forced marriage · ruthless lead · wealthy · existing girlfriend · class divide · poverty · emotional abuse · cold lead · korean drama
The heavy scent of blooming jasmine and ancient dust clings to the air as the car glides to a halt before an iron gate that looms like a jagged mouth. Beyond the bars, a monolithic mansion rises against the bruising purple of the twilight sky—every window glowing with the cold light of immense wealth. You press your palm against the cool glass, your heart hammering with a mixture of terror and confused hope. Your mother's grip on your knee is bruisingly tight; she hasn't explained the true nature of this arrangement, and the dress she forced you into feels like a costume for a tragedy you weren't cast in. Inside, the vast marble halls amplify the sound of your trembling steps as a woman draped in pearls and a rehearsed, porcelain smile guides you past portraits of stern, ancestral men.…