Dim Lights

The streets of Seoul were congested, the traffic lights were flashing, and cars honked their horns as people crossed the busy street which was covered in fresh snow.

Life under the night sky seemed full of life to most people, except for one young lady named Rena, who saw only darkness and stars with dim lights, similar to her life, which had no hope at all.

Rena was the adopted daughter of a wealthy Tokyo family who had come to Seoul on business which was negotiating the price for her life even though she was just eighteen years old.

Rena was unhappy despite coming from a wealthy family because all they saw her for was a young girl who was beautiful and could give them money.

While walking down the street that night, heading to the hotel at which her parents were staying, Rena began remembering her past, from the time her adopted family found her in the orphanage to the time they told her that her family didn't want anything to do with her and every time they would use her face to make money.

Rena's foster parents, who claimed to be her real parents' friends, had agencies use her face on the product of their things for a large sum of money since she was a child, and because she had nowhere else to go and no one to turn to, Rena had to do as they asked until something snapped in her.

Upon arriving at the hotel that night, Rena bumped into her father in the lobby and he looked at her irritated.

"Rena, it's cold outside and you're wandering around; we've been waiting for you for more than ten minutes," He said, and she lowered her head before removing her scarf.

"She doesn't seem to be listening to you, don't waste your breath on her, though I have news, the young man accepted to marry Rena for a good price," His wife replied as she approached them, and Rena clenched her fists as they stared at her before the woman placed her fingers under her chin and raised her face up.

"Look at me," The woman said and Rena looked at her with nothing but a dead look in her eyes and the woman scoffed.

"You are quite the obedient child Rena; you should also consider yourself fortunate that a handsome, wealthy young man wishes to marry you regardless of the cost; at least now you will see that your life is valuable and not priceless."

"Now you will see that despite the fact that no one wanted you as a child, you made something of yourself but, don't start thinking highly, you are still a nobody with no parents and nowhere to go," She said and Rena sighed.

"Don't mess this up for us, do as you're told and give the prince what he wants, you're of age now, so it doesn't matter even if he treats you like trash, not that you're more," The man replied, and Rena's eyes trembled as she gnashed her teeth and gripped her scarf tightly.

Rena began recalling the worst parts of her life while also realizing that she had nothing in this world to call her own; at that moment, all she desired was a change of fate, all she wanted was to be free.

Rena had never asked for assistance before, but at that moment when she felt helpless, she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

'Someone, anyone please help,' She thought as the woman looked at her.

"Aw, don't feel bad, I'm sure your family thought you'd be useless to them, which is why they dumped you, which is bad for them and good for us, because you're still trash, and I'm sure they were as well," She said and Rena's face lit up with a smirk as she looked at them.

"Oh? Is that right? You would be nothing today if it weren't for me and you know that very well, let's see how far you'll get without me, I'm not marrying anyone, now let's see what you will do, how you will get more money," Rena replied, and the woman slapped her and she chuckled as they stared at her because Rena had never behaved like that before.

"You can hit me all you want, but it won't change my mind, I will watch as you fall on your faces, you people are no better than monsters," Rena said as she slapped the woman across the face with the scarf, bruising the side of her face.

"You little bitch!" The man was about to grab her hair when she punched him in the face, and he gnashed his teeth as Rena ran out of the hotel, and he and the woman chased after her.

"Rena!" They called out as they ran after her, along with two of their guards, and she took a deep breath as she looked back at them, then at the busy street before her that led to the beach.

"I'm not going back there, I'd rather die than go back with them, I don't care about anything in this life I wish I can have another chance at a different life," Rena said as she ran across the road as vehicles honked at her and she was about to be hit by one but she flicked out of the way, the man and woman stared at her from across the road and she smiled at them while panting and when the vehicles came to a halt they ran to her but she took off towards the beach pier and they followed her.

"Rena, I swear I am going to give you hell when I get my hands on you," The woman said and she scoffed.

"I'll kill you," The man yelled.

"You should have done it then, I'm not going back with you people, I won't have you put a price on my life, I won't have you sell me, I don't deserve to be treated like this by the likes of people like you," Rena shouted as she came to a halt at the pier's edge and they stopped while staring at her as she looked down at the rough water and sighed.