“So, are you still mad at him?” Linlin giggled in her sweet sunshine tones at her friend on the phone, swinging a leg over the arm of her oversized armchair as she listened to TangShi vent and strop around her room while picking out clothes. She had been ranting nonstop since picking up her call thirty minutes ago and seemed to be on the warpath with YuZhi again. This was becoming a daily occurrence now. Linlin smiled brightly, the phone propped under her chin and against her ear as she painted her nails in neon orange for the day ahead.“If you are asking if I am still not talking to him, then no, I’m not. He’s the most infuriating man I have ever met, and do you know what he did to me for breakfast?” TangShi stopped mid pacing, her voice pitched and her anger obvious, and threw another dress on the bed to join the pile she was amassing there. Each one tossed in an undignified heap as she tried to expel these wound up feelings and urges to

TangShi put down her brushes and arched her back to work out the kinks from scooping over for too long. Leaning back to admire her handywork on the canvas in front of her and smiled at the results. Watercolors were her favorite medium, and she loved the way the colors subtly blended into soft hues in the pond scene she had created like a beautiful harmony. Gentle white and orange Koi meandering under a rippling blue surface and bringing peace to her as she worked.It had been a quiet few days of getting used to the workings of this family and settling into a life she didn’t want. And things didn’t seem as terrible as the first couple of days here if today was anything to go by. Now that a lot of her appearance demands had been met, her wardrobe changed and her body primped and preened to Hollywood standards, Aunty was leaving her to find her own busy.She had been to the clinic twice now this week, both times as soul destroying and shameful to her, making h

TangShi held her breath as the sound of the familiar and confident steps of YuZhi strolled in, her skin goose bumping all over at his presence. Even if she didn't like him, her body could still differentiate between him and others in the house like a weird sixth sense, his looming aura of being nearby. She sunk down under the sheets and closed her eyes tight. She wanted to be asleep before he came up tonight and now, she would have to pretend given it was early for him to be up here.She lay as still as a statue as she listened to him wander into his study, right across from the bed, after he entered the room but he left the door open and didn't seem intent on settling in there to work. Not that he used it much anyway. He came back out a moment later, seemed to dump something like a file on the dresser, and then proceeded into the bathroom by walking past her side of the bed and shut the door.TangShi peeked her head out and squinted at the glimmer of light under the b

TangShi had had enough. A night of noise, invasive people around her, dancing on a crowded floor while surrounded by drunk women she barely knew, and Rhea was clinging to her and pulling her around like a puppy dog. Rhea was so drunk she had begun to behave like a needy child and TangShi seemed to be her anchor. It was suffocating and she longed to leave and go back to the peace of home.Her head was aching, her body hurt, and her stomach was cramping like crazy due to having her time of the month at the worst moment. She was tired, fed up, and emotional about being bombarded all night with questions, interrogative stares, and constant alcohol pushed her way which she tried to dodge. In the end she had drunk maybe three red wine tops all night and was feeling woozy and unsteady on her feet, but she was sober enough to still have her senses. It didn’t taste good, and she didn’t like the sensation of dizziness or dreaminess.YuZhi had stayed mostly with the m

“You stupid girl! Pick it up, don’t you dare leave a single piece on the floor. I am not moving until you pick it all up!” Aunt RuiZi was screeching at TangShi so loudly it was hurting her already delicate head. Suffering from her first time being drunk, and she was trying to ignore the washing machine stomach or pounding fluffy brain. Auntie her usual mean self and picking out absolutely anything she could to make TangShi’s life hard. If it wasn’t restricting her food, criticizing her hair, clothes or make up, day in and out, then it was finding random things to scold her for, like this. She was suffering from last night and was being unusually clumsy today. Having accidently walked into aunt who was carrying a glass of water and knocked it out of her hand in passing. The shards all over the floor were mixed with the undrunk water and Xiaosu was screamed at for trying to help her tend to it. Aunt was in a bad mood, as usual, and TangShi wa