Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“TangShi, I’m sorry. I know I acted like a complete crazy and horrible person the last time I saw you. I know I pretended to be your friend and did and said things about you behind your back that I’m not proud of. I can’t take back that I hit you and threw things at you, or what I said, I can only beg for forgiveness and a chance with my actions to show I’m truly sorry. It’s why I came at Aunt’s invitation, to put the past behind us. YuZhi, you know all of this because I already told you and I really do want to make amends. We’ve been friends our whole life and I miss you being a part of my life, even if it’s on a small scale. I want us all to find a way to exist without bad feeling and hatred.”

“You hit her?” Aunt piped in, shocked that her delicate angel girl would lift her hands to someone, even with reason. Rhea had never been a violent or vicious girl and always painted a picture of serene composure and golden heart. This shocked her that she was capable of doing such things. Blinking at her as she let this confession sink in. Trying to mentally justify what she was saying and putting it down to a broken heart. Shaking her head and refusing to believe this was how it sounded. Even with Rhea nodding her way, obvious shame etched all over her.

“I’ve already forgotten it. I wasn’t hurt badly. I don’t want it to hang over us anymore or for it to be like this either. You may not have really been my friend, Rhea, but I did like you and I’m sorry for how things turned out. This was never my intention.” TangShi broke in, not letting Aunt railroad this conversation and squeezed YuZhi’s hand to tell him she was fine. He was staring at the side of her face, tense and poised as though afraid that this would upset her. YuZhi treated her like a fragile crystal and underestimated that TangShi wasn’t all that soft.

“I accept that this is really over. I knew it in my heart a long time ago and as hard as it may be to see you together right now, I know in time I’ll get over it. And I want to. I want to start my life over.” Rhea, dabbed her cheek as a single tear rolled involuntarily down, sniffing to curb the aching in her chest but feeling lighter for finally seeing them. This had been plaguing her the entire trip home and gnawing at her since she had spoken to him on the phone days ago.

“I never wanted to hurt you. I understand why things escalated. I’m sorry too.” YuZhi answered, low and calm. Realizing that despite not wanting to do this that maybe it’s what was needed for closure between the three of them. It was a situation where Rhea wasn’t really a villain but a victim, much like TangShi was and he blamed himself for all of it. He had known her since birth and despite her spoiled princess ways at times, she had a good heart underneath and he believed this was genuine. Rhea was trying to find her way back to who she used to be.

“I know. ZhengLi spent a few hours on the phone to me a couple of days ago. Talking it out, being my friend. He made a lot of sense as someone who could see it from all sides and had witnessed us for the entirety of our relationship. He helped me figure some things out. Told me what I needed to do to start fixing all of this.” Rhea smiled through watery eyes, glad that they had always had him within their friend circle. Coming away from that call with a new mindset and a list of tasks to start walking into a new future.

YuZhi nodded, knowing he had spoken to her but not the details because that’s how ZhengLi was. He could be the flashy, mischievous, and childish playboy, and throw drama into life, or he could be the wise, and sensible friend, who had wide shoulders and a nonjudgmental ear. He wouldn’t pass on your woes to others, but he would do anything to help. For someone who spent his life acting like a prepubescent teen, ZhengLi had a wise head on his shoulders and an ability to figure out life problems better than most. It’s why YuZhi had clung to him their entire life.

“TangShi, I really want us to be friends again one day. Real ones. I want to be there to watch YuZhi have children and see them grow. He’s been a part of my family since forever and I don’t want to miss out on it. I want to watch my friends grow old and have families.”

“We both did wrong. I’m to blame for the breakup and destroying us. I know this but if you ever do anything to hurt Tang again…..” YuZhi warned, the seriousness in his tone was clear and even Aunt had recoiled to silence as she listened. Suddenly aware that she had never been given the bigger picture and full story and had fallen for Rhea’s tears and cries of victim. Months of her whispering and confiding to her about how awful TangShi was and yet witnessing this gave a new spin to things. She was confused and suddenly felt unsure about what to believe anymore.

“I’ll never do it again. I’m sorry. I know I could have caused her serious injury and I said things I should never have said to anyone. I’m not proud of who I became.” Rhea pulled a tissue form her bag and dabbed her face.

“I’m sorry too. For being the reason your life, your future with YuZhi, and your happiness were destroyed. I didn’t know when I married him that it would lead us here or that he was Yoonie, or that I would love him. I’m sorry, Rhea. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, and I didn’t go after him or try to take him from you, it just happened.” TangShi’s voice was strained with her own guilty emotion. Her heart bursting with so much regret over being the center of someone’s pain and misery.

There was a heavy silence in the air, as none of them really had more they could say to this situation. There was pain, and betrayal, and broken trust, and heartbreak, all coiled up into confused emotions between them. It would take time and baby steps to resolve and put it all to bed once things were processed and hearts had begun to heal. Rhea had the biggest mountain to climb in being able to let YuZhi go. Aunt no longer had anything to input at seeing all this raw and honest outpouring, just fear and sudden loss of someone she cared for.

“Rhea, I don’t want to let you go. You’ve been my daughter since you were knee high to a grasshopper. I love you.” Aunt finally broke in, that cold frost of her normal speaking voice dissipating, and genuine upset shone through with a hoarse voice and misty eyes. TangShi felt for her, as YuZhi had told her that her husband died in the first year of their marriage and she had never wanted to marry again. Meaning no children would ever be born to her. She had longed to be a mother for a long time and Rhea and YuZhi had filled that void. She could understand Aunt’s need to cling onto Rhea and why she had despised TangShi for ruining it..

“You don’t have to. Her relationship with you is not affected by what she is to me. You don’t need her married to her family to love her, Aunt RuiZi. Rhea isn’t going anywhere, and you work in the same field.” YuZhi understood their bond, had watched it and wanted nothing more for his Aunt to accept TangShi into his life with the same warmth she had shown Rhea all these years. He had no reason to deny them their own relationship.

Aunt closed down, knowing what he was hinting at and turned back to cool and aloof. Always one to wear her heart hidden inside a steel chest and rarely show it on the surface. Her mind ablaze with so much she needed to think about but glad to see Rhea here again. It had been so many months of her not being allowed to grace their home.

“I only have space for one daughter.” She snorted, glaring TangShi’s way, a rise of stubborn and refusal to be disloyal, and Rhea caught it.

“Aunt?” Rhea got up and moved to the seat next to her, sliding her hand into hers and pulling her to look directly at her. Coaxing with a soft smile, pulling out all her sweet and honesty. “Give TangShi a chance. I spent so much time with her and she’s a good girl. I know everything I said to you to make you dislike her. I painted a picture of a manipulating fame chaser who was seducing him, but I lied. I wasn’t honest with you, and I made up so many stories. I was afraid that you would love her too and push me aside. That I would lose all of you. I’ sorry, Aunt RuiZi.” Rhea broke into small tears of shame and genuine hurt in her own heart. Admitting to deceiving someone she loved and being the reason for her hatred.

YuZhi shook his head, hearing enough and motioned TangShi with him. He had suspected Rhea was the main source of Aunt’s dislike and this angered him on another level. It was one thing suspecting, but another knowing it for certain when he wasn’t really ready to fully forgive Rhea yet. He knew if he stayed and listened to this then his desire to make peace with Rhea would die a death. Lying so easily was something he had never suspected her of and it was not sitting well with him, seeing this new side to her.

“You two need some time alone. Seems undoing damage and putting things straight are what you intend, and we don’t need to listen to it. We have to go. Tell Grandad I’ll bring her back on Thursday. Rhea. We’ll see you at some point. Maybe once you take back all the bullshit about Tang.” YuZhi nodded, holding in some curt words that would only exasperate the situation, despite his haughtiness, and pulled TangShi with him.

Rhea faltered but knew she deserved is anger after hearing what she said. She couldn’t watch them walk out together but instead turned back to Aunt and smiled through watery tears. Knowing she was about to tell her everything and expose her own lies and manipulation, but it felt like a step to freedom.

They hadn’t eaten much but he would rather take TangShi out to lunch somewhere alone than listen to Rhea try and undo months of slander to make his aunt hate her. If she meant what she said about making amends he knew this was a start and he had no idea how deep or far Rhea’s tarring of TangShi’s character had gone within their circle of family and friends. This wasn’t on him to fix, and he wasn’t exposing TangShi to it either.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.