It’s not even an hour yet since you got home from your 10 year exile in another country, and your father is already asking for you to come to his office. For a normal person with a normal family, you should be excited to see your father after years of being apart. But you’re far from normal. Your family, your lifestyle, everything around you is far from normal. You were born into a family that is so rich, no one except people like yourself, can reach you.

You and your siblings were put in an exclusive school, where children of the rich and famous like yourself, can only go. You cannot interact with just anyone, especially not other kids from lower ranks. Your parents were over protective of you and your siblings. But your father’s affection for you disappeared when he banished you at 13 years old. He sent you away from the comforts of your home, away from your mother and siblings. Away from the mansion you once called home.

You were sad and depressed for half a decade after you were banished. You started closing yourself away from people, including your family, even the people who took care of you while you’re living away alone. But then you realized that this exile was kind of like a form of freedom you were always hoping for when you were younger. You were able to socialize with people who are very different from you without your parents stopping you. You even acquired yourself two bestfriends. Yes not one, but two bestfriends. You met a lot of people from all walks of life in those 10 years you were away from home, but only those 2 stayed with you.

You know everything about them and they know everything about you. They know that you are the daughter of the mighty Lee Seungho, 2nd most rich and powerful man in South Korea. But not once they took advantage of you or the name you were carrying in your birth certificate. They offered you nothing but genuine friendship and love you never got from your own father.

As you were climbing the grand stairs up to the second floor to your father’s office while dragging your pointer finger up the Australian Buloke handrails, you saw a significantly young maid looking at you wide-eyed as if she saw a ghost. You traced where her eyes were looking and you ended up your gaze on your finger touching the rail. You saw her continuing to polish the handrails while still looking at you with conscious-stricken expression in her face.

You removed your fingers away from the rails and looked to see a light layer of dust stained your skin. The young chambermaid bowed downed 90° while nervously speaking of apologies to you. You walked up, touched her hand and gave her a sincere smile. She immediately froze under your touch; she probably never had a good experience working in this household. You felt bad for her.

When you got in front of your father’s office door, you hesitated at first, but then you let out a nervous sigh and knocked anyway. You were surprised you still know where his office was even after a decade of being gone. There are a lot of changes around the mansion and the whole 50 acre property; additional small cottages were added as chambers for the servers and a barn because your sister likes horses, as far as you know she has 4 horses as pets.

After a few seconds you pulled down the lever handle and pushed the heavy wooden door open. Old classical music playing softly entered your ears and the view of your parents sweetly laughing and talking while seated together on his office couch, feeding each other fruits almost made you smile. It was nice that they still show affection even after a lot of years being together. But then the mere fact that your father sent you away and your mother letting it happen, stop you from giving them any form of emotion.

“Darling, come right in. Join us for some fruits.” Your mother, whom you haven’t seen in 2 years, looks up at you with a warm and gentle smile. You were glued awkwardly at the door frame.

“Come in.” The autocratic voice of your father you haven’t heard in 10 years woke you up from your thoughts. Finally stepping inside and closing the door behind you. When you’re about a meter away from your parents, you bowed down in front of them before standing up straight again.

“Sit down darling, we need to catch up.” Catch up? You wanted to scoff at her words so badly, but you know your mother only means better. She at least tries to visit you whenever she can and stay with you for months on end. Unlike your father who never communicated with you, not one phone call. Not even a letter or email.

“Are you finally settled in your room?” Your mother initiates when you didn’t talk.

“Yes.” You lied. You were only there for 30 minutes when you were summoned by both of them.

“Good to hear dear. Here have some melon, they’re from Japan. The sweet kind, your favorite.” Your mother smiles sweetly as she pushes the bowl of melons and softly put down a spare fork on a table napkin in front of you. You finally look up and your father is looking at you stoically. Equally, if not more, unemotional as you try to be.

“I’m going straight to the point Soojin-ah…” Your father’s words trail off as he clear his throat and straighten his sitting position. You heave a long inhale of breath to prepare to whatever he will say to you.

“There will be a corporate ball on Friday and I want you to come with me and your mother.” He wasn’t even asking if you would like to come, it’s more of a command and to be honest you’re used