July 5th, 2006

"I hate you!" the woman shouted at her husband.

Those three words changed everything. They put in motion a series of events that would change more than one life. They would act as a bridge between two destinies, as well as a destroyer of lives.

"Darling, listen to me. I…" the husband pleaded with his angry wife, but she pushed him away violently.

"Don't call me that! Don't you dare call me that!" she yelled at him savagely, wiping away the tears that flooded her eyes.

She turned around furiously and stomped out of the room. Her face was red with anger, her cheeks glistened with tears.

Just as she was about to leave the house, another woman, slightly younger than her, appeared in the doorway. Clinging tightly onto her hand was a small boy. He seemed scared because he kept trying to hide behind his mother, while she kept pushing him in front of her. The mother had a determined expression on her face, her eyes looking straight ahead, and her eyebrows arched on her forehead.

The two women stared at each other for a few seconds, as a heavy silence fell between them. No one said a word. Even the little boy had stopped moving, and was gazing between his mother and the other woman with wide, frightened eyes. They had the most beautiful shade of brown, matching the light chocolate color of his hair. He was the split image of his mother, except for his mouth. The shape signaled a strong, determined and stubborn character.

'Yes, that is indeed his mouth. It is his father's.' The crying woman thought bitterly to herself, feeling desperation sipping through her very soul.

Then, a shuffling noise came from behind. Someone had climbed down the grand staircase and had just stopped on the last step. The crying woman looked back and saw her own son, looking down at the scene. He did not look older than twelve years old, but his expression seemed uneasy and filled with understanding. Yes, he knew exactly what was happening. His mother had just found out his father had another son.

Apparently, ten years ago, he had made a mistake during a business trip, and the result was the brown-haired boy who was now staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and interest. The boy even forgot to be scared, and tried to come out from behind his mother's skirt.

The twelve-year-old frowned. His raven-black hair fell down on his forehead, covering his eyes almost entirely. His mother had nagged him about getting a haircut, but he had refused. He had said it looked cool like that.

Now, his pitch-black eyes were boring into the other boy's brown ones as if he was trying to set them on fire. He was angry, upset, scared and disappointed. But most importantly, he felt sad for his mother. Seeing her suffer was more incensing than even the sudden apparition of a half-brother.

"Ji-Won." The woman whispered through stifled sobs, gazing despairingly at her son.

The dark-haired boy made a gesture, getting ready to step down from the staircase, but his mother shook her head vigorously. Sniffling loudly, she gave him a quivering smile then turned around and left. The sound of the front door snapping shut still reverberated around the entrance hall seconds after she had left.

That was the last time he would see her alive. That quivering smile would be the last show of affection she would ever bestow upon him. From that day onwards, he will be motherless and, as far as he was concerned, fatherless too.

~~~

At the same time, at a high-end restaurant in Seoul.

"We really appreciate Manager Park's support. Our fundraiser tonight went really well. Thanks to your involvement we were able to secure the funds for next year. The kids will be so happy to know that." A middle-aged woman said affably, addressing a tall, handsome man.

Due to his high position at his company, the man must have been at least thirty-five or forty years old. However, looking at his handsomely chiseled face, neat haircut and sparkly eyes, one couldn't give him more than thirty even if they tried. There was a certain air of youth emanating from him, both charming and refreshing.

The man's tuxedo was obviously tailor made, as it fitted him perfectly. The dark colored trousers made his legs seem long, while his suit jacket hung on his upper body like a second skin.

Hearing the middle-aged woman's words, the man waved his hands in embarrassment. A light blush was spreading onto his cheeks, making him look more like a youth complimented by his elders, than a big shot Manager at a financial company.

"You flatter me too much, Director Cha." He replied hastily.

"Not at all. It's Manager Park who is too shy." The woman insisted. Then, she turned to the man's right.

Right next to the man, holding onto his right arm, stood an equally good-looking woman. Her dress was dark blue, like the waters of the deep sea. The high-quality fabric clung onto her body, highlighting her beautiful form. A brilliant pearl necklace hung around her slender neck, while her ears were adorned with matching earrings.

"Director Cha is quite right. Our Manager Park is very shy. He can't really handle compliments." The woman said with a chuckle. Then, she turned to her husband and teased. "In the future, I should be careful when sharing my opinion on your good looks, lest I make you blush too much."

"You evil creature." Manager Park pursed his lips, chiding softly. His eyes, however, crinkled into crescents.

Happiness, tenderness and love were overflowing from his eyes like warm rays of sunlight.

Seeing him act so spoiled, his wife could only feel helpless. She smiled, and gave her husband a peck on the cheek.

In everybody's eyes, this couple looked high-class, smart and beautiful. But there were also traces of good-will and kindness seeping through their eyes. Compared to the big shots that were gathered at the fundraiser party that night, these two were by far the most conspicuous ones. And that wasn't due to their position in the financial world, but instead it had to do with their brilliant appearance.

Seeing two people look so openly happy and in love with each other, caused everyone around to stare at them in awe.

Director Cha looked at them quietly. She didn't feel right to disturb their sweet moment, so she chose to diminish her existence as much as possible. It wasn't just her, either.

Other people, who wanted to start a conversation with Manager Park and his wife eventually gave up the idea. It was impossible that, while looking at them, not to feel even the air grow sweeter. Hence, those people only took one glance at the two, then slowly drifted away like ghosts.

Just as the atmosphere was like this, someone approached Manager Park.

"Sir, your car is ready."

"Ah, perfect." He then glanced at his wife, both his eyes beaming with excitement. "We might actually get back earlier than we thought. Do you think Su-Jin and Min-Jun will be very surprised?"

"Darling, didn't the babysitter already send us a message saying the kids are already fast asleep?" His wife sighed with a smile. "You don't mean to wake them up, do you?"

Manager Park guiltily shifted his eyes from his wife's enquiring gaze.

"Well, it can't be helped. I just miss them so much." He mumbled.

"It's only been a few hours since we left. How can you miss those two so much already?"

Amidst this banter, the couple slowly walked towards their car. Along the way, they casually nodded and greeted everyone. As they waved goodbye, their matching wedding rings glittered, spreading sparks of silver light. Under the artificial illumination of the room, they looked like a pair of bright stars that had fallen from the sky.

No one knew at that moment that their lives would be so tragically shortened. As the rampant car sped towards them, the only thing that kept running through their minds was how sad their two children were going to be. They didn't want to die and leave those two little ones behind, but fate sometimes forcefully pushes people down their destined path.

The two cars collided while crossing a bridge. Their metallic frames mashed together, ultimately claiming three lives. 

As their life thread got cut, the destinies of those left behind inevitably intertwined.