee Soojin on the dance floor of Lee Young-min and Vivian Jones' wedding, I realized that life really was an ironic joke. Lee Soojin is drunk, or at the very least tipsy, and muttering about her own wedding coming up in a few weeks.

Deciding the potential conversation might be had while seated, I quietly escort her off the dance floor and to the entryway where a padded couch awaits just for us.

I deposit her on the couch and prepare to get a drink

"Miss Lee, I'm going to go and get you a glass of water. Will you be here by yourself? I mean, sorry, will you be alright here by yourself?"

"No, I will be-be fine," Lee Soojin hiccups.

"I never would have guessed you're a lightweight Miss Lee," I tease.

"I very rarely drink. So, it's not surprising," she smiles, her cheeks flushed red.

Lee Soojin pulls at her dress and fiddles with the various pieces of jewelry until a large stone catches the light, drawing my attention to the interesting design.

She's batting around at her necklace, nearly smacking me in the face, so I gently grab her arm and hold her hand, looking at the ring carefully.

"That's a very beautiful ring. It's very unique."

"It was my mother's," Lee Soojin murmurs, looking down at her hand quietly.

"I feel like I've seen it before."

"Doubtful. Normally it's hidden on a chain, but I wore it like normal to get my father off my back," Lee Soojin sighs.

"Why on a chain? Won't your mother be upset?"

"She died when I was a little girl. I wear it to appease my father. He'd rather me wear the ring my supposed husband picked out, but it's so ostentatious and gaudy I can't wear it to work or everyday without feeling like a..."

"Like a...?" Ryan Jae asks.

"Princess."

"And that's a bad thing? Most men want their brides to feel like princesses."

She sighs and waves me away, "I had a man who treated me like a princess and I treated him like a prince. Looking back-back, he himself was gaudy and ostentatious. So why would I want to repeat that mistake with my new husband?"

"Maybe his intent wasn't to—"

"I have never met the man before so I doubt he meant any harm. He has no reason to dislike me. It was his family who reached out to mine to marry me," she scoffs.

"An arranged marriage between your families?"

"I'm the sole heir to Lee Industries after my cousin gave up her spot to run her bookstore without interference from our dads. The head of the Sam family reached out a month ago to propose alliance and merger by marriage. My father asked me if I was willing. I said yes. Now I'm set to marry a man I don't know."

"And don't love," I mutter. "You're marrying a man you don't even know, just like I am—"

Wait did she say the Sam family?

"You said the Sam family?"

"Yup. I didn't even know Sam Jae had a son, but apparently he does. Lived abroad and recently came back to take over the family business or something," Lee Soojin lets out a bemused sigh and looks up at me, her dark eyes meeting mine.

That's one way to tell the story of my life, I guess. So Eomeoni was right? You're really the woman I'm set to marry, huh?

"Or something...Why marry someone you don't love? You're a beautiful woman, successful, rich, it seems like you have a lot to offer—"

Lee Soojin waves off my question. As a waiter passes by, she swipes another glass of champagne off their tray so quickly and gracefully that I have no time to stop her from downing it in one gulp.

"Miss Lee, you seem like you've had enough to drink..."

"I'll know when I've had enough," Lee Soojin responds softly.

"What is your stopping point?"

I squat down in front of her seat on the bench and take away the empty champagne flute. She looks at me and with a shrug of her shoulders easily responds, "When I think I won't be able to run in the morning."

"You like to run?"

"Hate it."

"Why do it?"

"I like to do things I was once told I couldn't."

"I can kind of relate I guess. It's been hard to adapt to not using my arm or playing anymore."

"Playing?" She asks, confusion marring her once soft and gentle voice.

"I used to play for the Seoul Eagles."

She stands up, grinding her teeth, and quickly maneuvers away from me, fire in her dark eyes, "You're a professional athlete?"

"I was. I played baseball professionally."

I stare at her, confused as to her reaction to that information.

With everything we're talking about, that's what makes her upset?

"I need to leave. Right now."

She shoves her way past me and I let out a groan as I tug on the back of my neck.

"Damn it. She thinks I'm a pretentious asshole because of the stupid ring my father picked out? We've never met officially, and this will be down in history as our first encounter? That's just great..."

I sit down on the couch and think about where to go from here now that I know who my bride is, but she obviously doesn't know me.