Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

YuZhi blew out his breath and leaned back against the nearest wall, tired suddenly. His temples already throbbing.

“I don’t think it’s what we should do. I think where we are at with the PR and progress of the cover story, we should all leave it alone. There’s no reason anymore for you and Tang to be out together a lot. They believe you are friends, and that she’s my fiancée now, no public outcry. I still stand firm on our decision to separate our lives and go our way for now. The public will see that we are really moving on and happy to be apart. You also know my reasons for it.” YuZhi was tired of going over the mountain of reasons that the breakup had to be real, that for a future they couldn’t create misunderstandings and pain in the next two years from staying in each other’s lives this way.

“I can ruin that all in one little interview…. I can destroy your companies cover story.” Rhea lashed out, bitterness oozing and YuZhi held his tongue. He knew she would react like this. This is what she did, and he expected it. When she didn’t get her own way, she tantrummed, threw out things she didn’t mean and tried to control him. It was exhausting when they were together and lately being apart he found it even more loathsome. He endured in the past, because all it took was his submittance to what she wanted and she was all smiles again, forgetting the fight. It was different now and he couldn’t give in to her requests.

“We both know you won’t. If you do, my grandfather will never let you near me or my family ever again. You know his stance on this, and you would only be provng him right that your family isn’t worthy of Leng.” It was harsh, and delivered with an icy tone but he had zero tolerance for this today

Company matters over a recent takeover had him hectic and overworked, he barely had time to spend with TangShi in the evening and he had missed two family dinners already this month. Rhea was low on his list of priorities right now. He only had the mental space for so much at a time.

“How can you push me away so easily? I thought you loved me?” She began to cry, her voice breaking in despair and YuZhi gripped his cell a little tighter. His emotions torn in two, between frustration that she was doing this now and genuine sorrow for hurting her.

“Keeping going over and over the same shit, Rhea. It changes and helps nothing. We’ve done this so many times. You agree with me to cool things off and then five minutes later you start spam calling me again, trying to see me all the time and causing me headaches. You weren’t like this before and it’s suffocating. I don’t know how to deal with you.” YuZhi vented the truth behind his avoidance of her these months, knowing she would breakdown and apologize and promise to stop, before starting it all again tomorrow. He was tired of this whole scenario. This separation had brought out an ugly side to her that he had only ever seen sparingly before.

“I feel like you’re slipping away and I’m losing you. I don’t want to let go. I can’t do this.” The tears trickled down her face, her heart in true agony and more than aware that once again YuZhi never uttered those three little words. In all the years together as much as she tried to ignore it, YuZhi had never verbalized his love for her in that way.

“It’s done. I’m married. I agreed to what my grandfather wants, Rhea. TangShi gave up her life, her school, her freedom….. I won’t turn around and put the three of us through drama and public criticism. It would affect Leng Group, affect her life, and ours. Maybe you should go abroad for a while, like you wanted while things cool down and some time passes.”

“Now you’re trying to get rid of me?” Rhea snapped, her tears stopping instantly and instead replaced with fury and hatred for what he just said. That inner indignation born of being a spoiled and pampered girl her whole life, who always got her own way.

“Don’t be stupid. I just mean things might be easier if you’re not here. Take time out, go do things you always wanted and have a break. Stay in Paris a while. It’ll be good for you; it’ll pass faster if you’re not here to watch my every move.” YuZhi hoped she would take the offer from a Paris fashion magazine to collaborate with them for a season, it would give them both head space.

“Come with me.” The anger dampened and the tears returned. From furious and seething, to breaking down and getting exhausted too. This whole thing had taken a massive toll on her mental state. She knew she was clinging onto a crumbling wall, over a fall that she would never survive.

“You know I can’t. Please, Rhea, for both our sakes. Take time out and go on a vacation. Stop following the news and keeping tabs on me. Stop questioning my every move. If you’re like this now, how are you going to feel when TangShi falls pregnant, and the news erupts? What about the wedding?” He knew they still had all of that to come and he could no longer Rely on Rhea to keep up appearances.

“I’ll deal with it. I don’t want to go away and not see you. I’ll behave if you keep seeing me.” She was holding on once more, losing her fight and reverting to pleading. YuZhi sighed because this was the same cycle, the same conversation all over again.

“We can’t see each other for now. Or the near future. Only in public. You know what my grandfather stipulated, and I don’t want to make you misunderstand by seeing me alone.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“You don’t want TangShi to misunderstand you mean?” She snarled it down the phone, mostly under her breath but he heard her and curbed his urge to respond. Silence growing heavy between them.

“Look my meeting isn’t done. I have to go. Book a flight, go away for a few days and then I promise, I swear, Rhea, I’ll come see you and talk. Leave TangShi alone for now.”

He knew it would be the same as this but if he gave her that hope, of seeing him, of talking it out, he knew there was more chance of her going away for a few days and he definitely didn’t want her near Tang when she was like this.

YuZhi scrubbed his hand down his face as he waited for her reply, hearing only a soft “okay” after what felt like a long ten minutes. The reality was it was only half a minute of her thinking.

“I need to go. Stop calling me, okay. Give me a few days. Work is crazy and I barely have time to sleep and eat right now. Let alone take personal calls.” It wasn’t a lie, and he hoped it made her think it was not avoidance but genuine crazy scheduling and that TangShi wasn’t seeing him either. If she thought this was just his current life, her jealousy would calm down.

“You better call me…. if you don’t…” She started but he cut her off, a new wave of irritation growling in his stomach at yet another threat.

“I know. I will, I gotta go. Bye.” YuZhi hung up before she could finish, knowing she had inadvertently figured out a sure-fire way to get a response out of him that he never expected and he regretted taking the bait. Rhea wasn’t stupid and now she knew how to make him answer, she would use it. TangShi was her leverage and if he didn’t call her when he said, she would go see her alone and that would be the worst possible outcome.