Chapter Four
His senses tingled with unease as a violent earthquake rippled through the air, sending shivers down his spine. The hairs on his arms stood on point, a basic instinct alerting him to oncoming anguish. A knot grew in his stomach, and an unexplained sense of doom fell over him like a heavy veil.
His heart raced frantically against his ribs as he tried to make sense of the situation. The sound of a male voice, mixed with Zhu's laughter, heightened his developing anxiety, sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins.
With trembling hands, Wei fumbled for the spare key to Zhu's apartment, his fingers closing around it like a lifeline. He clasped the jewel box he had bought for her securely in his pocket, its weight a soothing touch against his skin.
As he pulled the door open, his eyes met Zhu's surprised face, which was a mix of concern and something else he couldn't pinpoint. "Baby! What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, her voice also tinged with worry, as she ran to stop him, blocking his way inside the flat.
His voice was laced with disbelief as he confronted her, "I could also ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?" his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Her uneasy laughing irritated his senses, and her words did nothing to relieve the knot of fear that had tightened in his chest. "This is my flat. I live here," she answered faintly, but Wei's eyes lingered on her, a flash of doubt on his face.
He pushed past her with a gentle but firm shove, his determination unyielding as he surged ahead, driven by a desperate desire to discover the truth.
"Where are you going, Wei Wang? We can sit here!" Zhu's voice rang out behind him, sharp and insistent, but Wei paid her no heed as he strode purposefully into the bedroom.
His heart fell as he saw the blankets tangled in disarray, a silent tribute to the chaos that had occurred in his absence. He knew he'd heard a man's voice, and the evidence before him just confirmed his worst suspicions.
With fear gnawing at his insides, he surveyed the room, his gaze settling on the slightly ajar bathroom door. Without hesitation, he went forward, his fingers quivering as he pushed it open.
"Mr. Chen?" he uttered in disbelief, his voice barely above a whisper. The man standing before him, clad only in boxers, was none other than his finance manager.
The realization slammed him like a sledgehammer in the chest. His fiancée, the woman he loved and trusted, was cheating on him - with his employee.
"How long has this gone on?" His voice trembled with rage and betrayal, his gaze flitting between Zhu and Mr. Chen, looking for answers.
"I can explain..." She began, but before she could continue, The man interjected, his words cutting through the air like a knife. "Five years," he confessed, his tone devoid of remorse.
"Five years?" The words hung in the air, bringing a heavy silence to the room as the weight of the truth fell on Wei like a smothering blanket.
He had only known her for two years. Wei could not help but feel profound regret. His parents had warned him, his sister had questioned her motives, and now, confronted with the stark reality of his fiancée's betrayal, he couldn't help but feel a sense of humiliation. They had been correct all along, and he had been ignorant of the fact.
'But then… wait a minute.' He felt a rush of sickness sweep over him, a horrible realization that he had been duped for far longer than he could have predicted.
"Five years?" Wei repeated, his voice hollow with incredulity. The words lingered heavily in the air, damning proof of the lying that had taken place right beneath his nose.
As the truth dawned on Wei, his thoughts raced with bewilderment. If she had been in a relationship with Mr. Chen for five years, she had technically cheated on him with Wei. It was a cruel realization that wrenched his stomach with an unsettling feeling of irony.
"Explain!" he screamed, his voice rising with rage and hurt. He could feel himself unraveling, his emotions racing out of control as the immensity of the deception washed over him.
"Wei, calm down," Zhu pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation as she reached out to him. But Wei recoiled from her touch, his eyes filled with a cold disdain as he turned to face her fully.
"She was with me until... until..." Mr. Chen's voice trailed off, his gaze shifting uncomfortably under Wei's scrutinizing stare. But the words hung between them.
"Until you sent her to dupe me." Wei finished his sentence, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm. When neither Zhu nor Mr. Chen denied it, he let forth a hollow laugh that echoed with deadly irony.
"You know the company's finances so well, yet you couldn't do it yourself. So you sent her," Wei accused, his tone dripping with contempt. "How much have you stolen so far?" he demanded, his voice seething with anger.
Tears welled in Zhu's eyes, but Wei remained unmoved by her distress. His hard and cruel glare pierced into her as he confronted the enormity of their deception.
"Is your father aware of this? Of him? Is he even your father?" Wei's questions cut through the air like a knife, his words laced with disbelief.
"Yes, he is my father. Wei, please don't tell him. He'll kill me!" Zhu pleaded, her voice trembling with fear.
"Oh, if he doesn't, I bet I will!" Wei roared, his rage boiling over as Zhu fell to her knees. Mr. Chen moved to assist her, but the icy glare Wei leveled at him froze him in his tracks, his hand halting mid-air.
"This is one of your jokes, correct?" Wei's voice trembled with incredulity, and the words he said were more of a desperate appeal for reassurance than a legitimate question. Nothing could explain the deceit unfolding in front of him, the broken shards of his trust scattered at his feet. He was certain he had given her everything.
Zhu's attempt to calm him fell on deaf ears, her words sounding empty against the backdrop of his outrage. "Wei, calm down. It's not as bad as you think," she argued, her voice filled with desperation.
"Oh really?" Wei's tone was laced with scorn as he reached for his phone, his fingers trembling with fury. "You can explain it to the lawyers."
"Did our two years together not mean anything to you?" Zhu's voice rose in a desperate plea, her words echoing off the walls of the bathroom as she rose from the floor. Her eyes widened in surprise, her face a mix of fear and confusion.
Wei couldn't help but question if anything was simply wrong with her or if her behaviors were motivated by a lack of empathy or understanding.
"We are about to get married!" she reminded him, her words dripping with desperation as she grasped at the last vestiges of their relationship. But Wei remained unmoved, his disgust evident in the coldness of his gaze.
"You disgust me!" he spat, his voice thick with contempt.