The Past: Right after the wedding
The banquet hall was nearly empty now. The decorations still hung in place, the chandeliers still glowed softly overhead, and quiet murmurs passed between a few lingering members of Lei family. But the celebration was over. The music had stopped. The laughter had never started.
The wedding of Mei Lin and Shen Lei was complete.
It had been a beautiful event on the surface; grand, expensive, flawless. But underneath, it was cold. Mechanical. The marriage wasn't about love. Everyone in that room was aware of the dynamics between the two people who were now married to each other.
However, nobody said anything as it was an arrangement made by the patriarch of both the Lin and Lei family. They didn't understand why would they make such an arrangement considering the circumstances between Mei Lin and Shen Lei but how could anyone question their decision.
Mei Lin stood at the center of it all, dressed in a red silk wedding gown, her posture straight, her expression guarded. She looked like the perfect bride but nothing about this moment felt right to her.
She wasn't happy.
She was angry.
And most of all, she was confused.
Across the room, Shen Lei stood quietly beside his parents, speaking in low tones. His face was calm, blank as usual. Nothing about him gave away how he felt not now, not ever.
And that infuriated her.
She didn't understand him.
Why had he agreed to marry her?
In school, She'd mocked him, made him a target whenever she was angry or bored. In College, he nearly died because of her.
He had every reason to hate her.
So why had he said yes?
She remembered her sister's warning from earlier that day.
"Mei," Wei Lin had said, holding her hand with worry in her eyes, "I tried to stop Grandpa, but he wouldn't listen. Even Mom and Dad think this is for the best. But Shen Lei? Why would he agree? Is this his way of getting revenge? So please… be careful. But remember what I taught you since you were young, you're the youngest daughter of the Lin family and you're always above everyone"
That idea had stayed in Mei Lin's mind the whole day.
Revenge.
That had to be it.
What else made sense? He had all the reason to hurt her; to get even. Maybe this marriage was his way of doing it.
She glanced at him again;right as he turned to look at her.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
He smiled. Barely.
But it wasn't warm. It wasn't soft.
It felt like he was watching her and mocking her for her present condition.
It made her chest tighten. Her pride screamed at her not to show weakness.
Then, out of nowhere, another voice broke her focus.
"I honestly don't understand what he sees in you."
Mei Lin turned to find Bao Lei; Shen Lei's cousin; standing in front of her with a smug look.
"Now, you look like someone who'd fall over if I gave you a slight push," she added, laughing under her breath.
Mei Lin's expression hardened. She had recently gain a lot of weight and she has been very conscious about it. Now, hearing this from someone, was hurting her pride when she has always been praised for her beauty.
However, what made her more angry was the way Bao Lei said it so casual, so bold, like she knew no one would stop her. She knew the Lei family didn't like her and now the patriarch, grandpa Lei was not present at the moment she knew they not even pretend to act civil.
Mei Lin has always held herself above others. She was used to being the one who insulted, not the one insulted.
And now?
People like Bao Lei felt free to laugh at her.
That was the final straw of the night.
Her voice rang out as she snapped back, loud enough for the room to hear. "Try saying that again, and I'll show you how far I can push."
People stopped talking. The room fell quiet. All eyes turned toward her.
But Mei Lin didn't stop there. Her fury turned to Shen Lei.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" she shouted across the room. "Are you enjoying this? You planned it from the start, didn't you?"
She stepped forward, eyes locked on him. "You wanted to marry me so you could see me like this; surrounded by your people, treated like a joke."
Shen Lei didn't flinch. He didn't respond.
Instead, he began walking toward her.
Mei Lin straightened as he approached, her breathing shallow. She braced herself but what happened next caught her completely off guard.
He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and began pulling her toward the hallway.
"Let go of me!" she shouted, trying to break free. "You think this changes anything? You think dragging me out of here will fix the mess you created? Let go!"
He kept walking. His grip firm. His silence unshaken.
By the time they reached the hallway, she was fuming. Her voice echoed down the corridor. "You bastard! I'll kill you, Shen Lei! Let go right now"
And then he turned to her, looked her dead in the eyes, expression still calm and lifted her into his arms.
She froze. Completely stunned.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck to avoid falling, but her voice caught in her throat.
The shock wore off quickly. "Put me down! Right now!" she yelled, kicking and pounding her fists against his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He didn't say a word.
He carried her down the steps, out of the hotel, and into the car. He opened the door, placed her inside, and closed it without comment. Then he got in and started the car.
She screamed at him the entire drive home.
Every insult she could think of, she threw at him. Every angry thought, she said aloud.
He didn't respond. Not once.
When they reached the house, he got out, opened her door, and lifted her again. The house staff stood in silence as they watched their new mistress being carried up the stairs like a potato sack.
Mei Lin's pride had never taken such a beating.
She screamed at him to stop. Threatened him. Called him every name she knew.
He still didn't speak.
He brought her into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.
She scrambled to her feet, furious.
"Don't touch me again!" she yelled. "Just because you married me doesn't mean I'll ever accept you. I don't care what our families say; I don't care what anyone says. I'll never accept this!"
She meant every word. Her voice was full of rage. She wanted everyone to hear it.
But then Shen Lei finally stepped forward, looked at her, really looked at her and spoke.
"Mei Lin," he said quietly, "you're such a fool. You always have been."
His words weren't loud and then he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
She stood there, frozen, staring at the space he had left behind. He had never spoken back to her like that. Not in school. Not in the University. Never.
Her pride so deeply rooted, so fragile beneath the surface couldn't accept being treated like this by the same person whom she had bullied over the years.