"What? Y..you knew about this? Then why..." Lily really regretted believing Susu's words when she told her that she had been fine living in Tian residence. When she had asked about their marriage and spicy bedroom stuff, Susu would always say that things were fine or change the topics.
Lily always thought that Susu was being shy about it, but it seems like the marriage has been just a rotten pit hole with a poor actor in a soap opera. If only she had noticed the odd tones from her and tried digging more dirt from the previous conversations that they've had.
"I've been taking the pills prescribed by the doctors to control my condition. I'm still in the early stages, so treatment isn't required yet. The pills that I've been taking aren't pain reliever and fever pills. I just used the bottles so that others won't find out. Don't worry too much, the doctor told me that it is progressing slowly and so far it hasn't spread in my body." Susu's palm reached for Lily's saddened face.
"I didn't tell anyone about this not because I don't love you. It's because I really don't want to be the reason why you're frowning, crying, or feeling bad for me. I want to see everyone whom I care for smiling happily around me and looking lively. I only found out a few months ago when I realized that something was wrong with my health. I want to capture all your happy moments with me."
Lily sniffled a few times and hopped into Susu's embrace, "You silly goose! Who said I would be sad after hearing this? I'll be there for you this whole way! If my fiance doesn't cure you, then I won't marry him! I want a healthy, lovely bridesmaid! You hear me? You better not hide from me anymore! You still need to watch my future children and your own children chase each other down playing with water guns!"
Feeling the stickiness of her shirt starting to glue to her skin, Susu gently rubbed her head, "Mmm.. I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything from now on. Aiya, our family's, Lily, is a crybaby. Did you get that from me? Hahaha. Don't cry. If you cry and your eyes get swollen, your fiance will come after me and you can say that to my future husband if I find one."
"You.. Who is the crybaby? These are happy tears that I got to slap that shameless bitch and that asshole in front of you. You should be praising my performance." She wiped the tear drops off her face and continued, "You better tell me everything from day one of your damn wedding so I can jot down how many strikes and where I need to strike next time I see those two together!"
"Sure, anything you want to know."
Lily took off her jacket and wrapped it around Susu, "Before we talk, we need to switch to a different setting! The air conditioner is too cold in the mall, and you are still pale. Oh wait, does Chen Mu also know about this?"
Susu shook her head, "I... haven't told him yet. He is the one whom I feel the most worried to tell this to. Give me some time. I'll definitely tell him. Actually, right now, only you know about it. I don't plan on telling this to my family, so probably only you two would know about this."
At Jasmine Tea House
Lily ordered a warm pot of fruit tea and made sure Susu was warmed up before she started the thousands of questions that she had in her mind. With a small pad on the table and a pen in one hand, her eyes stared at Susu intensely, "Now talk."
"What do you want to know?" Susu smiled, surrendering to her caring nature.
"Did that bastard take advantage of you in bed?" First question was the ultimate decision between crushing his nuts, which was already somehow circled on the pad, or castrating him without anesthesia.
"Hah, hun, that's a huge no for that question. We had set our ground rules or well his ground rules for the wedding night." Susu couldn't help but let out a laugh at how protective her friend was when it came to her.
"Then where did he sleep? The floor? Couch? No way, right? Even when he stayed over at my place, he refused to sleep anywhere but a bed." She poked the pen cap against her chin several times.
"He slept on the bed. I slept on the floor the first night. Then, I bought myself a portable and bendable bed, so he had nothing to say."
"Say what?! That son of a gun dared to take over the bed and have you slept elsewhere?! Okay, that's it." She placed a tally under the "give him a new nose" category.
As they continued their conversation, Susu explained that everything was fine with his family members and she did everything that a wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law should do. She also mentioned that Karen was the one who planned the engagement crisis from a year ago.
In the middle of the conversation, Susu mentioned, "Honestly, when I found out that I had cancer in the middle of this horrible marriage, I really thought of it as a joke. I was wandering around by myself, wondering what I should do from there. When I looked back in all the years of the efforts in trying to perfect myself for him, I actually laughed. I spent my time on a person who wouldn't bother giving me a minute of his time. Even though my feelings for him reduced day by day, the moment I knew that I'm on a time limit, these feelings just swam away."
"I've spent enough time with and for the wrong person that I just want to use the years that I have left for those I truly love and care for. That's why I didn't bother fighting back and forth or retaliating verbally when accusations were thrown at me. Regardless of whether that recent water incident occurred or not, I would've left the Tian family anyways." Susu revealed a rosy, sweet smile as she faced Lily when saying these words.
At the end of the two-hour conversation, Lily grabbed Susu's hand while tears lingered the surface of her eyes, "If I were a guy, I would marry you on the damn spot. Woman, you're gold and you should never have to suffer from his stupidity. If I were you, I would've broken down or would destroy his swimmers. But it's good. Now, you're divorced. You can find someone who loves you dearly and that you love him back."
"Mmmm.." Susu wiped the drip of tears that escaped from Lily's eyes.
"And when you do find him... make sure he gets through my approval! He needs to get through my level to marry you, my honey! I'm not letting another jerk hurt you. Hmph!"
At the same time, in Chen Mu's condo, he sneezed twice and blew his nose, "Somebody must be talking behind my back."