The Wedding That Shouldn’t Have Happened

The grand hall of the Moonlight Hotel was adorned with chandeliers so dazzling they seemed to steal the glow from the stars outside. Rows of distinguished guests, clad in designer attire, whispered among themselves, their eyes flitting between the stoic groom and the bride, whose trembling hands clutched her bouquet.

It was a wedding fit for royalty, yet the atmosphere crackled with tension.

Jang Seohyun, heir to Jang Group, stood tall in his custom-tailored suit, his expression unreadable, his jaw clenched so tightly it could break glass. Across from him, Kang Hari, the woman who had no place in this world of wealth and power, barely concealed the storm brewing within her.

Hari felt suffocated. The weight of her wedding dress, the penetrating stares of the high society elites, and the glaring absence of warmth from the man standing beside her—all of it made her want to run. But there was no escape. She had signed her fate the moment she agreed to this marriage, or rather, the moment she had been forced into it.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the officiant announced, his voice barely audible over the hushed murmurs of the guests.

Seohyun hesitated. So did Hari. They exchanged a glance that spoke of nothing but resentment. They both knew the truth—this wasn’t love. This wasn’t fate. This was a contract, a cage forged by the hands of their families.

The silence stretched too long, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. Seohyun’s fingers twitched at his side, unwilling yet resigned. With a stiff motion, he leaned in. Hari’s breath caught as his lips barely brushed against hers—a lifeless, empty touch that felt more like a transaction than a promise.

Polite applause erupted around them, masking the cruel smirks and knowing glances exchanged between the powerful elites who had orchestrated this event. Cameras flashed, immortalizing a moment neither of them wanted.

Hari’s grip on her bouquet tightened. Her heart pounded against her ribs, not from love, but from the suffocating weight of what had just happened. This was real. She was now tied to the man who had tormented her childhood, the man who looked at her like she was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Seohyun turned to her, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "Smile. Don’t embarrass yourself."

Hari’s lips curled up in a hollow, practiced curve. "Right back at you, dear husband."

The ceremony concluded, and they walked hand in hand down the grand aisle—two strangers bound by a contract neither of them had the power to refuse.

Hours Later - The Wedding Reception

The reception was an extravagant affair. Guests sipped on expensive champagne, chatting about business deals while pretending to celebrate the union. A string quartet played a soft melody in the background, but it did nothing to soothe the fire burning inside Hari’s chest.

She sat beside Seohyun at the head table, her posture rigid, her fingers clenched around her wine glass. Every now and then, a guest would approach them with false congratulations, their eyes filled with curiosity rather than sincerity.

“She’s quite pretty for a commoner,” one woman whispered behind a gloved hand to another, unaware—or uncaring—that Hari could hear.

“Too bad she doesn’t belong,” another added with a cruel smirk.

Hari’s nails dug into her palm beneath the table, but she kept her face neutral. She had expected this. She had prepared herself for the whispers, the judgment, the condescending smiles. But no amount of preparation could erase the sting.

Meanwhile, Seohyun sat beside her like a statue, his expression cold and impassive. He wasn’t offering her any reassurance, nor did she expect him to. To him, she was a problem that had been forced upon him, an inconvenience dressed in white.

A clinking sound cut through the chatter of the room. One of the senior executives from Jang Group stood, raising his glass. "A toast to the happy couple! To a prosperous future together!"

All eyes turned to Seohyun and Hari. They were expected to play their roles, to lift their glasses and smile as if they weren’t drowning in resentment.

Seohyun exhaled sharply and stood, lifting his champagne flute with effortless grace. "To a future that’s already been decided for us."

A few guests chuckled, but Hari heard the bitterness laced within his words. Gritting her teeth, she followed suit, raising her glass. "To a lifetime of surprises."

She took a sip, allowing the champagne’s sharpness to wash over her, masking the sour taste of her reality.

Later That Night - The Wedding Suite

The suite was grand, luxurious, everything that screamed wealth and power. Yet to Hari, it felt like a prison.

She stood by the window, staring at the city lights below. Seohyun was on the other side of the room, removing his tie with deliberate slowness. The tension between them was suffocating.

"Let’s get one thing straight," Seohyun finally spoke, his voice cold. "We may be married, but don’t expect anything more than what’s necessary. This isn’t a real marriage."

Hari turned to face him, her eyes burning with defiance. "You think I don’t know that? I didn’t choose this either."

A humorless laugh escaped his lips. "Then we understand each other. Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours."

Hari scoffed. "You act like I wanted to be anywhere near you. You think I enjoy this? Being paraded around like a trophy, ridiculed by your world?"

Seohyun’s jaw tightened. He didn’t respond, but his silence spoke volumes. This wasn’t easy for him either, yet she refused to feel sympathy for him. He was still the arrogant chaebol heir who had made her life miserable growing up.

With a sharp exhale, Hari turned back to the window. "Good. As long as we stay out of each other’s way, this will be tolerable."

Seohyun didn’t reply. Instead, he grabbed a pillow from the bed and walked towards the couch.

“Where are you going?” Hari asked, crossing her arms.

“The couch,” he answered simply, lying down without another word.

Hari stared at him for a moment before letting out a scoff. “Suit yourself.”

She climbed into the massive bed, pulling the blanket over herself. The distance between them felt like an ocean, but neither of them cared.

As the night stretched on, both of them lay awake, staring at the ceiling, knowing that this was just the beginning of their unwanted entanglement.

And neither of them had any idea of the storm that was yet to come.

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