Reborn To Live Without You (and other stories)

In This Life, It Wasn't Meant To Be (final part)

"Xiao Lei and Xiao Lin," the hologram was set to continue, after Li Xingya was coaxed to sit down. The two youths glanced at it, but there was no care for the image of the man projected, simply greed and expectation. "I've raised you as my own these past twenty years and twenty two years. I may not have been the best father, too busy working and bringing in the money to see that I wasn't caring for you as much as I possibly should have. Still, you can't claim to have been neglected by me and I have ensured that your education is paid for until you graduate from university. But that is all I will do for you."

"What?" Xiao Lei questioned while his sister screamed;

"Is this for real?!"

"If you are doubting my words, don't bother," the hologram sneered, naturally not hearing their complaints, being a recording of the past. "You know perfectly well that I am not your father. Don't think just because you are in the privacy of your own bedrooms that others can't hear you talking! You should be blessed that I remained ignorant for so fucking long and thought you had as well. More fool me that I thought it would break your hearts if you learned the truth. But it seemed I worried too much. I apologise for being such an ugly fucker that you couldn't bear to acknowledge me as your legal father and would much rather be able to acknowledge your real father because at least he is good looking right?"

The youths simultaneously paled, turning almost as white as their mother had. Who knew that one simple conversation between them had literally stripped their pockets of gold and silver, leaving them lacking.

"What am I going to do about that post graduation course I wanted to do?" Xiao Lin complained, bitterly.

Once more Fa Xian felt compelled to speak up; if it were not for these white wolves, Jing Yi might have been able to know his father, instead of being kept ignorant and in the dark. He glanced at the boy that Fan Mei had felt necessary to bring with her, claiming that she did not feel it was safe, him being away from her side. Especially considering what was to come.

Fa Xian turned to speak to Li Xingya's offspring. "Fund the course yourself, after all, Shao Chen had to suffer and do so!" He glared at that child's father, Shao Bao, who would rather spend the money he had 'earned' working in Shao Fen's companies on his mistress and his affair than on his wife and son.

Zhou Anan and Shao Chen had the worst fate in this torrid triangle, suffering even more than he and Jing Yi. Zhou Anan came from an ordinary background, but was considered the flower of the university of which she and Shao Bao had attended. She had had many admirers, could have chosen any to be her spouse, but she had unwisely chosen Shao Bao. She had already become pregnant with Shao Chen when Fa Xian had first met her and should have been blossoming like a woman in love and with child should have done, only she had already begun to wilt thanks to an abusive tongue and a hard fist. Mother and son, very few could stand tall against this pair of vicious snakes.

As if Shao Fen had predicted their conversation, the hologram announced; "Oh and just to make it fair, I will pay off Shao Chen's education debts. After all, why should the elder brother be left out, hmm?" And just like that, Shao Fen declared the other party in the affair, his own older brother. Neglecting the wife and favouring the Concubine, it would have been like this in ancient times, only the Concubine his little brother's bride and she would have been drowned in a pig cage dropped in a lake had the affair been discovered. To this end, Shao Fen preemptively stirred the pot further; "Sister Anan, you know, if you want, you can ask my lawyer for a divorce. She promised to help you and there's more than enough money retained to cover it."

The little, plump, grey faced woman who had hidden in a corner all this time suddenly leapt free as if unburdened from her shackles and kowtowed before the lawyer. "Please help me petition a divorce!" She begged, tears running down her round face.