Chapter 1
Park Hyungsik knelt before me, his eyes full of warmth and sincerity, he held my gaze. "Mary, when I first saw you, I fell in love with you. Will you—"
*TINGGG TINGGG*
---
Mary's POV
I woke up with a start, frustration bubbling up as I realized it was all a dream. A beautiful, fleeting dream ruined by my obnoxious alarm. With a groan, I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After my morning routine, I slipped into a black hoodie and matching pants, glancing at the clock. 7:30 AM. School starts at 8. I still had some time.
I headed downstairs for breakfast, greeted by the familiar face of our maid, Celine.
"Good morning," I said with a small smile.
"Good morning, miss," Celine replied politely.
"Just call me Mary, okay?" I said, trying to ease the formality that always felt so uncomfortable.
Celine nodded. "Mary, Miss Yoon Ina is coming tomorrow."
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Mom only visits on Sundays, but tomorrow is Friday. I nodded absentmindedly and started eating breakfast, thoughts swirling in my head.
---
Fast forward to the school
When I arrived at school, I could feel the stares of everyone around me. I shot them a glare, and they quickly looked away. Just as I was about to head to class, someone ruffled my hair. Annoyed, I turned around, ready to punch whoever it was, but then I saw him.
Chanyeol.
My heart skipped a beat as I whispered his name. "Chanyeol?"
"Yes, that's me. How are you?" he asked with that charming smile of his.
"I'm fine... and you?" I stammered, trying to keep my cool.
"Good, especially now that I've met you," he replied smoothly.
My cheeks heated up at his words, but before I could respond, Baekhyun appeared out of nowhere and smacked Chanyeol on the head.
"Yah, stop flirting with her!" Baekhyun scolded.
Chanyeol winced, rubbing his head. "I wasn't flirting!"
"Yes, you were!"
"No, I wasn't!"
Jongdae oppa intervened, smacking both of them on the head. "Stop fighting, you two."
They both nodded, looking sheepish.
"Hi, Mary!" Jongdae greeted me warmly.
"Hi, oppa. Where are the others?" I asked, glancing around.
"Suho, Yixing, and Xiumin are at the university, but the rest should be here any minute... ah, there they are," Jongdae pointed out as the others waved at us from across the courtyard.
I waved back, feeling a bit more at ease. "We should head to class now," I suggested.
"Let's go!" Baekhyun exclaimed, only to be shushed by Kyungsoo, who was covering his ears.
"Stop screaming, my ears are hurting," Kyungsoo muttered.
"Sorry," Baekhyun whispered dramatically, making everyone chuckle.
We all went our separate ways to class, but my mind was still on the morning's strange news.
---
Fast forward to lunch break
I was sitting in the cafeteria with EXO and Mina, lost in my thoughts. My mom never comes on Fridays. Why is she coming tomorrow? Something's definitely wrong. My mind was racing when Mina's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Mary, hey! Mary!"
"Huh? Yes?" I responded, still distracted.
Mina frowned. "What's wrong? I called you three times. Is something bothering you?"
Everyone turned their attention to me, concern written on their faces.
"Is something wrong?" Jongin asked, leaning closer.
"Not really," I lied.
"Then why were you spacing out?" Kyungsoo asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"It's about my mom. You know she always comes on Sundays, right?" I began, and they all nodded. "But she's coming tomorrow—Friday. She's never done that before. I think something's wrong."
Junmyeon shook his head. "You're probably just overthinking it. Maybe she just wants to spend more time with you."
"I think he's right," Xiumin added. "You might be overthinking."
Yixing leaned forward, his tone serious. "You're being paranoid because of that... situation. You should take a day off."
Sehun nodded in agreement. "Yixing hyung is right."
I glared at them, frustration bubbling up. "You know that I, Wang Mary, never take a day off. Did you guys forget the reason why I'm doing this?"
Baekhyun groaned dramatically, trying to lighten the mood. "Can we please just start eating? I'm starving!"
Chanyeol and I looked at each other in surprise as we both said in unison, "You're always hungry!"
We blinked at each other, startled by our synchrony, and the others laughed.
"Stop copying me!" we both shouted at the same time again, causing another round of laughter.
"Stop fighting, you lovebirds, and eat," Jongdae teased, making Chanyeol blush slightly. He coughed, trying to cover it up.
"Let's eat before the break ends," he said quickly, focusing on his food.
Mina leaned towards me. "Mary, how about we hang out after school?"
"Sorry, I can't. I have to meet someone today," I replied, my mind already drifting to my plans for the evening.
Chanyeol looked up, curiosity in his eyes. "Who is that someone?"
"My brother," I answered, smiling a little.
Chanyeol seemed relieved, nodding in understanding.
---
After school, at home
When I got home, I was greeted by my brother, Jackson. His familiar presence instantly lifted my spirits.
"Hi, bro!" I said, hugging him tightly. "How are you?"
"I'm good. How was school?" Jackson asked, hugging me back.
"Good," I replied.
"Come on, let's eat something before we talk," he suggested.
I nodded, and we headed to the dining room. As we ate, I decided to bring up Mom's visit.
"Oppa, did you know that Mom is coming tomorrow?"
Jackson looked as surprised as I felt earlier. "What? Really? But she always comes on Sunday."
"I was confused too, but let's see tomorrow. Maybe she just wants to spend time with us," I suggested, trying to convince myself as much as him.
Jackson nodded thoughtfully. "You're probably right."
We continued eating, chatting about his time with GOT7 and his upcoming work in Jeju. After dinner, I went to my room, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. I picked up my phone, checking for any updates on my dad's killer. But there was still nothing. Whoever he is, he's powerful, hiding in shadows we can't seem to penetrate. The thought of my father brought a familiar ache to my heart, and before I knew it, tears started to fall. I cried myself to sleep, clutching the memories of him close.
---
The next day
"Mary... Mary... wake up."
I heard a soft voice calling me, and as I opened my eyes, I saw my mom standing beside my bed. I bolted up and hugged her tightly.
"How are you, Mom?"
"I'm good. Come down for breakfast. I need to tell you something," she said gently.
I nodded, trying to push away the anxious feeling in my chest. After doing my morning routine, I dressed casually and headed downstairs.
As we sat at the dining table, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "What did you want to tell me?" I asked, biting into a donut.
Mom hesitated, then spoke quickly, "Promise me you won't get angry, okay?"
I set my donut down, my heart starting to race. "Just tell me, Mom."
She took a deep breath. "Mary, I have a boyfriend. I really love him, and I want you to accept him."
I froze, disbelief flooding me. "What?! Are you kidding me? You're asking me to replace Dad? I will never do that."
Mom's eyes filled with tears, but she held my gaze. "I'm not asking you to replace him, just to accept someone else in my life. Please, Mary."
I loved my mom, I really did. After a long pause, I sighed. "Okay, I'll accept him, but not as my father. That's not going to happen."
Relief washed over her face, and she hugged me tightly. "Thank you so much, Mary. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom," I whispered back.
She pulled away, smiling. "We're going to his house at 8 PM, so wear something nice, okay?"
I nodded, though the last thing I wanted was to meet this man. But for her, I'd do it. I went back to my room, and as I sat down, I saw my dad's picture on my desk. Picking it up, I whispered, "I love you, Dad. Why did you have to leave me?"
The weight of the world seemed heavier than ever, but I knew I had to keep moving forward