Twelve years had passed since Mary Lou left for South Korea,

and Theresa had lived with questions that never disappeared. Every year the same amount of money arrived, but her daughter’s voice sounded more distant each time.
This Christmas, Theresa decided she could no longer wait. She traveled across the ocean without warning, carrying only a small suitcase and a heart full of hope and fear. The house she found was beautiful but strangely empty. There were no signs of the happy life she imagined for her daughter. Inside, everything was perfectly arranged, almost like nobody lived there at all. Theresa searched carefully until she discovered a hidden room filled with stacks of money.

She wondered why Mary had hidden so much cash and why the home felt abandoned. Suddenly footsteps echoed from downstairs, and Theresa froze as a familiar voice called her name softly. She turned around toward Mary….