A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 1

The walk from the plane, through passport control, baggage collection and finally customs had the same surreal atmosphere that comes with travelling to a totally unknown place. Even in 2022 when the world is so homogenous, there are small but real differences all around which make you feel at home or not.

Reader did not feel at home. She had flown for 11 hours after weeks of frantic packing and planning and goodbyes and was now preparing to spend the next year in Seoul in South Korea. About as far away a place as she had ever been, and this time last year, didn't know she would ever step foot in.

As she rounded the international arrivals greeting line, she saw a sea of faces, mostly Korean and many holding up signs to indicate that they were drivers, looking for their passenger. Reader was relieved. There had been the possibility that there would be press here, waiting for her but it looked as though the information on her name, appearance and flight details had been kept secure as planned. Instead, her searching eyes fell on an indistinct but smartly dressed man who was holding a discreet, laminated sign bearing her name. She walked over, waving hopefully and the cheerful driver took her bags from her straight away with a small bow.

"Good morning Miss. I hope your flight was pleasant." He smiled and gestured both for her to go ahead of him and in which direction she should proceed.

"Very pleasant thank you." Reader replied nervously, holding the staps of her backpack, letting her hungry eyes take in the unfamiliar cafés, road signs and faces as was led out the exit. "Oh, I just want to grab a drink before we go?" she started, realising she didn't know how long the drive was, only the time of her next appointment.

"There are refreshments in the car, Miss" said the driver with a small wave of his head and he marched them steadily on.

When they go to the car, Reader felt for the first time how her life was about to change. The car turned out to be a sort of converted minibus with a complete division between the passenger area and the driver. There were plush leather armchair style seats, a screen in front of her and a minibar buried into the floor. She found an intercom switch, two USB ports in her chair and a cashmere blanket folded neatly under her. Trying to keep her excitement and nerves in check, she settled in for the drive.

After an hour's journey which seemed to take them from the outskirts of the city into the centre, they pulled up to a large glossy building but then crawled round the back, through an imposing gate with a guard and into an underground car park.

"Miss, you leave your large bag with me and take the smaller one with you." Her driver seemed to instruct her, offering his hand as she hopped down. She nodded obediently and then whipped her head round at the sound of a lift door opening. An immaculate woman stood beckoning cheerfully to Reader. She took a last hopeful look back at her suitcase then approached the woman.

"Hello, Miss, I am Mee. Please come with me and I will take you to see Sung-Ho-ssi."

"Oh, thank you." Said Reader, hopeful that the name she thought she had heard was going to be the same Sung-Ho she had been speaking to for a while now.

The lift flew up what seemed to Reader a very tall building and they alighted out into a wide and bright lobby which looked to be very similar to any that she'd visited in the England.

Mee showed her with another small bow of her head into a large room with three people. She happily recognised Sung-Ho who was the same man she'd been speaking with, via a translator, on Zoom for the last fortnight. He was flanked by another Korean man in a suit and a young Caucasian woman. They all smiled and Sung-Ho rushed forward to offer his hand and ushered her into one of the chairs at the side of the conference table. Everyone took a seat as Sung-Ho made the introductions.