Page 113 of Heart and Seoul (Seoul 1)

If I have a repeat of speech class, Wansu will pitch me out the boardroom window. I’m certain of it.

Park Minho holds open the door. Wansu steps out with her head up, and I wonder if she’s ever had a moment of uncertainty in her entire life and why she didn’t hand down an ounce of that nerve to me. Selfish woman. She strides toward the glass doors of the basement entrance. Ellen follows, a little less confident but with bright, curious eyes. A few questions are shouted out in English. “Are you the English mother?” “When did you find out Choi Wansu-nim was the biological mother?” “Are you giving up your parental rights?”

Ellen stops at that question and opens her mouth. Before she can say a word, I grab her arm and push her forward.

“Really, Hara, that question should’ve been answered. Of course I’m not going to give up my parental rights,” Ellen huffs once inside the double glass doors. Wansu pushes the up button.

“Wansu told us not to answer any questions.”

“Eomoni,” Wansu corrects.

“I didn’t expect there to be those types of questions,” Ellen protests. She looks like she wants to go out and fight. Fortunately, the elevator doors slide open. I nudge my mother inside.

“Wansu says—”

“Oh, for God’s sake, I know what Wansu said, but she’s not your mother!” Ellen throws her hands up. “I’m the one that’s the mother. I raised you. I was there for you when you skinned your knees, when you ran home crying because that boy in fourth grade asked you if your face was flat because you fell off the monkey bars or when that wretched girl in the sixth grade said you smelled weird. I was the one who dried your face, fed you ice cream, and tucked you into bed. I paid for your—” She cuts herself off suddenly. Her eyes dart to Wansu’s face. Her breath comes out in short pants. Wansu’s already porcelain complexion grows even more pale.

“I know.” I place a hand over Ellen’s. “You’re not losing me because I’m going to call Wansu Eomoni. I’m still your daughter. I will always be your daughter.”

Ellen sniffles, but she manages to gather her composure. This time when the doors open, I’m the first one out, walking forward with my head high and my eyes focused. We can’t all lose our shit at the same time.

The boardroom is already full, but not everyone has taken their seats. The members range in age, although none look as young as Wansu. No one except Yujun. I avoid his eyes, afraid that I’ll lose my resolve. He looks edible in his three-piece suit and with his dark hair swept off his forehead. His face is set in hard lines and I wish I could be a fraction as comforting to him as he has been to me these past two weeks.

But there are no good options here. We had two weeks together and that’s not enough to form a lifelong love. That’s not reason enough to upend the lives of potentially thousands of people who wouldn’t otherwise have a way to put a roof over their heads or food on their tables. If we gave in to our own selfish feelings, it wouldn’t be Bomi who would suffer but Bomi’s family. It would be the brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of all the families under the IF Group umbrella. It would be one more sacrifice Wansu had to make, and she’s made enough of them in this lifetime.

I have to stop feeling sorry for myself and grow up. Maybe if Yujun and I had known each other longer, maybe if it wasn’t some vacation romance, we could have convinced ourselves that our feelings mattered more than anyone else’s lives. But that isn’t the case and so here I am, facing down the den of hungry, greedy wolves that want to devour Yujun’s future. I can’t be with him, but I can give him this. I force my gaze away from Yujun and survey the room.

It’s surprisingly diverse in terms of sex, with roughly half women and half men. Yujun did say that Wansu had made sweeping changes to the company when she took charge, and I guess that included the board. Too bad it wasn’t enough to weather this scandal.

I bow, a full ninety degrees, and wait for Wansu to introduce me.

“This is Hara Wilson. As you know from the news reports and my internal communications, Ms. Wilson is my biological daughter. Because her adoptive mother and she do not speak Korean, I am requesting that you all speak English for their sake.” Wansu pauses, but when no one objects, she powers on. “Today, this emergency board meeting has been called because some of you are concerned that my role as the head of this company is jeopardizing its future. I know that there are many changes—”

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