Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“I’m stuffed. What’s the plan now? Do you want to go home or go walk this food off and get some fresh air?” Linlin yawned, dabbing her mouth with her napkin and leaned back in her chair to stretch out. TangShi rubbed her now full belly and turned to look at the weather outside the huge glass window of the café. The rain had dried up, and although it was still overcast, it wasn’t as grey or cold and the sun was pushing through with hopes of a nicer day.

It had been a pleasant quiet late breakfast, with small talk and happy vibes. Feeling a little more normal and how they used to be before this whole mess.

“I don’t feel like dealing with people, so anywhere that people are not.” TangShi sighed, relaxing now she was fed and a little tired. Between morning sickness and fatigue it had limited her ability to do much.

“How about driving to Jinshan city beach? It’s a little over an hour to get there. We could make it a whole day of girl time.” Linlin didn’t want to go home either. All she had going on this week was free time since her fashion class was on a break. Being stuck at home made her claustrophobic and gave her too much thinking time to ponder ZhengLi and his mystery woman and she would end up doing something stupid like barging into his office for answers.

“Sounds like a good plan. I could use some sea air and tranquility even if it’s cold and wet.” TangShi was enjoying dodging life today, knowing YuZhi had set her up so many appointments in the next two weeks related to this fetus and her wellbeing. This felt like a stop gap before reality set in.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Come on then, breakfast is on me.” Linlin made a move first and went to the counter to pay their bill as TangShi stretched out, got up, and wandered out the door. Lost in her own daydreams about nothing in particular and waited for Linlin in the warmer sunshine. She had made a mental deal with herself today to let everything pass by and spend one whole day not pondering or thinking about her troubles. Enjoy her Linlin time.

“All done…. Let’s go to the beach.” Linlin bounced out beside her, linking arms merrily, and guided her carefully across the busy street to the car park space where her shining orange baby was resting. Happy to be out doing something. Glad that TangShi seemed to be coming through the worst and out the other side and her relationship with YuZhi was back on track. There were still bumps ahead but TangShi was pulling through and it warmed Linlin’s heart to see it. The baby thing wasn’t exactly great but she had faith they would make it work.

Linlin went to slide into her side of the car, turning around with a second glance because a flash of light caught her eye and searched along the narrow road behind them to see what it was. Lot’s of cars parked neatly in line and she assumed it was sunlight on a window or something, noting the furthest vehicle which was black had just shut their door. She waved it off, got in, and got them out of their parking spot in record time. Navigating along the narrow street as she set her sat nav to their new route.

“YuZhi and ZhengLi have a two-hour meeting so we won’t be hearing from them for a while.” TangShi laid down her phone after checking her messages, and yawned, uncurling like a cat and poked Linlin in the temple with a smile. Unusually smiley and fun today and put it down to having better sleep nowadays while back in bed with YuZhi.

“Pffft. ZhengLi doesn’t text me all that much when he’s at work anyway. I haven’t heard from him today.” She flicked her eyes to her mirrors, to check before pulling out and turning off the street, aware of traffic behind them and got to focusing on listening to the directions.

“Didn’t you come from his this morning?” TangShi asked innocently, sure that’s what she had said when she picked her up.

“Hmmm, yeah. We had an argument and I left. I haven’t heard from him since because he tends to leave me to sulk.” Linlin ‘s attention was caught by a flash of black behind them. A car overtaking traffic and ending up two behind them and she checked her mirrors again before moving off in speed.

“Girl, stop making problems and ask him for honesty. Either way you’ll know and then you can decide what to do from there. He already committed to you once, I honestly don’t think he would start dating again without saying something. They have female friends. I mean, look at Rhea.” TangShi pointed out, knowing ZhengLi had a much wider social group than YuZhi did and glad YuZhi didn’t seem to hang out with women all that much anymore. ZhengLi having dinner with a female friend wasn’t all that unusual.

“I know. And I have male friends, it’s just….. I never thought I would be this kind of girlfriend and it’s making me crazy. I want so badly to trust him but after spending years pushing men away and having multiple dates on the go, I think this is me projecting.” Linlin clenched the wheel, sighing at her own stupidity as she knew this was all on her.

“I think so too and all the more reason to talk it out with him and open up. You never do that with anyone besides me. If you want a future with him then you have to be frank and clear. ZhengLi is about the most levelheaded and easy to talk to guy I have ever met.” Which sometimes baffled TangShi why he was so crazy about Linlin, who was hot headed, irrational, and sometimes a little insane.

“I know, I get it and …. what is with my steering.” Linlin was distracted by a slight heaviness as she turned, frowning in confusion at her wheel and flashing her eyes over her dash. She wiggled it, a little unsure of what she was feeling. Worried her power steering was giving up but this car was only a few months old and had recently been serviced.

“What’s wrong?” TangShi looked over at the wheel and the dash too, expecting to see something but there was nothing. There were no lights or warning signs and she couldn’t feel what Linlin was talking about.

“It feels odd. Maybe we should head back and call for my car to get collected and checked. You know how paranoid I am about breaking down when we’re miles away from home.” Linlin swung the car into a U turn, heading back down an alley to get them back to the main road and found them in unfamiliar surroundings. Navigating slowly to find the way back out as the sat nav recalculated and her steering got a little worse. Not familiar with these streets and looking for a way to get back to the highway.

“Wait… I feel something. Vibration starting on this side.” TangShi sat upright, stiffening as the sensation moved though the car under her seat and was accompanied by a loud flapping noise that came out of nowhere and scared her half to death. Linlin swerved as her steering hit hard and the back wheel veered them, pulling them into a quiet spot in a dark showy alley and coming to an abrupt halt.

“It’s a flat. God dammit. I have a spare in the trunk. These were new tires.” Linlin yanked on her hand brake with mild hostility, irritated, and jumped out. “Sit tight. I got this. I’m an old pro at changing tires thanks to my old man and his mechanical incompetence.” She waved with a proud smirk and closed the door on TangShi before walking around behind her car and hoisting open the rear storage. Leaning into it to uncover the spare wheel from under the carpet and almost falling in as she stretched out to get it.

It was heavy and with her small height and lack of muscle she struggled to pull it up and out of the sunken space it sat. Yanking it onto it’s side and managing to edge it backwards to her, before pulling it against her chest in a bid to lift it. Huffing and puffing and making strange noises with her effort to not be beaten by this heavy thing.

A strange warm sensation rippled across the back of her neck and her hair stood on edge as her heart lurched and her gut tightened. A weird sixth sense that something large had come up behind her and she faltered. Suddenly scared and frozen stiff as she tried to tune into whatever it was, turning slightly to catch a quick look before making it obvious she could feel it.

“Be a good girl and don’t struggle.” The strong husky voice of a man came at her, making her drop the wheel as a hand covered her mouth and she was grabbed from behind and held fast. Wriggling, squealing, and squirming as something sour and strong clogged her throat and made her throat burn. Coughing and wheezing and twisting her head to escape the covering he held tight on her face and her eyes began to stream. Her vision blacking out, and her body held taught by someone twice her size as he locked her ankles between his knees and clung on like a vice to hold her still. Try as she might, she couldn’t fight it. Choking on her own saliva as vomit rose, unable to breathe except through this burning chemical that was stinging her face and making everything hazy.

The hand holding a rag directly over her nose and mouth was painful and clamped on ruthlessly, and Linlin passed out within minutes. Her body slumping against the tall muscular person as she took her last conscious breath and all her fight gave out. He scooped her up like a limp rag, smug at how much easier this was than expected because of her small size and walked to his own black car behind him. He opened his side door, dumping her body on the back seat with zero care and cable tied her hands and feet behind her securely with speed. He smirked to himself, swelling with satisfaction at what he managed to do, stroked her hair back and leaned in so his face lingered over hers and he peered down on her sleeping face.

“If you’re a good girl and stay quiet, everything will be okay, Miss Choi.” He brushed her hair back before tugging up her chin and covering her mouth with duct tape before dropping her face back onto the cold leather and slamming the door shut on her. “Just sleep and stay out of my way, or else you’ll be sorry.” He sneered through the glass at her unresponsive form.

Pacing back to the waiting car, the open boot concealing his real target from view, he casually strolled up beside it. Readying his cloth in his hand once more and knocked on the passenger window. Standing tall so his face and shoulders were above her viewing height and leaned in a little so she would only see midriff and clothing.

TangShi was playing with her phone, on a game YuZhi had downloaded for her and glanced up in surprise wondering why Linlin wouldn’t open the door if she needed her. Startled to see a black clothed figure of a man beside her and she recoiled away, glancing around for Linlin. A terrible clawing feeling rising in her stomach with suspicion and nerves.

“Your friend needs some help out here. We can’t change the wheel if there’s only two of us. Can you come assit?” His voice was strained and odd, and sounded completely unnatural, and TangShi second guessed whether she should get out or not. Glancing back over her shoulder to look for Linlin and then realized that she was out there with this guy alone, even if TangShi was afraid. Concern ebbing in and Linlin’s safety becoming priority even if she was unsure about this stranger.

She pushed the door open with slow caution, keeping her cell phone in her hand and slid out as he moved out of the way to the front of the car. He turned away so his baseball cap and dust mask concealed most of his face but there was something familiar about him that mad TangShi’s blood run cold. Sensing that something wasn’t quite right about him.