Abelle- A Chinese Romance

The Dangers of Falling for You (Part 8)

James nods his head and I go on, "Do you remember my exact words?" James murmurs a few words but I say the answer for him, "I said 'I hate you and your family.' At that time I was so angry at you because....your mother, she didn't give my father the loan. The loan that could've saved us. I was torn James...I saw your mother has a cruel monster. Father had just came out of the hospital in good condition, he was ready to work again. Mother was crying when she heard the news." I take my hand away from James and looked away from his face. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears. "Yet...after all these years I still have hatred for your mother. But that hatred is not so strong anymore as it was before. I realized that....I was wrong then. It's not your fault that our company failed James. It was wrong of me to put the blame on you, I knew you were hurt too because of your father's death. I'm sorry I said I hated you James...I really am. I don't hate you anymore...because...because.." My voice cracks before I could confess to James the words I wanted him to hear... I love you. James puts an arm around my shoulder and chuckles as tears stream down my cheeks. "Why are you apologizing for something that happened such a long time ago? I'm grown up now Abelle, we're not kids anymore....I may have taken that comment as an impact before but nowadays I face criticism." "How do you face criticism?" James looks ahead with a remorse look on his face. "Being in the spotlight is not as glamorous as you think Abelle. I'm the heir to my mother's fortune, everything I do is carefully critiqued by my mother and sister. I also have to keep and maintain my image to the public....everything is being carried on my shoulders. I shouldn't have come to Taiwan to find you...I could have sent Jack the message or your parents. But for some reason, I felt that you would be better off talking to me than to them."

A breeze goes by and makes me hold onto myself tighter. "I don't want to marry Jack.....I don't love him." I say out loud. James puts a hand on his temple and mumbles, "I don't know if it'll be that easy." I gulp and grab onto the arm of the bench. I knew that Liu told James to fly over to Taiwan for me to confess to him, but this is just way too hard! Seeing my silence James goes on, "Abelle you know that we're both born into wealthy families. It's common for the heir or successor to be engaged with another that they don't know. Arranged engagements like this don't always have to end badly....take my mother for example. She got into an arranged engagement with my father. They both got married and started a happy life with each other. Sometimes it just might work out." I feel as if someone had picked up a knife and stabbed it right through my heart. It really does hurt when the man you love is trying to make you love another. "What does that prove?" I say through gritted teeth. James crosses his arms then says, "I know your not really happy right now Abelle...but you have to listen to me. My cousin is a great man and I think that you both could improve yourselves a little. When we return to Beijing, the wedding doesn't have to start immediately.....you and Jack could take a couple months to know each other well and--" "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME AROUND?"

James stares at me with raised eyebrows as I glared at him. "I. Don't. Want. To. Marry. Jack." James throws up his hands in the air to surrender. "No one is forcing you to marry him.... but you might end up being his bride anyway. Your parents planned this for you and if they really do think that you and him match up, it wouldn't be so bad." I feel another wave of anger coming. "What makes you say that huh? Why are you encouraging me to marry Jack? How do you even know if this engagement will work out or not?!? Besides, I'm not the only one who has been engaged...you've been engaged before five times already!" James scowls at me and says, "That's not my point--" "THEN WHAT IS?" We both stay silent for a long time. I then muster up the courage to say, "It just so happens that Chelsie was Jack's ex-girlfriend. I'm just curious in why you are taking her as your bride-to-be." James stares off into space for another few minutes before finally answering, "It's to please my mother. She chose Chelsie not me." Tears prick my eyes as I say out loud, "Then why are wedding plans already in motion for you and her? Don't lie to me James...I watch the news."