Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“Stop it. She wouldn’t do this and that Rong Cai motherfucker is a skeezy letch who has done something to make this look this way. I thought you would be on her side in this, with an ability to think beyond what he saw.” Linlin snapped, full on anger as she stomped after him once more to a third trip to the cupboard, then walked into his back with a thud as he stopped dead and snorted. The ZhengLi she knew and adored was wise and levelheaded and could often see things other’s couldn’t. It seemed not this time.

“Why did she get so drunk with him if he was someone so untrustworthy? Why go out for dinner in the first place? Why did she still appear to be walking around in her underwear when YuZhi showed up, and not hightailing it out the door if she was so innocently set up? She seemed pretty happy half naked around with him while he showered.” ZhengLi just couldn’t believe anyone would go to those lengths and hope the other party would conveniently forget. He had figured the memory issue was a lie because TangShi was ashamed to admit the truth, knowing it ended everything.

“So you’re tarring her as guilty even if I tell you she’s not. That I don’t believe it.” Linlin spat at him, outraged and deadly serious. Losing her adoration for ZhengLi by the minute and disappointed in him for thinking this way.

“That’s your prerogative as her friend and your biased opinion.” ZhengLi slammed the first full case closed and met a thunderous glare as she focused her eyes.

“You should trust me to know her well enough and listen to what I’m saying. I know her better than anyone.” She fumed, angered that somehow this was also putting a wedge between them because her loyalty would never allow ZhengLi to slander TangShi. This was a hill she was willing to die on. Even against him.

“If I need to pick a side between you and YuZhi on this, it’s always him. He’s my best friend, been there my whole life, and he’s the one who’s hurt. It’s that simple. Don’t make this about us, Linlin. I’m not in the mood and it won’t go how you think it would, no matter how I feel about you.” He warned with an edge to his tone.

“Well, I choose her. Because she’s hurt in this too, and I believe she’s innocent. And I can’t believe you of all people would be this way towards her or make this kind of statement. No matter how I feel about you, I won’t forgive you being a Schmuck over this!”

“Stop it, both of you.” TangShi interjected, having made her way to the bedroom door and heard them arguing. Unable to bear it any longer and not wanting this to affect Linlin’s first real relationship. She liked ZhengLi and could understand his loyalty and anger in this. Even TangShi was ashamed and hated herself for doing this to YuZhi so she could imagine how he felt and didn’t blame him. “I need to talk to him, ZhengLi. Please, I just want to see him.” TangShi begged, brushing aside their bickering.

“Forget it. Last thing he needs today is seeing you. Leave him alone. I don’t want you anywhere near him. I have to go so Linlin, move.” ZhengLi was pissed at his girlfriend now too, moving her aside with a hand on her shoulder and getting a prod in the abdomen in angry reaction.

“Go to hell.” Linlin snorted then strutted off flicking her hair at him as she joined TangShi at the door and ZhengLi exhaled heavily. No energy for either of them when he had slept the bare minimal this past week. Simmering his own rage and already exhausted and desperate to go back home to check on YuZhi.

“Is he staying with you? Is he okay? What has he said?” TangShi couldn’t let go of needing to know about him.

“He’s fine. He’s with me and soon as you get out of here he’s coming home to get on with his life. I suggest you make it easy for him. Accept reality and deal with it.”

“What about their marriage? Isn’t he going to honor that or stick to the PR story? He still has an heir to get out of this, and a fucking contract. He can’t avoid her forever.” Linlin bit, shaking her head at how mean ZhengLi was being and seeing him in a whole new light. Hating on him for being the loyal best friend that mirrored her and yet not seeing the similarity between them. Both were blinded by their friends.

“That depends on grandpaw. Once he knows about this, he might dissolve the contract seeing as sex with other people was a clause. Guess you two get a secret divorce and forget you ever met. Put it down to a bad memory or some shit.” ZhengLi pushed passed them with two cases on wheels, glad to be done here so he could leave and no remorse in spitting out some home truths. He wasn’t bothered about hurting her feelings in comparison to destroying his mate’s heart.

TangShi crumbled where she stood as though all the air was sapped out of her body, folding onto the floor in a heap at the realization of his words. A new wave of desperate tears hit home. Slumping and covering her face so that Linlin moved to her side immediately and hugged her from a bent over position.

“Just go. You’re not helping anything, and you can forget our date tonight.” Linlin snapped at ZhengLi as he sauntered past them, enraged and hating on him. He paused and smirked at Linlin, irritated by her snarky remark. A coldness to his manner that concealed his complicated emotions concerning the two of them in this.

“That’s a given. YuZhi needs me, so for however long he does, you and I should cool things off. I don’t think I can stomach hearing you stick up for her while he’s sat in my apartment cut up over this. Maybe for the best.” He didn’t wait for her response and ignored the aching wrench in his chest and stomach that was telling him not to be so dumb. Pulling the cases and heading out and leaving Linlin to tend to the heartbroken TangShi.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“Fine by me. I don’t like you all that much anymore anyway. Asshole.” Linlin yelled after him impulsively, her feral on show when hurt by someone, tears welling up, but she swallowed them down and bit back the choking lump in her throat. Her chest heavy with pain.

“Don’t fight because of me. Go after him. Don’t do this. You two shouldn’t break up because of me.” TangShi gripped Linlin’s hand, shaking it to try and knock some sense into her but got a head shake in return. Knowing this was all kinds of wrong and adding to her guilt.

“Screw him. Best friends come first. If he can’t trust my judgment and love you as an extended part of me, then he’s not the one. He hasn’t given you the benefit of the doubt or let me try and tell him why I believe you. He should listen to me at least.” Linlin sniffed back her raw emotions and pushed it all down tight with an air of ‘I don’t care,’

“He’s upset and he cares about YuZhi. Don’t be mad at him for that. It’s no different to what you’re doing for me. Don’t believe in me. I did this. I can’t deny it and it shouldn’t come between you.” TangShi was distraught that this was leeching into everyone else’s relationships too and she had no idea what she was meant to do about school after this. Rong Cai and school were a mess she couldn’t face, and she had been blocking his calls since she left the hotel.

“Do you trust me? That my faith in you isn’t just blind loyalty?” Linlin caught her hands and pulled her with a tug, so they faced one another, a seriousness etched on her brow as they sat on the floor together.

“Linlin I know you love me, but in this, you’re wrong.”

“Please just go with me. I want to have you checked over and a little blood test for my own peace of mind. If I’m wrong then I’ll never mention it again, okay. I’ll accept this is what it is, and we will get through this together. It might change everything.” Linlin couldn’t let this go. Her gut was rarely wrong and in this she bet her life on how well she knew TangShi.

“Why would I need a test or to be checked over? What do you think happened to me? I was drunk and stupid and messed my life up….. that’s all there is to it.”

Linlin loved TangShi’s trusting and angelic nature sometimes. Her willingness to see good in people even when they treated her poorly. She even loved her childlike innocence, but not today. Right now she needed to wise up and realize the world was full of bad people like Rong Cai, who hid behind smiles and charming exteriors but had twisted mines and all sorts of tricks.

“I just want to be sure you weren’t roofied. Please, trust me. We can go to the clinic where that doctor you see is. Ask him to give you a physical and some routine checks, okay?”

“No. I don’t understand. Rong wouldn’t do something weird to me. He likes me and he’s kind to me. He’s a little intense but he’s not some criminal. He’s the proprietor of a well known and respect school, for god’s sake. I don’t think he would try and harm me like that when I’m literally one of their prized students. It would ruin his reputation and his school.” TangShi was in denial and Linlin began to lose patience with her.

“Right, he is.. he does, but I’m a sceptic and it’s for my piece of mind. Its just with you not remembering and knowing you, I don’t want to let this bypass without being sure. If all you get is a blood test then I’ll be happy. Who knows, maybe someone spiked your drink and his too… there’s always that possibility it wasn’t him and you both were victims in this.” Linlin could only resort to bluffing, sighing at TangShi who was clearly not thinking straight. Knowing the girl was still in shock about what went down and not being her normal sensible self. If she was drugged there was a good chance it was still heavily in her system and causing her behavior to be more extreme.

“Oh.” She opened her mouth in surprise realizing this might be plausible. “We should tell him to get tested too, right?” She opened her moistened eyes wider as though seeing some possibility in this. Stopping her tears as a light of hope shone through that maybe she could explain it to YuZhi if it was true and he might be able to forgive her if she did something while under the influence of drugs. It wasn’t her if she did anything while high.

“Yeah sure, just let us deal with you first and when we know, I can talk to him myself.” There was no way in hell Linlin was letting TangShi anywhere near that snake again but for now she wanted to have her tested, and then they could deal with the results when they knew them.

“Okay. I’ll get a blood test. The doctors number is in my cell.” TangShi nodded, her hands shaking and her mind drifting to try and recall if there was anyone last night who would be so ruthless towards them. Suspicious of the ones who mocked them and insinuated Rong was her boyfriend now she thought of it.

“Good girl, now go run a bath while I make an appointment. We can concentrate on that for now and think about YuZhi when we know.”