You left Rosé's home the next morning without a word, she was still sleeping peacefully and you couldn't bare to wake her, you smiled as you tucked her in underneath the covers. She looked happy being asleep, like she was having a good dream, you didn't want to face Rosé's wrath if you disturbed that and you didn't want to wake your girlfriend up just to tell her you were leaving to meet the girl you were going to marry, it would just be cruel.
You looked into Rosé's mirror, you looked awful, there were dark circles underneath your eyes along with smudged mascara that you had forgotten to take off and your bun had become loose and messy, you'd spent all of last night researching Jennie, you couldn't help it, it was too addictive scrolling through articles and old instagram feeds trying to find out everything you wanted to know about this girl.
When you got back to your house you sent Rosé a message, explaining where you had gone and why you had to leave, hoping that Rosé would be understanding. It was nearly midday, you should have some time to clean yourself up before the Kims arrived, you took a deep breath in as you pushed open the doors and slowly walked through the corridors, you were hoping you'd be able to grab some food from the kitchen, you had not eaten in a long while. You decided you were going to use the short cut through the dining room, you couldn't waste any time right now. As you pushed open the dining hall doors you were greeted with an unsettling scene, you could feel her stomach churn.
At the table sat you dad with who you assumed was Mr Kim and Jennie, you diverted your eyes to the ground as you saw your fathers face turn red.
But you felt shocked, Jennie was even more beautiful in real life, her black hair shone in the natural light and her perfectly tailored suit fit her so well that you couldn't help but blush, you felt embarrassed that the first time you had met your future wife, you were looking like you had just come off a bender.
Your dad stood up angrily, he stared at you, more embarrassed about your appearance than you were.
'Im sorry about this Mr Kim' Mr Jung sighed 'let me go talk to Y/n about this outside'
You wandered out of the dining room quickly with your dad trailing behind you, at least if he killed you, you wouldn't have to get married
'Y/n I'm disappointed in your behaviour' He lectured 'what on earth is Mr Kim going to think? He wants his daughter to marry you because our family is respectable, one look at you and he is going to think otherwise'
'Im sorry dad' you yawned 'you didn't give me proper information, how was I supposed to know what time I was meant to be ready?
'
'Just go clean yourself up, I want you here in ten minutes, or I will forbid you from seeing Rosé for the rest of the summer'
'Thats not fair'
'Life isn't' He turned around and made his way back into the dining room as you scowled, you seemed to be in your own little personal hell catered especially for you.
You sat in front of the mirror, slowly brushing your hair, you could barely recognise yourself, the neat dark green dress your dad had picked out for you made you feel like some kind of princess- but not in a good way. You didn't feel like a fairytale princess but rather a spoilt upperclass princess who got everything you wanted with just one smile, the type of princess who could get away with vile words just because they were pretty and rich.
Your mind was itching, you weren't able to figure anything out about Jennie just by looking at her, her gaze was empty and expressionless, you liked to know what people were thinking, usually you could tell just by looking at their face but with Jennie you saw nothing, that not knowing frustrated you, your bad mood begun to grow as your head swirled with assumptions.
You frowned as you heard your door open, you had only been gone for seven minutes, your time wasn't up yet.
'Dad, I'm still getting ready' you complained brushing through your hair
'Oh sorry' you turned around, Jennie was standing at the door 'I can see this is not the bathroom'
'Clearly' you rolled your eyes, you were too tired for this
'Can you show me? the directions your dad gave me were a little confusing'
'Down the hall, first door to your left'
'Thanks'
Jennie left the room, you watched as she did so, liking the view that pencil skirt was giving you but you felt weird knowing that you had just had your first interaction with her, something as simple as that.
You made your way down to the dining room, carefully placing your foot on each stair like a child in attempt to stall.
'What are you doing?' you saw Jennie standing at the top of the stairs behind you
'I don't know' you coldly stated
'I don't want to marry you' Jennie bluntly said, her face expressionless 'I thought I'd get that out of the way while we're not in front of our dads'
'Neither'
Jennie walked down the stairs, getting closer to you
'I don't like you either' Jennie frowned 'you're exactly like how the news articles made you out to be'
'Whats that supposed to mean?'
'Do you work Y/n? Do you contribute anything to your wealth or do you just live off daddy's money'
'I-im um learning the ropes' you stuttered not liking being put on the spot 'why are you being such a bitch?'
'I don't like private school socialites'
'Fucking hell, I'm not Serena Van Der Woodsen, you don't know anything about me do you?'
'I don't need to, your appearance earlier told me everything I needed to know'
You snarled, unhappy with this interaction, sure from Jennie's instagram you could sense the coldness seeping off of her but you didn't think she'd be this prejudiced, you knew Jennie was wrong and misjudging you but you weren't even being given the chance to prove her wrong.
'Are you forgetting you're rich too? You're one of the wealthiest families in the country'
'I'm different to you, I never went to private school, I grew up of average income until the business started to grow, girls like you have teased me my entire life, I may have money but I don't have the status'
'So you think you're better than me? Just because we had a different upbringing; you don't even know me, might I add I know what those girls are like, they teased me as well, I have a dad who works in fashion and on top of all that I like girls, I'm an easy target'
'At least the media treats you nice with your headlines, I'm assuming your dad has a good legal team and knows how to sue whereas they can get away with calling me a slut every five seconds for doing things that every teenager does'
'I mean its your fault for getting caught, thats how trashy tabloids work'
'Did your mother never teach you basic empathy?'
That comment hurt.
'My mothers dead' you muttered your head looking to the ground, while its all you'd ever known sometimes you wished you had a mum, you felt empty on mothers day, seeing all the other girls in elementary make their mothers cards and little edible chocolate baskets in class made you feel left out. You couldn't even watch Mamma Mia without feeling like there was an empty space inside you, whenever the slipping though my fingers scene came on you'd turn off the TV, you would never get to experience the feeling of your mum helping you get ready before your wedding, all you had was your father- he was great, you loved him more than anything but sometimes he just didn't get it, there were things you felt only your mothers would understand.
'Oh, I didn't know' Jennie apologised
'Well now you do' you snapped 'you're not the only one who's had struggles'
You could see the look on Jennie's face, that she didn't know what to say.
'I don't want you to pity me'
'I don't, your sob story means nothing to me'
'And you said I had no empathy'
The tension in the air was thick as you stood on the stairs staring at each other, you didn't know what to expect from your meeting but it certainly wasn't this. You thought that you'd at least get along, you'd be able to bond and laugh over shared experiences but now it was apparent you were in different worlds, just Jennie's face made you angry, with her misjudgements and prejudices, she had little insight into your life yet she acted like she knew everything- that was the type of person that you hated the most, she was like the girls from school just instead this was the girl you were going to have to spend a lot of time with, the girl you got to at least appear to love but it was apparent to you, you could never fall in love with someone this big headed, no matter how beautiful she may be.
'Y/n, Jennie- there you both are' your dad appeared at the bottom of the stairs, seeming to have been searching for you 'I know you both are probably itching to get to know each other, so how about you both come back to the dining room and have some cakes'
You sat at the oak table, frustratingly poking at you chocolate cake with a fork while shooting Jennie angry glares. Their dads just rambled on about business, you didn't care enough to listen, you blocked out the voices with thoughts of how miserable your life was going to be, you had to constantly remind yourself that this was for your dad, it would be over as soon as you knew it.
'I'm sorry my wife couldn't make it today, she's not feeling too great' Mr Kim said as empty plates and cups were taken away 'I'm sure she would have loved to meet you and Y/n'
'I can't wait to meet her, I'm certain she'll be involved in the wedding planning' Mr Jung smiled 'so I'm sure you want to get started on that as soon as possible?'
'Yes, I have talked it over with my wife and we think its best to have the wedding in six months, it'll give us enough time to plan and build up the relationship in the media while also giving Y/n and Jennie time to get to know each other'
'I think thats great dad' Jennie smiled, you could see right through her 'I feel like Y/n and I are going to be very happy'
'I agree' you said through gritted teeth, you couldn't be honest here, your dad had already gone through enough, you couldn't tell him how unhappy you really were
'I'm so happy you are getting along' Mr Jung gushed 'when we move back to the city, we have picked out the perfect place for you to start your life together'
'What!' you stood up raising your voice 'I'm going to have to live with her?!'
'Well after you're married of course, I don't really know what you expected'
'But I like my apartment in the city, I don't get why I have to move'
'You're getting married, thats what a marriage is, you can't just not see each other' your dad looked like he was fed up 'please just consider it'
'I don't like the idea' Jennie sighed 'but I'm willing to try, I'm all for this marriage and making it work'
Jennie was able to keep herself calm while you couldn't help but explode, you knew that by marrying Jennie you were signing your life away but you didn't realise you'd be signing your freedom away as well.
'I need some time' you huffed, storming out of the room, you felt suffocated already, you weren't in control of your own life anymore, you needed to talk to the one thing that was yours, the one thing you had chosen for yourself- Rosie.
You stood in your room, attempting to call Rosie for the tenth time; she wasn't picking up. She must be busy although worry lingered over your head, was she angry at you for leaving her? Did she pretend she was fine with this marriage but in reality she wasn't? You knew Rosé could get overdramatic, you prayed that Rosé was just busy and not growing to hate you. As your phone went to voicemail for the eleventh time, you let out a loud groan, you were going to have to leave her a message.
'Rosie, I don't know if you're busy or if you're ignoring me but I really need to talk to you' you ranted, not noticing the door opening behind you
'The girl who I'm supposed to marry is a absolute bitch, she's a self absorbed maniac who seems to have watched too much gossip girl and bases my personality on bullshit stereotypes. I can't do this- I miss you so much, can't we just change our names and move countries? Anything to get me out of marrying this cunt- how am I supposed to get along with someone so-'
You were interrupted by a loud cough behind you, you turned around and saw Jennie standing at the door, your heart froze- you had just made things a hundred times worse.
'I came to say goodbye' Jennie coldly stated looking at you in malice
'I uh-'
'You don't need to explain yourself, I could say worse about you'
'I'm listening' you replied, your claws out, you were looking for an argument, you were finally ready to snap.
'I'm not as childish as you are, I don't want an argument'
'Stop acting like your in every way above me' you spat angrily 'it's annoying me'
'You need to control your temper, it's not an attractive trait'
'Fuck you' you shouted, you were pissed off now, you could see Jennie's smugness from a mile away, you wanted it to stop. You were mad; mad at your dad, mad at Rosé, mad at yourself and Jennie was doing nothing but provoking you, you looked down at the phone in your hand- you weren't thinking clearly, you threw your phone across the room, aiming for the wall next to Jennie but it missed.
Jennie hissed in pain as the phone hit her lip, your eyes widened in shock- you didn't mean to do that.
'Are you okay?' you asked rushing over to Jennie as blood dripped down her mouth 'I can help'
You picked up a handkerchief that was on your dresser and started lightly dabbing at Jennie's lip
'Don't touch me' Jennie shouted grabbing the piece of fabric out of your hand 'I can't believe you did that'
'I swear, I didn't mean-'
'You're evil Jung Y/n, I'm marrying you for my businesses sake but don't ever think we're friends because i despise you'
'You haven't even tried to get to know me, you haven't even given me a chance to be nice'
'And that gives you the right to shit talk me on the phone with your friends and throw stuff at me?'
'It gets frustrating when someone makes you out to be someone you're not'
'Im sure it is' Jennie sarcastically rolled her eyes 'I really hope we can have a quick divorce because there is no way I am spending the rest of my life with you'
'Don't worry because I promise you after a year I'm filing for one and marrying my girlfriend'
'Good for you, I can't wait' Jennie turned around and walked out of the room 'goodbye Y/n'
Before you could say anything back, the door was slammed in her face, you crashed down onto your bed, your meeting with Jennie was a mess- no it was worse that a mess. A mess could be cleaned up and fixed, a mess was something that could be laughed about once it was all over, this was more of a bomb site. Your relationship with Jennie was ruined before it even started, you cursed the media that portrayed you as a heartless upper class witch.
The next few months dragged on like a bad fever yet they sped by so fast you didn't even notice. The summer had faded by and the leaves turned orange, you were back in the bustling city now, your apartment was smaller than your large country house but it was more of a home to you, you lived closer to Rosé and you were practically neighbours with you dad. he was busy with work and wedding planning, you were flooded with wedding magazines and inspiration that he had sent to you, you had to pick out centre pieces, food, songs- you had to figure out so much that you wondered what Jennie had to do in terms of preparation.
You had little contact with Jennie in the six months leading up to your wedding, you tried to avoid her as much as possible but she seemed to be around every corner you turned into, it reminded you how small the city could be when it comes to familiar faces. You had a few coffee and park dates that catered to the specific goal of gaining the attention of the media- which it did.
You and Jennie's relationship was in every headline of every small outlet that cared, you were seen as this rich lesbian power couple that everyone wanted to be, your relationship sparked support and happiness from all the people around you but little did these people know these dates were only for show, during the dates not one word was said to each other, you two just sat there in silence both wishing death on the other.
You walked through the park, Jennie by your side. You stepped over crunched up leaves and litter, you both stopped as you stood under a large crumbling brick bridge, the autumn leaves falling on both of your heads as you wrapped your scarf tighter around your neck, the chill was getting to you.
'I don't get why we have to act like this marriage isn't arranged, I'm sick of going out on dates with you' you huffed as you watched pigeons fight over a leftover sandwich that had been tossed on the ground.
'Same, your face makes me ill' Jennie replied 'can you see the photographer my father hired? These photos are very important'
You scanned the terrain, you could see a man with a large camera sitting a distance away from the bridge near a bush.
'Yep, I see him'
'Here we go' Jennie sighed, she pulled a small box out of her pocket and got down on one knee, she opened the box, the shiny diamond ring shone in the light, the ring your dad picked out from the family vault was truly beautiful, the silver engravings on the sides of the ring reminded you of how much she loved it, you just wished that it was being used in a genuine manner and not for this awful facade.
You put on your best fake surprised face as you heard the camera go off, you had to try your best to pretend to be happy
'Oh my god Jennie I am so happy' you voice was monotone and laced with sarcasm 'this is such a surprise'
You took the ring out of the box and placed it gently onto your finger as Jennie stood up, you reluctantly threw your arms around Jennie and lightly hugged her, a pit of anger boiled in your stomach, you both were cold and uncaring
'Let go of me before I stomp on your foot' Jennie threatened 'I think we've got enough photos now'
You immediately drew back, happy to be back in you own personal space, you hated the physical elements of your dates, every time you had to hold Jennie's hand, all you could think about was how much you wanted to crush it and wipe the awful look off Jennie's face. Your only salvation these days were your quiet days in with Rosie, now that you and Jennie's 'relationship' was public, you had to be extra careful, you had to meet in secrecy and pretend like you were only friends the second they left the house. You were never big on PDA but it made you sad that you couldn't even hold your girlfriend's hand in public, all for the sake of business and money, what a terrible selfish world you lived in.
The next day you were walking through the city, it was so cold that your hot breath formed clouds of vapour, you sipped on your scalding coffee you'd brought from the nearest coffee shop and felt your insides warm up and your body wake up. You pushed through the crowds of people and made your way to your dad's work, he had called you earlier and told you he wanted to meet- apparently it was important. Two weeks until you were marrying Jennie, two weeks until the worst day of your life, part of you wished your dad was calling you to tell you this was all a big joke, that he wasn't dying and you didn't have to marry Jennie.
You walked into the tall building, you're known this place since you were a child, one of your earliest memories was running around the Jung building hiding in the fabric and unfinished dresses, your father would chase you around, scolding you for messing up the papers and draft sketches.
You knew the place like the back of your hand, you walked through the halls, people greeting you wherever you went. Your dad told you to meet him in the show room, it was quite a distance to walk but eventually you made it.
You pushed open the door, standing there was your dad, he was fixing up two wedding dresses, one was made out of silk, it was slim fitted to the mannequin and embroidered with beads and sequins, it had a rather high neckline- it looked like something that would suit Jennie, the white tone's would fit the pale colour and undertones of your skin and the fit would highlight her body type. The other dress had a larger skirt that puffed out, and the top half had carefully crafted lace, a lower neckline yet not too revealing, you loved it.
'Dad, what are these?' you said in awe, you had to admit your dad knew how to do his job well
'Y/n you're here' He smiled 'I put together a team of my best designers, my best tailors and I created yours and Jennie's wedding dresses, I'd like to fit yours today, Jennie is coming in later'
'They're beautiful'
You stood for hours as adjustments were made to her dress, people sewed and sticked as you stood still making sure that they didn't mess up. When the last touches were made you stood in front of the mirror, you felt pretty for the first time in a while, the dress matched you perfectly, it highlighted all of your good parts.
'I love it' you whispered 'I look so good'
'Mine looks better' you turned your head to see Jennie standing next to you in her dress, you never thought that Jennie could ever look more attractive than she did- you were wrong
'I thought you weren't coming in until later' you frowned, upset that your moment was ruined
'I have a meeting later, I decided to come in earlier'
'Shame, I was hoping not to see you today'
You both stared into the mirror looking at each other together, your dresses matched yet looked so different, you stared at Jennie, while you were filled with hatred every time you saw her, she was an attractive girl, you could understand why girls in the city went mad for her.
'You know, despite you being an insufferable bitch, we look good together' Jennie chuckled
'True, there's a reason our photos sell so well' you replied 'I can't believe I have to marry you in a fortnight'
'I always thought I would marry for love but instead I'm marrying you'
'And I'm marrying you'
'It should be over with soon enough'
'And then you can get back to sleeping with half the lesbians in the city and I can go back to my girlfriend'
'I don't sleep with half the city, its only ever been a few girls, and you of all people shouldn't be slut shaming me'
'Whys that? I don't see any double standards'
'You're the one getting married, leaving your girlfriend behind, while you live with another woman, I think thats pretty bad'
'Its not like that, she knows I have to marry you, you're not from a reputable family so you wouldn't understand how it works'
'I did a bit of research, she's Roseanne Park right? Pretty popular girl' Jennie asked ignoring your comment 'I heard she's pretty flirty, it must be tough having a girlfriend who never feels like she's truly yours'
'She's not flirty, she's just nice'
'Really? I saw an article about her today, she's been seen hanging around with the Manoban girl, they've been getting pretty close if you ask me'
'I'm sure its just innocent, Rosie will tell me about it'
'Really? I mean she could probably offer her way more than you ever could, I mean you're short tempered, grumpy, I'm sure she's beginning to get sick of it'
'Thats not true' you mumbled, you tried to deny it but doubt filled your head 'are you trying to ruin my relationship, is that what this is?'
'I don't like to see you happy' Jennie glared 'you brought me onto this sinking ship of a marriage Jung and I'm going to make sure you come down with it'
'You can try, but whatever you can do to me I can do ten times worse'
'Oh really?' Jennie laughed 'I'd like to see you try'
'I mean bring it on then, if i'm coming out of here the worst version of myself then you're going to as well'
'You're not going to get the satisfaction of changing me, I won't let you have that'
Jennie walked out of the room, leaving you alone with the mirror, you could already tell that this was going to be a train wreck, you weren't ready but the only thing you knew for sure was that no one was coming out of this happy.
Two weeks later you lay on Rosé's bed as you were wrapped in Rosé's arms, she stroked your hair as tears came out of your eyes, you quietly sobbed as Rosé comforted you.
'Its ok Y/n, you don't need to cry, I'm here for you'
'I don't want to get married tomorrow' you sniffed 'Jennie is horrible, I try to act like it doesn't affect me but she's going to destroy me, I don't know how I can marry someone I don't love'
'Its only going to be a short amount of time, you can try to avoid her as much as you can'
'She's trying to ruin me, she's getting into my head already, she said you're going to fall out in love with me'
'Y/n no, that will never happen, who have you known longer, me or Jennie?'
'You'
'Exactly, so you shouldn't let her get inside your head, I love you and thats not changing'
'You didn't tell me you've been hanging out with someone from the Manoban family'
'I'm sorry Y/n, I keep forgetting to bring it up when we're together' a sad look swept over Rosé's face 'my dad wants me to get married soon, Lisa is one of the suitors, I'm really good friends with her and she understands our situation, so I'm hoping my dad picks her'
'I hate marriage, why was it invented?'
'I don't know' she sighed 'but I'll be there for you tomorrow, I'll be there for you in my beautiful bridesmaid dress, if you ever feel sad or threatened just come find me'
'I love you'
'Right back at you, now get some sleep, its your big day tomorrow'
You fell asleep in Rosé's arms, letting yourself have a night of blissful ignorance before the big day.