Why I Wrote the Lees


January 6, 2026

The Lees are often read as obstacles.

They are the parents who disapprove. The family who apply pressure. The ones who seem to stand in the way of the relationship people want to root for.

That reading is shallow.

I did not write the Lees to be villains. I wrote them to represent a different kind of fear. One that is quieter, more socially acceptable, and often harder to challenge.

The fear of losing everything you worked for.

Where the Lees Come From

The Lees are shaped by scarcity, but not the kind people usually notice.

They live in a world where status is fragile. Where reputation is currency. Where one wrong move can undo generations of effort. They did not grow up with safety. They grew up with conditions.

Work harder than everyone else.
Do not stand out in the wrong way.
Do not give people a reason to look down on you.

That mindset does not disappear when you become comfortable. It calcifies.

By the time we meet the Lees, they have already learned that love is not enough to protect a family. Stability must be defended. Appearances must be managed. Risk must be minimised at all costs.

That belief system explains their choices, even when those choices cause harm.

Why They Resist Ted

Ted is not a problem because of who he is. He is a problem because he represents uncertainty.

He does not fit neatly into the future the Lees have planned for Soo-ah. He carries unpredictability in a world that demands control. His differences threaten the image they believe keeps their daughter safe.

Their resistance is not personal.
It is structural.

They are trying to protect Soo-ah from a world they know will be unforgiving if she slips. Unfortunately, their idea of protection leaves no room for who she actually is or what she wants.

Control Disguised as Care

This is the most important part.

The Lees genuinely believe they are acting in Soo-ah’s best interest. Their pressure is framed as guidance. Their disapproval is framed as responsibility. Their interference is framed as love.

That is why they are dangerous.

Control that admits itself can be confronted. Control disguised as care becomes internalised. It teaches children to doubt their own instincts and prioritise approval over authenticity.

Soo-ah does not just have to succeed. She has to succeed in a way that keeps her parents comfortable.

That is a heavy burden to place on a child.

Why I Needed Them in the Story

Without the Lees, Soo-ah’s world would be incomplete.

They show how family love can coexist with emotional constraint. How generational fear gets passed down through expectations rather than cruelty. How pressure can be invisible to outsiders while still shaping every decision.

They also challenge Ted in a way he has never faced. Not with overt hostility, but with quiet dismissal. Not with shouting, but with standards he was never trained to meet.

That contrast matters.

What I Want Readers to Question

Not all harm looks abusive.
Not all love feels safe.
Not all parents are wrong in intent.

The Lees matter because they force the question most people avoid.

What happens when protection becomes a cage?

That question sits at the centre of this story.

Reader Question
Have you ever been told something was ‘for your own good’ when it really served someone else’s fear?

Sit with that before you answer.

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