Eunji washed her clothes by the faucet in front of her grandmother's traditionally-styled Korean house. She rubbed her nurse uniform rigorously against the washing board, pouring out her anger towards her father whom she was thinking about. She had a sleepless night, thinking about her father cheating on her mom while she and her mom thought he was away on a business trip.

"I can't believe he does that to us and then expects me to go live with him...How did he even get custody of me!? Don't mothers' side of family have advantages over these stuff?" She complained to herself.

"Eunji, my baby, what are you murmuring about?" Her grandma called from inside the house. "Come here, grandma will make you rice porridge. You've been doing chores all morning."

"It's okay, grandma, don't stand up." Eunji rinsed her uniforms and hung them out on laundry ropes outside to dry. "Doing chores keep me from being distracted."

"Are you still thinking about that letter?" Grandma asked. Eunji sighed sadly and nodded. "My baby, don't you worry about that. Your dad was a cheater but he's a good man. He wants to get to know you, and he has that right as your father."

"Grandma, how can you say that when he cheated on your own daughter? Thinking of what my mom must have went through...It makes me resent him even more."

"Sweetheart...Your mom and your father never got married. Your mom was the mistress."

Eunji felt a pang in her chest. She had to pause before speaking.

"What?" She managed to say.

"Your mom and he did meet first. They were each other's first loves. However, they had different dreams--your mom wanted to stay here in the countryside and your father wanted to work in the city. So they had to break up and go their separate ways." Her grandma told her calmly.

"And then what happened? How did I come into this world?" Eunji asked, sitting next to her grandma.

"Well your father moved to the city after that. He got a job as a reputable lawyer, and did well for himself there in Seoul. But once in a while, he came down to Busan to reconnect with his parents and family members. Our neighborhood is a very close community--you know that because you grew up here too. Everyone knows each other and news travels fast." She paused to take a sip of her ginger tea.

"Wait so...he got married in the city? With another woman?" Eunji asked.

"He was involved with a woman from his work. She was his assistant lawyer, a very smart woman. I don't know if your father truly loved her or not, but that woman loved your father very much. She was from a wealthy family, and she pursued a countryman as your father. It was a good deal for him. So he took it and married her after dating her only four months."

"Four months!? Wow... What happened after that?"

Her grandma looked at the clock.

"Sweetheart, you don't want to hear the full story. It's a long story, and it isn't a peaceful one."

"No, grandma, please tell me the whole story. I've got a lot of time!" Eunji urged.

"You are meeting your new half-sister today in roughly an hour. You don't have any time to spare." Her grandma reminded her.

"Ugh...I don't want to meet her. Grandma, I don't want to move somewhere else. I want to stay here with you and grandpa." Eunji pleaded.

"Honey...I love you like my own daughter, you know that. But after your mother passed away, it's best for you to be with your other parent, which is your father. I have enough sense and decency not to take away parental rights from your father. He wants you and his other daughter to get along." She replied wisely.

"Grandma..." Eunji's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm going to miss you. I don't want to go."

"We will see each other, don't worry. We are not saying goodbye forever." Her grandma pulled Eunji in for a hug. Eunji sniffed and wiped away her tears. "What are you crying about? Don't be a silly girl. Now I want you to get along with the other daughter too, but I want you to be proud to face her. You are so beautiful, my darling, we have to show that off! First impressions are very important."

Eunji laughed as she wiped away the last of her tears.

"Where is my makeup bag?" Her grandma stood up and began searching for her makeup. Eunji laughed louder.

"Grandma, you don't even have a makeup bag anymore! We threw that away long time ago because it got too old. You haven't put on makeup in years!" Eunji said.

"Oh no! But you need to be perfect for this first impression meeting with your sister!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'll put on some BB cream. Oh and mascara! An intern friend from the hospital let me borrow her mascara for today." Eunji stood up as well and ran into her room to get her minimal makeup.

"And make sure to wear your pretty sundress!" Grandma shouted.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ding...ding...ding...ding...

The elevator endlessly moved up until finally Minah was at the sixtieth floor. A guard man appeared when the elevator doors opened.

"Hello, I'm here to see my grandmother? She knows I'm coming." Minah told the guard in hushed tones.

"Follow me." He said in a low voice.

Minah followed the man through a long hallway to the room at the end of the corridor. Two guards who were standing on each side of the walls opened the big white and gold doors widely for Minah to enter. Minah walked in and bowed her head politely to her grandmother.

"Minah, darling, you came early. I presume you've read the letter from your father?" Mrs. Han, her grandmother (and the CEO of Han's Lawyer Group Inc.), said in a booming voice.

"Yes, grandmother, I have read it. And if I may, I disagree with it and decided to decline it respectfully." Minah started. "I'm going to debut as a singer in only a few weeks, and I have to stay focused with no distractions hindering me. Pouncing this type of news to me in such a sudden manner is unfair not only to me but my group mates who are preparing to debut with me. As a team, I feel that it's right that we live and stay together at least for the time being."

Minah waited eagerly for an answer. Her grandmother smiled at her in an approving way.

"You see, you have lawyer blood in you, Minah. I wish you would study to be a lawyer and come work in my company." Mrs. Han said. Minah opened to say something, but Mrs. Han cut her off. "I know what you're going to say. This isn't your dream, and your dream is to sing. I get it now, you have told me this for the last five years."

Minah smiled apologetically.

"Unfortunately, Minah, I can't help you on this one. I fought with your parents on this situation--the divorce, custody, and housing situation--but they wouldn't budge. You know how stubborn your mother is." Mrs. Han replied. "You will have to go live with your father and your half-sister in an apartment in the suburbs. I offered to help him and buy him a house in Seoul, but he refused any kind of help."

"An apartment? Suburbs?" Minah stared at her grandmother in disbelief. "Suburbs are where middle class families live to send their kids to good grade schools! There's nothing for me there!"

"It's the only place right in the middle of Busan and Seoul. Your half-sister lives in the countryside with her grandparents. I've done some background check on her, and she is interning at a hospital in Busan to become a nurse."

"Grandmother." Minah paused. "Mother and father's divorce...was it because of that girl's mom? Because Father cheated on Mother?"

"It's...complicated. You little ones don't need to know the full story. But I want you to look your best for the meeting tonight with your half sister. Her name is Eunji Jung and my secretary reserved the best seats for you at Kasuke Sushi Restaurant. I wanted to rent out the restaurant, but your father wouldn't let me. A stubborn man he is." Mrs. Han sighed. "Ms. Yang!" She called the style coordinator. Ms. Yang attended her. "Show Minah to her closet for tonight, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Ms. Yang bowed and turned to Minah. "This way."

"Off you go, Minah." Mrs. Han said before turning her eyes to the pile of important documents on her CEO desk.