Chasing Merina

“Now listen, this is only temporary. Just until graduation, then you can come right back,” my mother said for the last time as we waited outside the airport gate.

“Why do I have to live with him? What are you doing that you can’t take me with you?”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Han Ma Ri, you’re almost a grown woman now. Stop complaining and do as I say. Your plane is going to leave soon, do you have everything?” She looked down at my single suitcase and a carry-on bag.

“Yeah, everything I’ll ever need. Bye, Mom.” I waved to her and turned toward the gate. I knew she wasn’t going to stick around to see me leave, she was probably already gone off to whatever rich affair she was having now.

No one wanted a single mother with a teenage daughter.

So, the best way to fix that is to eliminate the daughter, I suppose.

Now, here I was being carted off to the States to live with my father and his new CEO's wife and daughter. He left my mother years ago after she found out he was having an affair with his boss. It wasn’t long after the divorce that he moved in with her in their villa mansion in Florida.

It was a rather long plane ride from Korea to the United States. I popped in my headphones and decided to browse through the different music styles I’d be exposed to while I was there and brush up on my English since I assumed my father had already ditched his former poor background.

I soon passed out and the ride flew by, no pun intended.

My father was waiting for me at the gate, but he was the only one. I cringed at his high-end suit and fancy shoes, not liking the new look of my father.

“There you are Maia, you were supposed to land hours ago,” was the first thing he said to me after 7 years of not seeing each other or even speaking.

“That isn’t my name, and the second flight was delayed.” I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm.

“While you are here, you will be addressed as Maia Beaufort. Han Ma Ri isn’t a suitable name for this culture, I don’t want you to be picked on or left out because of your background.”

I ripped my arm out from his grip. “You mean my poor background. Yeah, I would expect that you would want to hide where you came from. I’ve already had one parent abandon me, no need to pretend like you actually care about me.”

I walked past him and out the door to the awaiting car. I knew it was my father’s based on how much it stood out and the driver waiting on the side who opened the door as soon as he saw me. I rolled my eyes and groaned, but reluctantly got in.

My father ranted on about the new private academy I would be attending and what would be expected of me when we got to the house, but most of it I drowned out through my headphones. There was one band I was able to like when I listened to some English music and I went through their songs as I tried to enjoy the ride.

We drove through what looked like a separate small town with tons of old shops and houses. My eyes stopped when we slowly passed by what looked like an art store, but what really caught my interest was the painting that was advertised outside.