Chapter 6 Don't Touch Me

Jean was perplexed by the sudden change in Shirley's behavior. Before she could react, Jean felt someone shoving her. Jean felt a sharp pain as she fell to the ground. As Jean turned to glare at her attacker, she found her father and stepmother, Joy Yi standing at the doorway.

"Why did you beat your sister, Jean?" Her father screamed.

"No, I didn't hit her. I didn't..." Jean's explanation was stopped mid-way as her father had raised his hand and slapped her. Before Jean could utter another word in her defense, her father had grabbed the broom. He approached Jean with a malicious expression.

Knowing what punishment awaited her, Jean cowered in the corner. She tried to protect herself when Mr. Wen started beating her with the broom. Shirley, Jean's half-sister, was on the other side of the room. When she noticed Jean pleading with her, Shirley made obscene hand gestures and smiled triumphantly.

After Mr. Wen was satisfied with the punishment he meted out to Jean, he took away her handbag. Then, he threw Jean out of the house. Covered in bruises and cuts, Jean had no other choice but to walk away. With no phone and no money, she couldn't even call for a cab. As she walked down the street aimlessly, Jean began wondering how she had found herself in this position.

She had come to the Wen house to borrow some money from her father. She needed the help to be able to leave Zed and find a job. She hadn't expected things to go like this. She knew that her father hated her biological mother and that after their divorce, this hatred had been shifted to Jean. Her position in the family had worsened especially after the births of her half-sister, Shirley and half-brother, Winner. However, even though she had often been accused and abused by them, this was the first time that she had been beaten this badly.

The pain and sadness Jean felt clouded her thoughts. After hours of walking, when she finally paid attention to her surroundings, she was surprised to find herself standing in front of Zed's villa. A cool wind began blowing. As it skimmed over the cuts on the back of her hand, she felt a dull stinging sensation.

Zed was watching the real-time feed from the cameras placed outside his villa. He noticed Jean walking up to the gate but turning around without ringing the bell. Zed furrowed his brows as he watched her pace back and forth in front of the gate. It seemed as though she was troubled and trying to reach a decision.

Zed cupped his chin and wondered what was haunting Jean. He zoomed in on her as he intended to study Jean's expression carefully. Any clue of what she was thinking would help him decide what action to take.

He squinted when he saw Jean gently rubbing her hand. As he enlarged the picture, he noticed that Jean's hand was unusually red. He stood so suddenly that his chair fell backward. Remote in hand, Zed pressed the button that opened the gate.

Not expecting the gate to screech open on its own, Jean found herself startled. She took a step back as though intending to leave but saw Zed striding down the driveway. He was dressed in casual day clothes.

A few giant steps later, Zed reached Jean. Before she could hide her hand, Zed grabbed and pulled them toward him. He frowned when he saw the wounds. His eyes simmered with anger as he wondered who had hurt his wife.

"Who did this?" He asked in a low and angry voice.

Jean hurriedly pulled her hands away and hid them behind her. She pressed her lips and shook her head.

Zed frowned as he thought about why Jean would not tell him who hurt her. Decided on an alternate approach, he bent and hugged her instead. With a gentle arm wrapped around her shoulders, Zed led Jean into the villa.

After seating her on the sofa, Zed went to fetch the medicine box. He squatted in front of her before carefully disinfecting her wound and bandaging it. Jean had never known Zed to be this gentle and caring. Zed frowned from the beginning to the end. It was almost as though he were the one who had been injured.

"Did you go back home?" Zed asked coldly, as he finished wrapping her wound in gauze.

Jean lowered her head. She could no longer contain her emotions. Tears freely ran down her cheeks. The combination of sadness, helplessness and anger overwhelmed her. She was heartbroken with how her family had treated her. She wanted to fight back but found herself unable. She had no resources and no one would support and protect her.

Zed was inspecting Jean's arms for more wounds when she grabbed his hands and looked at him with great expectation. "Can the contract for that land be withdrawn?" she asked.

Stunned, Zed felt speechless. After a minute, he nodded.

"That's great!" At last there was something Jean could do to avenge herself. Her stepmother, half-sister, and father had been cruel to her all of these years. Finally, she could find a way to hurt them.

Zed rose to his feet and went to his room. He spotted his cell phone on the table. Then he called his secretary.

"Check the schedule of the land in the suburb."

"The documents we received earlier this afternoon show that the ownership transfer of that land is scheduled in a little while."

"Stop it!"

"What do you mean?"

"Tell Director Zhang that I canceled the transfer."

"Ok, I'll do it right away."

After disconnecting the call, Zed returned to the living room. He stopped at the doorway when he realized that Jean had unbuttoned part of her shirt and was now applying medicine to her shoulder.

Where all had she been hurt? Who had hurt her? These thoughts consumed Zed. Without thinking, Zed marched forward and began unbuttoning her clothes. He needed to see the full extent of her injuries.

"What are you doing?" Jean pushed Zed's hands away and looked at him in astonishment. "I'm injured and my body hurts all over. Keep your hands to yourself!"

"Why? What do you think I am doing?" Her reaction left Zed dumbfounded. He just wanted to see her injuries. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't let him.

Impatient and furious, Zed reached out and ripped her shirt.

Jean hurriedly covered her body with the remains of her torn clothes before turning her back to Zed and cowering.

Zed's eyes widened when he saw the bruises on her arms and shoulders. The shape of the welts all over her body made it obvious that she had been hit by a bar of some sort. Both anger and tender love bubbled in his heart.

"Don't touch me!" As Zed reached out to touch Jean, she angrily pushed him away again and again. Her actions stretched the wounds thus causing her immense pain.