Destined to be his Wife

Chapter 2 - The First Step

She often wondered what she did wrong in a previous life to attract so many bad things in her short years on this planet, and it had created a quiet personality who endured far more than any other would have. TangShi had been suppressed for so long that she no longer knew how to fight back or stand up for herself. She had become an accepting and empty shell who never spoke up about the mistreatment she received and instead graciously accepted it with little emotion. It was said she had been ground into a sense of nothingness and her heart no longer knew how to soar.

Like right now, waiting patiently to be sold off in the name of business. No thoughts to refuse because she knew her father would only make her living life worse than before. No real obvious reaction to it on the surface, as her feelings didn't matter. She always knew she was a prisoner in the family Lei, an object they would cash in on one day. What could she do if not obey?

She had nothing and nowhere to go that her father would not chase her down and punish her. Over the years he had no qualms in beating her, locking her in her room, or taking his anger out on her when he deemed it necessary. She was the family punching bag so many times in so many ways.

The doorbell rang loudly, and everyone jumped to attention, instant nervousness on show. Straightening postures, smoothing clothes, and plastering smiles on their faces as Juefeng came skidding back with empty hands. A look of disdain on her annoyingly pretty face. Her dark eyes glowing with mischief.,

"I had nothing" She sneered TangShi's way and shrugged to her father as way of an apology. A clear lie. She wanted TangShi to stand out and be embarrassed by her lack of showiness, her simple outfit that Juefeng deemed unworthy. She smirked to herself that she was dressed far more proactively and eye catching than her older sister. She wondered if the young master would fall in love with her on sight and beg to switch the two, although she had no intention of being tied down so young. She had her choice of men, but she still liked to have them chase her.

The butler opened the door and the Leng crowd of three was greeted warmly by the Lei family in all its glory. Standing to attention and eager to show their respects. An impressive presence as they crowded in the large opening and strolled inside like they owned the room around them. Each was intimidating in his own handsome way, clearly of the same family, and stood tall and strong despite differing ages.

TangShi was pushed to the rear by her stepmother, harshly elbowed back as they greeted the newcomers and led them in. Somehow, she found herself trailing behind like a servant and no one noticed her at all in the babble of chatter and greeting. A swift moving of bodies like a perfectly synchronized wave as her mother enthusiastically greeted them verbally.

TangShi was unable to get a glimpse properly and treated as an unwanted guest in a house she had known as her home. Her parents pawed and fawned over the new arrivals and led them to the sitting room, ignoring her completely, where food and coffee was lavishly laid out for this meeting.

Juefeng was all over one of the men in the group before TangShi, grasping his arm and acting over provocatively and demure. Her shrill voice sounding babyish as she flirted, giggled loudly in a dramatic way at something he said, and her father threw her a cross look which left her scurrying to go sit down. It was obvious this was the betrothed and her sister was making a play for him in a bid to show how much more worthy she was than TangShi. She loved her little games.

TangShi meandered behind, sighing heavily at Juefeng 's obvious shamelessness, never able to behave in the presence of handsome men. Her sister disgusted her with her brazenness sometimes, but she would never verbalize it. Juefeng was a spoiled and narcissistic brat.

TangShi's eyes were trained on the floor as she was accustomed to doing when home and walked into the back of a suddenly halted dark figure by accident. Distracted with her own thoughts and foolishly clumsy to do such a silly thing. Banging her forehead against a solid mass that startled a reaction out of her.