Chapter 2
The school bell rung the same time her phone vibrated. It was a call from her father's secretary, Mr. Lee. She hasn't even arranged her things yet, but she answered the phone anyway.
"Hello Miss Sulli, this is Secretary Lee. I am here in front of your school. Your father ordered me to pick you up. He said you'll be meeting your in-laws later."
So, she doesn't even have the opportunity to take her lunch at school. Great. She should have foreseen it when her father told her that she'll be meeting her fiancé soon. Because when he said "soon", the span of time it purport would only be two to three days, or in this case, the day after he said it.
"Ok, I'll be there immediately." She answered barely then hung up. It was okay that she didn't have to eat at school; there would not be any difference if she ate there or in the mansion anyway. She would still be eating alone.
She picked up her things and tossed it inside her bag. It was not the first time that she'll be skipping class, and her teachers were all used to it. Her father doesn't care where she is or what she was doing; when he needed her, he needs her right away and with no delays.
The secretary met her outside the gate. He took her bag and opened the car door for her. She slid inside and the secretary sat in the front seat, beside the driver. "I'm sorry you can't take your lunch at school or even finished your first day." He said looking over his shoulder to face her. "But I had the household prepare food for you. Your make-up artists are already in the mansion. The dresses and the shoes you'll choose from are also taken care of." He added.
"Where's dad?" she asked, but her eyes were fixed outside the window watching the surrounding blur as they passed.
"He's still in the office, having a meeting. He said that you two will just meet in the hotel."
"It's too early to get ready, are they that important?"
"Your father always wanted to penetrate into the industry of shopping malls. And they own one of the leading malls in the country."
"Which one?"
"Il Duce."
"Sounds important."
The secretary let out a small laugh, "I guess they are." He agreed. "It's an early dinner and your father doesn't want you to be late. So, I'm taking you there myself."
Her gaze left the window and finally faced the man. "Thank you, Secretary Lee." She sincerely said.
"It's my job, miss." He looked around his shoulder again and warmly smiled at her.
Sulli knows that the man wasn't only doing his job as a secretary. She always felt his sympathy towards her. He worries about her instead of her father, and he takes care of everything. He even showed up at school when she got into trouble, once. She felt that the man almost love her as his own daughter and she is very pleased with that.
They arrived at the foot of the mansion where the gates automatically opened by itself and drove passed the vast landscaped garden, adorned with mild-colored flowers and different kinds of trees. It was almost a quarter a kilometer drive before they had a glimpse of the fountain, standing in front of the house.
The Choi Manor is as big as a hill, with humungous well-maintained garden and man-made pond loaded with expensive carps. They also have an Olympic size pool by the orchard, as well as a heated indoor pool; both were rarely used. They have a tennis court, a gymnasium, a baseball field and their very own golf course. The mansion appeared like a huge modern Victorian house in the outside with enormous space in the inside. Her father doesn't like small jam-packed areas so the furniture inside are very minimal, mainly expensive paintings and vases along the halls. Her classmate, who was forced to go to her house because of a project, jokingly once said that the house must be a museum before.
The car finally stopped in front of the massive wooden door where the maids were all lined up, waiting for her. The secretary helped her out of the car and gave her bag to one of the maids who trailed behind them, together with the other two afterward. They strode in the house, straight into the dining room where her lunch was already prepared. It was enough to feed the entire household but it was served to only one person.
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Sulli didn't pay attention to all the people surrounding her from her lunch to her prepping up. She was oblivious on the rustling over her hair, the crowding in her face. She didn't mind when they helped her with her dress, examined it, make her wear another one and then another, before finally approving it. She wasn't paying attention when they helped her with her shoes or when they put on small sparkling gold earrings to her ears and fastened a gold watch and pearl bracelets onto her wrist. After that, she still didn't heard them when they said that she was "beautiful", or "very elegant". She just wanted this dinner to be over with.
They took her to the mirror. She shrugged when she saw her reflection. Well, at least they manage to make her looked like her age and didn't try to transform her into an emergent woman. Secretary Lee commended her looks before he helped her get into the car.
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He and Sulli met the chairman in the hotel's VIP room. It is one of the immense and famous hotels that her father invested into. The chairman was already seated in the table with two other guests. It was a middle-aged man and a woman who looked slightly younger than the former.
The woman looked outstanding; her skin is smooth and white. Her face is beautiful, though it shows slight signs of aging especially when she smiles. She was dressed in a black body con outfit with sleeves small enough to have a glimpse of her shoulders. Her hair is short and hang loose just below her jaw line. Her figure is well-preserved. Another proof of what money can do. The man was dressed just like her father, in a serious business suit with just different shade of color. She didn't pay much attention to both. All businessmen looked the same to her.
Secretary Lee escorted her to her seat, beside her dad and helped her be seated on it. She greeted her dad's company with her mellow voice, "Good evening. I'm sorry I am late."
"Not at all, dear. We just arrived early," the woman assured her and smiled. "Please sit down."
Sulli nodded lightly before she sat down.
"So you must be Sulli?" the man beside her asked. Sulli bowed her head.
"Pretty as a picture," his wife added, "Very classy and refined. You know how to raise a child well, Chairman." she said looking at Sulli's father who smiled almost proudly.
"Well, it was all thanks to her mom. She has good genes."
"Ahh, I'm sure you helped a little," she chuckled.
Sulli's company laughed a little while she forced a smile.
"Did I?" Chairman Choi jokingly asked before changing into his business tone. "Sulli, this is Chairman Kim Yong Do and his wife, Madame Kim Yoon Hye," he introduced, "your in-laws."
The two guests offered their hands and she shook it lightly, "Please to meet you, Sir and Madame."
"Just call me Aunt Yoon Hye, or mom if you want," she smiled, "The madame thing is too outdated for me." she then added while waving her hand. "You have to forgive my son; he's always late in an important occasion like this."
Sulli's dad only chuckled, "It's okay. Girls are much easier to raise than boys, anyway."
"Ugh, I couldn't agree more," approved by Madame Kim, "Boys... they always want things their way. Isn't it, hon?"
Her husband barely nodded and was about to say something when a loud bang in the door interrupted him. Sulli started, so does her father.
"And some of them just love a grand entrance, too." President Kim continued, waiting intently for the door to open. "Well, let's see what he has in store for us."
Three figures entered the room. A boy dressed in a dark jeans, white top and a chocolate-colored leather jacket with messy dark hair that falls closed to his eyes; basically, a cliché-looking rebellious son. And two bodyguards, dressed in black suit with Bluetooth-earphones stuck in their ears, another stereotype, both clutching either of the boy's arms. They half-carried half-dragged him inside the room.
"I. Said. Let. Go," the boy uttered acidly. His eyes were rigid and annoyed. He didn't move and tried to break free from his keepers again, instead, he waited for his father's command to release him.
Civilized enough, Sulli thought. Or did he perhaps, just got tired of squirming under their grip? Maybe he doesn't have energy to put on a show anymore.
"Release him," his dad instructed.
He freed himself harshly from the grasped of his guards and straightened his back. All the eyes in the room were watching him as he walked arrogantly to the table and sat down beside his mother. He sat sprawled in his chair, and his eyes levelled to meet Sulli's. She calmly held his cold gaze before she rolled her eyes at him. Then she turned her head and glanced at her father.
Sulli was curious of how her dad was reacting to this. But he still looked calm. The repulsive character doesn't matter as long as you get what you want, huh? Or are you regretting setting up this engagement already?
"Well then, I can finally introduce my child," President Kim smiled, pointing his hand to the boy beside her wife, as if they didn't already know. "Chairman Choi, Sulli, this is my son, Kai."
Sulli's father hardly nodded before facing the boy, who didn't even return his gaze or greeting. "It's good to see you again, Kai."
Sulli was dumbfounded for a moment, her brows furrowed while looking at her father. So, you already met him. And you still want to pursue this engagement? She is a hundred percent sure that his father would back down with this crap of an engagement after he realizes his character. This is new. She knows that her father hated rude and abominable persons most. But now, he seemed okay with it and he was even smiling at him. He is now willing to change his perception of people for the sake of business. Her dad must want this alliance so much.
"Shall we ask to serve the meal now?" Chairman Choi continued and snap his fingers once.
The two minors dined quietly while the elders talked about their engagement. Sulli might have appeared unconcern about it but she was listening to them. Well, it was not like she can help it. But she can't say the same to the guy opposite her, who seemed to revolve his world around his fork. He made sure to point out that he was uninterested with this affiance by playing noisily with his utensils. Sulli rolled her eyes. Being rude in front of his dad's business partner, only a legitimate child can do. She knew that she cannot dare to act like that in front of her father. An adopted child doesn't have the guts. They have a lot to lose to just even think of it.
Their parents agreed to hold the engagement party as soon as possible. And Kai's mother offered to prepare everything about it because "businessmen are always busy, and this is girly stuff."
They talked about that much only and agreed that both families don't need to rush the kids' marriage, since both are still in junior high and are barely adults.
The dinner ended rather soon. Soon enough before Kai died from boredom. The two families said their goodbyes and shook each other's hand. Though Kai still looked grave, he managed to shook Chairman Choi's hand coldly. But he found a chance to annoy his will-be-fiancée and winked at her haughtily, just before she and her father walked out of the room.
Sulli shuddered from disgust.