"For some reason, people always try to please one another.
Even if they didn’t know how it is
Even if it means to hurt theirselves
Even if it is to sacrifice their own happiness"
-Jung Jessica-

A blonde standing infron of a large house, rather mansion, with her cold eyes can't help but rate its worth. Eight out of ten, she thought. She looked around and few passer by seems to have been looking at her. These people must be thinking why would a foreigner looking girl was shamelessly standing in front of a rich family's house. What they didn't know... it's not her fault that she's standing here. She was invited by her who-she-thought-didn't-exist family, specifically, her grandmother. The grandmother she had never met her entire life. The grandmother who never cared and even bother about her ever since she's born. 

Well, she can't blame her. Because even her own father did the same. Yeah, life is not always going on as you wish but at least her family still cared for her, financially.

After moments of standing in front of the large gate, the blonde straightened her shirt and entered the property. The door was so huge and it was modernly designed like her mansion in London. Well, this family seems to be much big loader than she thought they are that they can provide a big mansion for an illegimate member of the family. How funny.

"Young lady Jessica, this way, please..." one of the maids said and led her to a bigger room, family room, she thought. She looked around the room and saw that it was full of people she wasn't familiar with. The oldest woman was sitting on the biggest sofa by herself, wearing a traditional Hanbok. She can't help but be amazed that there are still people wearing the traditional clothes of this country.

She might be a full blooded Korean but she spent it in London all her life. She even dyed her former brown hair to blonde making her looked more of a foreigner than an Asian. "Madam, Yound lady Jessica has arrived," announced the maid and that instant, everyone's attention was on her. There were about six people at that room, and most of them stared at her with anger and fury heating the atmosphere on the room.

The latter shrugged and walked gracefully into the room. She looked at them one by one. The older man who sat near the Hanbok grandmother, seems to be her father and beside him seems to be his wife. And the rest? Well, she wasn't able to observe them after she heard a voice calling her name, "Sooyeon."

"Huh?" Jessica turned to its source and fount the Hanbok grandmother was the one who called her. "Are you calling me?"

"Yes. Of course I called you," Hanbok grandmother replied, who didn't seem to be very happy in meeting her, well Jessica isn't either. "Don't you think you should formally bow to the elder here and introduce yourself?"

"Bow?" the blonde asked, raising her eyebrow. She thinks for a moment, trying to know what it means. She snapped her finger at realization. "Ah, that part of the Korean Culture. But bowing will make my knee dirty, besides, I'm wearing a short skirt," answered Jessica, bluntly making everyone in the room gasp. The hatred they were feeling for her heightened.

Bow? How could this old woman ask for respect? They have to earn it. It's not as easy as they seem it would be. 

"Didn't your mother teach you how to respect your elders?" asked the Hanbok grandmother furiously. "You should at least bow and greet me the moment you came into the room."

"Well, the mother you're saying doesn't have any time for me. And what should I greet you? In english or in korean?" said Jessica. Rude isn't she? She never have to pretend that she's a good girl. Living in London her whole life, she seemed to have adapt their culture and it is to say whatever they think without any second thoughts.

"You're just like your mother. Rude and arrogant," the Hanbok grandmother exhaled, scanning Jessica from head to toe. "That's why I never accepted you even before you're born. I knew you'll be like this. Like your mother."

The tone was soft but Jessica knew better. She was hated even before she's born. "Don't you ever think I'm being like this because you never accepted me in your family, Grandmother?" she emphasized, surprising the old woman. She can't help but throw a deathly glare at the illegitimate girl. Taking her back that Jessica didn't even cower in fear. 

The blonde only raised one of her eyebrow, "Did I say anything, wrong?"

"Jung Sooyeon!" her korean name boomed on the whole room with anger. She turned to the man. It is her father. "Keep your mouth shut!" He almost couldn't believe that her daughter speaks rudely to his mother. He looked at his twins who are quietly sitting beside them. "You just arrived here in Korea and this is the first time you came to our house, as a guest don't you know how to at least pay some respect to everyone?" asked her father furiously. "Now! Take a seat."

"You're right. I'm only a guest in this house but for your information, I have no intention in coming back here in Korea if not for my mother's death." She said coldly, refusing to take the order she just heard. "I came here because of the invitation sent by the Almighty Hanbok Halmoni," pointing the old woman with her chin. "As soon as my business here has ended, you might want to jump in happiness because this will be my last visit too, my dear father," sarcasm evident.

"This girl.." Her father said, standing up and was about to give her another set of his sermons but was stopped by his mother.

"Stop it son," she said and turned to Jessica. "It seems to be a wrong decision meeting you, but since your mother had passed away, we need to take care of you."

Yeah, just like what you have always done from the past 18 years, she thought. Just send me a lot of money and I can quickly disappear from your sight.

"Are you that scared I will tell everyone this dirty secret of my existence?" asked Jessica. She could easily talk like that about her birth because it had no more power to hurt her. She had already accepted it since she was young. Thanks you her mother. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm not that stupid enough to introduce myself as part of this heck of a family."

It's nearly impossible to talk seriously with Jessica, her grandmother thought. The moment the blonde girl entered the room, she tried everything on how to play up with her emotions and argue at the little bits of things, wanting to hurt. The latter really had no manners. Impolite. She had a lot of thins to learn, it would be wasting time if they argue with her more. The old woman had her own plan and they have to go according to it. She can never let Jessica slip out of their hands. Hers. Her children didn't know anything behind Jessica's birth. She's more than an illegitimate child. "It's not about that. Come on, why don't you take a seat first, Sooyeon."

Everyone thought that Jessica would refure once again, but this time she chose to obey it and sit across the family. "Okay, let's finish this quickly so I could go back to my hotel."

"Geurae, let's finish this talk," Hanbok grandmother looked around the room before she opened once again. "Sooyeon-ah, you're going to stay here with us in Korea until you graduate from your new school."

Her grandmother closed her eyes, anticipating for the reaction from her family.

-edited by: heartsica 6/12/2014 5:00 pm