Tiffany Hwang was the number one e in all of Jang Dongsuk’s business. She got the most requests, charged the highest rates and received the best reviews. In a weird way, she was almost a celebrity queen. Every man who knew Jang Dongsuk knew the name Tiffany.

The door to the apartment swung open and Tiffany emerged from the flat that was foggy with perfume and cigar smoke. She straightened out her tight, low-cut dress. A man accompanied her out; he pecked her on the cheek and in her hand he slipped $200 USD worth of banknotes. Tiffany blew him a teasing kiss and the man winked at her. Despite the flirting, she visibly winced when the door seemed to slam, shutting her outside and at the same time, shunning her for her occupation.

Tiffany left the apartment, only to find Jang Dongsuk leaning by the side, giving her an oily smile. He put his hand out and cleared his throat. Tiffany rolled her eyes and withdrew a certain amount of banknotes and crammed it disdainfully in his hand.

Minutes later, Tiffany was in a taxi, headed downtown to a place where even she wasn’t all too sure of. Eventually, she found the rowdy group of intoxicated college boys wandering around.

“Yah! Look, the hooker’s here!”

“Daaaamn, she’s fine. I really wanna have a go with her…”

“Hey, hey, hands off. She’s Birthday Boy’s for the night. Here, take him, y! We’ve got the expenses covered. Oh, and make sure you show him how to have a good time- he’s kinda one of those prude Christian s.” One of the frat boys was pushed forward and he stumbled straight into her arms, his face pressed up against her chest. Red-faced and embarrassed, the boy protested, but his friends had already ditched him.

Groaning to herself, Tiffany followed him as he led her awkwardly to a reserved hotel room. When they were finally alone in the room, the boy kept pacing around. Letting out a huff of impatience, Tiffany finally spoke up, “Uhm…can we move along right now? I’ve kind of got a busy schedule here…”

“I’m sorry,” the boy said suddenly, stopping his anxious pacing to run his hands through his hair. “Look, my friends put me up to this, this whole thing is stupid and I don’t know what I’m doing with my life at college. Just...I hope you forgive me…I’ve fallen astray from the Lord’s path.”

Tiffany couldn’t help but chuckle at his rapidly delivered monologue. “Hon, it’s all right- I do this for a living. It’s all I’ve got to support my ed up life. And nothing anyone ever does will ever make a difference,” The boy looked up at her with dark, liquid eyes that seemed to see right through her soul.

“I get that, but…I’ve never really understood ion. I can’t help but think it’s a lonely, emotionless and cruel job. And I hope someday, you’ll find another occupation that will allow you to live a better, happier life.” She kept a cool composure, but inside she felt strange, foreign feelings tumbling around. Now that she had observed him more carefully, he was actually very handsome.

“All right- enough chit chat. You’re a sweetheart, but I don’t have all the time in the world to spend with you and I think you should make your friends’ money worthwhile so…let’s get started…and don’t worry, I’ll guide you through it.” The boy visibly blushed and awkwardly approached the bed where Tiffany sat.

It had been a night that Tiffany, who already had countless customers previously, would never forget. His friends had been telling the truth when they said that he was a hopelessly inexperienced - but, as Tiffany had discovered that night, he was a very fast learner.

The way he touched her, held her as if she were the most fragile object in the universe…Tiffany wouldn’t go so far as to say that they made love, but it had been, by far, the best bout of that she’d had in all her career so far.

It was two in the morning when Tiffany gently untangled herself from his arms and got dressed. Just when she was about to head out, she heard the bed sheets rustle and turned to see him sitting up and staring at her, wide awake.

“Where are you going?”

“Other business. Hate to say it, but that’s the way my job works. I don’t belong to one person.”

“All right,” he said. “…By the way, what’s your name?”

“Tiffany. You can find me whenever you’d like...”

“No, I mean…your real name. Your Korean name.”

“…Miyoung. Hwang Miyoung.”

“Okay. Thank you for your time, Miyoung. It was well worth it in the end and…Miyoung, you’re beautiful.” In all the years she had been a e, no one had ever addressed her as Miyoung or told her she was beautiful. Tiffany gave him a smile and left.

Somehow, in the back of her mind, she realized she forgot to remind him about something vital- something that probably didn’t occur to him since he had previously been a . It all came right back to her a few weeks later when she could not take her eyes off the bright pink slip she held in her quivering hands.

Tiffany did the one thing she could think of- she entrusted a portion of her savings to her dear friend Yuri, contacted her brother and purchased a plane ticket to America. When it came to conceiving through business, Dongsuk was the type of man who wordlessly suspended engagements and either ordered his girls to the abortion clinic or sold the child off to slave rings. And in her heart, she knew that she would do anything to ensure that the child, his child lived.

Nine hard years passed by. Tiffany, for the most part, had been unable to hold a steady job in America, so she took to being a call girl in California. This led to her son spending most of his childhood mainly in the company of his uncle and never seeing his mother much. Life in America hadn’t turned out to be the ideal that she had hoped for, but she suspected that it was infinitely better than what would have happened had she stayed in Seoul.

One day, there came a desperate phone call. Yuri was dying from years of ion eating away at her immune system and wanted to see her one last time. At first, Tiffany was unsure of whether or not she should return to a place she had so willingly left behind. Eventually she caved and flew back to Korea, half the time fearing for her life as she wondered if there were associates of Dongsuk’s that skulked around looking for her, even after nine years.

Nothing happened and Tiffany reached Yuri just in time to watch her friend breathe her last. With no money left and nowhere to go, Tiffay wandered out into the streets, feelings of disillusionment consuming her. As she walked along the Han River, letting the rain soak her body, she reflected upon the miseries and failures of her life. For just one moment, Tiffany found herself teetering at the edge and the frighteningly strong urge to throw herself into the rushing water and just simply give up.

Just then, she noticed someone standing next to her. Tiffany turned to see an attractive young man who was holding his umbrella over her, stopping the rain from drenching her further.

“Are you all right, miss? You’ll catch pneumonia if you stay out in the rain for so long. Why don’t you come inside the motel?” The concern in his voice broke her down, bit by bit.

“I…I…I can’t….I…have no money…I…abandon my own child…I’m…worthless…” Tiffany stuttered out, hating how her voice hitched at every breath she took.

“You’re not worthless. God created everyone for a reason and He made it so every life has value. You’re worth more than enough so that you don’t have to take your life right now.” Coherent words would not form and all Tiffany could do was cry. The young man patted her comfortingly on the back and assured her that it was all right to come to the motel as his visitor.

His name was Choi Siwon. He had just been certified as a preacher and was on a journey to find his father who had abandoned him and his mother years ago. Passing through Mokpo, he had come across a young couple who were on vacation and had befriended them.

He led her to a table in the lounge of the motel where a man and a woman sat, shuffling cards together. When Siwon and Tiffany approached the table and he made introductions, they smiled up at her and the woman, several months pregnant, dealt cards to Tiffany.

He was Lee Donghae, while she was Im Yoona. They had gotten married just last year and were expecting their first child very soon. He was the charismatic, social man, eager to share his dreams of rising from a laborer to a successful entrepreneur, while she was the shy, quiet woman, only detailing her aspiration to become a teacher when asked. Yet they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other and Tiffany always found it strange how happy she was seeing them together even though she barely knew them.

As they told stories and exchanged jokes, Tiffany felt more accepted, much more light-hearted than she had in a long time.

Siwon offered to let her stay in his room and Tiffany shyly accepted. She sat primly on the bed and noticed him staring at her intensely. She asked him what was up.

“Oh, sorry…it’s just that…I’m getting this feeling of déjà vu.” Tiffany looked at him questioningly. “I feel like I’ve been here before, in a motel room, alone together with a beautiful woman. In fact, crazy as it seems, God has set it so that we may cross paths again, nine years later…Miyoung.” Tiffany’s eyes widened. She stared at his face and picked out the familiar features of the boy who, years ago, had changed her life.

“H-How…?” she asked, stunned.

“I couldn’t believe it either when I saw you by the river today. I still don’t quite believe it now. But I’ve never quite been able to forget you, Miyoung. Maybe it’s because you were my first. Either way, for nine years, I’ve hoped to find you again.”

They stayed in his room and talked the night away. He told her about how he had fallen astray from God’s path in his adolescence and how he had committed countless sins he was ashamed of. The night of his 19^th birthday that he spent with her gave him a new sense of direction in his life. He never quite understood why, but it had pushed him to take up ministry and spread God’s word.

He told her all of this while they lay together on the bed, in simple, much needed unity. When he finished, he asked her to tell him her story and when she sometimes broke down in the middle, he wrapped his arms around her, wordlessly telling her that it was all right.

The couple decided to stay in the area for a few extra days and Siwon and Tiffany joined them in their carousing. Happy pictures soon filled up the camera which Tiffany vowed to keep forever.

One late night, the four friends boarded the bus to go back to Mokpo after a day of activities. While on the way back, Yoona’s face suddenly contorted in pain and Donghae’s eyes grew wide with shock; the baby wasn’t supposed to be due for at least another week or so. He immediately clasped his wife’s hands, preparing himself to have to help his wife at any moment and Siwon urged the bus driver to take them back to Mokpo as quickly as possible.

Tiffany and Siwon watched as Donghae comforted Yoona while she tried her hardest to bite back her agonized yelps. “This reminds me of when I gave birth to Youngsoo…” Tiffany remarked wistfully.

Siwon glanced at her and said, “That reminds me- Miyoung, I’m curious. Do you know exactly who the father is?” Tiffany bit her lip. When she realized who he was, at first, she had resolved not to tell him as she was unable to anticipate what sort of reaction he would have. Yet as she felt herself melting in his gaze, she whispered softly,

“It’s you…Siwon. That time…you didn’t wear a . The effects of the pill probably wore off by then as well.”

His eyes became as wide as dinner plates. “And…you didn’t tell me this sooner…why…?”

“I’m sorry, I was afraid of how you would react and I didn’t want you to leave me when I had just met you…!”

“No, no it’s fine…it’s just that…well, there’s really only one thing I can do now, isn’t there?” To Tiffany’s utter surprise, he got out of his seat, slid down onto his knee and took her hand. “Miyoung, marry me.”

Stunned, she could only sputter, “Wh-What?! Why?”

“I can’t believe I let you and our­ son go on suffering for so long. I believe it’s my duty as well as God’s will that I should take responsibility for it.”

“Oh god, no, Siwon, really it’s okay, you couldn’t have known…”

“It’s not just that,” he cut her off, his dark liquid eyes meeting hers. “I want to spend my life with you as well. You mean something much more special to me than anything I’ve ever known. So Hwang Miyoung, my beautiful and only, I ask you again; will you marry me?”

Words completely failed her. Her vision blurred with tears, she nodded vigorously. He smiled at her, his adorable dimple showing and gently took her in his arms and kissed her. Yoona and Donghae smiled at them.

In that moment, there was no way any of them could have anticipated what would happen next.

The bus driver didn’t see it coming- neither did any of the passengers. All Tiffany knew was that minutes after Siwon had kissed her, there had been a honking sound of a truck, an ear-splitting crash, the sound of her own scream and a humongous force threw her body into what, she didn’t even know- just that she most definitely broke some bones along the way.

When Tiffany finally came to, the first thing she felt was a fiery pain coursing throughout her body. She shifted slightly and confirmed that ribs had been broken. Gingerly, she attempted to sit up, wiping away the sticky blood that had oozed out of the cut on her forehead. Tiffany’s eyes finally adjusted to the scene and she gasped aloud in horror.

The broken bodies of Donghae and Yoona lay crumpled next to the head of the truck that had just smashed into the side of the bus. Blood seemed to be spattered all over the place. Then, Tiffany looked beside her, realized Siwon was clutching onto her and in the same state as the other two and big, heaving cries of anguish escaped her lips.

Siwon’s eyes fluttered open and Tiffany gasped and cradled his broken form in her arms. “No…no…Siwon, you’re going to live…you’re going to live, you’re not leaving right after you tell me that you want to spend eternity with me!!”

“…It will be all right…God…He is calling me…my time has come…” he rasped.

“No. Stop saying that,” Tiffany demanded, tears streaming down her face. “You’ll be fine…somebody will come and help us…somebody…Mr. Bus Driver!” The bus driver rolled out of his seat and crawled towards them, bruised and bloodied but otherwise alive. “Yeah! Yeah! Here he is! He’s going to call the police now! He’ll get help! Help will come…they’ll help you…so live, Siwon, live. I don’t know what I’ll do if you’re not there to guide me!”

“Miyoung…I cannot refuse…my calling…can’t…can’t you see the Promised Land?” With shaking, bloody hands, he reached into his jacket and pulled out the pocket Bible he carried around with him all the time. He laid it in her hands and gazed at her. “Follow…God’s path. Spread His teachings. He will surely lead you to greatness. And…I’ll always be…right here.”

He moved his hand up to her chest. “…Thank you…Miyoung…I got…to meet you…one last time…and…give…our son…my…blessing.” Slowly, Siwon’s eyes closed, never to open again. Tiffany sobbed uncontrollably as grief overcame her.

“M-Miyoung-ssi...” came Yoona’s weak voice. “Help…the baby…” Anguished as she was, Tiffany came quickly to the young woman’s side.

“Donghae…?” she asked, although inside, she knew the answer.

“He…he’s dead now…” Yoona said, tears collecting in her eyes. “Please…Miyoung, help me…”

“Yes, yes of course.” Signaling to the bus driver to help as well, Tiffany coaxed Yoona along as she continued to go through labor.

“Miyoung…can you…grant me this one favor?”

“What is it, Yoona?”

“Please…take care of my child for me. Her name…will be…Yunhee. Raise her…to be a respectable…person. Tell her how…her parents loved her very much…and…we’re sorry we…couldn’t live…long enough to watch her grow…would you…do that for us…Miyoung…?”

“I…I will,” Tiffany choked out.

“Thank you,” Yoona sighed and just then, with one final push, Lee Donghae and Im Yoona’s baby came into the world, just as her mother drew her last breath and left simultaneously. The infant took one look at her strange, new surroundings, and let out a huge wail.

“Shhh, shhh…it’s all right, Yunhee,” Tiffany comforted her, rocking the baby while she smiled through her tears. “You’ll be okay…Eomma and Appa might not be here…but I am…and I’ll make sure you, and your brother in America lead happy and righteous lives…I promise you, your parents and my one true love that much.”

It took some time, but eventually, her request to legally adopt Yunhee was finally approved. She returned to America, with a clearer sense of her life. She worked odd jobs during the day while attending college classes at night- and eventually went on to become the successful businesswoman she was today. She finally made amends with both her brother and her son. Youngsoo was reluctant at first to accept his mother into his life fulltime, but she didn’t mind- she simply waited for the day that he would be old enough to listen to  her story and understand…

Hwang Miyoung sat back in her chair, watching her son as he tried to take in all she had just told him.

“It’s a strange thing, Youngsoo. The people who you’ve lost along the way in life- they never truly leave you. They always stay with you, in here.” She leaned over and placed a hand on his chest. Her hair fell just a bit over her eyes; she seemed to become years younger. “That’s why it’s important to live a good life, one where you don’t hold many regrets as well as one where you influence others in a positive way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...you know, when Mom came back from Korea, she used to read the Bible to me everday," Youngsoo recalled, playing around with the pocket Bible. "I have certain chapters committed to memory. I'm also the president of the Bible club in my school and I've been thinking of going into ministry when I go to college."

Youngsoo picked up the pocket Bible and put it back into his pack. “I finally understand now…and I guess this is pretty much a moment of resolution, isn’t it?” he said aloud. “Now, I can come to terms with all I went through when I was a kid- all those times when my mom was never there- and move on a better, wiser person. I’ll be back…but for now, I guess I’ll end with…a sincere thank you. For giving me life and for changing our lives for the better. Kamsahamida.”

As Youngsoo placed his hand on the cross, he could almost just hear the wind blow past his ear and a voice whispering: “I’m proud of you…son…” Hurriedly wiping an arm over his face, Youngsoo joined his sister and they walked off together into the distance, towards the nearby bus station, leaving the three wooden crosses behind to stand for a long time to come. 

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A/N: kudos to anyone who guessed right from the beginning that this entire oneshot was based largely off of Randy Travis' song, "Three Wooden Crosses." Please listen to it when you can. I discovered it recently while browsing country music on Spotify and it is one of my absolute favorite songs. I adore the way Randy Travis delivers this story with such a deep, meaningful message about life and how nothing is ever set in stone. i attempted to capture this in my story, but i don't think i did a very good job >.> nonetheless, i hope you shippers liked the otp flairs i threw in here. 

i shall be updating soon with some holiday oneshots, coming to you from yours truly, cee-cee! hwaiting~ :D