chapter two
I wake up and my throat hurts, I can't swallow my saliva, what happened?. Wait a minute that bastard shocked me, what kind of a man lays his hands on a woman,shameless the Lu family is really shameless.
I sit up and look out the window, how long have I been out. Suddenly someone clears their throat, which scares me.
"I see , you're finally awake, you're in my house so I expect you to behave and respect yourself, I'll be sending someone to help you get ready so we can go and get our marriage certificate",Lu Yebei says.
" What if I don't want", I say with difficulty and cross my hands. He walks to me and squeezes my jaw "the your brother dies little bunny and that little sister if yours..." he chuckles before continuing" I know many foreign men that like minors and her being Asian is a bonus".
I look at him and tears roll down my face" please not her I'll do it , I promise just leave my family alone",I whisper.
He lets go of me and says" good girl", before walking out and banging the door.
After a few minutes a woman walks in and bows before introducing herself as An Ning, she is a kind middle aged woman and reminds me of my step mother Sang Wang. My mother died after giving birth to me I only know how she looks from the photos I have and I am a replica of her. My mother was a famous movie queen.
She helps me do my makeup and cover my bruised neck, she picked out a beautiful dress and a pearl necklace for me. She handed me some pills that she says the doctor prescribed for me . I take it but wonder if it is poison.
After we're done I go down to have breakfast with the family, I'm nervous and I know they have The Ye family. But I walk down with my head held high.
Everyone is sitted and when I reach the stairs everyone looks at me. I can see the scorn and hate in all their eyes. Except one person, Elder Lu , he gets up from his sit and walks to me with his cane , he wears a warm smile.
"little zhenzhen, you've grown into a beautiful swan",he says and embraces her" remember when you would trouble grandfather for sweets when ever he came to visit",he says.
" grandfather it's so good to see you",I say and smile , my grandfather and Elder Lu were very good friends they were like brothers. That is why when my grandfather died because of a heart attack after Lu Yebei bankrupted our company, we couldn't bear to try his the truth so we just told him that my grandfather fell ill and died.
"come and sit next to grandfather, you're now my granddaughter in-law, that old bird Ye zong gave up on life so soon and couldn't witness our families becoming one",he says and I help him to the table and sit next to him."hey Fang Shi won't you welcome your daughter in-law",he says" never mind little Zhenzhen we were all shock this bastard Lu Yibei just announced that you two are married",he says and Pat's my head , he the begins putting food on my plate. The tension can be felt because everyone knows the truth excluding the Elder.
I just look down at my plate and continue eating my food.
"grandfather, mother, father, Ye Zhen and I will be going to collect our marriage certificates",Lu Yibei says and stands up , I also get up and follow behind him.
We get into the car and drive off. "not a word about this to grandfather, understand?",he says and I slowly nod.he squeezes my arm " answer with your words",he says.
"I understand",I say as tears roll down my face. he lets go and a bruise appears.
We get our certificates and walk outside, just then a beautiful woman appears and intimately hugs Lu Yibei. Su Jianan, who does know her , she's now become a famous movie queen, she and Lu Yibei's sister Lu Chixia tormented me in school.
"Darlin are you already done , shall we go for our lunch date?",she says. I know Lu Yibei hates me but won't he atleast honor the marriage.
He smiles at her and kisses her right in front of me, they act like I don't exist and get into the car together and leave me stranded with no means of going back to the Lu Manor.
So I begin walking and it takes me about two hours to get there. When I arrive I find Madam Lu sipping tea and chatting with her friends.
They keep quiet and look at me"hey you, where's my son?",she says.
"mother-in-law Lu Yibei had some important work so he dropped me off and went to the office",I say and smile.
" oh my goodness, you have a daughter-in-law and didn't tell us, when was the wedding, you didn't even invite us",one of the women say.
" I thought your son and Su Jianan would get married", another says.
" I must say your daughter in-law is very beautiful, she looks very familiar, like the Ye family's late madam",she continues.
" if mother-in-law has no use for me , I will leave first",I say and head up stairs to the room I was in before.
I prepare a bath and go and get a change of clothes but I can't find ant of my things so I ring for An Ning.
"where are my things",I ask her.
"Young Master Lu said to throw away madams things",she then walks to the walk in closet and gets me a change of clothes." here are Mrs Lu's new clothes, if that is it, I will leave first.
Why did he throw away my clothes what of my mother's pictures, I begin panicking but find the little bag containing my mother's jewelry and photos, her hair brush and hair pins, they are very priceless, even when we starved I couldn't bare to sell them. I get the little necklace with , my mother's ancestral ring on it and wear it , I always carry it with me because it was my mother's favorite jewelry. I wonder how my life would have been if I grow up with her.
I take a bath and change , An Ning calls me for lunch and I join my mother-in-law, and her friends.
"oh my gosh, is that what I think it is on your neck, how could the Ye's afford that ring, it is one of it's kind, it is worth a fortune",she says and reachs for my neck.
" Ye Zhen where did you get that ring from" my mother-in-law asks.
" it belonged to my mother".
she asks to see it and I hand it over to her and she tries it on but it only fits half way.
"wow, madam Lu it really looks so good on you, why don't you ask your daughter-in-law to give it to you",one of the women says.
I can't give it to her, I begin panicking," it belongs to her deceased mother, how can I take it, I won't take anything unless she gives it to me",she says and hands it back to me.
the servants bring the food and we begin eating, after lunch I leave the women and head up to my room. I look out the window and sigh, why? is this happening to my family, I'm the wife of the man that hates me the most.
It's already in the evening and only I and my mother-in-law have dinner together the Elder went to visit the temple and pray for my marriage and Father Lu and Lu Yibei are working late.
mother-in-law clears her throat to get my attention"you I don't like you , even though I know it's not your fault but each time I look at you , I see the sister of the man that killed my daughter, I will not interfere with your marriage so don't bother asking for my help, I'll always support my son, but I'll give you the respect you deserve as the Lu family's daughter-in-law and no servant will mock you",she says.
" I appreciate mother-in-law's concern and I don't expect more",I say and continue eating.
It's almost midnight and Lu Yibei is not yet here, I go to use the bathroom and when I open the bathroom door I see Lu Yibei sitting on the bed with a bottle of alcohol in his hands.
I freeze then slowly make my way to my side of the bed.
"stop , who said you could sleep on the bed, a horrible woman like you must sleep on the floor",he says and makes his way to me , and my heart is beating so fast and sweat appears on my forehead.
He holds my chin and his alcohol breath fans my face.
"Why did you have to be his sister?, your so beautiful",he says. Wait what did he just say ?did I here correctly or maybe I'm too scared that I heard something else.
He caresses my face and my spine stiffens before I know it he raises his hand and strikes me across the face and I fall on the bed.
"you killed my sister, you're all guilty",he yells and smashes the bottle in his hands on the wall. I hope the walls are sound proof because I don't know how I'll be able to face my in-laws tomorrow.
He grabs my hair and yells"you took away the person I love the most in this world,I won't spare you by the time I'll be done with you and your family,you yourself will take a gun and shoot your entire family and yourself just to escape this torture".
" what about me ,I wasn't there,my family has suffered too ",I say as I sob and scratch at his hands. "shut up!",he slaps me again.
"now my dear wife it's time for our wedding night",he says and an evil smile appears on his face. He shredds my night gown and throws me on the bed.
"you have to fulfill your duty as a wife ",he says as he slowly removes his shirt. I try to get away but he holds my ankle and gives me another slap.
He presses down on me and violates me ,he takes his pleasure from me,he bites down on my lips and makes them bleed. He tosses me around the whole night and when his done. He falls asleep like he has no care in this world,I want to cry but the tears don't fall ,he took my virginity,I always thought my first time would be with Shi Fungju the man I love.
But can you expect from the world, things never happen as we wish ,with that I close my eyes,this is all for Lu Beichuan,when he wakes up, everything will be back to normal and I'll leave this monster.
That night I didn't dream at all.