The Unfilial Daughter - Chapter 13

While some fought with all their might to earn a place in the concrete jungle of the business world, she found contentment inside her green-filled nursery, where only peace and beauty existed.

Carefully, placing new shipments of potted orchids onto an empty shelf, an unknown smile graced her lovely face as she inhaled the aromatic fragrant that permeated the air.

Soft humming emitted from her curved lips until unexpectedly, someone grabbed her from behind, causing her to scream out in fear, disturbing the serenity that had existed only moments ago. But Karena's panicking heart soon eased when she recognized the familiar laughter and scent of her boyfriend, Ekin.

"I..I..told you not..not to do that any..anymore," she protested, smacking his arm lightly but couldn't suppress the happiness that arose from her boyfriend's presence.

"Sorry sweetheart, I just wanted to give you a surprise," he smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"You should..shouldn't come here. Wh..What if Ed saw you." Her brother was protective and distrusted anyone that came too close to her but she knew in the case of her boyfriend such worries were uncalled for.

Yet, how would she convince her younger brother of that?

Turning away hurtfully, he said, "and what if he does? Are you ashamed of me?"

"It's not..not that, he's just pro..protective of me," she defended, feeling helpless, torn between the two men that she loved.

"I know what your family thinks. They think I'm after you only for your money," he stated angrily.

"Just..as..as long as I know it's not..not true," she said, hugging her boyfriend from behind.

Softening, he turned to face her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Let's close up early, we can have dinner and go to a movie."

She shook her head, regretfully. "I..I can't. Have to..to eat at home to..tonight, my sister-in-law is going to pick me up later."

"I understand," he said looking downwards.

Pondering for words to comfort him, her eyes landed on a pot of dirt nearby. Mischievously, she grabbed a handful of dirt and wiped it on his handsome face. When he realized what was happening she had already retreated to the door, leading to the open yard. Wasting no time, he was immediately on her trail.

Laughing and giggly, she successfully avoided his grasp a few times but finally submitted into his strong arms when there was no escape. Taking her along with him as he spun his body, her face was met the gusting wind while her heart filled with bliss.

Despite being together for a year already, it still seemed surreal that she was the object of his affections.

At times, it really felt too good to be true.

And perhaps it was.

Only time could tell.

*

When Gillian and Karena arrived back at the Chen home at night, her husband and in-laws were nowhere to be seen.

Her sister-in-law suggested passing the time looking through some old photo albums in her room while waiting for the others to return. But when they reached the bottom of the staircase that lead to the second floor, a maid rushed out from the back asking her sister-in-law to settle a matter in the kitchen.

Agreeing to meet upstairs, Gillian followed the staircase and wandered down the hallway until loud voices from the den caught her attention. She identified the angry voices of her husband and father-in-law immediately. Having witnessed their disagreements on numerous occasions, she was not surprised by yet another argument but the topic this time kept her two feet grounded on the floor.

"How could you make such a careless oversight? Do you know it could have given our competitors a chance to attack us?" her father-in-law's voice taunted through the heavy wood door.

Then in a low and emotionless tone, her husband's voice was heard. "I will be more careful from now on."

"Will you? Do you think you can really handle Chen Corporation and Chung Enterprises at the same time? I want you to withdraw from Chung Enterprises tomorrow. I am not allowing you to continue this madness any longer."

"I can't do that."

"How dare you defy me? It's about that wife of yours, isn't it? Haven't you learned your lesson yet? Remember Amanda?"

Several seconds of silence passed before her father-in-law continued, "she left as soon as I offered her money, not much, just a million dollars," continuing in a more menacing tone, "I will not allow you to tarnish the Chen name. You will do as I say. Withdraw from Chung Enterprises tomorrow."

Her father-in-law had paid a girl to leave her husband?

"No," she detected anger arising in her husband's tone. "If you are dissatisfied with me, you can kick me out of Chen Corporation but I am not going to withdraw from Chung Enterprises."

Several heavy shuffling footsteps later, the door burst opened, revealing the cold charming features of her husband.

Stunned by his sudden appearance, she could only stand numbly as the distance between them decreased.

"We're leaving," he said, pulling her away by the wrist.

*

Sitting at a small table near a secluded corner of the bar, Nicholas slowly sipped the large mug of beer in his hand as his eyes rested on a male figure far away.

The man was drinking his sorrows away; it had been that way for the last few months. The liquor may have eased his pain temporarily but could not cure his wounds. Each day the man would arrive minutes after the bar opened and drank mindlessly until the bar employee's threw him out at closing time. Stumbling clumsily, the man made his way home, only to repeat the process again.

It was indeed a heart wrenching sight.

Man was by nature governed by emotions. He was no different himself. Despite his persistence, Charlene still refused to see him. Perhaps, that was just punishment for all that he had done; or actually not done.

He had never really allowed her into his heart.

They both studied in the same college but different subjects. He had seen her around campus on numerous occasions, but she was too preoccupied in her rose-tinted world to notice.

His lips curved into an unknown smile, as he recalled all the silly stunts he pulled to get her attention; using different computer accounts of friends to chat online with her to conceal his identity merely for fun. Then there was the night, he finally revealed his identity and they chatted until early morning in his car. He could never forget how much she reminded him of his deceased mother, so pure and innocent.

Both were simple creatures that unwaveringly believed in the mysterious powers of love, both entrusted their love to the wrong man.

At the time, Charlene was already in a steady relationship, while he was hopping from girl to girl. But after several months of continuing their friendship, her relationship with her boyfriend had dissolved, which inadvertently brought them closer. While they never officially dated, they did everything normal couples did, but only for two weeks. After two weeks, he had pulled out of their relationship and broken her heart in the process.

Reason being, he had never believed in the existence of love.

If love did exist, why had his mother endured so much pain? Why was he without a father for the first five years of his life?

Deliberately avoiding the seaport, the location she had promised to wait for him until he changed his mind about them. Eventually he did go but it was already too late. She had left.

For years, he told himself that it had been for the best that she stopped waiting and pushed away the possibility of having fallen in love with her until the moment he saw her in the arms of another man, her husband, a man that despised for more reasons than one.

He strongly believed that fate had reunited them for a purpose and this time he would make appends for his past.

His thoughts returned to the present when the man he was studying before argued loudly with another man. No doubt, another brawl between drunkards.

One day, he would approach the man, offering him a chance to avenge his sorrows.

But not today.