Lies and Curses - 3

                                                                       3

The handsome face of Chan was now purple on one side and he had bruises all over his body. He stood at the entrance of the mansion and saw that the garden was in full bloom with purple lilac flowers. When he left three days before, the plants weren’t in bloom. Now it was a purple show, so was his body. He strained himself to walk through the hallway and lounge to reach the stairs. It was an old fashioned mansion with cellar and attic. It had huge hallways and corridors along with big wooden furnished stairs spiraling its way up. The whole mansion still maintained its old furnishing and decorations which made it look like a cursed castle from ancient times. And unknown to him a figure in the shadow of a pillar was watching his struggles. Chan only remembered reaching his room and he fell into a deep sleep the next moment. The work and injuries along the analgesics pushed him into an unconscious state.

Anaya and her mom returned very late after the massage and shopping, but was welcomed by an angered Shen Shaw who was waiting for them in the lounge. Anaya could sense what he was going to ask, so she tactically pushed her mom in front and tried to escape along the sidelines.

“How was your day, Shen? How is the auditing going on?” Lian asked her husband to divert him. But unknown to her, the question only infuriated him further.

“So you know how busy it is in the office. Then how come your daughter had the audacity to take Chan out and let him injured? Don’t you know that he is the one handling the accounts and communicating with the investigating officers?” Shen Shaw shouted at Lian and looked at Anaya who was leaving silently.

Seeing how enraged her father was, Anaya stood there silently and peeped at her mother to save her. Mother Shaw interrupted quickly and stood in between the father and daughter covering Anaya.

“Then what she should have done? Get beaten instead? Don’t you know how that Fengs and Haileys are connected? If she hadn’t taken Chan for protection, I can’t imagine what that Hailey boy would have done to our daughter,” Lian Shaw retorted. “From the moment Chan has entered our home, you only have him in your eyes. He is your son-in-law not son and this is your daughter. How can you only care about him and not your own blood?” Lian knew were to strike to make Shen Shaw speechless.

Shen Shaw calmed a little after realizing that Lian was actually right. But still he couldn’t forgive Anaya for the work pending due to Chan’s absence. “Why should she have a fight with someone we can’t oppose? And do you know how much account works will get pending if Chan can’t come tomorrow? Without him I don’t know how to appease the investigators. How can you be so stupid to cause trouble at such a critical moment?” Shen Shaw continued scolding the mother and daughter, but was calmer than before.

Seeing the opportunity, Lian Shaw gestured Anaya to leave and pulled Shen Shaw to sit with her in the couch. She poured him a glass of water to ease his temper and continued, “You know Chan. He will never take leave nor will make a complaint. He is the perfect person for us to use for our benefit. Moreover he doesn’t have a choice but to stay here as our son-in-law. He is a little low in reaction and stupid at times, but he clearly knows that if he loses our favor, he will have to live in the streets. So don’t make an issue out of nothing. You will have to suffer if your pressure shoots up.” Lian knew that Shen Shaw has calmed down by now. She also relaxed and drank some water.

“You aren’t wrong. But look at the mess Anaya made. It’s good that it ended smoothly. But what if it hadn’t? What if Chan was hurt badly? He might be slow witted in everything, but we have to admit how good he is with numbers. You don’t know how he saved me better than our accountants. He is pivotal in escaping this tax auditing and investigation safely. Otherwise it won’t just end with fines; but I will have to face charges on fraud. Imagine what will happen to the company and the shares if that occur?” Shen Shaw tried to reason with Lian.

“Fine, I accept that he is needed for the company. However, what about our Anaya? Do you really plan to keep him as son-in-law for the sake of the company? I can’t let my daughter ruin her life with someone who is nothing.” Lian tried to fish the waters. She had to make moves to remove Chan from Anaya’s life. She had higher plans for her daughter. Chan had no one to rely on and wasn’t rich. Compared to other young men she knew, Chan was totally worthless of Anaya.

“I understand. Let me think of a way. You also knew why I took in Chan. At that time, I felt that he surely was a blessing for us. I had great plans for us, with him in mind. But who would have thought that things would turn this way.” With a sigh Shen Shaw stood up and went to his room.

Lian saw regret in those words and his expressions. “If it wasn’t for my timely act, my Anaya’s life would also have been done for with your stupid decisions. Thank heavens that I could come up with such a plan at that time. Otherwise I can’t imagine how you were going to solve these issues. I bet he will be a curse for our daughter if you don’t act quickly.” Lian said loudly for Shen Shaw to hear. Seeing no reaction, she went to kitchen to order food for them. She needed to appease her husband a bit more, so she took the food tray by herself to the room.

Seeing how no one was going to eat at the dining table, nanny Shu, who had been serving the Shaw family for years, ordered the other maid to serve food for Anaya in her room.