Eighteen

Bing was too shocked to say a word and she just continued to stare at Natzin, there was no doubt in her mind that she was the one. Sure she looked older and more self assured but she was still the same beautiful Natzin whom she erroneously believed dead.

She wanted to reach out and touch her, to be sure that she was not just an apparition there to haunt her, a figment of her imagination. But the mocking smile told her that this was no ghost and if she was a ghost Mrs Evans would not be seeing her too right? That meant that nurse at the hospital had lied to her, the bitch!

"So, my friend. What is it to be? Should she call the police? I think they would be very interested in this situation." Natzin tipped her head to the side and stared at Bing who clenched and unclenched her fists.

"Don't worry Mrs Evans, I can take it from here." Bing said in a strained voice.

The head teacher looked uncertainly from Natzin's calm face to Bing's pinched face and whispered.

"Are you sure Ms Ran Bing, I think it's better if we called the police to deal with this."

"Yes Ran Bing, I think it would be better if we invited the police to deal with this issue." Natzin jeered, confident in the knowledge that there was no way that her former friend would allow the police come here.

"I said I can deal with this! Leave!" Bing gritted her teeth and Mrs Evans eyes widened and she took a hesitant step back before glancing at Natzin and then leaving the two women alone.

"What are you doing here?" Bing demanded and Natzin pouted dramatically.

"Why do I get the sense that you are not glad to see me best friend after all this time." She said sulkily. "I came all this way from the dead just to see you and this is the welcome that I get?"

Bing cleared her throat and jutted out her chin stubbornly, "What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"You aren't that good an actress, which makes me wonder why I did not catch up on your antics sooner than I did. I must have been really stupid." Natzin chuckled ironically and shrugged.

"Anyway, you know why I am here and I have come to collect."

"You will never take my daughter away from me." Bing swore and Natzin stiffened, all semblance of calmness gone in an instant.

She stood up abruptly and went near Bing, "What. Did. You. Just. Say?" She asked, her voice deadly in its softness.

"Did you just call her your daughter you leech. Have you forgotten how you stole my newborn from my side and placed a death warrant on me?" She said, her voice hoarse while her red eyes revealed the depth of emotion she was feeling.

"She does not know you, I am the one she calls mother. Her birth certificate is in my name, I have fed her and nursed her all by myself I am all she knows—" Bing cried passionately.

"Only because you stole her from my arms!" Natzin interrupted, her voice shaking.

What she really wanted was to put her hands around Bing and choke her until she could no longer breathe. Of all the things that Bing had done to her, the most unforgivable was the fact that she had stolen her baby. For that, Natzin swore to ensure that Bing faced a punishment so severe that she would wish for death.

"In the eyes of the law she is mine and I will fight for her." Bing refused to back down.

"Then prepare because I am bringing with me the wrath of a scorned woman, a deprived mother. I will be your waking nightmare." Natzin said and walked off.

Bing watched as her former friend walked towards a black Bentley, as she approached the car a mountain like man came out and held the door open for her before he got in then they zoomed past.

When they were gone, Bing fell to her knees in the sandy playground and let tears run down her cheeks. She had been living a happy life, she was almost content and satisfied and now Natzin appeared out of nowhere and seemed ready to haunt her. She would have to do something quickly.

*

When Jie got back home later that evening he was met by the butler.

"Where is mother?" He asked.

"Mrs Cheng is in the dining room for entertaining guests." He said.

Jie quickly went in that direction and saw his mother elegantly dressed in a cheongsam with jade earrings and a matching bracelet standing and directing the maids with military precision as they placed cutlery and arranged the table for the guests who would be arriving shortly.

He had to warn his mother about who was coming to the house. He had gotten home too late the previous night to speak to her and left early before she got out of bed, he did not want Natzin's appearance to be a rude shock to her.

"Oh my son." Mrs Cheng said with a bright smile when she noticed Jie. "Come come come." She said and hugged him.

"Are you just coming back home?"

"Yes I am, I need to tell you something mother."

"Of course but you have to go and get changed into something nice, our guests will be arriving very soon." She said and attempted to push him out.

"This is important, I have to speak to you at once." He dug his feet and refused to leave.

Mrs Cheng looked away from him distractedly, "of course you can speak to me but can't it wait until after the dinner?" She asked and adjusted the centerpiece.

"No, this can't wait, I have to tell you that the investors are—"

"Madam, you need to come right now. There is an emergency in the kitchen." The butler exclaimed urgently after he poked his head in.

With a huff of annoyance Mrs Cheng quicklyfollowed the butler to the kitchen while Jie groaned in frustration. A glanced at his wristwatch told him that he had very little time to get dressed so he gave up trying to tell his mother and instead went up to his room.

Mrs Cheng was finally able to deal with the kitchen emergency which had been the duck almost burning. She went around to ensure that the table was set properly with their most dainty china then she checked the bottles of champagne which were resting on ice.

After she went to her room to quickly touch up and spritz some perfume to get rid of the smell of cooking food then she walked down the stairs and went into the drawing room where she saw that her husband and some of the other members of the family were waiting and she noticed that Jie was not there.

Before she could send for him the door opened and the butler announced.

"Mr and Mrs Xhi."

Everyone looked expectantly at the door with eager smiles which became crooked and unnatural when they saw who their guests were.

"Natzin, you?" Mrs Cheng whispered in utter shock.