Worse birthday

Mei closed her eyes again, as she recalled what happened in her life on her 18th birthday.

21st June midnight:

That day was Mei's birthday. She was so excited she couldn't even close her eyes. She can finally start working.

Being a designer has always been her dream. She even finished her studies on it.

Mei was inside her room, the same room she had when she was 14. She didn't change house because her aunt and uncle didn't have any other place to stay. They had been staying over with her family it's been years. They were no less than a happy family.

Mei's room was the second biggest after her parents. It was painted in blue, her favourite colour. It also had a lot of butterfly decorations on the walls. She had also written down her best friends' names on it.

Her bed's cover was violet, with two pillows that were heart forms.

Mei laid on her bed as she took her phone from the charger on her night table beside her bed. She started texting her best friend, Feng hai*

(* Feng Hai means wind sea in Chinese)

-It's my birthday! (Mei)

- Happy birthday Mei! I hope you have a very good new year until you turn 20! (Feng hai)

- Thanks. (Mei)

- I wish I was there to celebrate with you. It sucks I'm studying overseas :/ (Feng hai)

- Don't worry! Let's wait until you come back next year :) (Mei)

- Go to bed. It's getting late. (Feng hai)

- Yes yes, you sleep early too. Goodnight (Mei)

- Sweet dreams. (Feng hai)

Around 2 am, Mei finally put her phone down to go to bed. She put on her blanket since at night it was slightly cold in her bedroom and she liked keeping her window open.

It was almost down. The darkness was slowly fading. And the moon took a turn and let the sunrise again.

Some hours later, a ray of the sun came on Mei's face causing her to turn around.

Someone opened the door, it was her cousin, Xiuying*.

*brave and beautiful in Chinese.

She had red hair with a pair of red eyes. She came in front of Mei and started shaking her as she bent down.

"Wake up, princess! It's your birthdayyyyy!" She screamed near Mei's ear causing Mei to jump up from her sleep.

"You're so mean, Xiuying! Let me sleep some more," the birthday girl whined.

"Stop whining and get up. We have to go out shopping." Xiuying said pulling Li Mei An up from her bed.

"Ok ok, lemme wash up then." The dark violet-haired girl said as she got up and went to the washroom to wash up.

Meanwhile, her cousin was searching for something...

"What are you doing?" A voice came from behind. It was Mei An.

"N-nothing," she said a bit panicked. She had a little sweat running down her face. "I-I'm searching for the necklace I gave you last time for the party. I wanted to wear it.. so that's what I'm searching for."

"Why do you look so scared? I won't eat you if you ask me to give it back, jeez" Mei walked towards her wardrobe and opened the door to the right where there was a box. She opened it, it was full of pieces of jewelry. She took out an emerald green pearl necklace. She gave it to her cousin

"Here, here. Satisfied?" Mei asked tilting her head on the side a bit.

"Yes. Thanks" her cousin smiled forcefully.

Mei An went to take a shower then changed herself into a nice dress. It was a violet one. The decoration on it was pretty simple. There was only one ruby pearl on the center of a ribbon placed between her chest. She also wore the bracelet her mother left before dying; her favourite. She was going downstairs to see how everyone was doing as she heard someone talking in the next room. It's her uncle's voice, deep and soft. But strangely, it was cold and heartless, a voice Mei had never heard before.

"We need to find it as soon as possible." Her uncle spoke frustrated.

"Indeed. That idiot won't even know what she lost since she's so stupid" a giggle came out as these words were spoken. The one talking was her cousin, Li Jin, Li Xiuying's older brother. Mei An looked up to him as her older brother who she loved for years now. She was shocked as she heard him talking that way. The gentle cousin she admired is nowhere to be seen right now.

"Mei Li An. That girl is quite foolish," he chuckled saying those words as his bright yellow eyes were darkening. "She didn't even doubt that her brother left because we tamed her dumb parents!"

The young woman ran away hearing that. Teardrops fell from her eyes.

'This can't be happening. They are my family. They can't do this to me!'

The fresh weather slowly started to darken. The bright blue sky got covered with grey clouds. It started raining but Mei could care less.

The storm going on inside her heart was way worse than simple rain.

She tripped on the ground losing her balance and fell on the surface of the gravel causing her leg and hands to get scratched.

She was bleeding a lot but she didn't care. She crawled up in a ball, hugging her knees and crying until she saw someone's feet coming towards her. It stopped right before so she lifted her head to see who, but her eyes were too blurry from tears.

"What's wrong, woman? Do you want to die?" A deep voice asked yet with coldness filled into it.