Prologue

It's the middle of the night. She is sitting beside the river Hirang. It's darker than usual today. Only the street lamp, beside the bench she was sitting on, is working the night shift as if it was appreciating how beautiful she was looking, which enhanced thrice the moment she ran away from her marriage ceremony.

It's colder on summer nights. The stones of her white laced corset bodice shine like twinkling stars in the night sky as the lamp light falls on her. She spreads her arms on the bench to the elbows, stays in a half-lying position, and lets out a long sigh as if her soul is taking a deep breath after a long time.

"AUBRIE!!! AUBRIE!!! AUBRIE!!!"

A sudden shout comes from a distance addressing her, making her jolt out. She panics and tries to run away as soon as she can after mumbling to herself, "How did he find me!!!" Just as she was running, that roaring deep voice shouted again, "You know you can't go far, so stop running away." She stops at some thoughts and turns behind. He stops with her at the same time. Both are blowing out air loudly of exertion. She scans here and there with her liner dear like golden eyes.

"There's nobody with me," He says, huffing. "So tell me, Aubrie, why did you run away?" He keeps moving forward with every word. "You know the consequences. Why did you do that, Aubrie?"



She scuffs, "Because you failed to keep your promise, so I had to. Don't tell me you became that dumb that you needed to ask now." She turns back, giving him a frowning look.

"AUBRIE!!!" he shouts her name with more anger. "WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!! Just because you have the ability to be naive as much as you want in everything doesn't mean anyone can neglect their duty like you."

"Alright, Mr. Gavin McLaren," she shrugs. "Sorry for being the most imperfect part of your life. Then why don't you choose someone perfect for you? Why you and your freaking family are after my imperfect self for a perfect CEO of a great Bluraign company!!"

Aubrie keeps strolling on the pavement while Gavin follows her behind, never-ending their miserable, unsolvable arguments. Gavin continues, "So do you have any solution, Aubrie?"

As he approaches her with that question, realizing all their arguments are unsolicited. His tone softens as he calls her name with all the dejection graved inside him, leaving deep scars inside his heart. She stops her steps as Gavin takes a stand in front of her. He couldn't lay his eyes on her, so he kept his sight down on the ground while she looked away, a shred of tears from her left eye rolling down her cheeks.

"Why didn't you run away instead of me, Gavin?" she says with a broken tone. "It should have been you instead, shouldn't it?"

Instead of being a start, this marriage became the end of many dreams of Aubrie and Gavin.

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