Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“I’m okay. My head hurts, but I’m fine. I’m really okay. Just cuts and bruises.” TangShi pushed his face back so she could look at him, tracing her fingers across his sharp jawline and wiping his wet cheeks with her thumb. Adoration overwhelming her and the wounds between them of the last weeks seeping away like dust on the wind.

He furrowed his brow at her, scrunching up his face as he scanned hers and traced out the grazes and bruises on his skin, hating the bastard Rong Cai with a passion for hurting her. Seething inside but he kept himself together to be strong for her. She looked so vulnerable and pale that he thought his chest might explode with the agony of seeing her so fragile.

“Tang….. They told me Rong Cai is in critical condition. He might not make it. He drove headfirst into a truck. The driver of the arctic walked away with minor injuries but Rong is messed up. Really messed up.”

“He might die?” TangShi blinked at his statement, not sure how to feel except numb and somehow heavy, taking a minute to really process it. Her mind laying out the very real truth that the man’s life might ebb away because of the choices he made today and yet no guilt or heartache came to her. That ingrained automatic self-blame, failed to initiate. For once, her own self-preservation meant more.

“They cut him out of his car and sent him to another hospital for immediate surgery. If he lives, he’ll be detained and held in prison until this goes to trial.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Am I evil for hoping he doesn’t make it? Am I a bad person?” TangShi uttered the words robotically, her stomach bubbling up as she tried to repress her anger and hatred for him but she couldn’t hold it down. A venomous desire to have him wiped out of her mind for all eternity taking over. “I don’t want him overshadowing my life anymore. I don’t want to live in fear that he might get out.”

“No. Because I hope he dies too. For everything he’s done, he should rot in hell. And I don’t even feel bad for saying it. If I have my way, he’ll never see the light of day again.” YuZhi straightened up, composing himself and wiping his face as a colder expression moved in. An anger for that sadist fuck and what he’d done to his beautiful girl. “The police are downstairs and will need to take statements. If he lives, we’ll put him away for a long time. Don’t you worry. He can’t get out of it this time. I won’t ever let him get near you again.” YuZhi meant it. After this she’d be lucky to get ten seconds of alone time a day without guards, drivers, and YuZhi protecting her. He would never leave her unshielded as long as he lived.

“There’s something you should know…. while he had us there……” TangShi scrunched up her face, trying to control the emotions of what to her was an insanely happy confession and YuZhi frowned. Scared of what she was about to say. Not sure he could hold himself together if she told him Rong had done something unspeakable to her while he held her prisoner. “He said he never touched me that night. Nothing sexual.”

“What?” he blinked in surprise, not expecting that at all.

“He was obsessed with keeping me pure because he thought he would marry me. He actually thought I was a virgin and got so angry over it. The baby is yours. We never had sex.” TangShi let it all out in whoosh of relief, a heavy burden lifting from her heart and soul and she reached out and touched YuZhi’s startled face. Soothed by his sudden young boy expression of wide eyes and poised lips as words died on them.

“He didn’t? It’s mine?” he answered her in a breathy exhale after a moments pause. Relief flooding him, his eyes misting over again and his insides unclenching the terror of thinking she had something awful to say. Lifting her hand to his face and pressing her palm to his cheek in sheer happiness.

“It’s ours. I’m sure of it. He was crazy, but he went mad when he thought you had gotten me pregnant. He wanted to get rid of it. He knew it couldn’t be his. He told me so.”

“I know I said it didn’t matter, and it wouldn’t have but ……” YuZhi broke down for the second time, crumbling against her as he scooped her up and hugged her tight, raw emotion pouring out and half squeezing her to death. Crying softly with her face cradled against his and thanking the powers above for giving him this one thing. Something he had told himself he would accept in time and get over, and now his heart was fit to bursting because it was his baby after all. This made everything okay.

“YuZhi, I want to see Linlin now. She saved us. I would still be there if she hadn’t helped me. She’s hurt because of me. I have to see her. The baby and I are fine because of her.”

“Tang, just rest a little longer and relax. Linlin is with ZhengLi and being cared for. You’ve been through a lot and Linlin is fine. She’s really okay. She’s on a saline bag and resting too.”

“Then take me to her and I’ll rest beside her. Please, YuZhi. I have to see her. I won’t relax until I do.”

YuZhi relented, knowing he could never deny her anything and waved to the nurse who was still nearby and cleaning up the trolley from dressings. Knowing he was being unreasonable expecting her to stay still and be good but all he wanted to do was wrap her up in cotton wool and pamper her.

“Can we wheel her to the other private room and have them together? I don’t want her to get out of bed.” YuZhi turned a stern look on TangShi as she made to protest and she simmered back down, knowing when to pick her fights. Her head was aching still; she was dizzy and her body was trembling and not a hundred percent capable of walking around.

“Ahh yes. I’ll go check if we can do that and make sure Miss. Choi’s treatments are done.” The nurse turned and walked off, leaving them alone and YuZhi interlaced his fingers with TangShi, staring at her intently. Leaning in close against the bed and sliding down into a seat he pulled up behind him.

“What?” TangShi nestled back down into her mattress, glad of being able to lay down while feeling so messed up. Hating to admit that he was right and she needed to stay in bed for the time being.

“I love you. Today scared me shitless. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t get away from him. If he had hurt you or taken you away from me and I couldn’t find you. I was losing my mind when we found Linlin’s car like that.”

“It’s over. Stop thinking like that.” TangShi turned on her side to stare at his face wishing she could wipe away the fatigue and stress lines that seemed to be etched on his face right now.

“Let’s get married right away. Soon as you recover. Not a big thing, or a PR planned event. Something small and meaningful and for us. To make this real. I don’t ever want to lose you.”

“That was out of the blue. We’re already married.” TangShi smiled at him, relaxing and yet touched by his words. Tiredness flooding her body and feeling like she had been running a marathon.

“Not really. I’ve been thinking about it since we got back together. I married you for all the wrong reasons, in a cold way, and our relationship became a scripted play. I don’t want to keep doing that. I’m marrying you for love, so we can be together and create a happy family. We don’t need the show and I don’t want one. I don’t need you in the public eye anymore. The certificate we signed was meaningless, but our wedding will be real and we can have a fresh start, the three of us.” YuZhi slid his free hand onto her belly and gently stroked it’s flatness with his thumb. Overcome with a warm internal happiness that made him choke up. Meaning every word.

“Miss. Choi, is waiting for you, Mr. Leng, Miss. Lei.” The nurse interrupted them, pulling their attention away from their discussion. Leading in another caretaker with her and they started to prep TangShi’s bed to move it while YuZhi stepped up and back but kept hold of her hand. Eyes on one another and smiling softly. TangShi agreeing to everything he just said.

“Let’s do that. What you said…. let’s start over and be happy. Rip up the papers and forget all the agreements of before. I want that more than anything.” TangShi’s eyes welled up and her heart expanded with love for him. Catching his eye as they smiled adoringly at one another and he squeezed her hand in his.

“Let’s get you well first. Some time out to recuperate and deal with all this mess. Once it’s all behind us, we’ll get married any way you want. No one can stop us. I’ll make you happy, Tang.”