-
If Victor and Ruhui doesn’t do it, you strike lottery. …
-
If you get pregnant with Matthew’s child…. You and Matthew strike lottery.
James : Alex…. Its me la …. James…. Stephanie in a meeting…. Ya…. Ya…..wah lau…. I got send you late before meh…. Only a few hundred….
James : Qiwen…. James la… you today never take medicine ah……..75 dollar invoice you call and chase me….I only just opened your invoice leh……Singpost date only stamped 3 days ago….
4.30pm
The ringing died down a little and I was beginning to get a taste of what was happening.
I decided it was enough and I went right up to Stephanie who was staring blankly into space in her room.
James : What is going on ??
She looked at me and I could see she was considering whether to even bother talking to me.
James : Stephanie please…. Don’t do this…
She was wearing a grey singlet and jeans that day. I could see her exposed bra straps since she had her jacket off.
She did not even bother putting on makeups that day.
She shook her head at me and said it was nothing.
5.45pm
Stephanie came out and said it’s Friday, time for company dinner and drinks.
We left office early and settled down at the pub where we first had drinks.
Neither of us spoke much and I could tell she was feeling really moody.
8pm
I was sipping my beer when the staff came back and said Stephanie’s credit card has been declined.
She looked shocked and for the first time that day she looked like she was about to erupt.
She emptied out all the cards, 5 in all to the staff. Thankfully it was someone we chatted regularly with and she knows were regulars.
Stephanie asked her for a favour to try 4 cards first before using the last one.
James : Is everything ok ??
Stephanie drained her beer and took in a deep breathe , trying to calm herself down.
5 minutes later when the staff came out, she confirmed that only the last one worked.
I found out from Stephanie that the first 4 were from Victor and also the company’s card.
The last was her own.
I could see she was fighting back her tears as she stood up and walk back towards her place.
I fell in step beside her and asked if she was ok.
James : Are you ok ?? …
Stephanie : It’s Victor…. He’s cutting me off…
James : What ? Why ?
She went on to tell me that he wanted her to promise she would not make any rash decisions but she refused.
Victor wanted Stephanie to stay while he sort things out but she argued that she knows how that would end.
She quoted the example of him and Ruhui and Victor lost his temper.
8.30pm
As we approached Stephanie’s place she suddenly hit my head so hard that I almost bent over and fell onto the ground.
Stephanie : It’s ALL YOUR FAULT !!!!
I had a shock at her outburst and I quickly dragged her into the lift.
Stephanie : I would be far away from this place by now if not for you !!!!!!!!
She looked really angry and I resigned myself to a good 15 minutes of cursing and some light kicking as I closed the door behind us.
9.15pm
Stephanie’s phone buzzed and when she saw the message, she kicked up another big fuzz, throwing cushion covers, kicking her heels and shoes and even the fly swatter bat at me.
I took the phone and read the message from Victor.
Victor : Family Dinner at ah gong’s place tomorrow at 6pm
James : What’s wrong ?? It’s just dinner with your grandparents….
Stephanie screamed again, kicking wildly before she collapsed into a heap on her messy sofa.
Stephanie : Haven you realised by now I have a dysfunctional family….???/ We don’t sit down for dinner…..
James : Huh?? What do you mean ??? What’s so difficult about having a dinner ?
Stephanie massaged her head and told me that the family sits only if they are about to make a major decision.
She did not look like she was in the mood to talk much so I took the chance to excuse myself.
James : err… ok… you rest early…. I see you next week….
Right before I left the house Stephanie shouted for me to stop.
Stephanie : WAIT !!!
James : What ??
She stared at me, starting from the top of my head to the toes on my feet.
Stephanie : You’re coming with me…
James : What? No way…
She immediately went into her study and took out a note pad and started scribbling some stuff down.
Every few seconds she paused to think before she scribbled some more.
3 minutes later, she passed me the notepad and made me memorise it.
Stephanie : Your name is Ryan…. You are a doctor…. Your parents are lawyers….
James : What the fuck ??? That’s not true…
Stephanie : shut up… you owe me this much… do it…
I wanted to protest but she kept reassuring me that it’s just bluffing an old man, making him happy over dinner. What was so hard about that ?
As irritated as I was, I went along with it especially after Stephanie kept reminding me I betrayed her and gave her passport to her brother.
Stephanie ; You’re my boyfriend tomorrow…you went to university in Melbourne….
James: I’ve never even been to Melbourne….
Stephanie : Shut up !!… Memorise it !!..
There were so many points to remember and Stephanie kept drilling each one into me.
Stephanie : Where did we meet ? quick ….
James : Wedding dinner…. At Ritz carlton…. I was the bestman… you’re the bridesmaid….
Stephanie : good…. Where did I go to school ?
I rattled off all her school from primary to university and she gave me a thumbs up.
Stephanie : My favourite colour, food, my likes and dislikes.
James : You like blue… a pale shade of blue…..
James : Your favourite hawker food is Hokkien mee fried by a Teochew man who married a hakka wife that speaks Cantonese.
As Stephanie laughed, my replies got slower as I looked at her brush back her fringe.
There was something surreal about the entire question and answer.
I never thought I would get to know someone in that manner.
James: You dislike fake people…..people who thinks they know it all…. And people who tells you what to do….
She smiled and nodded as she hugged onto her knees.
The whole rhythm slowed a little more as I continued.
James : You don’t like broccoli , but you love cauliflowers. You can …… stand… not to wash your hair for 3 days as long as you don’t leave the house…..
Her head tilted to the side as she looked at me, smiling almost in a dreamlike manner.
James : But you cannot leave the house without showering….
Somehow my voice got softer and Stephanie was rocking her body slightly, front and back as I continued.
James : You can be happy in one moment…. And throwing things around the next…
Stephanie : Hahaha… that was not inside the note James…
I ignored her and continued.
James : You… have a nice smile…when you mean it…
Stephanie : Hahaha…
James : And…. You are beautiful without any makeups on…
She kicked me with her feet but she did not ask me to stop.
James : You …. Want to be strong… independent….. but deep inside… you wanted to be taken care off….
She brushed back a stray fringe and narrowed her eyes at me.
James : You care a lot about others….sometimes to the point of neglecting yourself…
She stopped looking at me and chose to look down at her feet.
There was silence for about 15 seconds.
I don’t know how to describe it in words but it was a beautiful and sweet 15 seconds as we both kept quiet.
Stephanie broke the silence and asked me to go on.
Stephanie : Please stick to the list I gave you James.. haha…
I looked at the list one more time and continued.
James : Our 1st kiss… was on the early morning of the 29th of December 2012…
Stephanie looked away shyly as she smiled.
Stephanie : Who are you ???
I replied immediately.
James : My name is Ryan… I’m a doctor… my parents are lawyers..
Stephanie laughed and I watch her lean back against the bottom of the sofa as we were both sitting on the floor.
With her head resting on the seat, she tilted her head sideways and looked at me.
I went over and took the spot beside her, imitating her post and rest my head in the same manner as we stared at the ceiling.
Stephanie : Who are you ??
James : Ryan…. A doctor…. My parents are lawyers.
Another snigger followed and 3 seconds later, I felt Stephanie leaned her head against mine as she turned towards me.
Stephanie : You’re James…. Your parents are hawkers ….. you work for me….haha
I nodded with a smile on my face as she turned back to face the ceiling.
I turned towards her and continued.
James : You’re Stephanie….your family is scary….
She burst out laughing but I went on.
James : And you are my girlfriend….
She smiled in a silly manner and leaned her head on my shoulder.
There was this twitching butterfly feeling in my stomach and heart as we held hands in her living room.
We were quiet for a good 10 minutes before she asked.
Stephanie : You ready to meet the family ?
James : Who can be worse than Ruhui ?
Stephanie : Haha… she won’t be there….. she’s not welcomed at my ah gong’s place…
James : Then all is good….. I don’t see how anyone can be as bad as her….
Stephanie smiled.
Stephanie : Tell me that…. After you meet my grandfather…
We kept our fingers entwined together for a while longer before Stephanie got up, as she pulled me into her room, my heart was thumping.
This is it.
The moment I had been waiting for.
It’s happening.
I could not hide the gleeful look on my face as I looked at Stephanie’s bed once I stepped in.
The light grey bedsheets and blanket were neatly folded, almost like I had just stepped into a new hotel room.
She had some clothes on the bed, shorts, a t-shirt and a scarf. They were mostly crumpled up. Right beside it was another stack of neatly folded clothes meant for the drawers.
My eyes instantly went to this small pile of undies. The pastel colour stacked in between the regular white and blacks look like some boutique rainbow cakes. The topping, the very piece right on top of the undies pile was a black g-string with a pink lace trimming.
I swallowed a mouthful of saliva as Stephanie opened her wardrobe.
James : Are you … changing into some Victoria secrets or something ?…. don’t need la….
She laughed and replied as if we were just having a normal conversation.
Stephanie : I’m not sleeping with you James… haha….
James : But you are my girlfriend….
Stephanie : So ??
She turned and rose an eyebrow at me before smiling and looking away.
She pulled out a few dresses and grabbed me over.
Stephanie : Ok… be serious…
She started to give me a brief of the family dinner the next day. According to her, it’s going to fucking awful, like all the family dinners she has attended.
Stephanie : Be prepared to be shouted at, hear vulgarities flying around and ermmm….anyway… you get the point.
She summarised it up as a group of people who did not like each other, yet had to pretended they were close sitting down for dinner.
James : That sounds really crappy..
Stephanie : Yeah…. Well….. I’m sure you’ll do fine…
She went on to say that even what we chose to wear might be the target of criticism.
Stephanie : Too formal…. You’ll look like a dick…. Too casual, they’ll crucify you for not respecting the dinner….. so it’s got to be a right balance.
James : Ok… I’ll go in berms and slippers…
Stephanie : TSK !
She hit me in my stomach and we spent the next 30 minutes discussing what to wear. She wanted to make sure our clothes complement each other.
James : Can we just buy a couple T from the shop or something ?
I randomly opened a drawer and struck gold as I looked at all her nightie and lingerie.
James : Can I choose something from here instead ?
I could feel an erection building up as the sensual colours of her inner wear called out to me. I could almost imagine myself feeling the materials, running my hands through the soft silky satin
She gave me stare that made me shut up immediately.
In the end, she made the decision to wear a off shoulder black dress. It tapered nicely to her body, showing off the curves and a simple pair of dark grey heels propped her up and gave her the height she wanted.
She even put on this large hat with a black feather before turning backwards to look at me through her left shoulder with pouty mouth look.
James : Are we attending a funeral ??
Stephanie : Yes….. I have a feeling it’s going to be mine…
Despite my protest, she insisted in her choice of clothes and made me wear something to compliment hers.
We snuggled up on her bed for some youtube videos before I left at around 1am in the morning.
16 Feburary 2013
Saturday
1pm
Stephanie made me buy her lunch which I gladly did from the hawker center near her place and we ate lunch together.
We were both feeling the aftereffects of a new relationship. It was like a drug. We could not keep out hands off each other.
I don’t mean in a sleazy way, it’s just that craving to hold each other’s hands.
To have our shoulders touch each other.
To sit beside each other.
We took pleasure even just staring at each other.
By 4pm, we started getting ready for the dinner and Stephanie went through the guest she was expecting at the dinner later.
Stephanie : Keep your mouth shut….don’t speak at all if possible…. I have sat through entire dinners without the need to open my mouth.
She said she was on the phone with Victor earlier in the day and that he would do most of the talking.
5pm
We left her place and I took the wheel, driving towards her grandfather’s place near Raffles town club.
Pulling into a quiet road, Stephanie directed me on a series of turns before we arrived in front of a large wrought iron gate.
The gate is massive. 2 cars can comfortably pass through it with room to spare.
The gate itself if an intricate fabric of art woven by craftsmen from a long time ago. You could tell time has weathered it down, it was repainted several times, some peeling parts exposed the older paint job below.
The only hint of anything modern was the hydraulic arm that opened and closed the gate together with the cameras mounted on the gate post on both sides.
Like the opening sequence of a haunted movie, the massive gate swung open and I entered the compound.
The was a slight gradient as I depressed the accelerator and went up the slope before I need to immediately make a left turn into this open tarmac.
It was like the size of a street soccer court, several cars were already parked and I could see Victor’s car right at the corner.
It could fit 6 cars comfortably and 12 if you double parked.
Stephanie made me double park behind Victor despite empty lots around.
James : Why ??
Stephanie : Because it makes me happy….. and Victor cannot leave unless I do..
The moment I pulled in, Victor’s car opened and I could see Shawn giving me and Stephanie a questioning look as he pointed to our car.
I shrugged my shoulders and pointed to Stephanie who walked off in a lady like manner towards the foyer of the house.
I caught up with her as we pass a long row of hedges.
An indian man stared at us as we walked along the small garden path.
Stephanie : Hi Muthu.
He nodded with a smile at Stephanie before staring at me. He had only one arm, just the way Stephanie described to me long ago.
Tall, well built and definitely fit, his white grubby and torn t-shirt had holes and bits of grass in them.
A long army pants, the old camouflage pattern and boots was what he wore. He had an array of tools on a wheel barrow beside him but what drew my eye was the foot long parang he had strapped on his belt.
James : Wah… your gardener looks fierce. …
Stephanie laughed and said he’s a nice man, last time always play with Victor and her when they were young.
James : How did he lose the arm ?
Stephanie : Gang fight in the 80s.
I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and fell in step beside Stephanie as we stepped into the foyer where Victor was talking to TJ .
They looked surprised to see me and Victor immediately asked what was I doing there.
Stephanie : He’s my boyfriend.
None of them reacted in any way and I don’t know if they even took what Stephanie said seriously.
Victor : Stephanie… look…. It’s not going to help if you bring a boyfriend… this is bigger than this…
He turned to me next, looking almost apologetic. In fact I detected a hint of sympathy when he spoke.
Victor : James…. I’m sorry you got dragged into this…. I don’t think we pay you enough to….
Before Victor could finish we were interrupted by someone.
That voice.
That vile disgusting voice.
Ruhui : Hi guys….
We turned and none of us spoke.
Ruhui kept her shades on as she walked on ahead with a smile as her son played with his ipad by her side.
The 2nd shock though hit us even more strongly than seeing Ruhui.
It was Jack.
Stephanie’s so call ex-boyfriend.
He walked on pass us with a haughty look.
James : I thought you said she was not welcomed…
Victor : My dad invited her along… business matters…
I could see Stephanie being visibly upset as she glared at Ruhui.
Victor turned back to me and said that it was a bad idea for me to be there.
Victor : You’re going to be a target James… I don’t think you want to do this….hell I don’t think we pay you well enough for this…
Stephanie cut in and said it’s her decision.
Stephanie : Just do part and keep Ruhui away from me… I’ll be the one to introduce James to Ah gong….
Victor sighed and shook his head before walking off.
Stephanie went to the side table to get some drinks, it almost felt like a pre wedding reception.
TJ hardly ever speaks but even on that day, he came over and tapped me on my arm.
TJ : Just….just…. sigh…… hold it in ok ?? … no matter what…. Hold it in…
I swallowed another mouthful of saliva.
The pressure I was feeling was intense. I don’t know how to describe it.
Stephanie’s dad Tim arrived with another man.
Stephanie : Uncle Calvin….
I nodded as I sipped my drink.
Even the weather was a reflection of the mood on the ground when I saw the dark clouds on the overcast skies.
5.45pm
It started drizzling and the different pockets of people who were out on the foyer went into the house.
There was no grand table with sets of cutleries. No opulent looking candle stands with intricate table cloth or servers in suit.
The dining hall looked like any average room. The furniture were old, none of the chairs matched although they all had backrest.
Food wise, it was like any regular fair a normal Singaporean household would cook. Eggs, vegetables, meat, fish etc.
The only difference was perhaps the variety.
There were close to 10 dishes on the table alone not including 2 giant steamed pomfret.
I counted 2 maids and I saw a old lady directing them around.
Stephanie : She’s the housekeeper….. Annie… only ah gong calls her by her name…. The rest of us call her Ah yee….
She told me that Ah yee was from China, the same province her grandfather came from and she had been working for him ever since.
Ah Yee looked to be in her mid to late 60s but she was nimble in her movements and moved around like an agile quiet ninja, going about her own task.
Her eyes were observant and as she danced around the different pockets of people, I was sure she kept her ears opened, listening and picking up pockets of information.
I was a little intimidated when Ah Yee approached me and Stephanie.
Stephanie : Ah yee…. James is my boyfriend… can you set his seat also.
A curt nod was all she did before disappearing.
6.10pm
Ah yee got a maid to usher us to our seat.
Going clockwise around the table, first was Uncle Calvin, followed by Tim, the sibling’s father.
Next up was Victor, Stephanie was up next before I took my seat.
Jack sat down beside me before Ruhui and her Son.
The last seat before Ah-gong’s seat was left empty but there was also a set of cutleries.
TJ & Shawn settled themselves on a couch.
Jacklyn and Rex took some chairs by the window.
A couple more guys I don’t recognise stood by the entrance.
6.15pm
All heads turned towards a room as the door opened.
It was a 3 storey house, I would have expected to see Stephanie’s grandfather coming down the stairs like some movie star or something but instead, he appeared from his room on the ground floor.
He walked with a cane, leaning heavily on it for support. A man followed behind him, keeping an eye on every step.
Everyone waited for Ah gong, the patriarch of the family to take his seat at the round table. No one stood, everyone just pretended to be busy with something as Ah Gong took his time getting to his seat.
When he finally sat down and passed his cane to the man who walked behind him, he opened his mouth and I immediately had a taste of what was about to come.
Marcus : Why the FUCK!!!… am I having dinner with all of you ??
No one touched their utensils.
No one spoke either.
Marcus : Why ? Are you all dumb ??? You lost your voices ?? har ! ?? What the fuck ?
Marcus started off the dinner by grabbing what he wanted. Aside from his walking difficulty, he looked fine.
Marcus : I’ve fucking given all of your what you wanted on a FUCKING PLATE!!…. what can’t you leave me alone… You want me to take them all away ??? Is that what this is about ???
Tim started talking first.
Tim : Pa… we have something to discuss….it’s about… Stephanie…
I could see Stephanie clenched her fist as she looked at her bowl of untouched rice.
Tim : It’s time she settled down and help out in the company….and… I could not think of a better match for her than Ruhui’s brother…
Ah Gong did not react. He continued with his dinner.
Tim : Pa… at the same time…we’re discussing a capital injection for our expansion into Sri Lanka with…..
SMACK! …
Marcus threw his chopstick right into the middle of the dishes, startling everyone except Ruhui’s son who was glued to his ipad.
A chopstick went into the soup bowl while another punctured a slab of tofu.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to Tim.
Marcus : How much ?
Tim : I’m sorry … what how much ?
Marcus pointed to Ruhui without looking at her.
Marcus : How much did she pay you to sell your daughter ?
Ruhui cut in before Tim could reply.
Ruhui : Ah gong…how…
Marcus : Shut the fuck up Ruhui…
I could see Ruhui clenching down on her teeth as she took a deep breath.
Marcus continued looking at Tim and added.
Marcus : Tell your son to put that thing away…. Or to fuck off from this table…
Ruhui pulled off the headphones from her son’s ears and took the ipad away as he protested loudly but calmed down almost immediately when he realised everyone staring at him.
Tim : Pa look….there is only so much Singapore can…
Marcus : You sold your son….. now your daughter too ?? for how much ??
Tim : Pa….listen…
Marcus : Just answer my fucking question…
Tim lost his temper and raised his voice.
Tim : Can you quit this fucking attitude….. do you know how hard it is to talk to you these days ? !
As if the tension was not bad enough, that took things up a notch.
Marcus : Then don’t…. why the fuck is everyone here ??? HAR!!
He went on a tirade, shouting and cursing at Tim and Calvin, saying that they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. That they would never know what was it like to fight for survival, to work their guts out.
Marcus : I had nothing !!!…i built the company up from scratch !! … nothing ever gave me anything !!!!
He took a deep breath.
Marcus : Everyone of you here….are where you are because you were born into it….so tell me….. why the fuck….are you here…
He started looking around the table.
Marcus : Why are you here ? HAR!
He pointed at me…
Marcus : What about you ??! why ?
I kept quiet.
His finger went to Jack next.
Marcus : What about you?? Why ?
The silence in the dining room was deafening.
Victor : Ah gong…. Stephanie is…
Marcus ; Shut up Victor…. I know what you and your sister did with your mother…..
For the first time, I saw Victor backed down and just sipped his tea.
Tim : You know what…I’m just telling you this out of respect….
Marcus : Fuck you and your respect…Tim…
Tim : Well fuck you too…
Tim gestured to everyone around the table and made the announcement as if it was final
Tim : Stephanie is marrying Matthew…. This is the announcement we wanted to do… there… fuck…. I’ve said it….
Stephanie : I’m not marrying Matthew…
Tim : You have not earn the rights to speak at this table…
Tim went on to say that perhaps one day when she starts managing the company and prove herself, she can come back and say what she wants to say.
Stephanie slammed down on the table and screamed at her father.
Stephanie : You cannot force me …
Tim : We’ll see about that..
Marcus suddenly pointed at Jack .
Marcus : Who are you !…
Jack : Errr… I’m…er… Stephanie’s ex-boyfriend and… Jeff’s tuition teacher.. I have a successful company with a few branches and I tutor a lot of top………..
Marcus just glared at him before his eyes locked gaze at me.
Marcus : Shut the fuck up Jack…….and you… Who are you again ?
His finger was pointed straight at me.
Stephanie answered immediately.
Stephanie : He’s my boyfriend…
I could heard Ruhui snigger and Jack shook his head in a condescending manner.
Marcus : Does your boyfriend comes with a set of balls ??? Can he answer himself ?? can he talk ??? HAR ?? I haven heard him say anything…
Marcus : What’s your name ?? HAR ? What do you do ?? What does your parents do ?? What gives you the right to be at this table ??
He looked at me, his eyes burning a path straight into my retina.
As angry as I was, I found it amusing. The questions Stephanie prepared me for actually came out.
I wanted to smile in fact but I held it in.
Everyone at the table turned and looked at me.
I could feel Victor saying sorry with his eyes as if he was trying to say there was nothing he could do.
TJ was looking at me, no doubt trying to communicate with me via telepathy asking me to hold it in.
I stood up and removed Ah gong’s utensils from the dishes without a word.
James : My name is James….i work for your granddaughter…….
I could see Victor covering his face with his palms as I continued.
James : My parents are hawkers…..and I never had anything handed to me on a plate either…
Marcus glared at me as I continued.
Using the common serving spoon, I took a serving of fish and put it on my side dish.
As I pushed my chair apart, nothing could describe the look of horror on Stephanie and Victor’s face as I walked towards Ah Gong.
Placing the plate of fish in front of him I added.
James : There…. I’m glad I’m the first to hand you something on a plate…
I went back to my seat as Stephanie stared at me with her mouth half opened.
Victor looked like he was about to puke.
I could see TJ’s eyes wide open as Shawn tapped him on his arm.
James : Ah gong… 吃饭 ( Have dinner )
No one moved but I don’t care.
I reached for a piece of chicken and placed it on Stephanie’s plate.
James : You want some soup ?
I looked at Stephanie as she shook her head slightly, too shock to do anything else.
Ah gong exhaled a deep breath and Ah Yee appeared with a new pair of chopsticks magically out of nowhere.
As he took the chopstick and bit into the fish I got him, everyone tucked into the food without a word.
No one spoke throughout dinner.
7pm
Ruhui,Victor, Tim , Calvin and Ah gong disappeared into his study.
7.30pm
Victor stormed out of the office and slammed the door. As he stormed out of the house, TJ and Shawn followed.
I knew I needed to shift the car and I told Stephanie I would be right back.
I moved the car out of the spot and Shawn gave me a thumbs up.
They left without a word and as I walked back into the house, Ruhui came out in a huff, looking visibly upset.
7.45pm
Tim and Calvin left the room and Stephanie was summoned
Stephanie entered Ah gong’s room.
8pm
When she came out, she refused to say a word and just kept saying she wanted to leave.
I immediately drove her back home.
The moment she closed the door, I watched as Stephanie’s lips trembled before her legs gave way.
I immediately hugged onto her as she started crying into my chest.
James : What happened Stephanie ?? What’s wrong…
She just cried.
She tried talking but she can’t.
She just cried.
When she mustered up enough strength to speak, my heart felt as if someone had just stabbed me with a knife.
Stephanie : He said yes…..
Stephanie : Ah gong ………….wants me…… to marry Matthew….
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Yardstick
Wow… James is really tame in this story, compared to the rest.
The usual James would have leaned in for a kiss when he was right beside Stephanie and she asked when was their first kiss. James would have made it right there and then.
Interesting that James is the average joe and not the calculating and smart ass he usually is.
ILOCK, is there an reason you wrote it this way?
The brother who contributed his story wanted it this way.
.
A more mellowed, watered down version of James.
It’s a more accurate depiction of him in real life.
cheers
ilock
Thank you for all the kind comments.
I’m glad you enjoyed the read.
Next update on Friday.
Cheers
ilock
I could not believe what I just heard but I tried to calm Stephanie down. I needed to get the whole picture.
What happened inside the room ?
What was said ?
Why did everyone stormed out looking so upset ?
I mean at the very least, if Ah Gong wanted Stephanie to marry Matthew, should Ruhui at least walk out looking like some smug bitch since that was what she wanted ?
Why did she look the way she looked when she left ?
9.00pm
I forgot how many times Stephanie broke down within a short span of time, she cried, got mad, even tried to grab the knife from the kitchen but I held onto her.
9.25pm
Stephanie was still in her dress and curled up under my arms.
The sobbing were dying off.
9.30pm
Stephanie started to relate what happened to me by saying no one believed I was her boyfriend.
Stephanie : Ah gong asked me to invest in a better actor… ..
She went quiet for a while before going on.
Stephanie : Here’s the deal…
As she spoke I could feel the hair on my back stand on it’s end. I could not believe in this day and age, such things are happening in Singapore. How is it ever possible to force someone to do things against their will ?
Stephanie : Ah gong’s chips…. Is his estate, his money and his will..
She said that her grandfather do not recognise Ruhui’s child from her first marriage as his great grandson.
Stephanie : He wanted a bloodline, Ruhui needed to bear Victor’s child.
James : WHAT!
Stephanie : They hated each other so much….i don’t believe they ever touch each other before…. still…. It’s that or he leaves everything to me, the entire estate. ……..
However, if Ruhui bears Victor’s child, Marcus would start splitting his estate among the 2 of them even before his death.
I closed my eyes and tried to make sense of everything.
James : Wait…. Wait … wait….. this is confusing… what has this got to do with you marrying Matthew ?
Stephanie exhaled and continued.
Stephanie : If I were to marry Matthew, and I was to bear his child…. His estate gets split between Matthew and me. …… If Both Ruhui and I gets pregnant, it splits 4 ways.
I waved my hands in the air, trying to stop all other thoughts that was messing up my comprehending ability.
James : 1) Victor fucks Ruhui….she gets pregnant… they strike lottery…
Stephanie added 1 more line to my theory.
Stephanie : Marcus has to die before I get anything if it’s just me, whereas for the other options, everyone gets something once we fulfil his wishes.
I clapped my hands in the air.
James : SOLVED !..
I stood up and raised my hand in the air.
James : Don’t do anything !!! See….
I could already see Stephanie rolling her eyes at me.
James : Elementary my dear Watson. …… Victor hates Ruhui, he won’t fuck her…. No baby….. you win… just don’t marry Matthew….!!! You still get everything !!! just play the waiting game.
When I saw that Stephanie was not amused, I mellowed down and went back to her side upon realising I had missed out something important.
Why did Marcus want Stephanie to marry Matthew ?
Stephanie : Ah gong… is a very practical man…. All man in my family are the same….he knows Matthew…. What a fucker he is…he sleeps around like no tomorrow…
Marcus told Stephanie that marriage is but a contract….It was also a golden opportunity to get back at Ruhui.
That contract, can be easily broken.
In Marcus’s own words “ Imagine the damage you can do to Matthew, when you have his child…. And evidence of him cheating on you…..and let’s not forget…. He is the majority shareholder of Ruhui’s company…..even though he doesn’t do shit “
I could almost feel the cold and the chill as Stephanie told me what her grandfather said.
James : What if you married Matthew, but don’t bear his child ??
Stephanie threw a pillow at me and screamed
Stephanie : I DON’T WANT TO MARRY HIM!!!!
I tried to calm her down and after she did she continued.
Stephanie : No one gets anything unless they gets fucked……
She paused and wiped off her smudged makeup.
Stephanie : Ruhui is not stupid…. She must have anticipated this part of Ah gong’s plan….
James : Isn’t it better ? …. She cannot force you to marry Matthew now …. Isn’t it ?
Stephanie looked at me and what she said, changed my perspective.
Stephanie : Ah gong did it on purpose, he’s a shit stirring jerk !…. he did not want anyone to walk away from the table without taking his shit…
She exhaled and added she did not want any of the money or anything from his will.
Stephanie : I just want a normal life….
I could not believe the bind Marcus’s decision had put everyone in.
Ruhui is now stuck with the choice of having to bear Victor’s child or force her brother to marry Stephanie, which I’m pretty sure he will just so he can fuck her, and hope he doesn’t get caught cheating along the way.
There was no way she could keep her hands off the estate by not doing anything.
She had to do something.
She could either force herself to fuck Victor, which was definitely the easier way out since she could more or less be in control or prayed her brother Matthew could wise up. Then again, there was no telling if Victor would even want to fuck her.
I had barely digested that when Stephanie added another piece of news, completing the puzzle.
Stephanie : Ah gong wants Victor to concentrate on giving him a great grandchild…..Victor has taken long enough, he was made to take a break from work, it’s either that or he will get the board to strip him of his duties….. He can come back on 2 conditions. 1) if I chose to marry Matthew , thereby putting in motion Marcus’s plan 2) Victor fathers a child with Ruhui.
I sucked in a mouthful of air as I gasped at the gravity of the news.
Victor’s wings are clipped.
Stephanie : Calvin and Tim would always stand on Ruhui’s side because she has been lining their pocket for years…. Whatever decision she made, they would do anything to help her. They knew from the time the brokered Victor’s marriage that their reign is over.
James: so essentially, Marcus just fucked everyone…
Stephanie : I guess so…..
James : Wait…. Back to the earlier part, you mentioned Marcus plan to get back at Ruhui was banking heavily on you bearing Matthew’s child and on him cheating, but if that’s the case, why include Matthew’s share in his estate ?
Stephanie : Including him is but a means to tempt him & Ruhui, Ultimately, Marcus wants 2 things, the family name to be carried on and to wack Ruhui’s family….. Ruhui on the other hand, will not take the risk of being cut out of the lottery by being in the game alone. She cannot take that risk.
I sat down on the floor and tried to wrap my mind around the whole thing.
Ruhui will not let Stephanie have everything, I tried to put myself in her shoes. What would I do if I was her ?
I tried to reason and think of it in a logical manner, keeping emotions aside.
What would I be thinking if I was Ruhui right now ?
I would stand the best chance if I voluntarily slept with Victor, get pregnant, and at the same time, get Matthew to marry Stephanie and somehow get her pregnant. That way, essentially, I would have half of the estate, provided my dumbshit brother don’t do anything stupid.
Even if either 1 fails, the other sibling is a backup, not to mention being able to screw up Stephanie’s life along the way by letting my brother fuck her all he wants.
One thing is for sure, if I don’t do anything, I lose.
And I don’t like to lose.
Next, what if I am Victor.
I hate Ruhui, I don’t want to touch her. So if I don’t do anything, I don’t gain anything, I won’t lose anything either, well maybe my job but with my experience and qualifications, there are no lack of opportunities in Singapore and beyond.
So I hold my position, my sister gets everything when Marcus dies, but with my wings clipped, what if Ruhui forces Matthew to marry her one way or the other ?
What about my mother in Malaysia ? Money, expenses, resources ?
Without position and power, there was nothing I could do but look on helplessly as a bystander to everything Ruhui does in the future.
The ideal scenario would be for Stephanie to get everything, she can be in a position of power but Ruhui would not let that happen.
It’s going to be hard for Stephanie to stand up to Ruhui on her own in the meantime. They don’t have the resources to go up against Ruhui.
There is no way Ruhui will sit back and allow Stephanie to get everything if by getting Matthew to marry and fuck her guarantees her family at least a share of the estate.
And for Stephanie , what if I was her ?
If I married Matthew, Victor’s position will be safe, our mother would be cared for, we would have money and resources to do what we want.
It does not solve anything but it buys everyone time.
Time. What everyone needed was time.
Even if I had everything, there was no way I can go up against the likes of Ruhui, I needed Victor.
Besides, Ruhui will never ever allow me to get it all.
What if I wanted to get back at Ruhui’s family, to really fuck them up ? By bearing Matthew’s child, which is not difficult since Matthew wanted to fuck me for the longest time, I could essentially have Matthew’s family by the balls.
We all know the powerful woman’s charter in Singapore.
Add money and power into the potent mixture, you would definitely make a hell of a bang.
Given the situation, it seemed like that was the only thing I can do for the family, and the company, playing right into Marcus’s game of wanting a shot at Ruhui’s family.
All these information flooded into my head like the water from a burst dam. Stephanie and I were quiet as we got lost in our own thoughts, no doubt trying to figure out what was the best course of action.
Does it matter to hit Ruhui where it hurts ?
So what if you have the inheritance ?
How much money can one possibly spend ?
I shook my head, finding it hard to reason it within my inner self.
Perhaps I’m just a normal Singaporean leading an average life. I would never understand.
I had this sudden cold chill run up my spine.
Given how stubborn everyone can get, there’s a real possibility that they would go all out.
You know the saying ‘hug together and die together ‘ ,(抱着一起死) yeah, something along that line. Since we’re all fucked, we’ll take as many as we can along with us.
I tried to find a parallel line of thought, something that would benefit all parties at least for the time being and I came to only one conclusion.
Stephanie had to marry Matthew.
It would give Victor what he needed to plan and work something out. With the marriage sealed, Ruhui knew Stephanie would not get everything, it will buy her some time.
Ruhui could either rape Victor or get Matthew to rape Stephanie.
And by agreeing to the marriage, Stephanie would essentially return her brother to power, ensures their mother stays safe and taken care off and buy more time for herself, aligning with Marcus’s interest.
She might get unexpected help along the way from Marcus as well.
And if she bears Matthew’s child, she gets a real shot at hurting Ruhui if it plays out according to Marcus’s plan. There was no doubt Matthew will continue to sleep around, with the resources at their disposal, it will not be hard to get evidence if he did.
Whether anyone gets fucked in the process no longer matters.
I collapsed onto a heap on the floor the same time Stephanie laid flat out on her bed.
I assumed we must have arrived at the same conclusion at around the same time.
I decided to ask Stephanie a question that was bugging me for the longest time.
Yes, you might be wondering about the empty seat beside Marcus at the table too.
James : Who’s the empty seat for ? Your grandmother?
Stephanie : Yup…. Marcus loved her very much, but she could not stand him any longer, not when he was mad in pursuit of money and power…. She is nice… kind and always has a smile on her face.
Stephanie suddenly stood up and pulled off her dress, leaving only her bra and undies on before heading to her dresser to wipe off her makeup.
Stephanie : I have not seen her since after my A levels. ….
James : Oh… I thought she passed away….that’s why the empty seat..
Stephanie : TSK!!!
She threw a used makeup remover napkin my way before turning back to the mirror.
I looked at her delicious and tight butt and despite feeling horny and all, I was not in the mood for sex. I don’t know why.
If I went over to grab them, I would probably get slapped by Stephanie.
She pulled off her fake eyelashes and said her grandmother left Marcus to go back to Hong kong where her family is.
James : So do you think we stand a chance if we can get her to talk to Marcus ?
Stephanie laughed and said it’s unlikely.
Stephanie : She did not even turn up for Victor’s wedding….. sent a card and red packet though….
James : It’s worth a shot… I mean…
Stephanie cut me off and said it’s not possible. There was no way she would want to come back.
Especially if she knew what Marcus had done to all of them.
Stephanie went to take a long shower and I just laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling