Final

From Rags to Riches

Hana entered the enormous building through the automatic glass doors that sparkled as the sun rays hit them. She went into the lobby decorated with fancy paintings hanging on the walls and potted plants of different shades of green placed everywhere to lighten up the atmosphere. In one corner of the room was the waiting area which was furnished with luxurious sofas and a hand carved wooden coffee table. Hana spotted the receptionist, who was speaking on the telephone at the front desk, and quickly made her way over to her with the small package in her hand. The receptionist hung up then greeted Hana with a smile. 
" I have a delivery for Mr. Lee, the president of Lee Corporation," Hana told her and placed the package on the desk.
"Please sign here," she pointed to the big X on the form.

After the receptionist signed for the package, Hana headed outside. She had a lot of deliveries to be made before her shift started at her other part time job. Before she got to exit the building, a group of business men stepped through the doors. She stood aside and waited for them to pass. Suddenly the oldest man who walked in the centre of the group stopped and stared at Hana in shock.
"Hana?," the old man called out to her, gaining attention from everyone in the lobby. 
She paused and turned around to look for the person who called her. The old man knew that she was the one, the person he had been searching for all those years. He left the other confused business men and stood in front of her.
"Hana," he called one more time with tears building up in his eyes.
The puzzled girl asked the old man, " I'm sorry sir, do I know you?"
He quickly took out a picture from his coat pocket and showed her. It was a picture of a little girl who resembled Hana.
"Hana, I'm your grandfather," he told her.
"I'm sorry sir, but I think you've got the wrong person," Hana spoke.
At that moment, her phone rang out loudly.
"Excuse me," she said then answered the phone.
Angry shouts could be heard over the phone the moment Hana answered, it was her boss.
"I'm sorry sir, I have to go," she told the old man after the phone call ended, before she ran off.
"Hana, wait!," he shouted as he ran after her but fell down due to his weak legs.
"President Lee, are you okay?," his assistant rushed to his side to help him up.
"Y-yes, please call Kai and tell him to see me in my office quickly," the old man told his personal assistant. The assistant quickly took out his cellphone and punched in Kai's number.

Hana quickly ran to the delivery van where her co-worker was waiting on her. She quickly climbed inside and buckled her seatbelt.
"Did you get a call from the boss?," her co-worker asked.
Hana nodded her head before she started the vehicle's engine.
"We're in a whole lot of trouble," she spoke before she reversed out of the parking space. Hana couldn't afford to go to university to pursue her career in law so she had to work several part time jobs. She waitressed at a cafe, delivered packages and took care of plants at a flower shop. She started working as soon as she graduated from high school . She had to constantly work so that she could pay her utility bills and rent.

Half an hour later, Kai appeared in front of President Lee, his grandfather's friend.
"What's the problem, sir?," Kai asked as he stood before him.
"Hana... I saw her, she came to the company," President Lee told him as he stared at the picture of the five-year-old Hana he had in his hands.
"I thought I would never find her," he added.
"Please help me look for her again, Kai. I know she's not that far," he pleaded to the young man.
"Yes sir," Kai answered and left the room. 
Kai was the grandson of President Lee's old friend and he was the general manager of Kim Enterprise. He had looked for Hana for several years but gave up when he couldn't find her.

Kai went to the security room, where all the CCTV recordings were kept and asked for a copy of the day's recording. He then headed back to his office and watched the security recording. He paused at the part where President Lee spoke with his granddaughter and zoomed in closer to get a better view of the girl's face. Kai saw that she resembled the little girl in President Lee's picture. He had a feeling that this delivery girl was President Lee's long lost granddaughter that he had been looking for. After a few, he had on his desk all the information he had someone gather about the delivery girl. She currently lived in a rented apartment with an old lady and worked several part time jobs. It confused Kai when he noticed that the girl's birthdate on her passport and birth certificate was different from Hana's. He then decided to look for the deliver girl tomorrow - since he didn't work on a Saturday - to clear up the questions he had in his head.

It was around ten o' clock in the morning when Hana arrived at the cafe for her shift. She greeted her boss then went to change in her uniform. Her position was either waitressing or working at the cash register. Since someone was already tending the cash register, she went to clean up the tables. When she saw a customer enter the cafe, she quickly finished cleaning and went to take his order. Hana couldn't see the customer's face behind the menu but she didn't care. He was wearing a white and black dress shirt and denim jeans.
"I would like a cup of hot chocolate and a moment of your time," he ordered then handed her the menu, revealing his face.
"Is that- ," Hana started but paused when the customer's order registered in her brain.
"A moment of my time?," she questioned him.
"Yes, I would like to speak with you," he told her.

Minutes later, Hana came back with the cup of hot chocolate and set it on the table. 
"Sit," he instructed her.
She looked around to see if there was any unattended customers before she sat down. He took a sip of his beverage and then gave Hana his business card.
"Kim.Jong.In?," she spoke and looked at him.
"You can call me Kai," he told her before he took another sip of his hot chocolate.
She saw that he was the general manager of Kim Enterprise which surprised her because he looked too young to be one.
"What do you want to speak with me about?," she asked.
"Your Lee Hana, right?," he questioned her.
She nodded her head as she wondered how on earth he knew her name.
"What is your date of birth?," Kai asked.
"Uhm... It's May 1, 1990," Hana hesitantly answered.
She wasn't sure if she should tell him, but he didn't look like a bad person so she answered him. 
"Are you sure?," he asked.
"Yes," she replied.

Kai still didn't believe that she wasn't President Lee's granddaughter because the girl sitting in front of him resembled Hana a lot. Even though their birth dates did not match which meant that she's not the one, a part of him felt that something wasn't right. Kai suddenly remembered President Lee telling him that his granddaughter had a birthmark on her right arm.
"Let me see your right arm," Kai startled Hana with the sudden request.
He couldn't wait any longer so he leaned loser to her and ed her shirt sleeve.

As soon as Kai ed her sleeve, the birthmark that he was told of came into sight. The corners of his lips curled up into a genuine smile knowing that this could be the girl he was searching for all those years.
"What are you doing?!," Hana shot at him and pushed his hands away from her.
She got up from the seat and was about to leave when Kai grabbed her hand.
"Wait, I'm sorry," he apologized.
She tried to pull her hand out of his but he tightened his grip.
"There's something you should know," Kai spoke.
Hana turned around when she heard what he said.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure of it yet, but I'll let you know later," he told her which left her wondering what it was.
He took his last sip of hot chocolate before he placed some money on the table and got up.
"I'll call you later," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Kai headed for the door but turned back when he forgot something. He quietly crept up behind Hana, who was cleaning the table, and swiftly tugged out a strand of her long, dark brown hair.
"Ow!," she cried as she rubbed the area on her head.
Hana turned around to see who did that and saw Kai rushing to the exit, which gave it all away.
"Hey!," she shouted loudly after him but he ignored her until he reached the door and gestured her bye.

Two days later, Hana received a call from Kai telling her to meet him in front of Seoul  National Library. She was astonished that he knew her as she didn't remember giving it to him. She battled with herself about the potential danger of meeting a stranger. Since she had time before her shift began, she agreed to meet with him but promised herself she would be careful. Hana stood there waiting patiently as she enjoyed the view of the busy city. The cool autumn breeze sent shivers down her spine each time it blew against her. She mentally scolded herself for leaving home with a worn out cardigan. Soon, an expensive car pulled up in front of her and the window wind down.
"Get in," a familiar male's voice spoke.
Hana lowered her head to the car's window and found Kai in the driver's seat. She hesitated but curiosity got the best of her. She stepped off the sidewalk and got inside the luxurious car. He waited for her to fasten her seatbelt before he drove off.
"Where are you taking me?," Hana asked, curious. 
He simply replied, "You'll see when we get there."

After a half an hour drive, they arrived in front of a tall, black gate in an affluent community. A security guard came out from his post and opened the gate to let them in. As Kai drove down the paved driveway, Hana admired the scenery that was before her eyes. The green, lush grass that covered the lawn and the flowers of different species and colors that beautified the area. Her eyes fixed on the circular water fountain she was passing. At the top of the fountain, water sprayed out creating a small water show and then it trickled down each level until it reached the bottom. Kai stopped the car in front of a big house, more like a mansion, and got out. Hana quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and did the same.
"Whose house is this?," she asked him as she scrutinized it from top to bottom. The roofing was grey slate tiles and the house was built with strong bricks, stacked neatly on top of each other. Red and white rose bushes were planted along the front of the mansion.
"Your grandfather's," he answered.
"My grandfather's?," she asked, confused because she never knew her family.
"Let's go inside," he spoke and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside the building.

Hana went speechless when she saw the interior of the house. The room itself was bigger than the apartment she lived in and was well lit by a crystal chandelier that hung in the centre of the ceiling. Kai led her further into the house and they stopped inside the living room, where there was an old man sitting down on the leather couch.
"Good afternoon sir. I have Hana here with me," Kai spoke, interrupting the elder who was staring intently at the picture he had in his hands. A big warm smile appeared on his face when he saw Hana. Hana noticed that it was the same old man whom she saw days ago when she was delivering a package to Lee Corporation. Kai gently brushed her hand with his when she didn't greeted the elder.
"Oh. Good afternoon sir," Hana bowed respectfully. 
The old man walked towards her and embraced her with a hug.
"Hana, I've finally found you," he spoke as he patted her back.
She looked at Kai with questioning eyes as she stood there frozen on the spot. Why was this man hugging her? How did he knew her name? These questions filled her mind.

The atmosphere was engulfed with silence as they sat in the living room. Every now and then, Hana took a sip of her green tea that was served by one of the maids.
"Uhm... Are you sure that you're my biological grandfather?," she asked, breaking the silence. Kai took up the brown folder that was on the coffee table and placed it in her hands. She quickly took out the papers from inside and on it was marked 'DNA REPORT' in bold letters.
"The DNA report shows that you and President Lee are indeed related to each other," Kai told her as she read the report.
With the evidence staring at her right in the face, Hana slowly started to believe that the old man sitting in front of her was her grandfather. Joy and happiness started to build up inside of her as she now knew that she wasn't alone anymore, she now had her grandfather.

Hana's curious it's grew as she wondered how she got separated from her family. She didn't remember anything that happened to her from the day she was born to that morning she woke up on the hospital bed. At the age of five, Hana woke up in the hospital forgetting everything about herself. Since she didn't remember her family and no one reported a missing child to claim her, the lady who admitted her into the hospital took her in. Hana now wanted to know everything that she had forgotten.
"Where are my parents?," she asked her grandfather.
"I- uh... they, they....." he started but was interrupted when Kai suggested to show Hana around the house.
There was a reason as to why Kai had interrupted them and it was because he didn't want to let her know that her parents had already passed away.

As Hana and Kai sat down on the bench in the garden, Hana's grandfather was inside the house busy doing something. Hana leaned back against the bench and stared up into the clear blue sky.
"Your birthdate, is it really May 1,1990 ?," Kai asked as he closely watched her staring at the sky.
She turned her head to his direction and saw that he was watching her.
"No it's not," she shyly turned away and answered.
"That's not my real birthdate," she continued.
"Then what is it?," he asked her.
"Honestly, I don't know. When I was five years old I suffered from memory loss," she spoke.
Just then her grandfather came out with a small wooden box in his hand. Hana scrutinized the box as he walked towards them. She found the box in his hands quite familiar like she had seen it before.
"Hana, do you remember this box? It was a birthday present from me," her grandfather asked.
She slowly reached for the rectangular box and lifted the cover. A picture of a couple with a little girl, whom she assumed was her because of the resemblance, was inside.

As Hana examined both the lady and the man in the photo carefully, a fuzzy, blurry picture was etched in her mind. She closed her eyes to block out all the distractions so that she could see the image clearer. Soon bits and pieces if the picture became clear and Hana was able to recall a painful event from her past.
"Mom," she cried softly as tears streamed down her cheeks. 
She recollected the incident when her mother died. She remembered herself standing at the intersection of the road as she witnessed her mother's death.
"What's wrong?," Kai asked when he saw that she was crying.
"Are you okay?," her grandfather asked worriedly.
The moment she heard her grandfather's voice, loud angry yells went off in her head as she saw her parents arguing with her grandfather. She pieced together everything that she remembered and finally got the answer to all her questions. She now knew how she ended up in the hospital on that morning.
"Hana," her grandfather called when she didn't answer him before.

Hana snapped out of her thoughts and gave her grandfather an icy, cold stare. She wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand.
"You... You're a murderer," Hana spoke leaving both Kai and her grandfather puzzled.
"What are you saying?," Kai quickly questioned.
"You're not my grandfather, you're a murderer. You caused my parents' death!," Hana continued.
"Hana," the elder called his granddaughter as he reached to touch her shoulder but she took a step back and avoided his hand.
"I don't ever want to see your face again," she coldly told her grandfather before she ran out of the garden and then out of the house.
Her grandfather was ready to go after her but suddenly collapsed on the ground as he held onto the left side of his chest. Kai yelled loudly for the butler as he knelt down on his knees to help the elder up.

While Hana's grandfather was being rushed to the hospital, Hana was walking aimlessly on the sidewalk. She felt her phone vibrate in her jeans pocket. She took out her phone and read the message that was on the screen. It was a message reminding her to pay her monthly rent. She let out a big sigh and shoved her phone back into her pocket. She didn't even have enough money to buy food or pay her bills and now she had another problem to worry about. Just then she remembered about her shift at the cafe that had began thirty minutes ago. Hana heaved a heavy sigh before she headed to work.

A week later, Kai went to visit Hana at her workplace. He tried to persuade her to go see her grandfather but she totally ignored him. He went back the next day and finally got a response. She decided to go see him. She heard that her grandfather was in the hospital due to a heart attack. Even though she decided to visit her grandfather, it didn't mean that she forgave him for what he had done to her when she was young. Her grandfather left her and her parents out on the streets to rot and die. This was because he didn't want the family's name to be ruined by his son. His son fell in love with a poor girl and had a child with her outside of marriage.

When the elevator doors opened, Kai and Hana allowed the people to step out of the elevator first before they went in. They were the only two people on the elevator as no one came in. Kai reached and pressed the elevator button with the number ten on it. Her grandfather's hospital room was located on the tenth floor of the hospital.
"I know what your grandfather did was wrong but you're all that he has left, you're his only family," Kai said to Hana.  
He had found out what happened years ago.
Hana looked at him and spoke, "I know that I'm his only family, but what he did in the past, I don't know if I'm ever going to let go of it."
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Kai led Hana to the room at the end of the hall, which was room 10E. 
He turned to Hana before he turned the knob, " I wasn't suppose to say this but I want you to know. Your grandfather has coronary heart disease. The doctor says it's really serious and that his life could end at any second. Your grandfather told me to hand over his company to you if he suddenly dies one day. He said that you're the heiress of Lee Corporation."
Hana was dumbfounded when she heard this. After what she told her grandfather that day in the garden, he was still going to give her the company when he leaves. She was going to own the famous, money making company, Lee Corporation. Kai opened the door and there she saw her grandfather sitting on the hospital bed. They both entered the room and a weak smile appeared on the elder's face when he saw his granddaughter. Hana was relieved that she saw her grandfather there, still alive. She gave him back a small smile.

After hearing out her grandfather and how he apologized many times, Hana decided to go home. Kai offered to drop her off at her house and she accepted. They were both in the hospital's parking lot when Hana noticed that she left her phone up in her grandfather's room. She told Kai and quickly ran to get it. As she reached the room's door, she paused for a short while. A part of her wanted to forgive her grandfather and apologize to him for what she had said to him but a part of her still held onto the past. She didn't know what to do. Her grandfather was her only family left and he could leave her any second. She stood there battling with her conflicting emotions and finally decided to forgive him. She told herself that she would forget about the past since it can't be undone. Hana then entered the room to retrieve her phone. She saw that her grandfather was asleep so she quietly tip toed over to the table and got her phone. Just then a nurse came inside and dropped the tray she had in her hands, startling Hana. The nurse quickly went over to the patient and did some checks. She immediately pressed the emergency button beside the bed when she realized that the patient wasn't breathing and there wasn't any pulse.
"What's wrong nurse?," Hana asked the worried nurse.
Doctors rushed in quickly and started to carry out some procedures. The nurse sent Hana outside to wait with the unanswered question.

Minutes later, a doctor came out and spoke to Hana. She found out that her grandfather had passed away. She stood there for minutes staring at the room door trying to process everything in her head. When Hana finally tore her eyes off the door, she saw Kai walking towards her. He came to look for her after waiting for a long while in the parking lot.
"Kai... my grandfather, he's dead," she softly told him.
Everything became blurry as tears were building up in her eyes.
"I didn't even get to forgive him," she continued as a tear rolled down her cheek.
There was nothing Kai could do but pull her into a hug and comfort her. Her grandfather died and left her with his company. He wanted her to live a good life when he left the world, he didn't want her to worry about paying her bills or rent. Kai held her closer and tighter when he remembered himself in the same position that she was in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nazifaaa
#1
Chapter 1: My gosh that was beautiful, I cried at the end. Please tell me there's more xD
fangrilla #2
Chapter 1: It was really good i loved it, hope u make a sequel ;)
crazy_fangirl #3
Hey guys. Thanks for reading ! Please comment :)