11
Exchange
Shin however, she admired Mary’s willingness to keep her distance.
Shin had asked for a divorce, but Mary cited her faith.
Mary focused only on their sons. After seeing Mary, Danbi had said, “She’s pretty enough.
Why doesn’t she get another man? Someone would take her,” and Shin had shrugged, knowing he had no right to be jealous.
Every time Mary said no to a divorce, a tiny part of him believed that Mary might forgive him and let him come back home.
Despite the proposed terms of the divorce agreement, which Mary had refused to sign, Danbi wanted Mary to sell the house in New Jersey and split the proceeds since the boys were grown.
Both Shin and Mary were naturalized citizens, and if Shin were divorced, he could get Danbi citizenship—a point Danbi stressed often.
The two older boys had finished their degrees. The oldest and middle were lawyers, and the youngest was studying to be a nurse. One of the lawyers, the smart and better-looking one, was gay. None would have anything to do with their father. He hadn’t been allowed to attend any of the graduations.
On every major issue, Shin lost to Danbi, but he made it plain that he would leave her and Anna if she ever contacted Mary or troubled the boys again.
Danbi needed more money. The people in their circle had a great deal more than they did.
At this stage in their lives, their finances were not sufficiently secure.
They had a substantial mortgage and credit card debts.
She thought they should have a much larger house, with their own pool, not just one on the community grounds.
She wore expensive clothes and bought herself designer jewelry, the same as her wealthy clients.
For Danbi, Woodbridge, a beautiful community in Irvine, wasn’t prestigious enough anymore.
They did not have enough saved for Anna’s education and wedding.
If Shin ever left her—something a practical woman like Danbi had to consider—then she’d need to have more set aside.
She was only thirty-seven years old and attractive enough to make most men do what she wanted, but there would certainly come a time when this power would diminish.
Before that eventuality, she had to have reserves.
Danbi’s lover George didn’t have the kind of cash she wanted. To please her, he taught her how to make real money. Soon Danbi was flipping houses in Garden Grove and Santa Ana.
George had more than enough to pay for expensive hotel afternoons, sexy gifts, and trips.
Danbi told Shin that she needed to attend a conference for agency owners, and of course, he let her go.
George arranged for a suite at a five-star hotel in Santa Barbara, and as usual, they pretended to be married.
Shin had no idea about George, and he didn’t mind her lack of attention. In a way, he was relieved by the slight cooling of her ardor for him.