Dialu barely made it out of the shower when her phone started ringing loudly like it had a personal vendetta against her eardrums.
Seriously? I can't even nap in peace now?
Her body ached in all the wrong places, her thighs felt as if it were holding a grudge, and all she wanted was to sleep her shame away. But fate, clearly, was out to humble her further.
She picked up on the third ring, frowning at the strange number. "Hello?"
A deep, unfamiliar male voice came through the speaker. "Am I speaking with Xun Dialu?"
Oh no. What now?
"Yes, this is she. How may I help you?" she replied, dragging her sore self to the edge of the bed and putting the phone on speaker so she could rub cream on her traumatized skin in peace.
"Your presence is needed at the Jun house this afternoon. Do you need me to send a car?"
The Jun house? Are we doing this already? Can a girl not process her tragic decisions first?
"No, that's not necessary. I can find my way there."
The man on the other end didn't try to make small talk. Just a polite acknowledgment and the promise to send the address and a contact number "just in case." Then—click—he was gone.
Dialu stared at the phone like it had just cursed her ancestors.
Welp, guess this mess just got official.
She had known this moment was coming. Somewhere in her irrational, optimistic brain, she'd hoped she'd misheard him on the phone that morning. That maybe the "divorce" thing was just a cruel hangover hallucination.
Spoiler: it wasn't.
Seven years ago feels like another life. And now she was going back to the place where it all began.
But before she could wallow too deep, her doorbell rang. Startled, she quickly threw on a robe then she checked the security feed, before she yanked the door open with all the grace of a frazzled duck.
"Where the hell were you?" she demanded before Leisha could even get one shoe off.
"Whoa! Chill out, tiger. I come bearing gossip," Leisha sing sang, strutting into the living room like she was walking a runway instead of trespassing on her friend's mental breakdown.
Dialu sighed and sat cross-legged on the floor. She'd known Leisha long enough to know she wouldn't get peace until this "gist" was shared.
"But first…" Leisha's eyes gleamed her brows dancing mischievously. "How was your night slash morning? Did he recognize you? Huh? Huh? I'm been itching for a reunion story"
Dialu slumped forward with a dramatic sigh. "He thought I was a whore."
"HE WHAT?!" Leisha shot up from the sofa like she'd been tasered.
It took less than two seconds for full-blown rage to cloud her features. "That son of a—! Are you joking?! You?! A whore?! baby, if you're a whore, then I'm a nun in heels."
Dialu didn't even have the energy to laugh.
She launched into a full replay of that morning, complete with rude comments and the unforgettable moment he'd flung a gold card at her like she was a beggar asking for a few change
By the time she got to the part about overhearing his "divorce conversation", Leisha looked like she was ready to storm the Jun house with a pitchfork.
"I cannot believe the sheer nerve! He slept with you, didn't even recognize you, and now he's getting a divorce from a marriage he's not even aware is with YOU?! Men really out here setting new records for being garbage."
"Yeah, well…" Dialu stood, stretching her sore legs, "I just need a nap, then I'll head to the Jun house."
Leisha narrowed her eyes. "You want me to come with?"
The temptation was real. But also, dangerous.
Dialu knew Leisha too well. She'd go full WWE on Jun Feng the moment she laid eyes on him. And Dialu didn't have the emotional capacity to also deal with a murder charge.
"No, I'll handle it myself," she said diplomatically, already heading toward her room.
"Fine," Leisha muttered under her breath, plopping back down on the couch. "But I'm gonna help you get revenge. Whether you like it or not."
Dialu rolled her eyes but smiled to herself. She didn't say it out loud, but she was grateful. Leisha was always there even when Dialu tried to push her away.
******
Dialu woke up disoriented.
A series of aggressive beeps reminded her that she had set an alarm like a responsible adult.
She groaned and shuffled toward her wardrobe, only to find a neatly folded outfit placed on the dresser. Sitting atop it was a note, scrawled in Leisha's unmistakable chaotic handwriting.
I took the luxury of picking out your outfit for you. You're welcome. I know I'm awesome, so no need to say it.
P.S. You better wear it or else I'll roast you. We need you looking like a snack, not a grandma.
Dialu couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. Leisha, queen of savage pep talks.
The outfit turned out to be a sky-blue gown that looked both modest and sexy. It hugged her curves in ways she didn't know existed and had draping sleeves that framed her collarbones like a goddess descending from a shampoo commercial.
This definitely didn't come from my jeans-and-sad-t-shirts collection.
When she stepped outside, her ride from the rental company was already waiting. To her surprise, the elderly chauffeur behind the wheel was none other than Mr. Lee.
Her smile doubled in size.
"Mr. Lee! You're back!"
"Miss Dialu! You look absolutely stunning today," he said with a warm chuckle, throwing her a glance through the rearview mirror.
She slid into the back seat, smoothing her dress. "I'm trying to look my best today," she admitted. "I haven't seen you in a while. Thought you vanished."
"My daughter had a baby," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Little bundle of joy."
"Aww, congratulations! You'll make a wonderful grandpa."
"You think so?" he asked, face lighting up like Christmas came early.
"Absolutely," Dialu replied with a thumbs-up. You've been more of a dad to me than most people ever were.
As the car drove through the clean-cut streets of Country X, Dialu's smile slowly faded.
Because up ahead… was the Jun house.
******
The Jun house stood tall, proud, and overwhelmingly expensive-looking.
Its white walls gleamed in the sunlight like they'd just been baptized, and the sheer scale of the place was enough to make her heart thump. This wasn't a house at all, this was a mansion that screamed 'look at me I'm so expensive'
She paused at the gate, inhaling deeply.
Okay. You've got this. You're not the same girl from seven years ago.
She couldn't remember the last time she was here. Back then, she'd been an awkward, skinny, and gangly seventeen year, with oversized eyes and zero confidence. Just a pawn in a contract marriage.
But now?
Now she was a woman who had lived. Okay, maybe not wisely. But she had lived.
She wasn't expecting a miracle anymore. She knew Jun feng hadn't spent the past seven years pining for her the way she had for him. He hadn't even recognized her when she was literally beneath him.
But she wasn't here for a fairytale.
She was here to finish what had started seven years ago by her well-meaning grandfather.
He probably saw it as a way of protecting her, if only he knew. this time, she wouldn't let herself be caught off guard.
Let's do this.