Chapter 5 She Was Expecting A Boyfriend

"What?" Jean couldn't believe what Zed had just said. She was completely stunned.

'He... he is not going to divorce me?'

"You... you can't take back your word so easily! You agreed to the divorce. Besides, you..." Jean spoke in broken sentences. Zed's reply had been so unexpected that Jean's mind was a chaotic mess. Anxiety flooded her and Jean found that she couldn't arrange her thoughts clearly.

In response to her anxious tone, Zed smiled wickedly as he replied, "I should be responsible for you."

Frustrated, Jean threw her hands up in the air. She waved them around as she spoke, "No, you don't have to. I can take care of myself!"

"But I'm not okay with this." In the meanwhile, Zed powered on his computer and clicked on the real-time monitor in his house. Then he selected on the view of the living room. He frowned when he saw Jean pacing in front of the couch. She was biting her fingernails and looked worried.

"As a matter of fact, I am very open-minded. As for you, I don't think you are a fogyish nerd, are you? Society is not as conservative anymore. Nowadays, it's common for people to make love consensually without considering formalities such as marriage. So, Zed, let's just complete the divorce procedure. Then neither of us will be detained. That's the perfect win-win situation."

'Detained?'

Zed frowned. Her unthoughtful choice of words and the way that she described their arrangement ignited a fury inside Zed. Although he tried to control his emotions when he spoke, traces of anger could be sensed, "Unfortunately, I am a fogyish guy for real, Mrs. Qi. Please prepare supper. I will be back soon."

Bibibi...

The sound of the call disconnecting left Jean confused. She looked at the phone in her hand.

'What the hell are you planning, Zed? Are you still joking about the divorce?' Furious and helpless, Jean needed to vent her anger. She grabbed the nearest couch cushion and repeatedly hit the wall with it.

'Wait, I should calm down and think it over carefully. What on earth is this jerk trying to do? Is he thinking I got the land too easily, and so he will try every means to get even?' Jean continued pacing in the living room as she muttered to herself.

'Zed is just a cold-faced devil. It's impossible to guess what he is thinking! The only thing I can do now is to play up to him till he signs the divorce papers of his own accord.'

Having figured out what her next actions should be, Jean quickly headed to the kitchen. She laboriously put together five dishes with meat and vegetables, in addition to a pot of soup.

Jean was comfortable in the kitchen. It was a place where she had spent most of her childhood and teenage years. It started when she was about four years old. Soon after her parents divorce, her father married Joy Yi. A year later, Joy bore a pigeon pair, which delighted her father very much. However, for Jean, the two new-born babies meant additional responsibilities and more housework. Since then, Jean was treated as a domestic worker. By the time Jean had turned 15, her chores had progressed from cleaning and chopping to preparing full meals.

The challenges Jean faced in her early years continued well into her college life. As she neared her graduation, Jean dreamed of leaving home and finding a job far away from her family. She even made the effort to search for work opportunities in different cities! But things did not go as planned for her father unexpectedly arranged her marriage with Zed Qi. Her situation had never reversed. She had simply left one mean and controlling man for another.

Zed walked through the door just as Jean put the pot of soup on the table. This surprised Jean. It was as though he had scheduled his arrival for this meal. Sitting at the table, Jean found that she had lost her appetite. After aimlessly picking at her food, she sat with suspended chopsticks in her hand. Her mind was consumed with thoughts about the divorce. How would she force Zed to honor their previous agreements? She glanced at Zed several times. It seemed as though she was about to ask him for something.

"Hmmm... Zed, about the Residence Booklet*, could you return it to me?"

(*TN: Residence booklet or the Booklet of Registered Permanent Residence is a document held by a Chinese citizen as proof of identity. It is required for marriage and divorce procedures.) Since no one had spoken since Zed's arrival, Jean's question broke the silence at the dining table. Jean couldn't help poking at the bottom of the bowl with her chopsticks. She was so nervous and her movements were so uncoordinated that it seemed as though she might break the bowl.

"No talking while eating." Zed replied curtly before continuing to eat. Jean frowned and studied her husband. The speed with which he was devouring his meal made it look like he was famished.

Jean sighed in resignation. There was no point arguing with Zed. She swallowed her anger and nodded before continuing to pick at her meal.

Zed tasted all the dishes that Jean had prepared. He liked the soup so much that he had two helpings.

"Since there are just two of us, you can make a simpler meal in the future. These dishes are too much for us." Zed remarked after finishing his meal.

'Future?

Is he really determined not to divorce her? How dare he say the word, future?' Jean couldn't take his games anymore. She raised her voice, "What do you mean, Zed? We agreed on a divorce. You cannot take back your words. You cannot ruin my future. I'm looking forward to getting out of this situation and finding a real boyfriend..." Jean grabbed Zed's arm as she spoke. She was so overwhelmed with the idea of spending the rest of her life with his heartless man that she nearly burst into tears.

"Real boyfriend?" 'She is actually considering looking for a new boyfriend! She must think I have no way to make her suffer more, this abandon is the proof.'

Zed abruptly and forcefully shook off her hands.

As a result, Jean lost her balance. She tethered on the edge of her chair and for a split second, Zed thought she might fall. Without thinking, he found himself reaching out and holding her steady. Although still angry, he found himself concerned about Jean. He didn't loosen his grip until he was sure that she was safe.

Zed squinted at Jean. When she made eye contact with him, she noted the strong warning he was giving her. Then he spoke, "You are a married woman. If you cheat on me, that will make me a cuckold. I will not stand for something like that. If that happens, you are doomed for sure!"

Jean shuddered at Zed's threat. However, she soon regained control of herself. She cleared her mind, straightened her body, and spoke with authority, "If you don't want to be a cuckold, then divorce me as soon as possible. I cannot guarantee faithfulness in a fake relationship!"

"Fake? Do you have any proof?" Zed stood and approached Jean threateningly. Soon, his face was just a finger's distance from hers.

Zed didn't have to remind Jean that they had married legally. They had stood before an applicable authority and completed all marriage procedures. They had even consummated their marriage. There was no way left for Jean to claim that their marriage wasn't real.

"Why? Why aren't you honoring the agreement? Why did you change your mind so suddenly? We don't like each other at all, and you have no feelings for me." Jean was bewildered by Zed's actions. In all this time, she had not been able to come up with a plausible explanation for why he wanted to continue this charade. There was no other way for her to get answers, except to ask Zed. And so she did. She blurted out all her questions. Aware that Zed wouldn't take kindly to her behavior, she was too nervous to look at him. She knew that his eyes would be as deep as the sea and as dark as the night sky.

"I just do what I want."

Zed turned around and walked toward the bedroom after his careless and less than satisfactory response.

Jean blinked several times as she tried to make sense of what Zed had just said. He was entitled, yes. He was cold and conceited as well. But did he really think that he could play with a human life?

She satirized, "Of course, you are the big boss, Zed. You have power, you have money, you can do whatever you want!" The anger coursing through Jean left her shaking. She clenched and unclenched her fists several times in an attempt to calm down. However, nothing helped. She whispered curses at Zed's retreating form.

Furious with how things were turning out, Jean tried rationalizing. In her mind, she argued that they had no reason to bind themselves to each other. And she had no reason to be nice to him either. The Booklet while important, would not stop her from moving forward.

With a clear mind, Jean reached a decision. She dragged out her suitcase and packed a few necessities.

Then she made her way to the Wen house. When she arrived home and opened the door, she saw Shirley, her half-sister, sitting on the sofa and smoking. Jean studied her half-sister. Shirley's face was covered in a thick layer of makeup that made her look hideous. It seemed as though her half-sister hadn't changed in all this time that Jean had been away. Realizing that she had company, Shirley looked up. When she saw Jean, Shirley sneered with disdain, "Look who's back. Zed must be ruthless for having kicked you out so soon. Perhaps you did something to deserve it?"

Jean ignored Shirley's ridicule and headed for her room. The moment she opened the door, Jean was shocked by what she saw. Her bed was overflowing with delivery boxes of various kinds. As she looked around, she realized that her whole room was a mess!

"The housekeeper will only come tomorrow. I do believe you will have no place to sleep before she comes to clean. Besides, I didn't expect you to return so soon. The sofa is an alternative place to sleep, don't you think so?" Shirley's derisive tone and taunting comments chipped away at Jean's spirit. She turned to face her half-sister only to find Shirley taking a deep drag of her cigarette before casually tapping the ash onto the floor.

"Why do I have to sleep on the sofa? This is my room and you have made this mess. If you do not clean it up, then I will use your room. Perhaps I'll even move this mess to your room when you step out of the house." Jean tried her best to reason with Shirley.

Annoyed, Shirley threw the burning butt of the cigarette toward Jean. As a quick reflex, Jean raised her hand to stop the cigarette end from hitting her face. Although she blocked it, she burnt her hand. Jean whimpered as the stinging sensation from the burn shot through her arm.

"Huh, funny! Jean Wen, you just cannot win, can you? It would be best if you realized that nothing, not even a grain of dust in this house, belongs to you. How dare you say this is your room? You must have forgotten how this room happened to be yours. Fine, I will remind you. This room was a hand-out from me to you. Since you are married now, you are not welcome here. And so, there is no room left in this house for you. Just get lost!" Shirley, the foul-mouthed woman, didn't stop there. She went a step further by grabbing the broom resting against the wall. She raised it quickly and whacked Jean with the broom. "Shoo... Shoo" Shirley said as though driving away a stray dog.

Jean had restrained herself and been understanding and cooperative with her family right since her father married Joy Yi. Years and years of mockery, beatings and curses had worn Jean down. But now, the pain she felt, both physical and mental enraged her so much that she couldn't bear it anymore. So she caught the broom and yanked it from Shirley's hands.

Shirley had not been expecting such a reaction from Jean. A corner of the broom that had been chipped scratched Shirley's palm. She looked at Jean with frightened eyes, still disbelieving that her sister, who had always been meek, was now rising up against her. As Shirley was trying to snatch the broom back, she saw her parents walking toward them. She then quickly sat on the floor and started to cry, as if she were being bullied.

"Please don't hit me. Please, sister Jean. I'm sorry. It's all my fault." Shirley managed to squeeze out between exaggerated sobs.