My hair turned white.
The house was improved.
Yet the loneliness remained.
Every Christmas, I saved her a place at the table.
Finally, after twelve years, I bought a plane ticket. I didn’t say anything to her.
The trip was long and exhausting.
A taxi dropped me off at the address she’d given me.
A quiet neighborhood.
A two-story house.
No one answered the doorbell.
The door was open.
I went inside.
The garden was immaculate.
Too quiet.
Inside, the house seemed strange.
The living room looked like a showroom.
Perfect.
Lifeless.
No coats.
No shoes.
No sign of life.
I called out softly:
“Mary?”
Nothing.
The kitchen was spotless.
The refrigerator was almost empty.
Upstairs, I found three rooms.
A bedroom with a single bed.
A closet full of women’s clothing.
No men’s belongings.
The second room looked unused.
No family photos.
Nothing that belonged to Kang Jun.
Then I opened the last room.
Boxes full of cash.
Bundles of dollars.
My hands were shaking.
Why was I hiding?
Where did that money come from?
Then I heard a door open downstairs.
Footsteps.
A voice shouted…
And I almost had a heart attack.
If you want to read more, write “OK” in the comments. Then, click “See all comments” and read my first comment to read the full story 
And I almost had a heart attack. If you want to read more, write “OK” in the comments. Then, click “See all comments” and read my first comment to read the full story P2
