Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The First Encounter

Scene 1

Fifteen years later

JanDi graduated from Seoul University with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. She took the Korean Bar Exam and passed it with flying colors. In Korea, only 1,000 new lawyers are permitted to pass each year, there are about 50,000 people who take the exam and only 2% passed the Bar Exam. JanDi received a job offer to work for Kim & Chang. The firm only recruits top graduates from prestigious universities in Korea. It is the #1 law firm that is active in all areas of legal practice. 

“Halmoni, I got a job offer at Kim & Chang. I’ll start working tomorrow.” She told halmoni the good news.

Halmoni hugged her and said, “Congratulation sweetie, I’m so proud of you. I also have good news to announce, my grandson will be coming to Korea today. He attained a MBA degree from NYU Stern School of Business. JunPyo has been working at his father company for several years in New York City. He received an offer to work for Samsung Electronics Co. as a Vice President”

“Oh really? I’m happy for you halmoni. You’ve been waiting for a long time to see him. I can’t wait to meet your grandson.” JanDi responded happily.

Later that evening, JanDi dropped halmoni to the airport. After parking her car, JanDi wandered inside the airport searching for Halmoni. A man in his mid-twenties was wearing a black sweater with a white stripe and black jeans. While walking with his luggage there was a lady walking in the opposite direction causing him to accidentally bump into her. He turned around and saw the back view of the lady. She was wearing a white cotton halter dress and her hair tied back in a ponytail. When she turned her face around their eyes met and at that moment it seem as if the time has stopped and it’s just the two of them in the airport. JanDi couldn’t believe that it was JunPyo, halmoni’s grandson and her childhood crush. Even though fifteen years has passed, his black curly hair, eyes and smiled remain the same. They kept on staring at each other until halmoni interrupted them from behind.

Halmoni pretended to cough to get their attention, “You two finally meet each other. JanDi, this is my grandson Jun Pyo. Jun Pyo this is JanDi, she is the girl that I raised as my granddaughter.” She said.

JunPyo was surprised to see his grandmother, “Halmoni, she’s your granddaughter? How come I didn’t know about her? How and when did this happen?” JunPyo was confused.

“It's a long story. When I was 6 years old, I fell into the water in the Jeongbang Waterfall. Halmoni found me and took me to Jeju hospital. I’ve been living with Halmoni since then and she raised me like her real granddaughter. Halmoni has been waiting a long time to see you, JunPyo.” JanDi answered on behalf of halmoni.

“Nice to meet you, JanDi. Thanks for taking care of my grandmother when I was away in New York.” JunPyo gave JanDi uncertain look.

“Halmoni, I missed you so much. I’m sorry for not keeping in touch with you in the past few years. There have been some problems with Appa real estate company. I’ve been trying to help him resolve it.” JunPyo hugged his grandmother. 
 

“I understand, JunPyo. You don’t have to worry about me. JanDi has been taking good care of me. I’m glad that you’ve returned to Korea. Are you planning to live here permanently?” Halmoni patted JunPyo on the back.

“Yes, I’m planning to reside in Korea. My new job required me to stay here. Also, Appa and Omma want me to stay here to take care of you. I’ll take you to visit them in New York when I’m on vocation, halmoni.” JunPyo replied.

“Thank you, JunPyo. I’ve always wanted to visit your parents in New York. We can bring JanDi along too. You must be very tired JunPyo, we should probably go home now.” Halmoni suggested.

When they arrived at the mansion, JanDi showed JunPyo to his room. When she was about to walkout of the room, JunPyo suddenly turn her around, his hands gripping her upper arms and shove her against the wall.

“Listen, you can leave this place now since I’m here to take care of my own grandmother. My grandmother must spend a lot of money raising you up as a high class lady, but you’re not fooling me. You’re the type of woman that will take everything from a wealthy person.” He told her.

“You bastard!” She whispered shakily. “You’re wrong. You don’t know the first thing about a woman like me!” Tears of reaction were stinging her eyes.

“I know, for instance, that you are the product of generations of so-called good breeding. You went to one of the country’s top schools. Not only that, you expect to be granted a first-class passage through life, preferable paid by my grandmother. You are a taker, a user—gold-digger.”

“That’s not true. I’ve no attention of doing that to halmoni. The warm and tender love that I’ve receive from her was more than I could ever asked for. I’m indebted to her for her kindness that she has given me and without her support I don’t know where I would be today.” Her tears began to trickle down her cheek.

JunPyo looked directly into her eyes and said, “Please don’t put on an innocent act in front of me. If you think that I would feel sorry for you then you better think again. I’m not the person that would fall for your act like my grandmother.”

“I’m not asking you to fall for my act because this isn’t an act. Please understand that I can’t leave this place. Halmoni would be upset and devasted if I leave her. She and I have been living here happily before your return.” JanDi tried to make him understand.

“Are you saying that my return to Korea ruin you and my grandmother happiness?” JunPyo was furious. His fingers imprisoned her wrists just as she lifted her hands to fend him off. He forced them behind her back and using his superior strength to push her against the hard length of his body.

JanDi was about to respond, but he cut her off, “Shut up JanDi, unless you want to make me even angrier than I already am.” JunPyo lowered his head and used his free hand to grasp her, his fingers tightening into the thickness of her hair, holding her motionless and defenseless as he gave her a rough kiss on the lips. Her lips was smooth and sweet that he couldn’t help himself but continues to hungrily taste her lips. His teeth nipping painfully on her lower lip. Fear skittered wildly inside her, her pulses thudding in sensual response. She held out against him as long as she could, her body stiff with tension and anger, and as though he sensed that she would not give way beneath the pain he was inflating on her, the pressure of his mouth ease slightly. 

After about a minute, there was a knock on the door. A maid walked into the room with JunPyo’s luggage. JanDi managed to pull away from him and ran to her room which is adjacent to his room. JanDi locked the door feverishly behind her, before subsiding on to her bed. She covered her face with her hands, trying to stop her body from trembling. Dear God, what has she come to? He was like a drug to which she had no resistance at all. He simply had to be in the same room and her senses reacted to him; when he touched her she went up in flames. 

JanDi was in the bathroom, showering, trying to suppress her memories of the kiss and JunPyo's action toward her. Does he treat every woman this way? Why does he think I am after his grandmother’s fortune? JunPyo was not the man she imagined him to be.

Scene 2

It has been seven years since JaeKyung left Korea. She has been living alone in a condo in Los Angles, CA. Her name was change to Shelly Kim due to the fact that she wanted to forget about her past childhood and start a new life here in Los Angeles. She attained a M.B.A in business management from University of Berkley. JaeKyung received many awards from her work. Her motivation and drive make her who she is today. She wants to make her parents proud of her when she returns to Korea. She lay down on the bed as she recalled her past childhood.

[FLASHBACK]

After the incident in Jeju Island, the doctor informed Mr. Geum that his wife suffered from depression. The doctor advised him to take her to the hospital for treatment, but his wife refused to go. She has been crying everyday in her room when looking at JanDi's old pictures. She blamed JaeKyung for not looking after JanDi. JaeKyung knew that her mother will never forgive her, but she tried her best to be a good daughter. Everyday she would make her mother favorite food, but her mother would throw it in the garbage.

“Omma, you need to eat this porridge or else you’ll be sick. Please don’t throw this porridge away.” She pleaded her mother to eat the porridge. 

“GET OUT OF MY ROOM!! I don’t want see your face. I want my JanDi back. Where is my child??!! Tell me where she is!!!” She poured the porridge on JaeKyung’s head and threw the bowl against the wall.

“Omma, I’m sorry, but JanDi is dead. It’s hard for me to see your health deteriorate everyday. How am I supposed to live if something happened to you?” JaeKyung felt guilty for what she did to JanDi. If she knew her mother would end up this way, she wouldn’t have done it.

“Dahk chuh (SHUT UP)! SHE'S NOT DEAD...She's still alive. Don’t ever come to my room again.” Mrs. Geum yelled.

“If you want me to get better, go and find her. Bring my child back to me…” She pleaded with a crying voice.

JaeKyung left the room. Her mother resented her and will never treat her like JanDi. There was nothing she could do for her mother that will make her happy. Her father was the only supportive person that she can count on. It was his decision to let JaeKyung study abroad at University of Berkley after she graduated from high school.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

In Los Angles, JaeKyung has a few Korean friends from college that was very supportive of her. One of her special friend is Lee JunKi. He graduated from University of Berkley the same year as JaeKyung. After graduation, JunKi started a real estate company which turned out to be successful. He became a self-made millionaire real-estate tycoon.
 

His net worth is over 100 million dollars which is why he’s the women magnet. Girls fall head over heal for him. He’s the type person that work hard and party hard. At night, he would go clubbing to relax and spend time with the ladies. He drops his playboy act when he met JaeKyung. One of his friends introduced JaeKyung to him when they attended the New Year’s party. They immediately hit it off, but both of them agree it’s better to remain friend. Their relationship would be described as friend with benefit. 

After their successful careers in L.A, both of them decided to return to Korea. JaeKyung got a job offer to work for Samsung Electronics Co. as Director of Operation. JunKi intended to expand his real estate company in Korea.