Chapter 4

After disappearing for a whole day and half, Wang Haoyu returned home. “I’m back”, he said rather tiredly.

“Welcome back”, Zhao Ning smiled and continued with her work.

She could feel Wang Haoyu’s piercing gaze at her back, so she turned around and asked him whether he was okay.

“I’m okay and it's time for us to leave”, he replied.

“Give me two seconds to wrap this up”, she replied and immediately logged off for the day.

They both dressed up. She wore a black dress, she knew Wang Haoyu would’ve bought a white hairpin as her gift and she wanted her dress to match it.

Thinking about it, she opened the drawer in her dressing room and there were more than 50 different white ornaments. She doesn’t know how to even tell him that she doesn’t really like white that much and over years she has actually grown tired of it.

She walked out and Wang Haoyu hugged her from behind, “You’re as pretty as always”

She blushed a little and saw him handover the gift. She opened the box in a hope to see something different - but disappointment flashed in her eyes when she saw the familiar white hairpin.

“Do you like it?”,he whispered near her ears.

“I like it”, she replied and nodded.

He then helped her put on the hairpin and turned her around to face him, “Perfect. Let’s go?”, he held out his hand.

She held his hand, flashed a smile as they both went out.

It would’ve been happy, even romantic if the series of these events happened for the first time. But, it was as if her entire life was on repeat, the same thing repeating almost everyday. A mundane life is what she wished for but not when it was done half heartedly from both parties.

He went to the restaurant and ordered whatever she liked to eat 10 years ago. She wanted to tell him that her preferences changed, but he failed to even look at her for confirmation.

“Can I use the washroom”, she excused herself and looked at herself in the mirror. The she in the mirror looked no different from normal. But her entire heart was in turmoil. Something kept telling her that today is going to be different from usual. She calmed her anxious heart and walked out normally.

The day continued as usual, he took her to watch a cinema, a walk in the park and finally they went for dinner.

“There is something I want to tell you”, he said calmly.

“Yes?”, she asked tentatively.

“It's actually the gift for your birthday.”, he smiled.

She looked at him with a blank expression.

He handed over an envelope to her.

She could feel her heart beat fast and her hands shake uncontrollably. Once she opened the envelope, what she saw shocked her again - It was tickets to China.

“Are we going for a vacation? Where are the return tickets”, she asked calmly.

He laughed, “We don’t need them, because, we are going to settle down in China”

“Settle down.. What.. what about job.. Your job”, she stuttered.

“Baby, now I’m the major stakeholder. Can you believe, I’m now the CEO! Heh, now Luo Xiyuan isn’t the only person who achieved that high. You see, he became a CEO of his own company, but I started out as an employee and in 5 years I’m a stakeholder and CEO, now who is more awesome?”, he asked proudly.

But.. but what does any of this have to do with Luo Xiyuan? Shouldn’t she be the one he should’ve considered before making any decision? Why is it only about him and a random stranger in Luo Xiyuan. What about… her?

“Why didn’t you discuss it with me?”, her voice sounded abnormally normal, not doing justice to her heart in turmoil.

“Why should I discuss it with you? Baby it's not like you are a stakeholder”, he laughed.

“But I’m getting affected because of your decision”, she stated.

“What do you mean by that? Don’t you always want to go back to China? Our parents also want us back in China! Where is it conflicting your interest now?”, he asked as if discussing a corporate deal.

“Wang Haoyu. I’ve got a promotion. I wanted to tell you that but you hung up on me. So listen, I’m getting promoted and I need to report to the office in Texas starting next week. And now you’re telling me we are going back to China. Do you realise what kind of effect it would have on my career?”, she asked very calmly.

He leaned back, took a sip from his juice, thought for a minute and replied all the more steadily, “Resign. I’m a CEO. You can work under me. That way, all our problems will be solved. We don’t have to suffer from misunderstandings or insecurities, we can spend more time together. There is no better decision”

“You’re being ridiculous”, she blurted out.

“Watch your manners”, he said calmly.

She said what came to her mind. She felt he was being ridiculous right now.

“Wang Haoyu. This is a job that I enjoy. Why should I give this up and be your subordinate?”, she asked.

“You want to be a random person’s subordinate. But now your husbands’ ? It's fine. We are not a very happy couple but can you think about the greater good? I want to take over the office in China, your parents and my parents want us in China. So why don’t you think for everyone’s good rather than being selfish”, he was still calm.

But she was so close to losing control. Her entire life felt like a huge joke as she gritted her teeth, “When you first decided to come to the U.S why didn’t you consider the greater good? My job was there, our parents still wanted us there. So why are you masking your selfishness with an excuse of ‘greater good’ ? Who exactly is selfish here?”

He laughed sarcastically, “Back then you were just a little employee in your company, but me, I’m the CEO now. That is the difference. And you dare call me selfish when all I did was work day and night for you to have a luxurious life?”

She had a lot to say but at the same time she felt she had nothing to say, whatever she said wouldn’t mean anything to this person in front of her.

Tears flowed through her cheeks uncontrollably.

“Hey, baby, don’t cry. I can understand you feeling a little out of it because everything happened so suddenly. I understand you just got promoted and you are still in that ecstasy and I also know when you calm down and think about it, you’ll take the right decision”

He gave her his handkerchief, “I know you’d want to take some time to calm down, I booked this place until its closing, you can take your time and accept the fact. My good girl, I know you always want to take risk free decisions. That's what I’m offering to you right now, resign, we’ll go to China and you’ll work under me”, he said and walked out of the restaurant.

For the first time in her life, Zhao Ning felt humiliated. Yes she always made decisions that gave her peace but.. To take her as a puppet that he could manipulate as he wishes? That made her feel humiliated.

He told her to think and accept. He didn’t even give her a second choice much like the time he chose to leave China. With everyday, she felt much less important in the relationship and right now.. All she was, was just someone who followed him blindly.

She wasn’t this kind of person. She didn’t want to be this kind of person. This isn’t anywhere near a peaceful life nor is it a life that brought her happiness.

She looked around and remembered how he said he had booked the seat in the restaurant until it was closing, as if he anticipated her to rebel but also anticipated her to obey.

She isn't going to obey.

She looked at the handkerchief and tossed it down before taking her handbag and left the restaurant without turning back.

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