8 Chapter Eight: Zhi Ruo
Zhi Ruo had found things came naturally to her.
She always hoped that quality came from her late mother's side. Zhi adapted well to change and thrived under pressure. These were all qualities that helped her survive the harsh blows that life seemed to enjoy throwing at her. Luckily having a sexy man in her living room was the least of her problems.
But things were constantly changing in her life, this could be her worst mistake yet.
Growing up Zhi Ruo had a perfect family who loved each other very much. There was the hard working and quirky father, the beautiful and talented mother that brought heart and soul to the family and then there was Zhi, the purity and innocence of the family.
They were a strong and happy family, that was until her mother passed away when Zhi was 11.
After that everything started changing one after another.
At the age of 12 Zhi Ruo underwent a traumatic life experience and unable to deal with the 'problems' that follow a stressful life event, like kidnapping and almost rape, Zhi's father sent her abroad, to boarding school instead of dealing with it.
Zhi's father didn't know how to deal with those issues, that was supposed to be his wife's job.
Zhi barely managed to keep her self together but with the help of two really good friends, she somehow managed.
Until the next year when Zhi's father sent news that he had remarried to a new wife who also had a daughter the same age as Zhi.
This was a shock to Zhi but what shocked her the most was the cold welcome she got when she went home to visit and meet them. She was already disappointed she hadn't been invited to the wedding, she hadn't even considered that her new stepmother and stepsister could have cruel intentions towards her.
Zhi's new stepmother didn't try to hide her jealousy of Zhi and her late mother.
Apparently the similarly to her late mother was too uncanny for the new wife to handle.
She continued to give Zhi hostile looks and openly gave her the cold shoulder throughout her visit unless her father was around. That happened all the way up until Zhi left and went back to her boarding school.
One time when Zhi came home for the Christmas holiday, she and her father took the time to honor a tradition that their family started with her late mother. Zhi was slapped hard in the face for this.
((Every year Zhi and her parents would visit multiple families and friends for Christmas and one year it so happened that their car broke down before they could get to any of the Christmas parties. The Ruo family broke down in front of a random tree with one simple Christmas bow tied to a random branch.
Zhi's mother though, claimed nothing was random and decided that they were meant to break down right where they did.
She claimed the tree was a present for the family. It was even wrapped with a bow, How could it not be?
Zhi's mother quickly pulled out a blanket from the trunk of the car. She laid it out in front of the random tree. Zhi's mother wasn't done just yet. She then pulled out a cake and thermos of hot cider that was meant for her friend Chrissy's party. Next she sat down and dug in all by herself.
Zhi and her father looked at the mother like she was crazy.
Her mother responded with dazzling eyes and a loving smile and asked them to join her.
Only after they agreed and sat down did she start making up a story of a magical Christmas tree branch that would come alive every year on Christmas. The story was cute and the cake was delicious. That night was one of the best nights Zhi Ruo and her family had together. And every year since, they would go to the same tree, break off a branch and take it home. They would wrap a beautiful bow on it and hang it up alongside the Christmas tree and the family stockings.))
Beautiful right, but when Zhi and her father got back her father's new wife was in tears.
She threw herself in front of her husband claiming that Zhi was purposely trying to put a wedge in their marriage by reminding him of his first wife.
The crazy stepmother went on to say that Zhi had been making her uncomfortable and unwelcome every time she came back home from school.
Of course that wasn't true and in fact, it was the exact opposite but Zhi's father looked to his pathetic wife weeping on her hands and knees and had no choice but to throw away the tree branch right in front of Zhi.
Understandably, Zhi couldn't control herself. She burst into tears and ran to her room.
Apparently, the new wife told her father that she just wanted to have a talk and make sure they can smooth things over and start anew.
The fathers believed his new wifes good intentions and agreed. He proudly watched his new wife march upstairs to settle thinds with his own daughter.
But insisted the stepmother went straight into Zhis room without knocking and slapped Zhi hard on the face.
"When you come back to this house you will no longer mention your mother, do you understand me?" She gave Zhi a crazy sideways look, daring her to say no.
The stepmother's eyes were frightening and Zhi sadly agreed to the awful request while she nursed her swelling check.
Zhi Ruo learned to accept that her home was now and would never be her true home again.
Even when she graduated and went back home things never got better. Only worse.
The quiet stepsister, who Zhi unfortunately underestimated was now queen b of the house.
Feng Mi, Zhi's stepsister, had her mother and her stepfather wrapped around her polished little finger.
Zhi would soon learn that her new stepsister, Fang Mi, and her mother Fai Mi, both had plans for the Ruo family and Zhi wasn't apart of it.
Zhi Ruo couldn't help but feel Tadashi was a snake just like everybody else in her life. She watched as he smiled at her from the couch. But god dammed that man was one sexy being.
