My Husband's Wedding- Chapter Sixteen

My Husband’s Wedding

Witch-Mistress-Animaru

16: Syaoran Pays a Visit

Two weeks quickly passed since the dreaded ‘incident.’ Sakura heard nothing from Syaoran, not even a phone call or something. And each day that has passed since then, paranoia crept up her veins, making her overly anxious and scared. She honestly believed — no, she knew that Syaoran was brewing something. He had to be.

But what if he’s planning to take Xiao Chen away from her — legally?

She can’t take that. She just can’t.

That bland Tuesday morning, she took Xiao Chen to school, and then went straight home. She just wasn’t up to managing her shop that day. Kioko was there, anyway. The shop could do without her for a day. When she got home, she phoned in to a very distressed Kioko that she wasn’t feeling quite well, hoping she sounded sick. Kioko, who might have suspected something, didn’t argue with her. After all, she was the boss.

So now, here she is, alone in her house, feeling all bored and sulky for no reason at all. She just finished cooking for Xiao Chen and plopped down on the couch, flipping over the channels on the TV, all thoughts of Syaoran gone from her conscious. That is, until the doorbell rang.

‘It must be Xiao Chen,’ she thought before leaping out of the couch and opening the door. The smile on her face vanished quicker than it came. It wasn’t Xiao Chen. It was him, for God’s sake.

Syaoran, in the flesh, was standing in her doorway.

“Oh…Hi, Li-kun…”

“Syaoran,” he said grimly, and she looked up at him quizzically. “Call me Syaoran,” he explained in a bored tone, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We have a son; we’re married still, so it’s hardly appropriate to call me by my surname.”

And what could she say to that?

“Oh…yes. Okay, if you say so. But please do come in.” She said, holding the door ajar and stepping aside to let him in. She didn’t want them standing awkwardly outside; in any case, she just might lose her temper again and have a shouting match with him, and she didn’t want to do it in the middle of the street. At least they have a bit of privacy inside.

“Why suddenly meek?” He demanded, taking her completely off-guard.

“What? Oh, it’s…just your imagination, perhaps. But…uh, you’re here because of Xiao Chen, right?” She asked cautiously, trying not to show him how tensed she was with him around.

“Yes, among other things.”

“He’s not home yet, but he’s bound to be soon,” she said in a light voice before adding slowly, “You…you won’t take him away, will you?” Panic she never felt before rose inside her chest despite her calm voice.

“No,” he said with a frown. “What gave you the idea?”

“I…well, no one…it’s just that…” She stammered, although relief flooded her. She didn’t know why, but she just trusted his words.

She refused to answer his question, and he studied her face before he spoke again.

“No, I have no plans of taking him away. In fact, it never crossed my mind until you mentioned it.” Then he added, “Actually, I’m asking…no, I’m telling you that you will move back in with me next week.”

“What!” She exclaimed, totally confused by this declaration.

“Yes, and I’m not giving you any choice…or I just might do what you feared.” He threatened.

“Wait!” Her mind was whirling. He’s suggesting — no, he’s commanding that they live together again? The impossibility of the man!

“What about — Keira?” She spat out the revolting name out of her system.

“Oh, she’ll understand.” He said in an off-hand voice that angered Sakura more. She didn’t need to know that he, Li Syaoran, had already broken the engagement with Sakura’s stepsister, much to the rage and devastation of Keira.

“That’s it? She’ll understand? She’ll understand?” Sakura felt hysterical. “You’ll put me in such a vulnerable situation where I might get chucked out of your and my son’s life and there’s no security that that abominable woman I call stepsister won’t be coming back to kick me out of the picture? How dare —” She was silenced when Syaoran pulled her to him and kissed her so gently that the tears brimming in her eyes finally fell. After a few moments, they broke apart, speechless.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked bitterly, brushing the tears off carelessly. “I and my son lived a perfectly peaceful life until you came along.”

“If I give you my word that I won’t send you away without as much as a notice or anything will you stop asking ridiculous questions and come willingly?”

“Answer my question.”

“You forget that he, too, is my son…”

“But I was perfectly capable of bringing him up!”

“You don’t understand,” he shouted, “I want my son, don’t you get it? It’s not a question of you being an abysmal parent, but it’s a question of whether I’ll have him or not, and I want to have him! And I can see there’s no other way you’ll let me have him than to bring you along with him!”

Sakura felt sanity creeping back in. This is madness, she thought before shaking her head. But somehow, Syaoran’s honest words hurt her.

So that was who she was to Syaoran. What she was. Some excess baggage mean needed to achieve the ends, his son.

It’s her and Xiao Chen, or nothing. And he chose the former.

Once again she felt bitterness rise up her throat that she forced a throaty laugh so as not to choke.

“Very well,” she said coldly, and silently congratulated herself for not trembling. “I’ll come. But I will not be serving your bed as well!” She stopped dead on her tracks, realizing what she said, and understanding what it implied.

‘Where the hell did that come from?’ She thought angrily to herself as she blushed furiously.

Syaoran’s amber eyes turned stony.

“Fine with me,” he said indifferently. “But we will be sharing the same room. No doubt about that. That is, until we can do something about this arrangement.”

“No!” She said vehemently. “Won’t — won’t an adjoining room do? I mean, Xiao Chen and I could stay in one room and no one need know…” She added in a small voice.

“Do I disgust you so, darling wife?” He taunted, and then he nodded grimly. “Very well… Adjoining rooms, as you wish, if I can help it.”

“Will you wait for Xiao Chen?” She asked, and by God, she sounded hopeful! She wished he didn’t notice it. But it was true; it was as if she was yearning for him to stay even just a moment longer.

But he shook his head. She felt disappointed at this, but tried not to show it.

“No,” he stated flatly. “Pack your things now, Sakura. And I mean NOW. My chauffeur will come in —” he checked his watch, “— exactly an hour after I leave. You should be done packing by then. If not, just take what you need and what you can in an hour of packing, and I’ll send someone to pick the rest up tomorrow.” He stated this as if it was mainly business, and not a personal matter.

“But,” she protested, “I thought it is still due next week, this plan of yours?”

“I changed my mind. Prepare now and stop asking insignificant questions.” With that, he turned to the door and left, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving Sakura completely confused and bewildered.