Chapter 12
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12 Days After Wang Yong & Xin Qian's Wedding
As the blood flowed down her wrist and onto the floor, Yu Yan felt as if some kind of burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Her heart felt light and her gaze grew blurry. She was feeling any pain from the wound that she had inflicted upon herself but instead what she was feeling could be described by one word; euphoria. Her lips broke into a serene smile and she felt being sucked into a state of calm void.
"Aaaahhh!" was the last thing that she heard, someone screaming before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.
****************
Everything happened so fast that nobody could digest what actually happened. Xin Qian and Wang Yong had come to stay at Zhao mansion for Yu Yan and Li Qian's pre-wedding celebrations. The family was having dinner when Zhao Wei on noticing that Yu Yan wasn't present at the table so he had sent a maid to call Yu Yan for dinner but they had never thought that they will get to hear the maid's scream instead.
Everybody rushed into Yu Yan's room and found her unconscious and on the floor surrounded by a pool of her own blood. An ambulance was called and Yu Yan was rushed to the hospital, everything happened so fast and whatever happened was so unbelievable. Why would Yu Yan try to commit suicide?
"Why did she do that?" Xin Qian muttered to herself, rubbing the skin above her heart as she tried to ease the pain and panic that she was feeling at that moment.
"What? What happened?" they heard a man's frantic voice.
"Dr. Wu do you have the patient history record with you? Miss Zhao Yu Yan's." the nurse asked.
The man, Dr. Wu handed a file to the nurse who went back inside the operation theatre leaving behind Dr. Wu who was looking extremely worried, "What? What happened to her?" he questioned Zhao Wei.
"How do you know my daughter?" asked Zhao Mei, Yu Yan's mother, and Xin Qian's stepmother.
"You?" the doctor looked confused for a second before he snapped, "You?!" his tone had hints of contempt. But before anybody could ask him anything and without saying another word, Dr. Wu walked away.
****************
The surgery took time because the cut was too deep but thankfully they were able to save Yu Yan. She still hadn't woken up so nobody knew why Yu Yan tried to commit suicide. Xin Qian came back home the next morning to freshen up while Wang Yong was still at the hospital. Xin Qian couldn't help but go inside Yu Yan's room, she didn't know why but she just wanted to go inside her room. Maybe there will be something that might give her a hint about the reason behind Yu Yan's actions.
Yu Yan's room was clean and organized except the dried up blood on the floor. Xin Qian walked around thinking of the few happy memories that she and Yu Yan shared. As Xin Qian was looking around, an earring of hers got loose and fell out of her ear. It was when Xin Qian bent down to pick up her earring that she noticed a book lying below the bed.
Xin Qian pulled it out and realized that it wasn't a book but Yu Yan's personal diary, "Maybe she wrote something in this before she.." she could complete her sentence as she gazed at the diary in her hand. Determined to find the reason behind Yu Yan's attempt at suicide, Xin Qian went to her room to read the contents of the diary.
********
Diary Entry #1
This isn't me, I am not liking this but I have to do it because Dr. Wu said that writing a diary might help me with my condition.
********
"What condition? And Dr. Wu?" the image of the weird doctor that they met last night came into her mind.
********
Diary Entry #2
People say that the pain will lessen as the time passes but mine is only increasing. I think I might have committed many sins in my past life that I am bearing the punishment now. I was 5 years old when it started. That man, my biological father, lost his job and my mother did nothing to help. Instead, she kept on spending money on her parties, shopping and other things which made him mad. I remember it was my birthday when he first hit me. He took the cake that mother had brought and smashed it on my face. He beat me for no mistake of mine and then locked me in the basement.
As the days passed, his assault on me only increased. Mother knew that I was getting beaten by him but she did nothing to stop it. I couldn't do a thing to help myself because I was so scared as to what he will do when he'll find out. I ran away from home once but he caught me. The punishment he gave me that day left many scars, he never hit me on my face though, I guess he was worried that someone would see the bruises and scars. I went for plastic surgery to get rid of the scars he left on my body but what about the scars on my soul and my heart. How will they heal?
********
Bile rose up her throat making Xin Qian want to puke. She couldn't process what she had just read, she didn't know that Yu Yan had been a victim of child abuse. Xin Qian remembered it clearly that Yu Yan had always appeared to be happy since their parents remarried. If she didn't get to read this diary she may have never known that Yu Yan had such a bad childhood.
Curious about Yu Yan's life, Xin Qian continued reading her diary.
********
Diary Entry #3
The day my biological father died I was sad, I was sad because I wasn't feeling even a bit sad about his death. 5 years, for 5 long years I endured everything and when he died I couldn't help but feel extremely happy, happy that I was free, I won't have to be afraid of him because he wasn't going to come back. The happiness was soon replaced by guilt and sadness, I couldn't help but think that I was a bad child for feeling so happy about her father's death.
Then he came in our lives, Mr. Zhao Wei, and everything changed for good. I got that father that I had always wanted, loving, caring and the one who wouldn't hurt me ever. If you ask me then I will say that I have only one father, my Papa Wei. After mother got married to him we both came to live with him and his daughter who's only a few months older than me. I liked Xin Qian the moment we met, I was finally going to have a friend, a companion and more than that, a sister. My biological father didn't let me make any friends and scared away the ones that I had before but now I was going to have one, my sister Xin Qian.
********
Xin Qian's eyes teared up as she read Yu Yan's diary, remembering their happy childhood moments. When her father had told that he was going to bring a new mother and a sister for her, Xin Qian had been very excited. She had felt the same about Yu Yan as because of her shy and introvert nature she hadn't been able to make many friends but then she got Yu Yan. "What changed?" she muttered to herself and continued reading.
********
Diary Entry #4
I didn't like it, it always brought horrible memories back. Since we came to live in Zhao mansion, Mother would always take care of Xin Qian more, always trying to please the 'real' daughter of the Zhao family. Why did she never care about me like that? Ain't I her daughter? For 5 long years, I was getting beaten by my own father and she did nothing, she just didn't care because her parties, her socialite friends were more important than me. And now it was Xin Qian. Don't I deserve to be loved and cared for?
********
It made sense now. Xin Qian remembered how much her step-mother would 'care' for her. She kept on pretending to be a wonderful mother to Xin Qian just to be in her father's good graces. She would pretend to be a good mother in front everybody while in secret and when alone, she would always treat her badly. She didn't hit her ever but her words were hurtful enough. The realization struck like a lightning bolt, that was the time when Yu Yan began distancing herself from her.
********
Diary Entry #5
High school was the worst experience of my life. I wasn't as beautiful looking as I am now. In fact, I was the ugliest girl in the school. Obese, had braces and completely useless. Xin Qian and I got into different sections, she was the elite student while I was the trash. My classmates abused me every day be it verbally or physically. They would hurt me because I wasn't their kind of beautiful, they hurt me because they could, they hurt me because I was afraid.
When Father got to know about it he immediately filed a complaint but the school principal assured him that this won't happen again and thankfully nothing happened for a while. But then it all started over again and so that I wouldn't complain again, they began to scare me with Father's life. They said that their families were powerful enough to hurt Father. How could I let anybody hurt my Papa Wei, he had done so much for me, he's my father?! So I endured, I decided to stay strong for I didn't want anybody to hurt Father.
********
Xin Qian couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. She cursed herself for not being there for Yu Yan. She slid down the floor clutching the diary to her chest and that's how Abigail and Julian found her.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" Abigail asked.
Xin Qian told them about Yu Yan and how much she had suffered. The three friends began reading the rest of the entries wanting to know more, to understand the real Yu Yan.
********
Diary Entry #6
The abuse continued until he came into my life. Meng Rui. He made them stop hitting me, even became my friend. He was the one who brought happiness into my life and was my first crush but I didn't know that he was also like others. Selfish and fake. I got to know about it the hard way. Valentine's day it was I had prepared to confess to Meng Rui. And when I confessed my feelings for him he snubbed me, called me all those hurtful names that the others had been calling me by. he told me that he got close to me because he liked Xin Qian and wanted to pursue her and that he wouldn't have even talked to me otherwise.
********
"That bastard! He proposed me that day and I rejected him. Arrgghh! I wasn't even aware that he was using Yu Yan to get close to me and that he would do this to her after being rejected." Xin Qian wanted to burn Meng Rui, skin him alive and then burn him.
********
Diary Entry #7
I was happy when Xin Qian left to study abroad. Maybe now mother would actually spare me a glance. But hoping was useless, nothing changed. Before starting college I got my scars surgically removed, began dieting and exercising. I wanted to become beautiful and I did. I got beautiful on the outside, people even started calling me a goddess but nobody knew and others forgot as to who Yu Yan was. I lost faith, I became rude and began pushing people away from me. It's easier to be rude and act spoilt than trusting people again only to get hurt in the end. I won't be bullied now.
I concentrated on getting my fashion designing degree, the only thing that I love with passion. Being the most sought-after fashion designer had been my dream for long. It's the only thing keeping me sane.
Everything was going fine and then Xin Qian came back. Father introduced her to Li Qiang, a friend's son for a marriage alliance. Xin Qian agreed and later went back to New York. It was decided that Xin Qian would marry Li Qiang after she will finally shift back home. I was glad that Xin Qian won't be staying with us now.
********
"She was happy about your marriage to Li Qiang?" Julian looked confused.
"Then why did she do what she did?!" Abigail frowned.
Xin Qian looked at the diary and said, "About that, only this diary can tell us."
********
Diary Entry #8
He just won't leave! I don't understand why he keeps me following like that, I don't like it when he tries to get close. Though Xin Qian had left for New York, Li Qiang was still around. He would come home almost every day and would always try to touch me. When I finally confronted him about it he told me that he actually loves me. He said that he agreed to marry Xin Qian only because his parents were forcing him to do that but in reality he loved me, he wanted to marry me. I refused though. Neither do I like him that way nor I want to trust anybody, anymore.
But he's resilient. He kept on pursuing me. He even stood outside in rain, in front of the mansion for the whole night. Could I trust? Mother said I could, she had been good to me lately, so I made the decision to trust Li Qiang. Maybe he is the one for me.
Our relationship only got stronger as the time passed but the time of Xin Qian's arrival was nearing as well. I talked to Li Qiang about coming out in open and asked him to tell Xin Qian that he won't be marrying her but Li Qiang said that he would talk to Xin Qian face to face when she would come. I believed him.
But even after Xin Qian came back, Li Qiang would always dismiss me saying that he was waiting for the right time. I don't want to be somebody's dirty secret plus Father had brought Wang Yong's proposal for me. I have heard that he isn't a nice guy, that he is scary, rude and also handicapped. Mother told me to do something soon and so I did. I just wanted Xin Qian to see me and Li Qiang together but Mother suggested that I should do something so that Xin Qian would be the one to marry Wang Yong. She asked me to drug her and make them sleep together.
********
"Okay.." Julian trailed off, "This explains as to why she did all that. But the question still stands, why would she try to commit suicide?" he asked because there weren't any more entries in the diary.
Abigail pinched the bridge of her nose and gulped hard, "I know why she tried to kill herself." she announced making Xin Qian and Julian stare at her.
"Why?" Xin Qian asked.
Abigail unlocked her cell phone, "Somebody sent this video to me this morning." she said as she clicked the play button. The video was of Li Qiang, naked on the bed with an unknown woman snuggled to his side.
"So are you still going to marry that Yu Yan?" the woman asked.
"Of course sweetheart." chuckled Li Qiang, "No matter if she is made the heir of Zhao enterprises or not but she is still Zhao Wei's daughter, he wouldn't leave his daughter stranded like that. Plus Yu Yan is more easy to deal with that Xin Qian."
Li Qiang took out a cigarette and began smoking, "Had she not exposed our relationship in front of Xin Qian like that, I would have continued playing with both of them."
Xin Qian felt her fury rise like a jungle fire within her as she heard what Li Qiang had to say.
"I had thought that I will keep both my options available, I would marry the woman Zhao Wei will declare as his heir but before that could happen Yu Yan completely messed it up. Now I had to confess in front of Xin Qian that I am in love with Yu Yan, at-least that way I would still have Yu Yan in the palm of my hand. Had I said that it was a mistake or something like that I would have lost both my options."
"Hehe.." the woman giggled, "She's such a stupid woman to believe you and fall in love with you."
"Aren't you a fool as well, then?" Li Qiang teased.
Before the woman could reply, they heard something crash in the background. The three friends saw Yu Yan enter the room, her expressions couldn't be seen in the video but her shoulders were slumped, "Why would you do this to me?" Yu Yan asked in croaked voice.
The video ended there. Abigail placed her cell phone aside and looked at Xin Qian who had a murderous expression on her face. "Qi Qi.."
"So she tried to kill herself because of this ultimate betrayal. It must have been so hard on her, trying to keep it all inside." Julian's voice was soft.
Xin Qian's eyes were red and her fists clenched hard, "How dare he hurt Yu Yan?! How dare he hurt my sister?!" she yelled out as she saw red. Li Qiang would be punished! He would pay for what he did to Yu Yan. "Nobody can harm my sister and get away with it."
"Who sent you the video, by the way?" Julian questioned Abigail.
"I don't know." Abigail answered truthfully.
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12 Days After Wang Yong & Xin Qian's Wedding
As the blood flowed down her wrist and onto the floor, Yu Yan felt as if some kind of burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Her heart felt light and her gaze grew blurry. She was feeling any pain from the wound that she had inflicted upon herself but instead what she was feeling could be described by one word; euphoria. Her lips broke into a serene smile and she felt being sucked into a state of calm void.
"Aaaahhh!" was the last thing that she heard, someone screaming before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.
****************
Everything happened so fast that nobody could digest what actually happened. Xin Qian and Wang Yong had come to stay at Zhao mansion for Yu Yan and Li Qian's pre-wedding celebrations. The family was having dinner when Zhao Wei on noticing that Yu Yan wasn't present at the table so he had sent a maid to call Yu Yan for dinner but they had never thought that they will get to hear the maid's scream instead.
Everybody rushed into Yu Yan's room and found her unconscious and on the floor surrounded by a pool of her own blood. An ambulance was called and Yu Yan was rushed to the hospital, everything happened so fast and whatever happened was so unbelievable. Why would Yu Yan try to commit suicide?
"Why did she do that?" Xin Qian muttered to herself, rubbing the skin above her heart as she tried to ease the pain and panic that she was feeling at that moment.
"What? What happened?" they heard a man's frantic voice.
"Dr. Wu do you have the patient history record with you? Miss Zhao Yu Yan's." the nurse asked.
The man, Dr. Wu handed a file to the nurse who went back inside the operation theatre leaving behind Dr. Wu who was looking extremely worried, "What? What happened to her?" he questioned Zhao Wei.
"How do you know my daughter?" asked Zhao Mei, Yu Yan's mother, and Xin Qian's stepmother.
"You?" the doctor looked confused for a second before he snapped, "You?!" his tone had hints of contempt. But before anybody could ask him anything and without saying another word, Dr. Wu walked away.
****************
The surgery took time because the cut was too deep but thankfully they were able to save Yu Yan. She still hadn't woken up so nobody knew why Yu Yan tried to commit suicide. Xin Qian came back home the next morning to freshen up while Wang Yong was still at the hospital. Xin Qian couldn't help but go inside Yu Yan's room, she didn't know why but she just wanted to go inside her room. Maybe there will be something that might give her a hint about the reason behind Yu Yan's actions.
Yu Yan's room was clean and organized except the dried up blood on the floor. Xin Qian walked around thinking of the few happy memories that she and Yu Yan shared. As Xin Qian was looking around, an earring of hers got loose and fell out of her ear. It was when Xin Qian bent down to pick up her earring that she noticed a book lying below the bed.
Xin Qian pulled it out and realized that it wasn't a book but Yu Yan's personal diary, "Maybe she wrote something in this before she.." she could complete her sentence as she gazed at the diary in her hand. Determined to find the reason behind Yu Yan's attempt at suicide, Xin Qian went to her room to read the contents of the diary.
********
Diary Entry #1
This isn't me, I am not liking this but I have to do it because Dr. Wu said that writing a diary might help me with my condition.
********
"What condition? And Dr. Wu?" the image of the weird doctor that they met last night came into her mind.
********
Diary Entry #2
People say that the pain will lessen as the time passes but mine is only increasing. I think I might have committed many sins in my past life that I am bearing the punishment now. I was 5 years old when it started. That man, my biological father, lost his job and my mother did nothing to help. Instead, she kept on spending money on her parties, shopping and other things which made him mad. I remember it was my birthday when he first hit me. He took the cake that mother had brought and smashed it on my face. He beat me for no mistake of mine and then locked me in the basement.
As the days passed, his assault on me only increased. Mother knew that I was getting beaten by him but she did nothing to stop it. I couldn't do a thing to help myself because I was so scared as to what he will do when he'll find out. I ran away from home once but he caught me. The punishment he gave me that day left many scars, he never hit me on my face though, I guess he was worried that someone would see the bruises and scars. I went for plastic surgery to get rid of the scars he left on my body but what about the scars on my soul and my heart. How will they heal?
********
Bile rose up her throat making Xin Qian want to puke. She couldn't process what she had just read, she didn't know that Yu Yan had been a victim of child abuse. Xin Qian remembered it clearly that Yu Yan had always appeared to be happy since their parents remarried. If she didn't get to read this diary she may have never known that Yu Yan had such a bad childhood.
Curious about Yu Yan's life, Xin Qian continued reading her diary.
********
Diary Entry #3
The day my biological father died I was sad, I was sad because I wasn't feeling even a bit sad about his death. 5 years, for 5 long years I endured everything and when he died I couldn't help but feel extremely happy, happy that I was free, I won't have to be afraid of him because he wasn't going to come back. The happiness was soon replaced by guilt and sadness, I couldn't help but think that I was a bad child for feeling so happy about her father's death.
Then he came in our lives, Mr. Zhao Wei, and everything changed for good. I got that father that I had always wanted, loving, caring and the one who wouldn't hurt me ever. If you ask me then I will say that I have only one father, my Papa Wei. After mother got married to him we both came to live with him and his daughter who's only a few months older than me. I liked Xin Qian the moment we met, I was finally going to have a friend, a companion and more than that, a sister. My biological father didn't let me make any friends and scared away the ones that I had before but now I was going to have one, my sister Xin Qian.
********
Xin Qian's eyes teared up as she read Yu Yan's diary, remembering their happy childhood moments. When her father had told that he was going to bring a new mother and a sister for her, Xin Qian had been very excited. She had felt the same about Yu Yan as because of her shy and introvert nature she hadn't been able to make many friends but then she got Yu Yan. "What changed?" she muttered to herself and continued reading.
********
Diary Entry #4
I didn't like it, it always brought horrible memories back. Since we came to live in Zhao mansion, Mother would always take care of Xin Qian more, always trying to please the 'real' daughter of the Zhao family. Why did she never care about me like that? Ain't I her daughter? For 5 long years, I was getting beaten by my own father and she did nothing, she just didn't care because her parties, her socialite friends were more important than me. And now it was Xin Qian. Don't I deserve to be loved and cared for?
********
It made sense now. Xin Qian remembered how much her step-mother would 'care' for her. She kept on pretending to be a wonderful mother to Xin Qian just to be in her father's good graces. She would pretend to be a good mother in front everybody while in secret and when alone, she would always treat her badly. She didn't hit her ever but her words were hurtful enough. The realization struck like a lightning bolt, that was the time when Yu Yan began distancing herself from her.
********
Diary Entry #5
High school was the worst experience of my life. I wasn't as beautiful looking as I am now. In fact, I was the ugliest girl in the school. Obese, had braces and completely useless. Xin Qian and I got into different sections, she was the elite student while I was the trash. My classmates abused me every day be it verbally or physically. They would hurt me because I wasn't their kind of beautiful, they hurt me because they could, they hurt me because I was afraid.
When Father got to know about it he immediately filed a complaint but the school principal assured him that this won't happen again and thankfully nothing happened for a while. But then it all started over again and so that I wouldn't complain again, they began to scare me with Father's life. They said that their families were powerful enough to hurt Father. How could I let anybody hurt my Papa Wei, he had done so much for me, he's my father?! So I endured, I decided to stay strong for I didn't want anybody to hurt Father.
********
Xin Qian couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. She cursed herself for not being there for Yu Yan. She slid down the floor clutching the diary to her chest and that's how Abigail and Julian found her.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" Abigail asked.
Xin Qian told them about Yu Yan and how much she had suffered. The three friends began reading the rest of the entries wanting to know more, to understand the real Yu Yan.
********
Diary Entry #6
The abuse continued until he came into my life. Meng Rui. He made them stop hitting me, even became my friend. He was the one who brought happiness into my life and was my first crush but I didn't know that he was also like others. Selfish and fake. I got to know about it the hard way. Valentine's day it was I had prepared to confess to Meng Rui. And when I confessed my feelings for him he snubbed me, called me all those hurtful names that the others had been calling me by. he told me that he got close to me because he liked Xin Qian and wanted to pursue her and that he wouldn't have even talked to me otherwise.
********
"That bastard! He proposed me that day and I rejected him. Arrgghh! I wasn't even aware that he was using Yu Yan to get close to me and that he would do this to her after being rejected." Xin Qian wanted to burn Meng Rui, skin him alive and then burn him.
********
Diary Entry #7
I was happy when Xin Qian left to study abroad. Maybe now mother would actually spare me a glance. But hoping was useless, nothing changed. Before starting college I got my scars surgically removed, began dieting and exercising. I wanted to become beautiful and I did. I got beautiful on the outside, people even started calling me a goddess but nobody knew and others forgot as to who Yu Yan was. I lost faith, I became rude and began pushing people away from me. It's easier to be rude and act spoilt than trusting people again only to get hurt in the end. I won't be bullied now.
I concentrated on getting my fashion designing degree, the only thing that I love with passion. Being the most sought-after fashion designer had been my dream for long. It's the only thing keeping me sane.
Everything was going fine and then Xin Qian came back. Father introduced her to Li Qiang, a friend's son for a marriage alliance. Xin Qian agreed and later went back to New York. It was decided that Xin Qian would marry Li Qiang after she will finally shift back home. I was glad that Xin Qian won't be staying with us now.
********
"She was happy about your marriage to Li Qiang?" Julian looked confused.
"Then why did she do what she did?!" Abigail frowned.
Xin Qian looked at the diary and said, "About that, only this diary can tell us."
********
Diary Entry #8
He just won't leave! I don't understand why he keeps me following like that, I don't like it when he tries to get close. Though Xin Qian had left for New York, Li Qiang was still around. He would come home almost every day and would always try to touch me. When I finally confronted him about it he told me that he actually loves me. He said that he agreed to marry Xin Qian only because his parents were forcing him to do that but in reality he loved me, he wanted to marry me. I refused though. Neither do I like him that way nor I want to trust anybody, anymore.
But he's resilient. He kept on pursuing me. He even stood outside in rain, in front of the mansion for the whole night. Could I trust? Mother said I could, she had been good to me lately, so I made the decision to trust Li Qiang. Maybe he is the one for me.
Our relationship only got stronger as the time passed but the time of Xin Qian's arrival was nearing as well. I talked to Li Qiang about coming out in open and asked him to tell Xin Qian that he won't be marrying her but Li Qiang said that he would talk to Xin Qian face to face when she would come. I believed him.
But even after Xin Qian came back, Li Qiang would always dismiss me saying that he was waiting for the right time. I don't want to be somebody's dirty secret plus Father had brought Wang Yong's proposal for me. I have heard that he isn't a nice guy, that he is scary, rude and also handicapped. Mother told me to do something soon and so I did. I just wanted Xin Qian to see me and Li Qiang together but Mother suggested that I should do something so that Xin Qian would be the one to marry Wang Yong. She asked me to drug her and make them sleep together.
********
"Okay.." Julian trailed off, "This explains as to why she did all that. But the question still stands, why would she try to commit suicide?" he asked because there weren't any more entries in the diary.
Abigail pinched the bridge of her nose and gulped hard, "I know why she tried to kill herself." she announced making Xin Qian and Julian stare at her.
"Why?" Xin Qian asked.
Abigail unlocked her cell phone, "Somebody sent this video to me this morning." she said as she clicked the play button. The video was of Li Qiang, naked on the bed with an unknown woman snuggled to his side.
"So are you still going to marry that Yu Yan?" the woman asked.
"Of course sweetheart." chuckled Li Qiang, "No matter if she is made the heir of Zhao enterprises or not but she is still Zhao Wei's daughter, he wouldn't leave his daughter stranded like that. Plus Yu Yan is more easy to deal with that Xin Qian."
Li Qiang took out a cigarette and began smoking, "Had she not exposed our relationship in front of Xin Qian like that, I would have continued playing with both of them."
Xin Qian felt her fury rise like a jungle fire within her as she heard what Li Qiang had to say.
"I had thought that I will keep both my options available, I would marry the woman Zhao Wei will declare as his heir but before that could happen Yu Yan completely messed it up. Now I had to confess in front of Xin Qian that I am in love with Yu Yan, at-least that way I would still have Yu Yan in the palm of my hand. Had I said that it was a mistake or something like that I would have lost both my options."
"Hehe.." the woman giggled, "She's such a stupid woman to believe you and fall in love with you."
"Aren't you a fool as well, then?" Li Qiang teased.
Before the woman could reply, they heard something crash in the background. The three friends saw Yu Yan enter the room, her expressions couldn't be seen in the video but her shoulders were slumped, "Why would you do this to me?" Yu Yan asked in croaked voice.
The video ended there. Abigail placed her cell phone aside and looked at Xin Qian who had a murderous expression on her face. "Qi Qi.."
"So she tried to kill herself because of this ultimate betrayal. It must have been so hard on her, trying to keep it all inside." Julian's voice was soft.
Xin Qian's eyes were red and her fists clenched hard, "How dare he hurt Yu Yan?! How dare he hurt my sister?!" she yelled out as she saw red. Li Qiang would be punished! He would pay for what he did to Yu Yan. "Nobody can harm my sister and get away with it."
"Who sent you the video, by the way?" Julian questioned Abigail.
"I don't know." Abigail answered truthfully.
12 Days After Wang Yong & Xin Qian's WeddingAs the blood flowed down her wrist and onto the floor, Yu Yan felt as if some kind of burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Her heart felt light and her gaze grew blurry. She was feeling any pain from the wound that she had inflicted upon herself but instead what she was feeling could be described by one word; euphoria. Her lips broke into a serene smile and she felt being sucked into a state of calm void."Aaaahhh!" was the last thing that she heard, someone screaming before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.****************Everything happened so fast that nobody could digest what actually happened. Xin Qian and Wang Yong had come to stay at Zhao mansion for Yu Yan and Li Qian's pre-wedding celebrations. The family was having dinner when Zhao Wei on noticing that Yu Yan wasn't present at the table so he had sent a maid to call Yu Yan for dinner but they had never thought that they will get to hear the maid's scream instead.Everybody rushed into Yu Yan's room and found her unconscious and on the floor surrounded by a pool of her own blood. An ambulance was called and Yu Yan was rushed to the hospital, everything happened so fast and whatever happened was so unbelievable. Why would Yu Yan try to commit suicide?"Why did she do that?" Xin Qian muttered to herself, rubbing the skin above her heart as she tried to ease the pain and panic that she was feeling at that moment."What? What happened?" they heard a man's frantic voice."Dr. Wu do you have the patient history record with you? Miss Zhao Yu Yan's." the nurse asked.The man, Dr. Wu handed a file to the nurse who went back inside the operation theatre leaving behind Dr. Wu who was looking extremely worried, "What? What happened to her?" he questioned Zhao Wei."How do you know my daughter?" asked Zhao Mei, Yu Yan's mother, and Xin Qian's stepmother."You?" the doctor looked confused for a second before he snapped, "You?!" his tone had hints of contempt. But before anybody could ask him anything and without saying another word, Dr. Wu walked away.****************The surgery took time because the cut was too deep but thankfully they were able to save Yu Yan. She still hadn't woken up so nobody knew why Yu Yan tried to commit suicide. Xin Qian came back home the next morning to freshen up while Wang Yong was still at the hospital. Xin Qian couldn't help but go inside Yu Yan's room, she didn't know why but she just wanted to go inside her room. Maybe there will be something that might give her a hint about the reason behind Yu Yan's actions.Yu Yan's room was clean and organized except the dried up blood on the floor. Xin Qian walked around thinking of the few happy memories that she and Yu Yan shared. As Xin Qian was looking around, an earring of hers got loose and fell out of her ear. It was when Xin Qian bent down to pick up her earring that she noticed a book lying below the bed.Xin Qian pulled it out and realized that it wasn't a book but Yu Yan's personal diary, "Maybe she wrote something in this before she.." she could complete her sentence as she gazed at the diary in her hand. Determined to find the reason behind Yu Yan's attempt at suicide, Xin Qian went to her room to read the contents of the diary.********Diary Entry #1This isn't me, I am not liking this but I have to do it because Dr. Wu said that writing a diary might help me with my condition.********"What condition? And Dr. Wu?" the image of the weird doctor that they met last night came into her mind.********Diary Entry #2People say that the pain will lessen as the time passes but mine is only increasing. I think I might have committed many sins in my past life that I am bearing the punishment now. I was 5 years old when it started. That man, my biological father, lost his job and my mother did nothing to help. Instead, she kept on spending money on her parties, shopping and other things which made him mad. I remember it was my birthday when he first hit me. He took the cake that mother had brought and smashed it on my face. He beat me for no mistake of mine and then locked me in the basement.As the days passed, his assault on me only increased. Mother knew that I was getting beaten by him but she did nothing to stop it. I couldn't do a thing to help myself because I was so scared as to what he will do when he'll find out. I ran away from home once but he caught me. The punishment he gave me that day left many scars, he never hit me on my face though, I guess he was worried that someone would see the bruises and scars. I went for plastic surgery to get rid of the scars he left on my body but what about the scars on my soul and my heart. How will they heal?********Bile rose up her throat making Xin Qian want to puke. She couldn't process what she had just read, she didn't know that Yu Yan had been a victim of child abuse. Xin Qian remembered it clearly that Yu Yan had always appeared to be happy since their parents remarried. If she didn't get to read this diary she may have never known that Yu Yan had such a bad childhood.Curious about Yu Yan's life, Xin Qian continued reading her diary.********Diary Entry #3The day my biological father died I was sad, I was sad because I wasn't feeling even a bit sad about his death. 5 years, for 5 long years I endured everything and when he died I couldn't help but feel extremely happy, happy that I was free, I won't have to be afraid of him because he wasn't going to come back. The happiness was soon replaced by guilt and sadness, I couldn't help but think that I was a bad child for feeling so happy about her father's death.Then he came in our lives, Mr. Zhao Wei, and everything changed for good. I got that father that I had always wanted, loving, caring and the one who wouldn't hurt me ever. If you ask me then I will say that I have only one father, my Papa Wei. After mother got married to him we both came to live with him and his daughter who's only a few months older than me. I liked Xin Qian the moment we met, I was finally going to have a friend, a companion and more than that, a sister. My biological father didn't let me make any friends and scared away the ones that I had before but now I was going to have one, my sister Xin Qian.********Xin Qian's eyes teared up as she read Yu Yan's diary, remembering their happy childhood moments. When her father had told that he was going to bring a new mother and a sister for her, Xin Qian had been very excited. She had felt the same about Yu Yan as because of her shy and introvert nature she hadn't been able to make many friends but then she got Yu Yan. "What changed?" she muttered to herself and continued reading.********Diary Entry #4I didn't like it, it always brought horrible memories back. Since we came to live in Zhao mansion, Mother would always take care of Xin Qian more, always trying to please the 'real' daughter of the Zhao family. Why did she never care about me like that? Ain't I her daughter? For 5 long years, I was getting beaten by my own father and she did nothing, she just didn't care because her parties, her socialite friends were more important than me. And now it was Xin Qian. Don't I deserve to be loved and cared for?********It made sense now. Xin Qian remembered how much her step-mother would 'care' for her. She kept on pretending to be a wonderful mother to Xin Qian just to be in her father's good graces. She would pretend to be a good mother in front everybody while in secret and when alone, she would always treat her badly. She didn't hit her ever but her words were hurtful enough. The realization struck like a lightning bolt, that was the time when Yu Yan began distancing herself from her.********Diary Entry #5High school was the worst experience of my life. I wasn't as beautiful looking as I am now. In fact, I was the ugliest girl in the school. Obese, had braces and completely useless. Xin Qian and I got into different sections, she was the elite student while I was the trash. My classmates abused me every day be it verbally or physically. They would hurt me because I wasn't their kind of beautiful, they hurt me because they could, they hurt me because I was afraid.When Father got to know about it he immediately filed a complaint but the school principal assured him that this won't happen again and thankfully nothing happened for a while. But then it all started over again and so that I wouldn't complain again, they began to scare me with Father's life. They said that their families were powerful enough to hurt Father. How could I let anybody hurt my Papa Wei, he had done so much for me, he's my father?! So I endured, I decided to stay strong for I didn't want anybody to hurt Father.********Xin Qian couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. She cursed herself for not being there for Yu Yan. She slid down the floor clutching the diary to her chest and that's how Abigail and Julian found her."What happened? Why are you crying?" Abigail asked.Xin Qian told them about Yu Yan and how much she had suffered. The three friends began reading the rest of the entries wanting to know more, to understand the real Yu Yan.********Diary Entry #6The abuse continued until he came into my life. Meng Rui. He made them stop hitting me, even became my friend. He was the one who brought happiness into my life and was my first crush but I didn't know that he was also like others. Selfish and fake. I got to know about it the hard way. Valentine's day it was I had prepared to confess to Meng Rui. And when I confessed my feelings for him he snubbed me, called me all those hurtful names that the others had been calling me by. he told me that he got close to me because he liked Xin Qian and wanted to pursue her and that he wouldn't have even talked to me otherwise.********"That bastard! He proposed me that day and I rejected him. Arrgghh! I wasn't even aware that he was using Yu Yan to get close to me and that he would do this to her after being rejected." Xin Qian wanted to burn Meng Rui, skin him alive and then burn him.********Diary Entry #7I was happy when Xin Qian left to study abroad. Maybe now mother would actually spare me a glance. But hoping was useless, nothing changed. Before starting college I got my scars surgically removed, began dieting and exercising. I wanted to become beautiful and I did. I got beautiful on the outside, people even started calling me a goddess but nobody knew and others forgot as to who Yu Yan was. I lost faith, I became rude and began pushing people away from me. It's easier to be rude and act spoilt than trusting people again only to get hurt in the end. I won't be bullied now.I concentrated on getting my fashion designing degree, the only thing that I love with passion. Being the most sought-after fashion designer had been my dream for long. It's the only thing keeping me sane.Everything was going fine and then Xin Qian came back. Father introduced her to Li Qiang, a friend's son for a marriage alliance. Xin Qian agreed and later went back to New York. It was decided that Xin Qian would marry Li Qiang after she will finally shift back home. I was glad that Xin Qian won't be staying with us now.********"She was happy about your marriage to Li Qiang?" Julian looked confused."Then why did she do what she did?!" Abigail frowned.Xin Qian looked at the diary and said, "About that, only this diary can tell us."********Diary Entry #8He just won't leave! I don't understand why he keeps me following like that, I don't like it when he tries to get close. Though Xin Qian had left for New York, Li Qiang was still around. He would come home almost every day and would always try to touch me. When I finally confronted him about it he told me that he actually loves me. He said that he agreed to marry Xin Qian only because his parents were forcing him to do that but in reality he loved me, he wanted to marry me. I refused though. Neither do I like him that way nor I want to trust anybody, anymore.But he's resilient. He kept on pursuing me. He even stood outside in rain, in front of the mansion for the whole night. Could I trust? Mother said I could, she had been good to me lately, so I made the decision to trust Li Qiang. Maybe he is the one for me.Our relationship only got stronger as the time passed but the time of Xin Qian's arrival was nearing as well. I talked to Li Qiang about coming out in open and asked him to tell Xin Qian that he won't be marrying her but Li Qiang said that he would talk to Xin Qian face to face when she would come. I believed him.But even after Xin Qian came back, Li Qiang would always dismiss me saying that he was waiting for the right time. I don't want to be somebody's dirty secret plus Father had brought Wang Yong's proposal for me. I have heard that he isn't a nice guy, that he is scary, rude and also handicapped. Mother told me to do something soon and so I did. I just wanted Xin Qian to see me and Li Qiang together but Mother suggested that I should do something so that Xin Qian would be the one to marry Wang Yong. She asked me to drug her and make them sleep together.********"Okay.." Julian trailed off, "This explains as to why she did all that. But the question still stands, why would she try to commit suicide?" he asked because there weren't any more entries in the diary.Abigail pinched the bridge of her nose and gulped hard, "I know why she tried to kill herself." she announced making Xin Qian and Julian stare at her."Why?" Xin Qian asked.Abigail unlocked her cell phone, "Somebody sent this video to me this morning." she said as she clicked the play button. The video was of Li Qiang, naked on the bed with an unknown woman snuggled to his side."So are you still going to marry that Yu Yan?" the woman asked."Of course sweetheart." chuckled Li Qiang, "No matter if she is made the heir of Zhao enterprises or not but she is still Zhao Wei's daughter, he wouldn't leave his daughter stranded like that. Plus Yu Yan is more easy to deal with that Xin Qian."Li Qiang took out a cigarette and began smoking, "Had she not exposed our relationship in front of Xin Qian like that, I would have continued playing with both of them."Xin Qian felt her fury rise like a jungle fire within her as she heard what Li Qiang had to say."I had thought that I will keep both my options available, I would marry the woman Zhao Wei will declare as his heir but before that could happen Yu Yan completely messed it up. Now I had to confess in front of Xin Qian that I am in love with Yu Yan, at-least that way I would still have Yu Yan in the palm of my hand. Had I said that it was a mistake or something like that I would have lost both my options.""Hehe.." the woman giggled, "She's such a stupid woman to believe you and fall in love with you.""Aren't you a fool as well, then?" Li Qiang teased.Before the woman could reply, they heard something crash in the background. The three friends saw Yu Yan enter the room, her expressions couldn't be seen in the video but her shoulders were slumped, "Why would you do this to me?" Yu Yan asked in croaked voice.The video ended there. Abigail placed her cell phone aside and looked at Xin Qian who had a murderous expression on her face. "Qi Qi..""So she tried to kill herself because of this ultimate betrayal. It must have been so hard on her, trying to keep it all inside." Julian's voice was soft.Xin Qian's eyes were red and her fists clenched hard, "How dare he hurt Yu Yan?! How dare he hurt my sister?!" she yelled out as she saw red. Li Qiang would be punished! He would pay for what he did to Yu Yan. "Nobody can harm my sister and get away with it.""Who sent you the video, by the way?" Julian questioned Abigail."I don't know." Abigail answered truthfully.
