Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“Take it easy, watch the step.” YuZhi slid his arms around TangShi and guided her down the steps from the back patio into the decorated garden. Carefully holding her weight and concentrating on getting her down safely.

“I’m pregnant, not disabled.” TangShi smiled at him wistfully, more in love with him every single day as he seemed to become more and more attentive to her needs and never failed to anticipate them. Taking his arm and obediently walking slowly down the steps into the sunshine, enjoying the gentle breeze on her skin of a pleasant day.

“Come on you two, I was starting to worry. You were an age!” Linlin appeared, smiling brightly but with a tern stone of an unimpressed mother hen. She was looking ethereal in white today, a flowy sheer gown over a mini dress that was much like TangShi’s, although tang’s wasn’t a short underlayer but a long flowy skirt. “With you being this close you can’t scare me by going AWOL. I need constant contact and updates. I get separation anxiety when I don’t see you with my own two eyes. Imagine if you went into labor and I wasn’t there!!” Linlin rubbed the expanse of TangShi’s bulging belly with affection and a hint of manic passiveness, and ZhengLi appeared behind her, sliding his arm around Linlin’s shoulder and kissing her on the temple. Grinning at her OTT attention to TangShi that never seemed to waver.

“I was at the bathroom.” TangShi pointed out, giggling at her best friend and used to this attitude. It was only getting worse with each passing week and she sometimes wondered if she was married to YuZhi or Linlin.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“So? I could have taken you. I am capable of tending to your womanly needs much better than the iffy stand in.” Linlin thumbed at YuZhi with an eyeroll as though he could never match up to her expertise in womanly needs.

“If she’s like this now, good luck when you do bring baby Leng into this world. You may have a custody battle on your hands.” ZhengLi laughed at the antics of his little woman, patting her on the head and earning himself a glare. Eternally amused with her and he swooped in to give her a peck on the lip, always incapable of passing her by without touch or kisses. He was as smitten now as the day he married her.

“Hurry up and impregnant her so I don’t have to waste time in court.” YuZhi smirked, poking ZhengLi in the chest. This running joke between them never amused Linlin as she couldn’t see what was so wrong in her caring about her very pregnant best friend.

“Dude, my family are only now coming around to the fact I married her. Give me time. Once I’m sure the hit is off my head then I can possibly wave the topic of grandkids near them. I’m lucky to be alive. You have no idea how ruthless they are. I’m still financially cut off.” ZhengLi pulled Linlin into an embrace from behind. Snuggling her in and eternally grateful that despite his families threats, he never gave her up. He had thought they were happy together when they dated but cohabiting with his wife had opened up levels of intimacy between them that changed his entire outlook on love and soul mates. Linlin was calmer, content, and her crazy insecure jealousy had abated once they were married. She was his kitten nowadays rather than his fierce wildcat. Well except between the sheets, where he fully encouraged that crazy side.

“I think that maybe had more to do with the fact you four ran off to warmer climates for a week and came back from shotgun weddings. No family invited, and not even close friends got a look in until you guys came back.” A smooth husky feminine voice cut in between them and they moved apart to let Rhea wander into their space. Welcoming her with smiles.

“You’re one to talk about shotgun weddings. What do you call this?” Linlin pointed out with a raised brow, waving her arms around the exquisitely decorated garden and the hundreds of guests milling around after the ceremony. It had been a long day of watching them take their vows before moving here for a garden party in a newly acquired mansion bought b Rhea’s tycoon billionaire husband.

“It’s hardly shotgun. Six months I’ve known him. You four were all wed much sooner than that.” Rhea smiled knowingly. Raising an accusing brow at YuZhi and reminding him of the fact he married TangShi the same day he officially met her. In YuZhi’s mind though, TangShi would always be the girl he fell in love with five years prior and his heart had held on for her.

“We’re just happy that you’re happy and Clint seems like a solid guy. He’s good for you. Plus he’s loaded so you could retire and swan around the world and never have to worry about finances.” Linlin pointed out with a smirk, always looking at the pros to everything.

“Who would have guessed I would fall for an American billionaire while living in London. Although he needs to hurry up and learn Mandarin because translating for him is exhausting. Thankfully most of my family have a good grasp of English so I can have a day off today. He’s really the one…. which I didn’t realize I hadn’t encountered until him.”

Rhea said it honestly, not worried about hurting YuZhi’s feelings because this was a conversation they had some months ago. That they realized they had always been friends and the romantic side was a messy codependence but not real love. That neither had known the true meaning of real love until they met their respective partners.

“Today has been beautiful, you look radiant. I am so happy for you.” TangShi walked forward and gave Rhea a real hug. Embracing her tight and loving her for the person TangShi had come to rely on as much as Linlin. Congratulating her on her day and glad their duties as her bridesmaids were over and they could all relax. Her feet were aching and her dress was a little constrictive given her fuller figure.

“I am happy. And I’m glad you insisted on still coming even though you are a week away from your due date. I hope you’re not too exhausted? I told you to sit it out and take it easy but it meant a lot to have my girls walk me down the aisle too.” Rhea beamed at them, her eyes misting over that on her happiest day, she was surrounded by her extended family whom she loved to death. All four of them.

“No. YuZhi takes good care of me and Aunt RuiZi has become the overprotective mother-in-law who gives him grief at every opportunity in case he isn’t pampering me well enough.”

“She can be like that.” Rhea smiled. Knowing only too well that once you won Aunt’s affection, you became one of her babies and she would smother you with her own kind of love. TangShi was the daughter in law she adored and was making amends for a rocky start and welcoming her fully into the Leng family, alongside grandfather.

“I think your husband is looking for you.” ZhengLi brought their attention up as he pointed out to the left, to the tall blonde-haired foreigner among the many dark-haired guests who looked lost. His head moving from side to side as he scanned the people in search of his bride.

“I better go save him. Before he attempts to speak Chinese badly. Enjoy the rest of the party. I’ll see you guys later.” Rhea leaned in, kissing TangShi on the cheek, rubbed her belly with a loving stroke and gave Linlin a cheek squeeze before leaving her two best friends to it.

In the last months the women had pulled together and become inseparable companions, especially after the fall out of Rong Cai and everything that happened at that time. His death hadn’t been a shock but it had caused emotional fallout, guilt, strange feelings that had left TangShi in a weird place for some weeks. Yet YuZhi had managed to conceal everything from the media so Master Cai could continue with his life and grieve his son without shame coming back at him. It never became public knowledge and with his death the police didn’t really need to follow up on much. None of them blamed Master Cai for what happened and he certainly didn’t blame TangShi. He had begged for forgiveness and broke his heart over the actions of his only child.

“I’m starving. Too much champagne, not enough food.” Linlin was bored of this glitzy classy affair. It was all classical music, glittery gowns, and finger foods. The kind of events she had avoided growing up as she always felt out of place and TangShi couldn’t agree more. Formal and boring was not their thing.

Even though her life had a lot of this nowadays, she preferred when the four of them went somewhere normal, to hang out and eat, and enjoy one another’s company. Something they did frequently.

“How about we stick it out another half hour, do a walk around and then we go find a hotpot restaurant?” Linlin suggested brightly. Her stomach gurgling because she had avoided food so as not to pop her dress with a food baby.

“You and hotpot, I swear that better not be your craving food when I do get you pregnant. I’ve eaten so much of it this past few months I can taste it every time I hear the word. It’s almost a trauma response.” ZhengLi joked, poking her in the top of her head in jest.

“Shut up. It’s my comfort food. And if it is my craving, I’ll expect you to go at all hours to fetch it for me…. without complaint!!!” Linlin berated him, throwing him a sassy and narrowed stare as though to challenge his refusal.

“You know I’ll never say no, Linnyboo. Even if I require therapy to get through it. I promise to do the three am hotpot searches for you, even in snow.” He winked at her then hooked her arm in his and pulled her with him to go look at the buffet tables for something to satisfy her hunger. “I’m taking the beast to get fed. We’ll be back soon.” He waved flippantly to YuZhi and TangShi as they departed, continuing his hotpot squabble with his wife as they wandered off.

“Grandfather still didn’t come.” TangShi glanced around them once more, saddened that he had still not put his prejudice aside for Rhea’s family and avoided this happy occasion even though aunt had come. Wishing they could all let the past go and be one happy family.

“I understand him. Besides, Rhea seems happy and she didn’t mention him, so I think all is good. They were never close and I guess he’s content that I married you.” YuZhi guided TangShi to the nearest seat and helped her sit down with ease. Her feet aching from standing too long and fatigue washing in with carrying around this huge bump all day every day. Pregnancy was exhausting and as excited as she was to finally meet their baby, she was also fed up with waiting.

“I’m beat. I don’t think I can handle a hotpot pitstop. I want a bubble bath and a flat comfy place to lay down. Some quiet and cuddles.” She sighed heavily, hating that she was flaking on this day but she couldn’t help it. Her body could only handle so much.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you home. You should be taking it easy right now. We only have a few days before you give birth. I told you we would leave right after the vows.”

“I wanted to be here. God knows when I can do something like this again. We’ll have little baby Lu Li and sleepless nights to contend with. She is going to be an utter princess thanks to her daddy’s need to spoil his women.” TangShi sulked, not really minding sacrificing this kind of life and social activities for a while, but not looking forward to the night feeds and exhaustion she had been warned about. Finding out they were having a girl had healed so many wounds for her, and she couldn’t wait to hold her daughter and start her motherhood journey.

“Does it bother you that your father won’t be involved? That he won’t be here for the birth?” YuZhi still regretted this development in the past months. The business collaboration between Leng and Lei broke down dramatically when it surfaced that Lei Enterprises was running in a red deficit and completely bankrupt. Creditors, contracts and business alliances broke down when it was brought to light and many took legal action to recover losses. Mr Lei took his wife and daughter and fled the country before the debtors came knocking and left Leng group with a huge mess to clear up as the public partners and marriage connected allies. Thankfully Leng Group had deep pockets and great lawyers and got by with minimal disruption or loss and fully separated themselves from the fallout. As newly appointed full CEO, it was YuZhi’s first crisis and he handled it like a pro. It had been a couple of months and there was no sign of them ever coming back to China to face what they left behind.

“No. he was never a father. They were never my mother and sister and I feel free knowing they have nothing to do with my life anymore. Like a weight has lifted. After everything, I feel like Karma did what he deserved and it’s not my problem. Having grandfather tell me stories and find pictures and videos of my mother has made me feel like I always had her, and she’s the only family worth remembering. I don’t need them nor do I care where they are.”

“You know, you’re a lot stronger than you were. You no longer let people push you around or hold you down.” YuZhi pointed out to her, sitting beside her and scooping her hand into his. Savoring her touch like he always did and proud to be married to this beautiful woman.

“I’m going to be a mother. I can’t have anyone messing with our baby so I have to learn to stand on my own two feet. Linlin has instilled some mama bear into me.” She smiled softly. Knowing herself these past months had made her grow up a lot.

TangShi had slowly started to build her reputation again as an artist. Painting had become her therapy once the death of that monster began to fade in her memories and she was hosting her first solo gallery was scheduled in the next year. YuZhi had delayed the date to allow her time to give birth and recover, although she painted daily from the studio in their new home.

He had moved them from his apartment to a stand-alone mini mansion near the Leng manor, where she had a studio and garden to create all day long. It meant they could eat regularly with the Leng family, who now adored and cared for her as though she was always their daughter. Old grievances forgotten and Xiaosu moved into TangShi’s new home as her constant carer with her new fiancée, who was TangShi’s bodyguard and driver, always at her side.

Life had become calm and simple and it felt like all obstacles and hurt form the past had floated away on the wind. Sometimes she caught herself daydreaming and lost in thought that this was all a fairytale and not true reality at all. Only to pinch herself awake and find that it wasn’t. Her life was happy and full and perfect and would only continue to be so as their family grew. She used to believe fate had a grudge against her, but now she was satisfied that Destiny had brought her on a rocky road to appreciate where she would end up.

You had to weather the storms, battle the rolling seas, and come close to near death to savor finding a safe haven of tranquility that could harbor you for the rest of your days. A rainbow always follows the rain.

The End.

Thank you for reading along with me. I hope you check out my other books.