Ann sat down, staring morosely at the tabloid paper on the table, thinking about how unfair life was.
"You now see what I have been telling you this whole time, right? Do you know how much time you've wasted mooning over a man that's far above you?" Mrs. Shu asked, shaking her head pitifully.
"But he's meant for me, I know it. From the very first time I saw him on the TV, I knew he was mine, and when I asked the deity for a sign to show me that he was really mine, the accident happened," Ann said stubbornly.
"The deity cannot lie. That was a sign. Right, aunty?" She asked Mrs. Shu, hoping she'd at least get a little encouragement from her.
"You, this silly stubborn girl, wake up from your fantasy. That accident was merely a coincidence. There is no deity, and if a deity ever existed, I doubt he'd spend his time listening to a jobless girl mooning over a man that's way out of her reach," Mrs. Shu said, mildly annoyed that Ann still held firmly to her useless belief.
Ann looked at the tabloid paper again. The headline that was causing her this heartache read, "Handsome CEO Wang Tae-Joon Set To Marry The Beautiful Jiang Grace, Daughter Of Chairman Jiang."
She knew Grace very well, not personally, of course, but she was always in one scandal or the other, and her name was never not on the tabloids.
The news was always about her improper or behavioral problems. Simply put, she lacked the common manners that every human needed to exist with other humans.
She also knew enough to know that there was no love lost between CEO Tae-Joon and Grace. They almost never attended the same parties, and they simply couldn't stand being under the same roof.
Grace was unfit for CEO Tae-Joon as a wife as far as Ann was concerned. It just had to be a rumor.
If Mrs. Shu didn't want to talk about it anymore, that was fine. She'll keep her thoughts to herself until she can do something meaningful about it.
**********
"Is it the same Jiang Grace I know, or is there another one?" Tae-Joon asked with absolute disgust.
Yes, even though a few minutes ago he had thought his old man was never unreasonable and never made idle decisions, he was beginning to think twice about it now.
Maybe age was finally telling on his grandfather, and he really must not have thought this one through. Everyone knew how much he hated just breathing the same air with that arrogant brat.
"One and the same Grace, my boy. I understand you have no interest in marriage. Still, you'll be 34 in a few months from now, so instead of being a lifetime bachelor, do us all a favor and marry someone from a solid background, have an heir to carry on the Wang name, and secure your future," His grandfather said with a grin.
"I can't believe you find this amusing, and I really can't see how it even adds up. I should marry someone I hate just to secure my future?" He looked at his grandfather, trying hard not to be mad at him.
He looked at his grandfather and couldn't remember a time in his life when he had ever been without him. The man was growing older by the day, and he could see the creases and wrinkles on his face.
No one could ever tell he was not the biological child of the family. And as funny as it seemed, he doubted there'd ever be anyone to pass on the family name after him.
He could understand what the old man was saying, but that wasn't reason enough for him to marry that brat. He could get himself a wife if that was what the old man wanted.
"If all you want is a child to carry on the family name, allow me to pick a wife myself then, or is Grace the only lady fit to bear the heir of this great dynasty?" He asked with a mock smile.
"Hahaha, quit being funny. You do realize Chairman Jiang has two unmarried daughters, and Grace is the first, right? Marrying her would make you family, and if you do well enough, you could merge both companies in the future," The old man said with a wink.
"I do get what you're saying, but that's still not enough reason for me to marry that twat. However, just because you asked nicely, I'll think about it. Now, if you don't mind, I'll love to rest," Tae-Joon said, standing up to leave.
"You don't have much time to think, boy, and it's in the tabloids already. We already made the decision, and I just didn't want you to see the tabloids without hearing it first from me. I love that you think your opinion counts on this one," Chairman Wang said, the humor dancing in his eyes.
"Does she know about this?" He asked quietly, trying to contain his anger as his grandfather turned to leave.
"Shouldn't you be asking your fiancee?" He muttered as he walked away.
**********
"I'd rather marry a real pig than that obnoxious, self-righteous swine!" Grace shrieked angrily.
"Calm down, sis. It's not as bad as you think. He's quite a catch, you know?" Zoe said, hooting with laughter.
Although Zoe was four years shy of Grace's 28, everyone looked at her as the baby of the house, and she knew her opinion rarely counted, yet she never ceased to give it regardless.
Zoe was of the opinion that her big sister needed a man as kind and rough as CEO Tae-Joon to calm her down. She was just too arrogant, even though no member of the household dared tell her that to her face.
"A 'catch,' my foot! Even a dead rotten fish is a catch, but only a useless one," Grace said with a snort.
"My Princess, you're not all roses and petals yourself, you know? You're 28, and your character won't bring you any good man. Why not focus on the bright side of it all?" Chairman Jiang said, patting Grace's back as he tried to make her see reason.
"I see no reason you're trying to convince her. This is the reason she's such a spoilt brat. It's already on the tabloids. We should be getting ready for our first meeting with his family before the week runs out," Mrs. Jiang said to her husband with an air of finality.
"Is he aware? Did he ask to marry me, or is this whole thing about business?" Grace asked.
"Shouldn't you be asking your fiance?" Her parents replied in unison and chuckled at their well-rehearsed response.