Ella sat next to Andrew’s coffin a few days after the incident.
When Amy heard of the news she cried and cursed Ella for coming into their lives.
“If you hadn’t shown up in his life, this will never happened to him. You are a cursed child! No wonder your parents left you!!” Amy shouted as she continuously slapped Ella.
And Ella took in the pain, because she came to conclusion that all of this was her fault. If she was never born, her father wouldn’t have never died.
Angela and Charlene were the same.
Angela refused to come out of her room for two whole days.
She didn’t eat for two whole days.
By the end of the two days, she ran out of tears.
Charlene kept to herself as well, with only Vic consulting her.
Ella stayed in her room back in Andrew’s house until the funeral ceremony.
She couldn’t return back to the Wu’s no matter how hard Mary and Mike begged her.
And Chun?
He just let her go knowing that he caused enough trouble.
---
It was a rainy Friday morning.
They were in the funeral home with Andrew lying in his coffin.
Ella didn’t leave her spot next to him.
Ella didn’t want everyone to know that Andrew died because of her, so she only invited relatives and maybe close friends.
Right before Andrew was going into the earth she promised him that she was going to treat and respect the Chen’s as her real parents.
---
“Mom,” Ella quietly said towards Li.
Her eyes shot open.
“Ella, what did you just call me?” Li asked.
“Mom.” she repeated. A smile grew upon Li’s face and she immediately hugged her. “Andrew gave me the house.” she said and gave her Andrew’s will.
Sure enough was his house was under Ella‘s name.
Ella was now in charge of the mansion that she once lived in.
“What about Amy? And Angela and Charlene?” Li asked. “Ella, they don’t deserve to live under your roof.”
“I want them to.” she whispered.
Li could see the yearning for her step family’s love. “But, they are going to move to America tomorrow.” Ella cried.
Ella lost everything.
The only person that loved her, died.
The only family she knew were moving without her.
And the love she had for her husband, slowly disappeared.
And Li saw that.
---
“Ella, come back home.” Mary begged after Ella sat by the window crying in her black outfit.
Ella quickly wiped the tears away.
“I have a home.” she said.
“Honey, I miss you. Your father (in law) misses you. Chun misses you. Come home, please?”
Ella forced a smile.
“I promised mom and dad that I’m going to stay at their place for a few days. Just to make sure I’m ok.”
“Ella--”
“Ma, if she doesn’t want to stay, don’t force her.” Chun interrupted.
Ella looked into those eyes she once knew, then quickly removed her eyes from his.
“Wu Chun! She’s your wife!”
Wife?
Ella forgot about the divorce papers.
“Not anymore.” Chun said.
‘Not anymore’?
What did that mean?
Did he sign the papers?”
“What are you talking about, Chun?” Mary asked.
“We want to get a divorce. It’s clearly visible to see that we are not meant for each other.” Chun said.
He looked straight at her.
“I’ll see you at eight in the morning at the court house to make our divorce legal.” Chun said and walked off.
“Chun--” Mary tried to stop him and walked out with him.
Ella just sat in her spot and continued crying.
---
She didn’t show up that morning.
Chun had been sitting in the court house waiting for two hours.
The urge of calling her up was so tempting.
Maybe she didn’t want to get a divorce.
Maybe she wanted him to have another chance.
Maybe she still loved him.
But no.
She did want the divorce.
She didn’t want to give him another chance.
But she still loved him.
Right?
---
“Hello?” Li answered the phone.
“Auntie? Is Ella home?” Chun asked after waiting another hour.
“She’s still asleep. She’d been crying all night. I just got her into bed a few hours ago. Why?”
Chun thought for a minuet.
He couldn’t do this to her now.
She was already vulnerable.
He didn’t want to make anything harder than it already was.
“May I visit her?” Chun finally asked.
There was silence on the other line of the phone. “she’s still asleep.” Li said.
Chun sadly sighed and was about to hang up when he heard her say-- “But, I’m sure if she’s asleep, it’ll be more safer that way.”
Chun hanged up the phone and made his way to the Chens.
---
Like at the hospital, he didn’t leave his spot next to her.
Ella woke up with the sun beaming in her eyes and found herself facing Chun.
She wasn’t sure were she was.
She quickly removed herself from the bed achingly, and started at him.
“Why are you still scared of me?” Chun simply asked avoiding her gaze.
When she realized that she missed her divorce appointment with Chun, she acted as if nothing happened.
“Do you really want this divorce?” Chun asked.
It took a while for Ella to answer truthfully. “Yes. And there‘s nothing in it for you anymore, Chun. Your father gave the company to my parents already.”
“Fine.” He simply said. “We’ll reschedule our appointment Monday morning. But be ready tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because you still owe me a date. I‘ll pick you up at 6. We have a lot to do before the night‘s over.”
30
