Irene never really believed in destiny, having your own kismet or being someone’s ­soulmate – it was a ridiculous thought. You are your own writer, you create your own destiny, you are the one who’d mold your own future, that’s what she would always say to herself, especially at times when her friends would call her, even with her busy schedule, crying over someone whom they thought was their fated one. She was in her office reading off from stacks of papers she has to sign when she heard her phone ring. She picked her phone and checked the name of the caller, she sighed.

“Somebody better be dying, Seulgi.”

“Grandma’s dying.” The person on the other line said, for a moment she felt time stopped and her breath hitched, she felt like cold water was poured all over her.

With knitted brows she said, “What do you mean, I thought she’s better now.”

“Yeah, but the doctor said it must be because she’s getting old.”

“Oh…” That was all she could say, still trying to process what her cousin dropped at nine o’clock in the evening.

“Also, Grandma wants you home for Christmas.”

“Seulgi, you know I just can’t leave work.”

“Do it for Grandma.”

“Wait, which Grandma is this again?”

“Oh, right, Grandma the dog is dying and Grandma Grandma wants you home for Christmas,” She sighed at her cousin, she could be a handful sometimes, when her cousin didn’t hear a response from her, she added, “I’m not saying this to scare you, but Grandma mouthed just now that she’s gonna strip you off of all your inheritance if you don’t come home by the 20th.”

“But–” She tried to speak but she was cut-off.

“Grandma just said no buts you can leave work with Sunny, you know how much she trusts her.”

Irene rolled her eyes and groaned she had no choice but to say, “Fine, but only for Christmas.”

Irene heard mumbling on the other line, “She wants here until New Year.”

“Seulgi! That’s like… two weeks!”

“Yeah, that’s two weeks. You have got to pick two weeks of vacation, away from work or a lifetime inheritance down the drain? Choose wisely, Joohyun. I’m dropping the call now.”

Irene gripped the phone too tightly making her knuckles turn white, all the while she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. She didn’t care about the inheritance but the thought of two weeks resting and away from work is just too enticing. Guess someone’s really going home for the holidays.

Irene Bae, the richest and most feared woman of the country in this life time, just like any other Asian Granddaughter, is also scared of their Grandma yet here she is on her way to their ancestral home. It was a two and a half hour drive from the city to this old town, when Irene saw the stretch of old familiar buildings and felt a tinge of nostalgia hitting her, happy childhood memories flashbacked that made her smile – passing through the old buildings, she can now see a mix of old and modern houses lining up along the road, how much things have changed.

Passing through the village, their house was located way back in a secluded area of the town, when Irene saw the canopy of the trees spread out of the area, she knew they were nearing; she rolled down the window of the car and breathed in deep the fresh air. The air of their hometown was really different from the city – less polluted, it was missing the hustle and bustle, and Irene liked it she felt herself relax.

After she settled everything in to her room, she went downstairs for dinner. At the huge, long dining table there her cousins, aunts, uncles and her parents sat together at the sides, by the other end of the table her Grandma was seated, right to it was an empty seat , which is meant for her. As she was nearing the table she heard one of her cousin shush everyone.

“Guys, settle down. Grandma Bae version two has arrived.” Irene glared at her cousin to which everyone chuckled at the remark.

“Shut up, Taeyeon.” She retorted as she greeted her Grandma with a hug, “Hey, grandma.”

“Glad to see you come down here for the holidays, Joohyun. We know you really want to run the family business but don’t forget to take a break once in a while.” Everyone nodded in agreement; it seems that everyone in the family is worried about her well-being.

Later that night, Irene was lying on her bed, mind drifting off to random things her brain could think of when she saw an unfamiliar lamp on her bookshelf beside one of her Paulo Coelho books. She sat up wondering where it came from or who put it up in her room last time she was here, which was two or three years ago, that old green lamp was not there she was sure of it.

Irene stood up out of curiosity and took the lamp, raised it with one hand while scanning its features; she turned the knob hoping it would turn on but it just raised the thread of the lamp. She went downstairs and right to the kitchen looking for a lighter or a match, anything just to light the lamp. A few minutes of rummaging through the kitchen drawers she found a tiny lighter that aided her light the lamp up.

The moment she lit up the said lamp she heard a faint sound of someone singing outside of the house, it was 10 o’clock, usually by this time everyone is asleep in this town. Going out of their home by the back door, in her white pajamas with the lamp in her hand, she felt herself shiver at the cold breeze of the night. Following the sound, she went to their garden – with different types of flowers budding over the shrubs lining the pathway to the open space, which they usually play with her cousins way back when they were children – looking over and hovering her free hand above the roses and chrysanthemums, she heard the voice increase in volume as she got near of the garden, when she reached the opening she stopped on her tracks and saw a light coming from a lamp, beside it a woman was sitting with her back towards her. Irene raised the lamp she was holding and narrowed her eyes to see clearly, the woman has a long blonde hair, wearing a black dress with white floral prints on.

She took a step forward and tried to call out, “Hello? Excuse me how did you get in?”

When the woman heard her voice, she stopped her singing and turned around to the voice. She greeted Irene with a warm smile as if she knew her, “Hi, I apologize was I singing too loudly?”

“O-oh, no you weren’t, your singing was great actually. H-how did you get in though?” Irene asked whilst making her way to the woman who as sitting comfortably in the garden.

“I’m not really sure, I was just wandering around, and then I saw this open space and just thought it was nice to spend time for a bit here.”

“So you’re lost?”

“I guess so, but I know my way back so yeah, I’m Seungwan by the way.” The woman, Seungwan, stood up, dusted her dress and offered her right hand.

Joohyun was a bit hesitant to this stranger in their backyard but it was rude to ignore an introduction she wasn’t taught that way, especially from this pretty woman with a warm and gentle smile.

“I’m I- Joohyun, I’m Joohyun.” The moment she was about to take Seungwan’s hands everything went white and she woke up from the most vivid dream she had in her life.

She jerked up and looked at the clock – it was still five in the morning, she hurriedly scanned her room looking for something and just like in her dream she saw the old lamp next to her books. She immediately stood up and grabbed the lamp went down to the kitchen to grab a light, when she lit it up absolutely nothing happened – she didn’t hear any singing not a faintest sound of it.

Irene went out of t