gold ▹ crazy rich asians (editing)

━ chapter vii

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──── ❝ chapter vii ❞ ────

❝ oh fuck you ❞

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         IF I'M BEING COMPLETELY HONEST, I think confronting Asher was less painful than confronting my family. I knew that today was going to be awkward. Well, maybe that's no the right word. Tense was probably a better way to put it. Especially since you knew you were supposed to make dumplings with your aunties today along with Nick and Rachel. That last fact alone set off alarms in my head.

          I don't know what I expected when I opened the door, but it wasn't this. Nick was pacing back and forth in the foyer. The second he heard the door open, his eyes landed on me. Eyes that I could tell were clouded with disappoint that I did not need from him of all people.

         "What?" I snapped.

         "Diana, what the hell happened?"

          "I don't know what you're talking about. Because there's definitely nothing that happened that also happens to be any of your business."

          I didn't even look at him as I made my way to the staircase. I hoped that maybe I could go up and lock myself in my room and not have to leave until the day of the wedding. I had a bathroom in there and I know I definitely stashed some junk food somewhere under my bed. I bet that I could survive at least twelve hours without having to come into human contact.

          "Diana!" Nick called once again. "What was going through your mind, huh?"

          "What? Have you gotten Mummy's mindset of 'family image?'"

          "This isn't about 'image,' Diana; this is about your sobriety, you're safety! Did you even think about that?"

          "Oh fuck you!" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even stop them.

          My mind was buzzing like a swarm of wasps after their nest was shaken. The man who had poked it with a stick looked bewildered at that fact. His eyebrows shot up with shock as I swung my body around to face him, a look I hadn't seen on him much since he seemed to have the whole world figured out already. I stared down at him from the three or four stairs that stayed between us.

          "Just because you have free reign here over Mum and Ah Ma and the entirety of Singapore doesn't mean that you can control my life!"

          I made an attempt to turn back around to continue my course to my room, but Nick had other plans, "I don't try to control-"

          He didn't need to get the rest of his words out for me to know their general argument. "Oh don't you? Every achievement I have is overshadowed by yours! 'Oh, what's that, Diana? You won the science fair? Did you know your brother won it four times?' 'Oh Diana that dress you're wearing is absolutely stunning! Did you know that Nicholas just had lunch with the designer? Did he get that dress for you? Yah, I don't believe you bought it yourself!' And let's not forget my disappointments either! 'Nicholas would never have missed a goal that simple!' 'Nicholas would never have failed a test like that!' 'Nicholas would never have become an alcoholic his freshman year!' So is it so crazy to think for a fucking moment that you don't control every single thing in my goddamn life, you selfish prick?"

          I could see the visible hurt on Nick's face. For a split second, I felt bad. Then another second passed and I still felt bad. I didn't like that.

          "Di-"

          I didn't give him the chance, "Just leave me alone."

          I made my way back up the stairs. Nick's hand grazed my shoulder in a feeble attempt to stop me. My flinch kept him from pursuing that action further. His hand dropped. Whether it was of fear of angering me more or of worry because of the subtle movement I made that spoke a thousand words. Either way, he was letting me walk farther away from him. Letting me. Ha. That's a bit humorous, isn't it?

          "Di?" His voice, though steady, held a heaviness.

          I stopped. Maybe it was the sudden change. I mean, never had I heard the prince of Singapore waver like that before. It was jarring. 

          "Yes?"

          "Don't forget we're making dumplings later."

          Right. Of course. "Right. Of course."