Chapter 1 : The Family Meeting
📖 Chapter 1: The Family Meeting
The warm rays of the morning sun slipped through my curtains, landing softly on my face. I groaned, stretching my arms lazily before fumbling for the alarm clock on my bedside table.
“Oh no… 8 a.m. already?!” I gasped, jumping out of bed.
With messy hair that looked like a bird’s nest, I slid into my pink fluffy slippers and dragged myself into the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth, flashes of last night came rushing back—the laughter, the music, and, most of all, him.
Kang Min-ho.
My first love, my only love—the heir to the powerful Kang Empire.
We had been together since secondary school, bound by a promise to love each other forever. To me, he wasn’t just Min-ho, the heir of a wealthy empire. He was the boy who once held my hand when I cried, the man who swore he would never let me go.
But in City A, things were never that simple.
There were three great families—the Lee, Gee, and Wan clans. The Kang family came right after them, a close second in the hierarchy of power and wealth. And then… there was my family—the Parks. Wealthy, yes, but not nearly powerful enough to compete with the elites.
That was why my mother never missed a single banquet or tea party. She called it “networking.” I called it… torture.
Unlike me, my twin sister, Park Hye-jin, lived for it. She was the very definition of a social butterfly, adored everywhere she went. People said we looked alike, but the truth was… we were worlds apart.
Hye-jin was an A-list actress, the darling of the media. She had a small waist, flawless skin, dark wavy hair, and a perfect hourglass figure every woman envied. Everyone whispered that she was the prettier twin, the one with the face card that never declined.
And me? I didn’t care about the spotlight. I wasn’t an actress. I was a fashion designer. That was my dream, my passion, and my escape.
“Shoot! I’m late!” I panicked, rushing into the shower.
After a quick bath, I brushed my hair, slipped into one of my own designs Nabi Atelier a navy-blue office dress embroidered with my butterfly logoand stepped into sleek black heels. I added light makeup, grabbed my black Chanel bag, car keys, and my pink Stanley cup filled with water. Breakfast? Forget it. I’d order later.
Downstairs, the elevator doors opened into the car park. Just as I slid into the driver’s seat and reached for the ignition, my phone buzzed.
📳 Vrrr— Vrrr—
Mum.
I sighed. “Please don’t tell me it’s another tea party…”
I answered reluctantly.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Oh, my sweet girl! How are you? Did you sleep well?” Her voice was warm, cheerful.
“Yes, Mum. I’m fine. How about you?”
“I’m wonderful, darling. I went to the spa yesterday. But listen—come home for dinner tonight. We have a family meeting.”
My heart skipped. “A family meeting? Why? Is something wrong?”
“No, no problem. Just something important we need to discuss. Please, Soo-jin, don’t say you’ll ‘try.’ I need you to come.”
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for excuses.
“...Okay, Mum. I’ll be there.”
“That’s my girl. See you tonight. Love you!”
“Love you too, Mum.”
The line clicked off, but an uneasy feeling settled in my chest. Family meetings were never “just dinner.”
Something was coming.
