Lin Cha-yeon sat at the large glass table, holding a marker and an A4 sheet. Scattered across the surface were scribbled-out drafts, post-it notes, and an open laptop. Across from her sat Han Temu, still wearing the expensive suit, his face expressionless—somewhere between resignation and silent survival mode. Younger brother Cha-yeon makes sure not to leave his sister alone with a stranger.
Cha-yeon spoke without looking at him.
"Clause twenty-eight. You're not allowed to enter my room without knocking. Even in case of fire. Even if I forget my key. Even if I'm dying. You knock."
"I agree," Temu replied calmly.
"Clause twenty-nine. Fridays are off-limits. I go where I want, do what I want. No questions. No explanations."
"Understood."
"Clause thirty-seven. If I say I want to be alone, you are not allowed to stand outside my door like it's a drama. No scenes. No tears. No dialogue in the rain."
"Fair."
Cha-yeon squinted at him.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Is he mocking me? Or is he really agreeing to everything?"
"Clause forty-six. If I change my mind, you agree to divorce without questions. With compensation."
"How much?" he asked.
"Depends on my mood."
"Fine."
She set the marker down for a moment.
"Clause forty-seven. If you change your mind, the compensation is double."
"Makes sense," he nodded. "Agreed."
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Why doesn't this annoy me? Why does it feel weirdly peaceful instead?"
"Clause seventy-eight. One vacation per year, all expenses paid by you. I pick the country."
"Okay."
"Clause seventy-nine. You accompany me. Even if it's Tibet."
"I hope you're not allergic to yak."
She couldn't help it—she snorted softly. He wasn't joking. He was really agreeing.
"Clause one-oh-one. I can add more clauses even after the wedding. No limits."
He looked at her with that same calm certainty.
"Check the box."
Cha-yeon drew a bold, defiant checkmark. Then signed. He signed after her.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"What did I just do…?"
The room was silent. Han Temu slowly flipped through the pages of the contract, but his eyes weren't on the words. He was somewhere else—somewhere far away.
"We need to make a to-do list," he murmured, almost to himself. "And lock down the purchase of an apartment or house."
His voice was calm, emotionless, like he was talking about the weather. But there was something unsettling in it. Something hidden.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"He's strange. Too calm. Too… willing. Like he has nothing to lose. Like there's something behind all of this that I can't see."
He stared out the window. Raindrops streamed down the glass. Minutes passed. He whispered something I couldn't hear.
Then he turned to look at me.
I stayed silent.
So did he.
"I'll use this suite as my own," he said at last. "I'll go to the front desk and have it transferred to my name. You can stay here if it's more convenient."
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Even with a gun to our heads, we're not divorcing this man."
"Yes, but…" I said aloud. "He thinks we're the owner of that global boutique chain. Technically, we're just… impersonating someone else."
Han Temu went down to the reception desk.
I flopped onto the bed, finally letting out a long breath. The blanket smelled like hotel detergent and expensive fabric softener. None of this felt like my life.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Now we can quit our job. We did it. We're officially married to a millionaire… or at least pretending to be"
I stared at the ceiling and smirked.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"I have an idea. What if… I use the money his parents will give us for the wedding… to buy the boutique chain from the real Lim Cha-yeon?"
I sat up on the bed, hit by a sudden wave of brilliance.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"I'm a genius. Technically… it's not even a lie, right? We have the same name!"
I laughed softly.
Too good to be true.
Too wild not to try.
Cha-yeon called the boutique owner and asked to buy the business.
The owner replied with a firm no, without offering any explanation.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Ten thousand dollars!"
Madam Lim Cha-yeon:
"Even a billion wouldn't change my mind. No. I don't chase after material things. Goodbye."
She turned off the bell. Cha-yeon felt devastated by the realization that if her husband found out about it, she would feel bad. Very bad. She looked at her brother, who was rereading the contract.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"When my husband returns, we will tell him everything. As it is."
"Yeah, sure..."
But he doesn't come back. I decided it wouldn't be bad to go back to work. After an hour on foot, I finally got to the boutique. But the boutique was closed.
"Very strange, why is that? Why wasn't I warned as an employee? What's going on anyway?"
I call the manager, who doesn't answer the phone. I call my colleague, who doesn't answer the phone either. I get the impression that I'm involved in some kind of horror game.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Well, let's say what happens next?"
They went home. But at home they found that someone was breaking into their house.
When he noticed the siblings, he attacked them with great speed. My brother started to defend himself when suddenly something long and heavy came under my arm. I deleted the attacker once.
Boom
He fell down.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"How dare he touch me? Here's more for you!"
Boom
"My brother took away from me… the SHOVEL!"
"is he alive at all?"
He just rolled his eyes. She dials someone's phone number.
Inner Cha-yeon:
"Are we arguing? He wants to give us to Han Temu as soon as possible."
"the wedding will go faster at this rate"
A couple of hours later, I was married.
I was alone in the apartment that I had given to my future husband. The wedding ceremony certainly wasn't today. But the fact that she is married to essentially the first person she meets does not inspire much confidence.
"When my brother spoke with my future husband about my mahr, they agreed that he would give me two cows and one bull. But I can't accept it in that form. I don't want livestock; I prefer money, so I can use it as I see fit. I believe the equivalent of that amount in cash would be much more convenient and practical for me."
Inner Cha-yeon:
"I should have asked for a white horse... No better than a pony..."
"Oh, that's it... too much trouble for me, I'm over twenty what kind of pony?"
The room is amazing. It was worth it. The room has a spa, a cinema, several beds, a swimming pool and a sauna.
That morning, in her hotel room, Cha-yeon found an envelope slipped under the door. White. Official-looking. With a seal she didn't recognize. Her hands trembled as she opened it.
"Dear Ms. Lim Cha-yeon,
Due to ongoing investigations regarding money laundering activities conducted through your business, Cha-yeon Floral, you are hereby requested to appear before the Financial Security Division…"
Her eyes froze on the words.
She hadn't registered the business. She had no access to the accounts.
She was just the florist. Just the florist.
But all the documents bore her name.
"You're just a florist?"
The voice came from within. Calm. Unshaken. Inner Cha-yeon stood at the edge of her mind like a mirror — but sharper. More real than she cared to admit.
"Yes. I arrange flowers. That's it."
"But people mistook you for the owner, didn't they?"
She hesitated.
"Sometimes…"
Inner Cha-yeon tilted her head.
"And you allowed it. You never corrected them. You let it happen подобным образом."
"I didn't think it mattered. I thought it was just confusion."
"No. It was permission. You gave her permission таким образом to use you."
Cha-yeon clenched the paper.
"I didn't give her anything."
"You gave her your name every single day you stayed silent."