Weddings were rehearsed lies—lessons in believing white dresses, polished rings, and vows spoken as if nothing could ever fracture them. Adulthood had already taught her better. She had never dreamed of her own wedding—yet as everything unraveled, she understood that of all the ways it could end, this was the one she had never imagined surviving.
Walking down the shaded flight of stairs, she passed a couple celebrating their first moments as newlyweds. On her right, they held their wedding certificate aloft like a declaration of victory, waving buoyantly to family and friends who showered them with glittering confetti. Their fingers were laced so tightly it seemed separation itself was inconceivable.
Even the sun appeared to celebrate with them, its light catching on the bride's soft makeup and dainty features. Crowned with flowers and clutching her bouquet, the bride looked like a goddess born of spring.
By contrast, she resembled a mourner in her black, knee-length lace dress. If anyone had asked whether she was grieving, she would have answered yes. She was mourning the quiet dream of living normally—now laid to rest.
When the couple proudly displayed their rings, her gaze drifted to her own.
A plain gold band. Cold. Dull. Lifeless beside the bride's micro-pavé diamond, glittering with promise.
She flinched as the man who shared that ring with her passed by.
Cold air followed him, carrying the faint scent of leather and sandalwood, clean and deliberate, as if it had been chosen rather than worn.
Pleasant. And unbearable, because it came from him.
With both gloved hands buried in his pockets, he paused halfway down the stairs. He did not turn fully, only angled his head, as if already certain she would follow. He resumed walking before she reached him.
At the bottom, the newlyweds who had served as their witnesses bid them farewell, their lips forming a silent, half-hearted congratulations.
She did not respond.
Behind them, the couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife. It was brief—just a brush of lips—but it lingered longer than expected, warm enough that even a stranger could feel its sincerity.
Despite herself, she smiled for them.
The sound of a car door opening jolted her. He was already beside her, tilting his head toward the vehicle in a wordless command. She followed, cheeks puffed with frustration. She had refused to look at him throughout the entire registration process at the National Household Registration Office, yet now she couldn't stop herself from glancing his way.
A man she was legally required to call her husband.
Sharp eyes that missed very little. Thick, dark brows set in habitual restraint. A jawline held tight, as if release were a decision rather than a reflex. Everything about Zhao Huijing spoke of cold distance. When his gaze flicked toward her, a chill skittered across her arms. Standing beside him, with their fifteen-centimetre height difference, she felt like a half-grown high-schooler. Even in a crowd, he was impossible to miss.
The road was busy beneath the noon sun. Her eyes lingered on Xinzhun 99 Tower, standing proudly at the city's heart. She loved watching sunset light kiss its glass surface. It always calmed her, whispering that she, too, could rise above everything pressing her down.
At least, she believed that.
Until today.
The day a cold-hearted man named Zhao Huijing appeared and shattered that belief in a single stroke, trampling her carefully ordered life until the future became unrecognizable; the sign that surrendered her freedom to a man she barely knew.
All because of a marriage certificate that felt less like a promise and more like a pair of handcuffs.
"You're free to continue your work and social life," he said, both gloved hands steady on the steering wheel.
"What social life?" She crossed her arms, then her legs. "It's not like I have one."
"As long as you don't date or sleep around," he replied calmly. "Put your leg down," he said. "Your thigh bone will shatter if we're hit at this speed."
"Then drive properly, idiot!" She slapped the document twice with the back of her hand. "You force me into this legal farce and now you're acting like a control freak?"
"Put your leg down. Now," he said, his tone unchanged
She scoffed but obeyed. She hated that her body reacted before her pride did. Emotion bubbled painfully in her gut. She drew a slow breath, deciding that imagining several elaborate ways to ruin his immaculate composure would have to sustain her until they reached the place she was now expected to call home.
The irony would have been amusing if it belonged to someone else.
If Tsai Yingmei were a mermaid princess, she would have killed the prince without hesitation and returned to the sea alone.
But this was not a fairy tale. There were no curses to break, no bargains to undo—only a marriage certificate sealed in ink and law.
So she swallowed the urge to run, to fight, to scream.
For now, she would accept the cage.
And wait.
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Author's Note:
Thank you for taking the time to read my newest book, The Ripples!
I never thought about releasing a mystery book, but I think I'll just give this story a chance to see how I'm doing in this genre. Of course, it wouldn't be my story without romance. LOL~
The story is taking place in Taipei, Taiwan so yeah, the characters will all be Taiwanese so I apologise in advance if you have to adjust yourself to the names. Since we're talking about names, I will reveal the main characters' names:
Zhao Hui Jing: Hui means wave while Jing means peace and tranquillity.
Tsai Ying Mei: Ying means petal while Mei is taken from Meihua, the plum blossom flower.