Support System

[Phoenix's Point-of-View]

Phoenix woke up and her eyes felt swollen and her throat dry. It was about 10 in the morning and she got out of bed to wash her face. Her eyes were really puffy and she went to take a shower. She sat on the floor with her legs tucked under her body.

She let the hot water scald her skin. It was almost as if she could wash away the memories of her and Zain. It wasn't that she wanted to forget him. But she didn't want to remember the pain that came with it.

Deep down she knew it still hurt because she still loved him. She didn't want to get over him because she had still hoped that they would be together one day.

And not together for just one night, or because they had some liquid courage.

Zain was not only someone she had been able to be completely herself around, but also the one person that made her feel the most alive. Yet he was also the one that hurt her more than anyone else ever had. She couldn't seem to forget that.

She didn't step out of the shower until after she began to prune. She dolled herself up to cover up the evidence that she was crying all night.

She put on a dress and then went to make herself a cup of tea. It wasn't until she took the first sip of tea that she checked her phone. She had several messages but answered Chloe first.

Chloe: Hey, what are you up to today?

Phoenix: I was just going to spend time getting situated. Why?

Instead of answering Chloe called Phoenix.

"Hi Chloe," Phoenix answered. "Good morning, I'm coming upstairs now," Chloe answered. Phoenix almost choked on her tea.

"You're here?" Phoenix asked. 'Damn,' she thought. She had really wanted to be alone today. She hung up and sighed.

She went to unlock the door for Chloe, right as the elevator door opened to reveal Chloe. The guards posted at the door stepped aside to let Chloe into the apartment.

Chloe gave Phoenix a big hug before she shut the door behind her.

"I brought food!" Chloe said in a sing song voice. "I see that," Phoenix pointed at the bag in Chloe's hand.

"Why don't you like coffee?" Chloe asked making a face at Phoenix's cup of tea. It wasn't that Chloe disliked tea. She just didn't understand how anyone disliked coffee.

"Because it's bitter and disgusting," Phoenix replied. "Have you ever tried it?" Chloe asked.

"It smells disgusting," Phoenix responded. Chloe laughed.

Chloe took out pastries and set them on the table. Chloe took a long sip of her own coffee and Phoenix sat across from her.

"So what are you doing here?" Phoenix asked. "You are going to go shopping with me," Chloe said.

"I am?" Phoenix asked. She groaned internally. "There's still the housewarming tomorrow. Evelyn doesn't trust me to do it myself," Chloe said a little bitterly.

"That's because you aren't to be trusted with a task that big," Phoenix laughed. "Okay, one time! One time I went overboard and no one wants to let me forget it " Chloe said exasperated.

"You blew up a kitchen," Phoenix teased. "I was five!" Chloe said indignantly. Phoenix couldn't help but laugh at Chloe's expense.

Chloe huffed and dug into her breakfast. Phoenix grabbed a croissant and looked at her phone.

She had messages from her parents and Evelyn. They were asking if she was okay and she quickly typed in that she was fine.

She was more disappointed than she was willing to admit; that she didn't have a message from the one person she both desperately wanted yet loathed to hear from.

"Alright, so what did you have planned?" Phoenix asked. "Well I was originally thinking we could go outside and barbecue but Jinhai forbid it," Chloe said.

"Why?" Phoenix asked. "He's worried about snipers," Chloe answered. 'Oh,' Phoenix thought.

"Do you think your restaurant can cater?" Chloe asked. "Sure," Phoenix answered.

Phoenix actually knew that her restaurant was busy tomorrow as they were going to cater several parties. She also knew her parents weren't home tomorrow, so she was going to cook herself.

"What else?" Phoenix asked. "We need to get decorations, drinks, and I wanted to get you and Evelyn a new outfit for tomorrow," Chloe counted off her fingers excitedly.

"That's really not necessary," Phoenix said. "Please, Evelyn left a lot of her clothes and she should get new ones," Chloe said.

"If it wasn't for her injury I'd take her clothes shopping on Sunday just so that she could get a whole new wardrobe," Chloe said.

"That is true," Phoenix said. Phoenix and Chloe often went shopping together. Evelyn was never one to be big on shopping like they were. Since Phoenix was an only child, she didn't have any sisters to shop with. But Chloe was like a sister to her. She counted herself beyond fortunate to have met Evelyn.

"She needs new shoes. She only brought like four pairs," Phoenix mentioned. "Yes!" Chloe said excitedly.

They finished breakfast then headed out to go shop for decorations and things they needed for the party. They dropped the food off at Phoenix's restaurant and then went to shop for outfits.

They found the perfect ones and dropped everything off at Phoenix and Evelyn's apartment.

Chloe got a call from her father and she took it with Phoenix standing right next to her.

"Ba," Chloe answered. Phoenix went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"Sure, I'm going to bring Phoenix with me," Chloe said into her phone. Phoenix took a sip of water then shot Chloe a questioning glance. She hung up before she answered Phoenix.

"We're throwing a welcome party for Lady An tonight. You're going to come with us," Chloe announced.

Phoenix was feeling much better so she agreed. She went to change into a pair of comfortable jeans and a form fitting crew neck shirt.

Driver Chung was going to be sent to pick them up for dinner. Around 6:30 they were both downstairs and sitting in the car.

Phoenix was surprised to receive a call from Deming. It's not that they didn't have that kind of relationship. When she was thirteen he named her his goddaughter. It was obvious that the bond between Phoenix and Evelyn were deep.

"Godfather," she answered. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She glanced up into the rear view mirror to meet Driver Chung's eyes. He quickly looked away.

"I'm fine, what's going on?" Phoenix asked.

"Are you in the car with Chloe and Chung?" Deming asked. "Yes," Phoenix answered.

"Okay put me on speaker," he said. She pressed the button. "You're on speaker," Phoenix said holding the phone in front of her.

"Chloe, Chung, can you hear me?" Deming asked. "Yes," they both answered.

"There's been a new development. Evelyn received an email about half an hour ago. In it was a video of Shawn confessing to giving Evelyn an abortion pill last year. It's believed that that is what caused the miscarriage," he said.

"What!?" Phoenix yelled. She gripped her phone tightly. Chloe's face portrayed shock. Driver Chung's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the whites of his hands could be seen.

He quickly relayed what had transpired after Evelyn watched the video.

"She's letting him off easy," Phoenix responded. "I don't think that's going to be the end of it. I've never seen her so angry. She was so cold. I'm worried about her," Deming said.

Phoenix thought back to the day Evelyn rescued her from her tormentors. She never forgot Evelyn's eyes in that moment. Phoenix remembered that the months after that every single girl that had taken part that day met some kind of retribution.

"She'll be okay," Phoenix said. "I hope so," Deming said.

"I'll see you all soon," he said then hung up.

"I can't believe Shawn would do such a thing," Chloe said. "Me neither," Phoenix answered honestly.

"She's going through so much right now. She just had another miscarriage, she's going through a divorce, now this?" Chloe said. Chloe's voice choked up. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Phoenix asked her. "Because I feel so bad for Evelyn. She's been through so much. Why can't she catch a break?!" Chloe said. Phoenix wrapped an arm around Chloe.

Phoenix thought the same thing. "She's always doing so much for me despite anything that she goes through. And yet I can't do anything to help her," Chloe began to sob.

"Ms. Wei," Driver Chung said softly yet firmly from the front seat. "Evelyn loves you. She feels the need to be the big sister and to protect you. She doesn't ever want you to put yourself in a bad situation," he said.

"What does that have to do with everything that's happened and happening to her? I don't want these things to happen to her," Chloe said.

"It means the best thing for you to do for her is to stay safe and happy. It'll be one less thing for her to worry about," Driver Chung said.

"I'm not a child anymore!" Chloe said. "She wants to protect me and keep me out of harms way. But she doesn't have to protect me anymore. I'm an adult and can take care of myself," Chloe argued.

Phoenix patted her on the shoulder. "We will help her, but right now, she can't see you like this. You want to do something for her? Pull yourself together. We'll figure it out," Phoenix promised.

Chloe sniffled and dried her eyes. Driver Chung handed her a handkerchief. Soon they arrived at the Wei Manor. Based on all the cars in the front, they were the last ones to arrive.

Driver Chung opened the car door for them and escorted them to the door. A maid met them at the entrance and brought them to the living room where everyone was situated.

Evelyn sat on the couch with Jinhai next to her. Phoenix made a beeline toward her best friend and wrapped her in her arms.

Evelyn brought her arms up to return the hug. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "Of course I am," Phoenix replied. They pulled back and Phoenix offered a general greeting to the room.

It didn't escape her notice that Zain was sitting on an arm chair across from her. Their eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away.

"Thank you for throwing me this welcome party," Lady An said trying to lessen the tension in the room.

They spent the rest of the night enjoying themselves. Everyone chose to ignore the elephant in the room. Evelyn appeared determined to live in the present.

Everyone took their cues from her. They followed her lead. They ate when she began to eat and stopped when she did.

Jinhai, Zain, Evelyn, and Phoenix left the house around 10 o'clock in the evening.

The four of them piled into Jinhai's expensive car. Evelyn sat in the front with him and that naturally meant that Zain and Phoenix sat in the back together.

"Evelyn," Phoenix said hesitantly. "Yes?" Evelyn replied.

"Are you okay?" Phoenix asked. "I'm fine," Evelyn answered.

"I know you're not fine," Phoenix pressed. Evelyn sighed.

"You're right, I'm not fine. In the past three weeks, I've lost my third baby, my husband filed for divorce, I find out that he's been cheating on me, he moves into the house he and I stayed in with his dirty mistress, he had the media post that I was infertile, I get shot, I find out my two best friends kept the biggest secret on the planet from me, and today I find out that I didn't miscarry because I overworked myself but my husband killed my baby so that he could be with his mistress and lied to me just so he could keep an extra twelve percent of his shares!" Evelyn exclaimed turning around to look Phoenix in the eyes.

"So no, I am not okay. I need a minute and I don't need people to hover over me while I get myself together, okay?" Evelyn asked. "Okay," Phoenix said quietly as Evelyn turned back around.

Evelyn rarely lost her temper and Phoenix understood that Evelyn was under a lot of pressure. But that didn't stop her words from hurting.

The idea that Evelyn included her in the list of things that was a problem hurt. She never meant to keep things from Evelyn but there was never a right time.

Phoenix has felt particularly vulnerable since yesterday and couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes. She felt Zain reach a hand over and placed it over hers.

Her hands shook and she bit her lip hard to keep from crying out loud. A tear streamed down her face that Zain gently brushed aside. Phoenix flinched but didn't make a move to brush him off.

The rest of the car ride was quiet as Jinhai pulled into the parking lot and parked next to Phoenix's car.

By that time Phoenix had gathered herself and exited the car with them. She saw them to the elevator before she announced that she wouldn't be joining them. The elevator door opened and the other three got on.

"You guys go ahead, I have something to take care of," Phoenix didn't wait for a response as she turned. But she heard Zain's voice as she turned to leave.

"Evelyn, I know you're going through a rough time. But she's only trying to help. There wasn't a need to lash out at her. She didn't tell you because she didn't want it to affect your relationship with me." That was all Phoenix heard before she exited the door.

She made it to her car before she began to sob against the steering wheel.