Chasing Hearts

One

"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.

It was an oil painting in the traditional Chinese art style. It was beautiful beyond words and it was the kind of work I aspired to create. Sadly, I had to leave most of my art products at my mother's, the only thing I was able to shove into my suitcase was the art easel my grandmother used to use.

She passed it down to me when my father divorced my mother when I was only 10 years old. She saw that I liked to distract myself by drawing pictures at a young age, I was relatively good. She introduced me to painting little by little, but my talent took off by age 12 and I have been painting ever since.

My mother had given me a bit of money just in case my father was cheap and greedy when I got here, but he handed me a bank card as soon as I landed and said he would load money onto it every week for me. Which meant I could go and buy new art supplies right away if I could escape my oppressive father and stepmother.

We arrived at the large villa and I couldn't believe my eyes at how huge the place was, I felt like I could get lost inside of it. My father didn't let me dawdle and rushed my stuff inside.

Waiting in the foyer was my new stepmother and sister.

"Maia, this is my wife Sarah and her daughter Bianca. You both will be going to the same school starting tomorrow."

"My name is Han Ma Ri, it's nice to meet you," I said monotonously.

Sarah seemed a little shocked when I said that, and Bianca just cringed. My father chuckled and ushered me up the stairs and to my room. He said nothing before he closed the door and let me unpack.

I flopped onto the large bed and took out my phone, hoping to see something from my mother that this was all a huge prank, and I would be going home tomorrow.

But there was nothing, of course.

I was stuck here for at least half a year, but who knew if my mother was going to actually come back for me, or if I was going to be abandoned once more. If that was the case, the best thing I could do to secure my future was to take advantage of this opportunity at school and get into a great college.

I just have to keep my head down and work my ass off until then.

With this thought, I turned over in bed and started unpacking my suitcase but stopped when my door banged open, and Bianca stood there.

"I hope you know; that no one is going to accept you at school. Especially with a name like Han Ma Ri, what kind of name is that?" She was already showing her true colours, she wasn't even trying to hide her spitefulness.

I understood her envy, she had been the only child who had lived a lavished life all to herself, and now someone new had come into the mix and she was worried I was going to take everything away from her. But chances were she also wouldn't believe me if I said I could care less, there was no point in engaging in her taunts.

"That's fine, I'm not here to make friends," I said.

She huffed and thankfully left. I was expecting much more than that, but it seemed she was only just beginning. I would have to walk on eggshells around her, great.