Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“No, he wouldn’t. The He were a wealthy family and your mother inherited everything as the last remaining heir. Her death meant her assets and money would have gone to you and your father equally, but over the years your father dwindled away the inheritance and his business and had nothing real to show for it. He sold everything left for you to support his failures. This marriage between you two is to save the Lei’s from bankruptcy. He has nothing left except a façade and you were his bargaining chip to save his own ass.”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

TangShi gawped at grandfather in shock, shocked by what he was telling her so bluntly. Unknown to her all these years with their lavish lifestyle and snobby behavior, was that they were actually broke and in debt. She couldn’t get her head around it at all. She wondered if her stepmother knew about it and how she would react if they really did end up penniless. It seemed like some kind of Karma.

“You’re saying TangShi was left half of her mother’s estate and her father has lost it all. All of it? She’s been treated appallingly her whole life and never got a penny and yet it was hers by law. He really is the worst kind of human.” YuZhi’s temper riled, picturing that slimy weasel of a man and his insides churned with simmering anger at how much wrong had been done to her all these years. It’s not like YuZhi could fight to get what she was owed if they had nothing left fighting for.

“Your father is a cruel man with a gambling addiction and no sense. I watched you grow up from afar and always wanted to do something for YuYan’s memory. Arranging marriage was the only thing I could think of to save you from your circumstances, save you from drowning with that despicable family who never treated you as worthy.” Grandfather relaxed back with a heavy outward breath, seemingly exhausted with bringing all of this up and getting himself riled up as he remembered her mother’s memory. “There was a scandal, well, a rumor…. that the marriage was a fast and forced affair because she was with child, but I knew her well enough to know she would never willingly lay with that man. She had tried everything to outrun him and he was rather obsessed with her. Her grandmother was a domineering old woman but she would never have pushed her into a loveless marriage without good reason. She was still a child herself in her eyes.” Grandfather’s shake of the head and sad expression clawed at TangShi’s chest and she suddenly felt breathless.

A heaviness settling over her heart and stomach. Her mind swirling back and trying to fill in the gaps and put the pieces of the jigsaw together which didn’t fit the story she had been force fed by her father since birth. Shocked by these revelations but then again, not. She had always known her father was a selfish and cold person and she had often doubted the love he spoke of when it came to her mother. Why he always hated TangShi so much if she resembled her.

“How old was she?” TangShi’s voice was trembling, low and husky and she kept flipping the pictures nervously trying to pick out a face she recognized but her eyes were blurring so much that she couldn’t focus on them. Her mind a scattered mess.

“Nineteen, and they had to wait until her legal age changed before he could wed her. It was a very rushed and quiet affair for a family so well-known and wealthy. Steeped in scandal and speculation that your father was after her money and forced himself upon her to ensure their marriage.”

“You think Tang’s mother was forced to have sex with him and then marry because she fell pregnant?” YuZhi choked, eyes widening in disbelief that Lei was so much worse than he fathomed and grandfather nodded his disapproval. His eyes darkening and it was clear this was raking up old scars and regrets for the old man.

TangShi paused, her body running cold as she shuddered and couldn’t help thinking of the nature and behaviors of Rong Cai. Believing there were really men who did those kind of heinous things fueled by their own greed and selfishness. Tears welling up in the backs of her eyes and she swallowed hard, taking deep breaths to hide her sudden distress from YuZhi. Realizing how thankful she was to have him in this moment, because she might have ended up like her mother and pushed to marry a monster had she been single and alone to face her father’s wrath. It didn’t bear thinking about.

“She was a good girl with a shining bright future as an artist. She was madly in love with Lui, and she hoped that when she was old enough he would court her. The affection was mutual but they never once dated because of her young age. Everything changed so quickly and she was cut off from our family from then on and Lui left for the military to nurse a broken heart.” Grandfather had so many tales he could tell, so many sad and joyful stories and he knew over time he would share what he could with TangShi. Now he knew she would stay in his family and he was no longer afraid to form attachments to her.

“My father acts like she was the love of his life and hates me because she died giving me life. Now you’re saying she never loved him and was forced to be by his side. He forced her to fall pregnant so he could trap her?” TangShi knew it wasn’t exactly unheard of given the fact she herself was in a contract marriage but her mother’s situation sounded so much worse. Back then being pregnant out of wedlock carried more weight than now and her family name and honor would have been destroyed.

“He’s always been a spoiled and selfish man. He wanted her and your birth took her away from his clutches. You were of no use to him other than the wealth that should have been yours. You are the only remaining He in Shanghai so it’s not like he had to play nice to keep what she left you.”

“So that’s why you were adamant it had to be TangShi?” YuZhi was finally catching onto why he had been so stubborn about this months ago and no amount of begging changed his mind. He had never understood it when Shanghai was filled with wealthy families with better reputations.

“I promised her that one day she would be a part of our family and bringing her daughter to the Leng fold was the only way I could fulfill that before I died. An heir that is both He and Leng. I’m getting old and I wanted to see my grandson settled with the right girl and our family begin to grow again. Two cursed families would be given new life.”

TangShi didn’t know what to say. Her heart beating fast as she digested this and stared down at a picture of just two girls in her lap. Her hand trembling as she held it. A face so much like TangShi’s in subtle ways but not completely a mirror image to her. Her mother was pretty and youthful and looked so much younger than her friend, who resembled Aunt RuiZi. A strange sensation in her gut because she was finally getting to see the woman who had been a huge part of her all these years but yet was also a stranger. Pained by her story.

She knew nothing of her personality, her likes, or her world. She hadn’t even known her face, but she could see her own smile reflected back and it brought her a strange sense of belonging. A tug at her soul, a familiarness when she looked into her eyes and a warmth growing in her belly. Despite the sadness of her history, the face could pull a sense that everything was going to be okay. She seemed strong and optimistic and TangShi tried to draw from that.

“She was pretty.” She sniffed as a tear escaped the corner of her eye and YuZhi automatically slid his arm around her to comfort her, moving close and pulling her head against his shoulder with his palm. Cradling her in and forgetting his no touch ban that was self-imposed while he tried to earn her trust back. TangShi didn’t reject him but instead leaned in and made herself comfortable, reveling in the security of that familiar touch that she had missed all this time. Needing it right now.

“You look very much like her and you have a similar nature. She was a little bolder and braver than you but also a gentle flower. I think if you had a better upbringing with a loving family you would have flourished as she did and been her complete replica.” Grandfather still missed that happy and carefree child and it tugged a knot in his chest as he pictured her beaming smile in his mind.

“I wish I knew her. That she had lived longer.” TangShi couldn’t hold the warm tears in and even though she wasn’t properly crying, they kept rolling down her cheeks and she had to use her sleeve to dab them away. A sense of dreaminess enveloping her at finally seeing a face she had wanted to know for a long time.