Chapter 3 - Just Some More

Following the staggering amount of food the both had gobbled down, they hugged each other goodbye after a car for Lien pulled up at the entrance of the restaurant.

Walking back to the garage, Mei looked down at her car while tracing a finger on the hood and humming softly with a smile on her face.

As she got back in the car, she took out her phone and started re-watching the video, over and over again.

"Not the first time something like this has happened. There is no need to feel emotions for this." she thought, pushing the phone back in her bag.

"I wish I didn't have to pretend with Lien but I can't afford to get her worried when she already is so stressed with her work. I just wish things were a bit more normal." she sighed, leaning back on the seat and staring at the roof of the car.

"What's done is done. No use to sulk now, pucker up Ling, It's time to head back."

Mei reached home at dusk with the setting sun deepening to a dark purple.

When she walked up to the door and took out her keys, she realized it was already left open. Stepping in, she saw her stepmother and her father seated at the large rectangular glass dining table.

The white rays of the moonlight passing through the window, mixed with the dim dappled light which hung over the table.

They looked at Mei as her father called her to join them in a drained voice. She smiled and declined by saying that she would return in some minutes after freshening up.

Her dad closed his eyes and took a deep breath after looking at her with an expressionless gaze and saying in a stern voice,

"Now"

Mei felt her heart clenching as she realized what this was about. She slowly walked up and sat in front of him.

"Care to explain this?" Suyin Ling, jeereing she took out a phone from her bag, showing her the video that had gotten posted on the internet.

Under no circumstance had her stepmother not grasped the chance to belittle her.

Mei placed her bag on the table, her hands starting to tremble. She looked up at Suyin, who had a child-like smirk on her face.

"I...It wasn't my fault." Mei stammered, trying her best to calmly explain her situation.

"How can you possibly explain about this now?" Feng sighed in an exasperated voice, shakinghis head in disappointment.

"So you have decided to embarrass the family name yet another time," Suyin mocked, her eyes flaring with piercing rage and spite.

Mei glanced at her father, his eyes avoiding hers, her mind screamed for help in desperation.

"You do remember what your deal states, Don't you?" Suyin continued. "One last mistake from your side and we will be compelled to take the necessary actions."

Mei fumed within herself, her mind overflowing with distressing thoughts. Voices bawling out, buzzing in her ears,

"PATHETIC PATHETIC"

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the loud clicking noises of her stepsister's heels.

Suyin immediately perked up as she cheerfully asked, "Where are you headed to sweetheart?"

Xinyi, who was wearing a long mermaid dress with silver sequins that reflected the light around her, looked back uninterested and answered, "Just some party Yun and the others got invited to."

Suyin lowered her voice, looked at Mei, and remarked, "One more mistake."

She walked up to her daughter, who had her face caked with makeup a tone lighter than her skin and a bright peach blush on her cheeks, and jabbered while tidying up her hair, " If you need any money, you know you can take Dad's card right?"

She smiled back and cooed at Feng, "Isn't that right, Darling?"

"Have I ever said no to you?"

Mei looked at her father in disgust as she tried her best to hold back her tears and restrained herself in her seat for she knew if she left in plain anger, her stepmother would not forgive her for it.

"Yun heard somewhere that the Liu's son would be there for an appearance as well," Xinyi commented while looking down at her phone and typing away quickly.

"Oh isn't that great! I've heard that he's a very handsome young bachelor and our pretty Xinyi would definitely woo him for sure," Suyin bragged, cupping her face and pinching her cheeks.

Xinyi slapped her mother's hands away and sneered, " Stop ruining my makeup! I'm leaving and will take Dad's Mercedes with me." The clicking sound of the heels filled the silent room as she moved past Feng and Mei and took the keys without batting an eye at either of them.

The sound of the car's engine faded away and Feng left without saying another word.

Suyin scowled at Mei and pointed towards her room while she muttered, "No dinner, learn from your mistakes, and then you can enjoy your lavish life."

Mei got up, her breathing heavy with her legs and body still trembling as she grabbed the bag and walked out to her room, looking down at the floor.

Her heart raced while she looked up at the ceiling and then her arms.

The fury within her rose slowly when she suddenly threw the bag on the floor.

Eyes getting blurry while she kept banging her hand on the wall, her blood started dripping down her fists.

Falling to the ground, tears started running down her cheeks, she laid down on the cold tiles and mumbled out, " 'Live on without giving up', she said everybody should remember this phrase."

Anger enveloping her sorrow, she fumed, "Where is she now then? She gave up but expected me to hold on?"

Mei got up and took out a small red leather box from underneath her bed. When she opened it, there was a small beige journal with a white pen next to it.

She crossed her legs as she started pouring down her emotions one by one.

" 'Never say you want to die', 'Things that are correct should stay that way".

What do you people mean by that, How am I not supposed to give up?

I don't care if I gave up everything now, but it hurts me imagining someone I care about follow the same path. Aren't I hypocritical? . They might say it is wrong but hey, I don't really care.

Everyone just expects to be happy without any effort, It would be great wouldn't it?

Never found the meaning of life and yet I continue to breathe realizing I am nothing.

"I feel lonely" are the three words that will never be expressive enough to indicate how some feel.

My values, ego, and perspective were never important.

Why? Because I am hated by this meaningless existence itself. "

Slowly Mei closed her, repeating the words,

"Just hold on some more. Just some more. Just some more."

The following morning, she woke up startled when her phone started ringing out loud. Her eyes twitched as she picked up the phone and softly uttered, "Hello?"

"Where are you? You weren't responding to my texts and you should have arrived half an hour ago. Please don't bail on me, You know I need you today." Lien wailed on the other side of the phone.

Mei immediately sat up and arched her back while responding in a hurried tone, " I'll reach in 15 minutes I promise, Be right there."

Disconnecting the call, she got up in a daze and rushed to her closet, rummaging through it and taking the first dress she could find, a knee-length white dress with soft frills on the hems.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she wiped away her tear-stained face and put on a wide smile.

"Everything will be fine."