What It Means To Live Like You

" Hey! Bastard, son of a bitch! Are you crazy? Mr. Joon-oh, I hope what is going on here happens to be a joke. Have you lost your nuts? If it's Soo-ah's marriage then she should get married. I don't remember begging you that I needed to get married ", Na-ri yelled, her voice echoing off the grand, cold walls of the Lee residence.

Na-ri is Joon-oh's illegitimate child with Sun-hee, the former maid of the Lee household. One unfortunate night, Joon-oh came back heavily drunk and ended up forcing himself on Sun-hee. Now years later, Na-ri found herself in a suffocating wedding dress, her hands tied up and her heart heavy with the knowledge that her mother lays helplessly in a hospital bed.

Joon-oh's face turned a shade redder with each of Na-ri's accusations.

" It's for the sake of the business contract why do you keep whining? Soo-ah is of a weak constitution so we can't send her there", he yelled back, his voice trembling with a mix of desperation and fury.

" If Soo-ah is of weak constitution then I'm dying of heart disease, as my sickness is greater than hers, send her there", Na-ri retorted, her sarcasm slicing through the tense air.

Joon-oh's patience was wearing thin. To him, everything Na-ri said was nothing but childish whining.

" Acting like a coward already. You decide that it's now your illegitimate child is your child. Ha! I've never seen a better comedian than you. Your stupidity seemed to have won an award ". Na-ri continued, her words dripping with contempt.

Joon-oh's eyes flashed with anger. " Joon-oh, please don't be mad at Na-ri. I have been trying my best this two months since she arrived but I get how she feels about us. I'm not her mother and... ", Hye-jin, Joon-oh's wife and Soo-ah's mother, began, her voice trembling, but Na-ri cut her off.

" Does it look like I give a damn about your efforts, dearest stepmother. Soo-ah can lay on her death bed for all I care, but stop dragging me into your drama ", Na-ri spat out, showing her defiance.

The room fell silent for a moment with the tension thickening. Joon-oh, his face now a mask of fury, slapped Na-ri hard across the face. The sound echoed through the room, but instead of silence, it was met with Na-ri's bitter laughter, further incensing him. He called for the guards who roughly took her to the car that would take her to her husband's house.

Her soon-to-be husband,Jin-woo is a 50 year old well-known CEO of a company that is far more successful than the Lee's. His reputation as a womanizer was infamous, another reason why Soo-ah was spared from this marriage. Jin-woo had agreed to accept the business proposal on the condition that he married their daughter. Unfortunately for Na-ri, she was the sacrificial lamb and substitute.

Na-ri was shoved into the car, she rolled down the window, her eyes scanning the gathered family. She asked for her phone, her voice cold. Before anyone could respond, Soo-ah approached the window, trying to mask her discomfort with a facade of concern.

" Na-ri please take care of yourself. I'm sorry and don't worry, we'll get you out soon", Soo-ah said, her voice soft and seemingly sincere. From a distance, one might think they have a good relationship, but the reality was starkly different.

Na-ri spat on Soo-ah face, " Oh please spare me your pity, it's quite obvious it's not real".

Soo-ah wiped her face, her expression hardening. She leaned in closer and whispered, " I pray you stay there till your death because all this is stress".

" Sadly I didn't ask you to perform. You should have showed those fangs from the beginning. I'm feel you pain pretense is quite hard, you should be awarded", Na-ri shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Hye-jin standing a few steps back, tried to add to Na-ri's distress. " Enjoy her first night, Na-ri ".

Na-ri glanced at her stepmother with a cold expression," To be honest, I don't know what Mr. Joon-oh saw in you to marry you because I'm not seeing it. You bring quite a lot of shame to the female gender ".

Saying that she rolled up the window and Joon-oh signalled for the car to drive out of the estate.

******

Upon arriving at Jin-woo's mansion, Na-ri's situation deteriorated rapidly. The guards manhandled her, throwing her roughly into a lavishly decorated room before leaving without a word. Her hands were still bound, her face a canvas of disgust and defiance.

"Looks like scumbags are 90% of the population on earth," she muttered, her gaze locking onto Jin-woo, her so-called husband.

Jin-woo was lounging comfortably, surrounded by nine women, all vying for his attention. The scene was one of decadence and indulgence. At Na-ri's words, Jin-woo's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing.

"Wifey, come and join us," he shouted, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Na-ri's eyes flashed with contempt. "I didn't tell you I was a fly, did I?" Her voice cut through the room like a knife. The lively chatter ceased abruptly, and the atmosphere grew tense. The women around Jin-woo shifted uncomfortably, sensing the brewing storm.

Jin-woo looked puzzled, his brow furrowing. "And what do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone a mixture of curiosity and irritation.

"Well, since you are trash and they are flies, it only makes sense why they would swarm around you," Na-ri replied, her voice dripping with scorn.

The room fell deathly silent. Jin-woo's face twisted in anger. "What?" he yelled, his voice echoing off the walls.

"In all my 17 years of living, I was taught that only flies are attracted to trash, and sadly, I'm not one," she continued, her eyes blazing with defiance.

Jin-woo's anger exploded. He stood up abruptly, crossing the distance between them in a few strides, and slapped her hard across the face. Na-ri stumbled but quickly regained her footing, her expression unyielding.

"Looks like everyone has a habit of hitting people. I wonder what would happen if I did that to you?" Na-ri's voice was low, but it carried the weight of her fury.

Jin-woo glared at her, his chest heaving. He summoned the guards with a sharp command. "Lock her in the basement and don't give her anything other than a cup of water and stale bread."

The guards grabbed Na-ri, dragging her towards the basement. As she was pulled away, a look of relief crossed her face, contrasting sharply with the oppressive atmosphere in the room she was leaving behind. She had made it known to herself that whatever she does she must avoid sleeping with him at all cost.

As she was dragged out of the opulent room, the last thing she saw was Jin-woo's furious face, his anger barely masking his humiliation. The women around him remained silent, their earlier amusement replaced by discomfort and unease.