PROLOGUE
October 16th. The day that changed the course of my life.
Every birthday had been the same. My parents would wake me up at 7am. Dad would pick me up, well at least until I got to big and we would walk downstairs singing Happy Birthday. A pile of presents always wrapped in my favourite colour, purple, waited on top of the massive oak table in the dining room. Next to the presents wrapped in purple was my favourite triple chocolate cake that Mum always woke up early to bake.
On my 9th birthday I had woken at 8am to no one, no Mum or Dad to be seen only the extremely loud and agitated voices of my parents that had carried up from downstairs. That moment was the first time I had ever had butterflies in my stomach.
I had stood at the top of the stairs, in shock and completely numb as I watched my parent's heated argument. I had only become aware later that their fighting had become a regular occurrence. As it escalated Mum had wrenched a brown suitcase out of Dad's tight grip. She opened the front door, glanced back directly at me then walked out.
On my 10th birthday after a year of nothing from my Mum I had received a cheap postcard from South Korea with only her name scribbled on the back. Even though she had abandoned me on my 9th birthday it was on my 10th when I promised myself that I would not only find her but find answers.
After that one postcard ten years followed of silence, not one letter, photo or email. The promise I'd made to myself fuelled me with the determination, direction and focus I never knew I had to achieve the grades to be accepted into the International University of Seoul.
I had made it to Seoul the only place I knew she had been. I would be able to finally seek out my Mum. I only hoped it wasn't too late.