THE HOUSE THAT WASN’T HERS
I didn’t know what to say.
For twelve years, I had dreamed about hearing my daughter’s voice beside me.
Now that dream had finally come true.
And she sounded terrified.
“Mary Lou, I’m outside the building,” I said.
“Leave.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, Mom. Just leave.”
I looked toward the entrance.
“Kang Jun is here.”
Another silence.
Then she said quietly,
“Don’t let him know you came.”
My heart began pounding.
“What happened to you?”
“I can’t explain over the phone.”
“Then come downstairs.”
“I can’t.”
That sentence broke something inside me.
A mother knows when her child is lying.
And Mary Lou was lying.
Not because she wanted to deceive me.
Because she was afraid.
I took a step backward.
“Where are you?”
She gave me another address.
“Come alone.”
The call ended.
I took another taxi.
The second address led me far away from the wealthy part of the city.
I expected to find an apartment.
Instead, I found a small building tucked between older shops.
Mary Lou opened the door herself.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then she ran toward me.
I dropped my suitcase.
She threw her arms around me, and I held her like she was still the little girl who used to sleep beside me during thunderstorms.
She was thinner.
Much thinner.
Her beautiful hair was shorter.
And there were shadows beneath her eyes.
I pulled away and touched her face.
“My baby…”
She started crying.
“I wanted to come home.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
She looked toward the window.
“Because I couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t what?”
“Leave.”
I felt a chill.
“Did Kang Jun hurt you?”
She immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what is happening?”
She sat down.
For several minutes, she said nothing.
Finally, she looked at me and whispered,
“Mom, the money I’ve been sending you…”
“Yes?”
“It wasn’t mine.”
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
She lowered her eyes.
“Kang Jun doesn’t know I’ve been sending it.”
My mouth went dry.
Then she said something that made no sense at all.
“And the money isn’t the worst thing.”
