History Part ll  

"Master Tao I want to play too. " Little MinHee yelled as she followed him around the playground. Dona looked on as her daughter and Xitao played like they always did. She had already been with the Huang family for five years now, and even though this wasn't the life she had planned, she was still relatively happy. The Huang's fed and cloth her, and they even took care of MinHee. Mrs Huang had taken a special interest in Dona's daughter, suggesting she should have a Korean name and making sure she learned Korean, English, and Mandarin.

The trio were currently in the park wrapping up a long day of playing. "Min hee, young master Tao,  it's time to go. "

"But Imo (aunt), I'm not ready yet. "

"I know, but it's almost time for dinner." It was a bittersweet day for the trio because Tao would be starting his first day of school the next day, and this would be the last time that he and Min Hee could really run free together. She decided to let Min Hee and Tao play for longer then they normally did, but now it was really time for them to go. "How about after dinner, I give you both a special suprise?"

"Really?"

"Umm hmm, but we will have to head home and get dinner first. "

"Let's go then. "He said grabbing the hand that Min Hee was not holding.

Once they got home, Dona dropped the pair off, leaving them with one of the maids, before she went to go get some ice cream.  Instead of taking the car that Mrs Huang allowed her to use, she decided to walk to enjoy the cool air, since it had been a while since she had had time to herself.  When she got to the store she went to the frozen dessert aisle to find Tao and Minhee's favorite red bean ice cream, and she also went to pick up some banana milk to put in Tao's lunch box for the next day. As she was cruising through the store and toward the register, she hadn't realized that she was being followed by a guy who had seen her walk in.

"Your totally is 7500 ₩on"

"Ne,"she said as she pulled out her debit card to pay. Taking the receipt she exited the store and headed home. While she was in the store, the sun had set leaving the desolate streets in the upscale neighborhood feeling eerily quiet. When Dona was almost halfway home, she started to feel as if someone was following her. Taking a peak over her shoulder, Dona saw a guy in a hoodie, jeans, and baseball cap was a few feet back. Clutching her purse and shopping bag she speed up only to find that he speed up too. Making a quick decision, she decided to run a couple hundred feet ahead to the convenience store.

---

Lee Ji Won was extremely bored as he work the night shift at one of his convenience stores. As the owner of a few convenience stores around Seoul, Ji Won usually spent his time monitoring the sales. The only reason he was working there, was because he had to let go of his part timer, who had been stealing from the store. It had been almost two months, and he hadn't been able to find a new employee to work the shift. As he stared out the window watching the sun began to set, he noticed the pretty black lady who lived in the neighborhood walking down the street. Ji Won had first spotted her a few years ago when he had filled in for a sick part timer, and it was the first time in a year that his heart had raced for a woman besides his ex.

The next few years, he continued to see the beautiful woman, but she always had one or two children with her.  Ji Won didn't really think it was appropriate to try to approach her during those times so he had waited, and his chance had finally come. Of course since his chance had finally come, he had no idea how to approach her casually. Should he wait to see if she came in, or should he stand outside and wait. Would she think he was weird if he was just standing outside. It's not like he had a good reason like needing a smoking break. As he was contemplating, he looked over to see that the trash by him was full. He figured taking out the trash would be his best excuse for "bumping" into her.

With his excuse ready he went to look out the door to see if the mysterious lady was heading back home. The sun had completely set some time ago, and she still wasn't back. Seeing her a few feet up the street,  he turned to retrieve the trash and waited near the door. To keep up his casual appearance, Ji Won decided to first count to one hundred and then go to dump the trash. If his pace was just right, he would be able to meet her as he made his way back. Quickly counting to one hundred, he made a mad dash for the dumpster. When Ji Won was at the trash, he could hear voices and rustling of a bag.

---

"I've never seen someone like you before in person. "The guy who had been following Dona had her pushed up against the side of the store as he block her movement with his arms.

Dona had thought with enough speed, that she could make it to that store, but she hadn't factored in that the person following her would be faster. "Please let me go. "

"I don't think I can do that. " He said grabbing her shoulders, and roughly pulling her body towards his.

"Hello is anyone there?" Dona heard someone call from the other side of the trash can. "Help me," she called out before could be covered.

---

After he called out, Ji Won heard a female voice call for help, so he dropped the trash, and made his way to the other side of the dumpster. "What is going on here." He looked to see that a man about his height had a woman pinned to the wall, and not just any woman, but the one he had had a crush on got the last few years.

"Nothing, it's just a lovers spat. Why don't you mind your own buisness. "

"I don't think that's the case. Miss, are you okay?"

"No, please help me. "

"I think you should let go of her and get on your way before I call the cops." As he finished his statement, the guy lunged for Ji Won trying to land a punch on his face. Ji Won was able to dodge him and punch him in the stomach before kneeing him in the groin. "Now I'll ask you again, do you want to leave or would you like me to call the cops? "   Getting up from the ground, the guy took off in the direction he had come from.  

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ji Won did a quick scan of her body to see if she was injured any where. She was a little shaken up, but from what he could tell, she wasn't physical hurt.  "Come inside for a minute. I'll close the store down and take you home. "

---

3 years later 

"Madam Huang would like to see you in her office. "The head maid told her as she walked back into the house. It was mid morning, and Dona had just gotten back from dropping both Zitao and Min Hee at their schools. Usually Madame Huang was out of the house from early morning until late at night so it was very unusual for her to be present and calling for Dona. "Ne, I understand. "

As Dona walked to madame Huang's office she couldn't help but feel nervous. There was no way the madame could have found out about her and Ji Won, they had been quite carefull for the last two years. As Dona approached the door, she held her breath as she knocked.  

"Come in. " Madame Huang was sitting behind her large imposing desk shifting through some files. "Please sit. "  

Dona moved from the door frame and sat in one of the opulent chairs in front of the desk. As she sat there, madame Huang didn't say a word. After a few minutes, Dona finally broke the awkward tension. "You wanted to speak with me. "

Without saying a word, Madame Huang place a folder on front of Dona and gave her an expecting look. Dona's heart began to race in expectation, only to stop as soon as she opened the folder. In the folder was a picture of her and Ji Won taken not even twenty four hours before. As she shifted through the rest of the folder, she saw picture after picture of them. They were at a restaurant; going to a karaoke room; shopping;  at the zoo with Min Hee. They were private moments that Dona would never have imagined were being captured.   Madame Huang patiently sat and let Dona flip through every picture until she got to the first one, a picture of them two years ago when they first officially started dating.

"It has been brought to my attention that you have been seeing someone. " Madame Huang then place a stack of papers in front of Dona, which she immediately recognized as the employment contract. "I know it has been a few years since you signed this, but do you not remember this? Would you like me to refresh your memory?"  

Dona remembered the contract she signed all to well. She agreed that by working for madame Huang, she forfeit all rights to privacy, and had pledge to work for as many years as Madame Huang saw fit. Part of the contract mentioned that she was to be devoted only to the family, which meant no dating. At the time she was completely done with dating, and men in general. The only thing she was focused on at that time was her and her baby's wellbeing. She never could have imagined that five years after working for the family, she would meet such a great guy.  Dona shook her head no, too afraid to speak. She had seen Madame Huang's wrath once and she didn't want to see it again.  

"As you can see from the pictures, I have known for quite some time. I figured Ji Won was just living out some fantasy of dating a foreigner, but recently, one of the private investigators saw him shopping for rings. "  

Dona was shocked. Her and Ji Won had talked about marriage, and they had also looked at rings,  but she didn't think he was going to propose so soon.  

"When I picked you, I went against professional advice. The agency told me that this would happen, but I trusted you. "The tone of Madame Huang's voice never changed, but Dona could feel the hostility coming from her.  

"Madame, this will not change anything. I will still be able to take care of Zitao during the day, and if you are out of the country,  I can watch him at night. "  

"The agreement was for you to be available 24/7. Things often come up at the last minute. I don't have time to factor in your and Ji Won's schedule. The only solution is for you to break up with him. "

"What? I can't..." Ji Won was the only person besides her daughter and Zitao that she had.  Dona thought she knew what love was when she was with Michael,  but she was wrong. The way Ji Won made her feel was like nothing else she had experienced. He loved her and Min Hee unconditionally. "I love him. "  

"Love?" Madame Huang let out a dry chuckle.  "I loved my husband, now look where he's at." In the past year, Mrs Huang had found out her husband had been cheating with his friend's secretary. That had been the last straw, and Mrs Huang had finally sent him to a remote town in china. "You, better than anyone should know that love fades. The last guy you were in love with abandon you and his child in a foreign country. " Madame Huang's statement was like a slap in the face. The topic of Dona's ex was something that was never brought up. It was a still a sensitive subject for her after all of these years.  

"You can bring it in, " Madame Huang said into the intercom system on her desk. "I figured you would be stubborn. "  

Dona heard the door open behind her, and turned to see one of the maids walk in with luggage.   "These are you things. I was trying to be nice by giving you a chance, but it seems that you have no loyalty. I want you to leave my house immediately. "  

Dona didn't know what to say. She had lived in the Huang's house for eight years already. Zitao was like a son to her, and the staff were like the family she never had. Looking at the luggage again, she realized that there were only two bags. Unless they left a lot of her things out, there was no room for Min Hee's things.  As if she was reading Dona's mind,  Madame Huang set one last folder in front of Dona. Dona already knowing what was expected, opened it to find a spreadsheet filled with numbers.  Upon a further look, she realized that the numbers were actually currency. Beside each number was a description of what the money was used for. When Dona turned to the last page in the folder, there was a big bold entry stating the final total 5,500,000,000₩ (~$5.5 million). 

“As you can see, this is the amount of money that has been spent on you and MinHee the past eight years.” Madame Huang stated as she stood up and pointed to the final amount.” You have incurred quite a debt with me.”

Dona hadn’t realized that Madame Huang had kept track of all the money she had spent on her and Minhee. “I will do all that I can to pay you back.”

“There is no way you will be able to pay me back in a timely manner. I don’t want to have to wait for ten or fifteen years for you to pay me back.” Madam Huang finally walked from around her desk and stood beside a still seated Dona. “Hmm, maybe I should take Ji Won’s business. From my research, his convenience stores make quite a bit of money. I should be able to get a return within a few years.”

“No, you can’t. Ji Won has worked hard for his stores,” Dona begged. “This debt is not his to pay. Please there has to be another way.”

“Well, since you insist, I’ll let you pay me back,” Madame Huang leaned into Dona until she was right in her face. “ but Minhee won’t step a foot outside of this house until you’re done.” (figuratively speaking)

“What? You want to keep my daughter?” Dona was in disbelief. She had to be misunderstanding  something. Madame Huang couldn't be asking her to leave her daughter, her only true family behind. Dona knew Madame Huang could be cruel, but was she this cruel?

“Most of the money was spent on very expensive private lessons for Min Hee. I can't just let you take her. I have to make sure you pay me back Dona. You are not a person who sticks to their word.” Madame Huang motioned for the family security that had entered the room during the conversation to remove Dona from the premises. “Of course you nothing to worry about. Minhee will be taken care of like she always has been, but that too will be added to your debt.”

With that, Dona was dragged out by the very security guards who had protected her for the past eight years.