Mei Lin sat on the edge of the bed, gripping her hair in frustration as memories from that awful day flooded back. "Wah… no wonder Shen Lei called me a fool," she muttered, her tone filled with regret. Thinking about the mess she had made, the public humiliation she'd thrown at him; she cringed. She was a fool.
The Lei family had never liked her. Mei Lin wasn't exactly the ideal daughter-in-law. She had a history of being a bully and had even been expelled from university for nearly injuring someone and someone who just so happened to be a Lei. If the story of Shen Lei almost dying because of her ever leaked out, it would be a scandal no one could clean up.
But that wasn't the only reason they disliked her.
Shen Lei, the quiet and forgotten youngest son, had always been treated like an outsider. His parents doted on their two elder sons, while Shen Lei barely received a passing glance. Cold and silent, he was easy to ignore and easy to blame. When Mei Lin was arranged to marry him, the Lei couple didn't approve, but they didn't protest either. It was the family patriarch's decision, and that was that. Still, every time she stepped into the old Lei house, they made sure she felt unwelcome.
It wasn't until much later that Shen Lei shocked everyone by taking over the Lei family. In her past life, Mei Lin couldn't believe it. He was always quiet and distant. Who knew he had ambition?
But instead of admiration, she'd felt bitterness. The more he succeeded, the more she resented him; blaming him for everything that went wrong in her life.
Thinking about it now made her sigh. Again. And again.
Why was I like that? So unfair. So selfish. She winced at the memory of her own arrogance. But this time, this life she was determined to make things right.
She remembered that, like before, Shen Lei hadn't returned home in past two days. And tomorrow, she was expected to visit her maternal family for the first time after the wedding. In her past life, she skipped it. When she did finally visit weeks later and all she did was yell at her family and blame them for her marriage but not this time.
She missed them. Her parents, her brothers, her grandparents and she hadn't seen them in so long. Thirteen years felt like a lifetime. And yet, the thought of seeing Wei Lin; her sister tightened something in her chest.
Wei Lin had once been her greatest source of comfort. In the darkest moments of her captivity, Mei Lin clung to the belief that her sister still loved her. That she would come for her. But in the end, it was Wei Lin who had betrayed her.
Still, Mei Lin didn't want to waste this life chasing revenge. She had done enough damage before. This time, she wanted peace; for herself and the people she cared about.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone. Her finger hovered over a number she had barely used in her past life. It rang. And rang. Just as she was about to hang up, a familiar voice answered.
"Hello."
Hearing Shen Lei's voice after so many years sent a strange wave through her. She steadied her tone.
"Shen Lei, tomorrow I'm going to my parents' place. Meet me there at eleven. We're married now, and the husband is supposed to accompany the wife on her first visit. So, I'll see you then." She ended the call hurriedly before he could respond.
She knew he'd come. He had visited her parents house in her previous life; alone. This time, they'd go together.
With this Mei Lin finally left her room and asked the butler to make her something to eat. The staff stared at her like she'd grown a second head. The new mistress, who had been creating ruckus and have been moody since her arrival was suddenly hungry?
Soon, dinner was served. And she devoured it.
After years of starvation and rationed food, the rich aroma and warm flavors hit her hard. She finished everything on the table in minutes and then asked for another serving and then another until finally she felt stuffed. The butler with the servants just stood there in silence, stunned but then looking at her chubby face they'll realized something and thus kept their expressions in control.
Then she stood up, smiled, and waved. "Thanks!"
Their jaws nearly hit the floor.
After a long, hot bath, she climbed into bed. The sheets were soft, the room was warm, and for the first time in years, she felt… safe.
The next morning, Mei Lin woke up at 9. Only an hour left.
She headed downstairs and had breakfast. The servants noticed her good mood and relaxed a little; hoping she stayed like this.
Then she hit a snag. She had nothing to wear.
Her body had changed, and no one had prepared clothes in her size. Even her wedding dress had been altered last minute by Shen Lei somehow. The only thing that fit now were some oversized maxi dresses her nanny had given her during her house arrest before the wedding.
Not ideal but no time to be picky.
She slipped one on, asked the butler to get the car ready, and left.
The ride was quiet. Familiar streets passed by. And then, the gate of her childhood home came into view.
She stepped out of the car and froze.
A man stood near the front steps, phone to his ear, back turned. She walked up quietly and stopped behind him.
He turned. It was Shen Lei.
His eyes met hers, and for a moment, everything fell silent. Mei Lin stared. He hadn't changed much; still distant, still unreadable but seeing him now made her heart stir in a way she hadn't expected. She felt good to see him after so many years. It felt like meeting an old friend.
And then she smiled.
A genuine, soft smile.
Shen Lei blinked. Her round face, that glowing expression; it threw him off. Why was she smiling like that?
This woman had made his life chaotic since school. That smile looked suspicious.
On the phone, his assistant was still talking, "Boss? Why'd you call me again? I already told you the wind speed, the temperature, and everything else!"
"That's all I needed," Shen Lei said and ended the call.
He took a step forward, narrowed his eyes, and muttered, "Mei Lin, if you're planning to stir up trouble today, drop it. Or I'll tell the butler to stop serving you extra food."
Mei Lin's jaw dropped.
Did he just threaten me… with food?
Was she some kind of pig in his eyes?
She opened her mouth to yell at him but he was already walking toward the door, leaving her standing there, fuming. "Damn, that butler, did he just tattletale on her." Grumbling about it she followed him inside the house.