chapter 3 : I'd rather die than marry

Han Jihyun locked himself in his room the moment he stormed upstairs last night.

His room stayed dead silent till morning.

Mrs. Han stood outside his door holding a tray. "Jihyun Open the door, at least have something to eat."

Her voice was softer than usual.

"You've cried all night,you'll make yourself sick like this jihyun ahh."

Inside, curled under his blankets, Jihyun wiped his swollen eyes and snapped, "I don't want to eat. I don't want to meet them. I don't want to marry some stranger, Mom!"

"I'm only twenty-one. I don't know who that Alpha even is! Why should I marry someone I've never even met?!"

Mrs. Han sighed deeply, resting her hand on the locked door. "If you truly don't want to marry. I'll try to talk to your father again. But in return"

"You'll have to start studying again. Or work with your father at the company. You can't just waste your life like this forever."

"No! I don't want to study, I don't want to work! Why would I? I'm Han Jihyun! I have money! Why should i live like some peasant just to prove a point?!"

His mother's patience faltered.

"You're not a child anymore" she said quietly. "You'll regret living like this."

But no matter how she coaxed him, begged him, Jihyun refused to unlock that door.

By noon, the front door opened.

Chairman Han returned from work, Minjoon trailing behind him.

"He's still in that damn room?"

Mrs. Han stood up anxiously. "He's upset. Give him time"

"Time?" Mr. Han smirked "What he needs is discipline, not more time."

he marched upstairs, knocking hard on the door.

"Han Jihyun. Enough. Open this door right now. Crying like a brat won't change anything."

Jihyun sat up slowly.

"I don't want to marry. Just let me live my life"

"You don't want to study. You don't want to work. And now you refuse marriage? Fine. You have one hour. We're going to meet Kang Taewon's family today. Get dressed, or I'm blocking your credit cards, selling your precious cars, and cutting you off from every penny you've ever touched."

He turned to Mrs. Han.

"You're coming with me."

Then to Minjoon.

"You. Get him dressed."

Minjoon nodded .

Getting him out of bed was easy . Making him look like a human .that was a war.

"Stop sulking," Minjoon said ,tossing clothes onto the bed. "Unless you want Dad to really follow through."

"I hate you," Jihyun sniffed, glaring at the suit.

"You've said that before. Get dressed."

Minjoon practically fought him into his clothes, buttoning his shirt while Jihyun tried every excuse . It didn't matter. In the end, Minjoon won.

Jihyun was shoved into the car.

The ride to the Kang family estate was silent.

Everyone assumed Jihyun was quietly accepting his fate, probably sulking like always. That's what everyone expected .

But Jihyun, eyes narrowed at the window, wasn't sad.

No.

He was planning.

Plotting.

" if they thought this meeting would go smoothly

They clearly didn't know me well enough."

"If they want me to meet this Alpha, then fine I'll just make sure they regret it."