Chapter 1

  

"Mrs Huang, this is Choi Seok Jin from the nanny agency. We have found a lady who we think would be suitable for your household."

  

Mrs Huang was currently sitting in her office which overlooked Seoul."Oh really."

  

"Yes Mrs Haung. When you are free, we would like you to come down to meet her."

  

"My secretary has my schedule, so you can call him to see when I'm available. You have his number right since he was the person I told you to call when I joined."

  

"I'm so sorry Mrs Huang. I hadn't realized we weren't supposed to call you directly. This is only my first week and I haven't read through your file completely.  I'm so sorry."

  

"I bet Mrs Lee would love to hear that you aren't doing your job."

  

"I am so sorry this will not happen again. " Seok Jin replied guilty. 

  

"Of course it won't.  I'll make sure of that. " Mrs Huang hung up the phone. She was too busy to be dealing with some part timer. "Mr Seo?" She said while pressing her intercom, which was connected to her secretary's "Call Mrs Lee, and see if she is free for lunch."

  

--

  

"Miss how many times do we have to tell you we can't hire you. "

  

"But please I have nowhere else to go. "Dona never thought her life would turn out this way. She was on the road to a very promising future.  Even though she was abanboned by her parents and raised in many foster homes, she was still able to excel at school and was accepted into one of the top schools in America.  Dona had a best friend who really loved her and her friend's family adored her. Everything was perfect until she meet Micheal.  

2 years earlier

"You know that guy has been watching you all night. " Dona looked over to see a tall and very handsome brown-skin man looking in her direction.

  

"He's probably looking at you Victoria." Who was Dona's best friend. They had met their freshman year having been paired as roommates and had become instant friends. Victoria was the exotic type with parents who were both biracial making her a mix of four different races. She came off as completely racial ambiguous with caramel colored skin, slightly slanted grey eyes, and stick straight hair. Generally when they went out, guys of all races tried to pick her up. Dona knew she was by no means ugly with her milk chocolate colored skin and her thick very curly hair, but most of the guys in the areas that her and Victoria hung out in preferred exotic types. Dona wasn't at all phased by it.  Everyone has a type or like her quite a few types.

  

"No he is definitely looking at you." Victoria countered  "Oh, he is finally coming over. I bet you fifty that he will try to buy you a drink." 

  

"You're own." 

  

"Hi ladies."

  

"Hi," they answered as the each turned to look at him.

  

"My name is Michael. Do you mind if I buy you a drink." He was looking right at Dona not even throwing a glance toward Victoria .

  

---

  

"Are you going out with Michael again?" Victoria asked looking up from her textbook she had been studying from for the past few hours. It had been six months since Dona started dating Micheal, and in that time, Dona had changed completely. 

  

"Umm Yea." Dona answered already irritated at the conversation.

  

"Dona it's finals week, and I haven't seen you study even once.  I'm glad you and Micheal are in love and all, but you need to get your priorities straight. "

  

"I have my priorities straight Victoria. " She shot back. "you didn't hear me calling you out when you partied all through sophomore year. "

  

"My situation was different. "

  

"Why because i'm some orphan who should be glad an ivy league school took me? I work my off to get here. Michael was right about you, you have always looked down on me. "

  

"Dona I have never..."Dona turned and walked out not giving Victoria a chance to finish. That was the last conversation she had with her best friend. Michael was offered a freelance photography position in South Korea and she had followed him there. The first year was great. She fell in love with the language and the culture and she fell even more in love with Michael.  When she found out she was pregnant, she thought it was just another step towards happiness. Micheal obviously didn't feel that way. He left her completed stranded with no money a month after he found out. That was why Dona was at the nanny agency trying to find a job. She had to make enough money to go back to the states and the only thing she could do that didn't require advance Korean, was to be a nanny.

  

---

  

"Right this way Mrs Huang"said the hostess of the very exclusive dinner club. "We have set aside the best dinning room for you, and your lunch guest is already waiting. " The hostess stopped at a pair of double doors which lead to the room. Taking a ninety degree bow she opened the door and quietly excused herself.  

  

"Mrs Huang, it's so nice to see you again. It feels like it had been months since we last met. " Mrs Lee spoke as she stood up to bow to Mrs Huang.  

  

"Yes, well you know how work is. I have been working on opening the new hotel branch in Japan, and we are also remodeling our Jejudo branch." she said while sitting down across from her best friend. They had met when Mrs Huang's family immigrated to Korea to expand the business. "and on top of that, I can't go to check the progess of either because there is no one to watch Xitao at night."

  

"Are you ladies ready to order?" asked the young waiter who had come in during their conversation. 

  

"We'll have the usual," Mrs Huang answered not taking a glance at the menu.  She and Mrs Lee had eaten their for the past ten years so they had each figured out which dishes they liked the best.

  

"Very well than.  Your food will be up shortly. " The waiter took there menus and after a gently bow, he left the private room. 

  

"How is everything going with your husband, " Mrs Lee quietly inquired.

  

"Fine now," Mrs Huang had caught her husband cheating on her with their very young nanny, which was why she was looking for another.

  

"I told him if I ever caught him again, I would send him off to China to manage our most remote branch." Even though Mrs Huang marriage had been a buiness agreement, she did not take to kindly to disrespect. 

  

"Good. I can't believe her would try something like that, and with the help no less. It's disgusting." Mrs Lee said as a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh, I heard we found you a new nanny candidate."

  

"But did you hear how I found out? "

  

"Yes and I fired Seok Jin immediately. It's part of her job to know all of the details of the customers' file and she failed to do that, and with you no less. I talked to your secretary and he said you were free after lunch so I set up a meeting for you and the nanny. "

  

"That sounds perfect." The doors than opened revealing their food.

  

---

  

Dona sat in the lobby of the agency for the third day that week. She was determined to make them rehire her. Just when the front desk clerk was about to ask her to leave, in came the owner followed by a well dressed buisness women.

  

"Mrs Lee, Mrs Huang you are right on time Hye Soo ssi is already waiting outside your office for the meeting."

  

"Thanks so much Shin Hee ssi. Also could you please Dona ssi out of the building we are no longer in need of her services." She than walked through the door which separated the lobby from the rest of the offices.

  

"You heard her Ms Dona, it's time for you to go. "

  

"My pregancy won't interfere with work. Please tell her. "

  

---

  

"Who was that black woman in the lobby? "Mrs Huang Inquired.

  

"Just some American we hired a few months ago. We thought she would be a good addition because she attended an Ivy league school, but then we realized she was pregnant."

  

"Oh, " she answered now slightly intrigued by the women who appeared to have no other options. But before she could voice her curiosity, Mrs Lee was introducing her to Hye Soo. "Mrs Huang this is Hye Soo ssi and Hye Soo ssi this is Madame Huang. " Mrs Huang preferred her employees called her Madame.

  

"Annyeong Hasaeyo cheoneun Kim Hye Soo imnida. It's so nice to meet you. "

  

"Follow me ladies so we can began the interview. "

  

"So Hye Soo ssi describe your educational background, " Mrs Huang started off.

  

"Well, I have an undergraduate degree in early childhood education from the University of Seoul and I attended graduate school in America for child psychology. "

  

"Was it an ivy league school? " Mrs Huang was jotting down notes on her paper as she conducted the interview.

  

"No Madame it wasn't,  but it had a very popular masters program."

  

"Umm hmm," she wrote down a comment and continued.

  

"Was nannying your first choice in careers?"

  

"No, I eventually want to open a kindergarten. "

  

"Umm. On a scale of one to ten how close are you to your family."

  

"I'm definitely a ten. I talk to my mom everyday,and we still take family vacations together. She is one of my best friends. " Mrs Huang sent Mrs Lee a look letting her know that the interview was over. 

  

"Thank you so much for your time Hye Soo ssi," Mrs Lee stood up to shake Hye Soo's hand, "We will be in touch. "  

  

"So what do you think? She is a smart girl, has degrees in child care, and she is fluent in English. "

  

"I don't think she is the one"

  

"What? Why not, we hit all of your major criteria." There was not a more perfect girl in the company for Mrs Huang. Mrs Lee had sent out special recruiters just to scout Hye Soo for the Huang family. 

  

"Well for one, she said nannying was not her first choice in career,which means she sees this as a temporary job.  I'm looking for someone who will raise Xitao for at least the next 15 years. Second,"she said looking at her paper at the notes she had been jotting down. "She says she is close to her family and still takes trips with them. I want someone who is completely devoted to my son. I'm afraid that someone like her won't be able to do that."

  

"Okay, we will look again. This time for someone who will be 100 percent committed to the job. "

  

"I actually have a suggestion."

  

"Who?" If Mrs Huang already had someone in mind, why go through all of ther trouble to interview people through the agency. 

  

"The foreigner from the lobby."

  

---

  

"Send her in."

  

"Ne Mrs Lee," The receptionest buzzed back on the intercom system. 

  

"Well Dona ssi today is your lucky day. Mrs Huang her is interested in interviewing you for a nannying position, "said Mrs Lee as she motioned to the empty seat in front of the pair. "I know this is short notice, but since Mrs Huang is one of my best friends, so I will allow it. "

  

"Thank you so much for giving me this chance. " Dona said before taking a polite bow and sitting.

  

"Don't thank me, thank Madame Huang for this chance.  You may start with the questions when you are ready."  

  

"First describe to me your educational background."Mrs Huang asked in English so that Dona could understand fully what she was saying.

  

"I attended an American ivy league school for seven semesters before moving here. "  

  

"And what was your major? "

  

"It was mathematics with a minor in accounting. "

  

Mrs Huang once again was scribbling down notes on the interview. "Did you finish the course study. "

  

"No, I followed my fiance here because he obtained a position. " Dona had been so close to the end.

  

"Are you guys still together? "

  

"No." Dona answered.

  

"Umm hmm. On a scale of one to ten, how close are you with your family."

  

"I am actually an orphan so I don't have any family." Once again Mrs Huang decided to end the interview with that final question.

  

"Thanks for coming in. We will be in touch. " As Dona walked out, she couldn't tell whether she had done good or bad. She had tried to answer as honestly as she could, and all she could do now was hope for the best.

  

"Well as you can see, she is not suitable for the position. Not only is she pregnant, she didn't even graduate from college. " Mrs Lee got up and moved over to her desk to sort through some papers. "Anyway I know I still have a few ladies who will be perfect."

  

"I'll take her."

  

"Mwo?"  

  

 ---

  

"How has everything been going with you and Dona ssi. "

  

"It's going great. She fits right in with the rest of the staff, and Xitao loves her. " Mrs Huang replied. Her and Mrs Lee were out to dinner which had become common place recently. It had been about two months since Dona had started working for the Huang family and she had settled in nicely. Mrs Huang was now again able to enjoy having a child without having to actually take care of one.

  

"I still can't understand why out of all the applicants we showed you that you would choose her. "

  

"Well with Dona, I saw something which the other applicants didn't have. "

  

"What was that?" Mrs Lee took a sip of her wine and prepared to hear what "great"thing Mrs Huang saw in Dona. She had been curious about why she wanted Dona, and now she was about to find out.

  

"Desperation. "

  

"Huh?"

  

"Desperation. Here I am looking for a nanny that will be completely devoted to my family, and this American women is coming to the agency begging to be hired. After the interview, when she said she was an orphan, I knew she was the one. "

  

"But still she's pregnant. What happens when her baby comes. "

  

"I thought about that too. It's hard to find loyal companions because of our status. I see this as an opportunity to raise one."

  

"Raise one? "

  

"Yes. I looked into Dona's background, and even though she didn't complete college, she was a straight A student. Here child is bound to be smart. If we raise him to learn everything about the buisness and have him loyal to Xitao it would be perfect. "

  

"But what about Dona she is still young and quite pretty what is she finds someone she wants to settle down with. "

  

"I create a debt. I have already started paying for her to go to the doctor. I figure if I continue to pay for expensive things and charge high interest, she will never be able to pay me back. " The astonished look on Mrs Lee's face did not surprise Mrs Huang one bit. That lady had always underestimated her.

  

"And that is why you are the head of a billion dollar company Mrs Huang. I can't believe you thought that far ahead and planned that much during a ten minute interview. I don't think I could have ever thought that up."  

  

Mrs Huang couldn't help but laugh at that statement. Of course Mrs Lee couldn't have thought of it. That was why she was still running a small little agency funded by her daddy, and Mrs Huang was running the whole Huang empire.