Young bride

It was obvious that Kwon Jiwoo wouldn’t have been listed as a matchmaking candidate for no reason.

The fact that she had ultimately been chosen by this worst possible man made her feel sick to her stomach.

Throughout the conversation, Kyuhyun had been watching Seo-ah’s reactions with eager anticipation, hoping she would cry, feel humiliated, or be at a loss for words.

Not wanting to play along with Kyuhyun’s game, Seo-ah hid her expression as she was used to doing. Suppressing emotions had been her specialty since childhood.

But Kyuhyun seemed to see right through her. He suddenly burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

Then, the phone rang.

Kyuhyun frowned as if annoyed by the interruption and pulled out his phone.

Thanks to that, they had a short break from shopping.

As the call went on, Kyuhyun’s voice dropped lower.

“What? What did you say? That bastard, Kangwoo?”

Seo-ah flinched at the mention of Kangwoo’s name.

His tone was far too menacing for someone talking about their younger sibling. His expression, too, was murderous.

Even if they had fallen out temporarily, this wasn’t how one usually talked about their own brother. If anything, he sounded like he was talking about an enemy.

Does he not get along with his brother?

It wasn’t uncommon in wealthy families.

Even in non-wealthy families, siblings often didn’t get along. It was even less surprising in a chaebol family.

“So, Dad’s taking him to Shanghai to help out? Why does he keep trying to bring that bastard into the business? It pisses me off.”

It was shocking how casually he was speaking in front of her, someone who wasn’t even officially his wife yet.

Seo-ah was curious about the family dynamics, but as he had said before, knowing too much would only be poison for her.

She acted as though she had heard nothing.

“Monitor his every move and report back. If you miss even one thing, you’re dead too. Got it?”

Then, he hung up.

Gone was the man who had been laughing earlier. Kyuhyun took a deep breath, clearly irritated.

A few seconds of silence passed.

“F***, f***, f***, f***!”

Crash!

Kyuhyun threw his phone with such force that it shattered upon impact.

Seo-ah froze, too afraid to look at him.

The force was so great that the phone broke into pieces, and the vase beside it crashed to the floor, shattering as well.

A chilling silence filled the room.

“Hey, go try on the clothes.”

His voice was laced with irritation. Seo-ah, sensing his foul mood, silently took the clothes and stepped behind the curtain.

But once she put the outfit on, she realized it was too short—so short that bending even slightly would expose her underwear. The top was revealing as well.

When she hesitantly stepped out from behind the curtain, Kyuhyun was sipping wine, looking more composed.

“This will do. I like how cheap it looks. Sometimes, cheap things taste the best.”

Go out like this?

This wasn’t everyday clothing.

Even for a club, it was scandalous.

Even Kwon Jiwoo, for all his teasing, had at least made sure the clothes weren’t too inappropriate.

She hesitated as Kyuhyun grabbed her wrist to lead her out.

“Um, Kyuhyun-ssi, the clothes…”

“You should call me Oppa or Kyuhyun instead. You’re going to be my wife.”

“Yes, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

There was no way she was calling a man 17 years older than her Oppa.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“The clothes… They’re too short. For the sake of Seohan Group’s image—”

“No need to beat around the bush. You don’t want to wear it?”

“Well…”

As she hesitated with a troubled expression, her face suddenly snapped to the side.

The sting on her cheek was so sudden that she barely registered that she had been slapped.

The taste of blood filled her mouth.

“Oh, sorry. My hand slipped when you started talking back.”

But his voice had no trace of remorse.

“I explained earlier, didn’t I? Why I chose you out of all the women?”

“……”

“What was it that I needed?”

Kyuhyun poured his wine over Seo-ah’s head.

“A submissive woman with no sense of self. Got it? Burn that into your brain.”

The red wine dripped from her hair.

“Sigh… I wasn’t planning on training your endurance this early. Consider yourself lucky that the wedding hasn’t happened yet.”

He ran his thumb over her split lip.

At first glance, it seemed affectionate, but there was no warmth in his touch—only threat.

She had experienced pain before, but never fear like this. Her entire body trembled instinctively.

“See you at the wedding.”

If it weren’t for the upcoming ceremony, he looked like he would have beaten her to a pulp right then and there.

Just by looking at his strong build, it was obvious that if he truly hit her, a delicate woman like her wouldn’t stand a chance.

And yet—

Am I… angry?

She could see it clearly.

His pants were tight.

Kyuhyun was aroused—not despite his violence, but because of it.

He didn’t even try to hide it. He smirked darkly.

He gets pleasure from inflicting pain?

A warning alarm blared in her head. She needed to run.

But if I run… what about Mom?

Every decision led back to her mother.

Run and leave her mother behind.

Or stay and sacrifice herself for her mother.

Either way, her mother was at the heart of it.

She felt disgusted with herself.

Her mother was unconscious because of her.

If she left, her mother would be truly alone in this world.

The mere thought of leaving, even for a second, was unacceptable.

A tear finally slipped down Seo-ah’s cheek.

⸻

A month passed.

In that time, she had attended several events with Kyuhyun and learned a lot about him.

Most notably, he had a strong sadistic streak.

People whispered that his violent sexual tendencies were the main reason for his previous divorces.

Should I be grateful that he hasn’t forced himself on me yet?

The thought made her sick.

“Everyone, meet my soon-to-be wife, Kwon Seo-ah.”

Seo-ah snapped back to reality.

They were at a golf gathering—which was really just an excuse for businessmen to drink and network.

The lounge was filled with noise.

Expensive whiskey, elegant fruit platters, and people lost in drunken chatter.

Some were smoking in small groups, while others openly groped each other without shame.

It was the perfect place for Kyuhyun.

“Seo-ah, what are you doing? Say hello.”

A stranger’s hand wrapped around her waist.

She flinched and looked up.

Kyuhyun gave her a look, as if scolding her for hesitating.

Not wanting to upset him, she quickly greeted the group.

“Hello. I’m Kwon Seo-ah, Kyuhyun-ssi’s fiancée.”

A man smirked.

“She’s young. What is she, 22? You thief! I’m jealous.”

The men ogled her shamelessly.

Her dress was already too short, but their gazes made her even more self-conscious.

She couldn’t even adjust her skirt properly—Kyuhyun had made her wear it.

He didn’t care if other men stared.

He’d probably laugh if she tripped and exposed herself.

A middle-aged man took out a cigarette and asked,

“So, Seo-ah, what are your measurements?”

She froze.

“You’ve got the best body out of all of Kyuhyun’s ex-wives.”

The men chuckled.

A business card was shoved at her.

“You should take pictures while you’re still young. Everything sags when you get old.”

The sleazy way he looked at her made her nauseous.

Just as she was about to force a polite rejection, Kyuhyun suddenly lit up.

“Oh! My little brother is here.”

Seo-ah turned.

A tall man stepped into view.

Her eyes widened.

“Meet my little brother, Kangwoo.”