What I Did For Love

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Chapter 6

I woke up the next morning with this strange feeling inside me. I didn’t know why but in my heart I knew something was wrong. Then I remembered that Ji Won and I were going to get married soon, so I thought nothing of it. When I went downstairs, my stepmom was holding that wooden stick I hadn’t seen in years. I began to panic. She hit me with it. I fell down surprised.

“Where’s Ji Won?” she screamed at me.

I was so confused and surprised I didn’t know what she was talking about. She kept hitting me and telling me to answer her. But how can I answer when I don’t even know myself? Then something unusual happened. My dad grabbed the stick away from my stepmom.

“Stop hitting her! Can’t you tell that she can’t think straight through all that pain?”

My stepmom was shocked and she kept her mouth shut because my dad never did that to her before. “Mina,” my dad said to me, holding my hand. “Ji Won ran away from home again. He’s no longer in Hawaii and the wedding’s canceled.”

“He left?” I asked blankly.

My dad nodded his head sadly. “How can he leave me?” I asked standing up. My stepmom’s next words hit me hard and cold like ice.

“He probably left because he didn’t want to marry you.”

I sunk to my knees and fell to the floor. I began to sob to myself. My parents left the room, leaving me alone. ‘How can you leave me, Ji Won? Were all those promises of taking care of me lies?’ I loved Ji Won so much. All I ever wanted was to be with him, even if he did only consider me as a dongsang. I needed to know why he left. Being with him all this time, I knew where he went. I’ll search all of Korea if I had to..

One year later…

During this year, my life of hell returned. I managed to save up enough money for a ticket to Korea and some to spend. I had to work odd hours so my stepmom wouldn’t find out or she’d take the money from me. I also had to sell some of Ji Won’s gifts to me. He was a really generous oppa who bought me a lot of expensive clothes, jewelry, perfume, and just about anything that I wanted. I figured he wouldn’t mind because they’re just material possessions. They were a big help because I managed to trade them in for a lot of money.

July 24, 1997

I mulled over whether to leave or not and finally found the courage to pick up and go. It took me a while to go because I knew the chances of finding Ji Won was low. I needed extra money for my search and I had to pay double for a fake I.D. You could say that I had almost everything planned out. I had a pretty good amount of money so I planned on leaving that day.

It was a little over a year since Ji Won left me with no reason. I’ve gotten so much thinner because I couldn’t eat or sleep and I missed him so much. The problem I still had facing me were my parents. I knew they were not going to let me leave. I was only 17. Damn. Still a minor. This year had been total hell for me and I couldn’t stand another year of it. I had to leave and I had a plan. I was going to fake my death.

It was all so perfect. My family had to go out to a luau with Mr. Eun. He still keeps in touch with us. I guess it’s because he thinks I might know where Ji Won is. Truth is, I have no idea except I know Ji Won was somewhere in Korea.

I planned to fake a drowning. Because of my heart failure, it helped me close off my air circulation for up to 4 minutes. This time I was using it to let my family think that I drowned and the tides carried my body to sea so I would never be found..

But before I went I had to say goodbye to my father. I hugged him hard. He looked at me surprised.

“What was that for?” he asked.

I shook my head. “It wasn’t for anything dad. I did it because I love you.”

My dad had tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry Mina. I’m so worthless as your father.”

“No you’re not but you have to do what’s right dad. Don’t let anyone stop you and stop putting yourself down.”

He nodded his head. I hugged him for the last time. “I’m going for a swim okay?” He nodded his head and watched me head toward the ocean. The plan went perfect. I stayed underwater for a while and swam myself to the other side of the beach where they couldn’t see me. All my belongings were there. I got on the dock and sailed to the mainland airport. I watched as Hawaii became a distant speck of land. I was leaving Hawaii forever.

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