The front door squeaked open.
Rin walked in, smiling as soon as he saw me. "Hey, babe."
"Hi, Rinrin."
He kissed my cheek, then my lips. "How was your day?"
"Eh, same old. But I went to-"
"My mother invited us to a family dinner this evening," he said, grinning. "All the royals are gonna be there."
I just stared at him, waiting for an apology for interrupting me. It never came.
Rin held my hands. "Isn't this just exciting?"
It did not sound exciting. I knew exactly what this meant: Hui Xian. Rin's sister. The woman who had made it her life's mission to remind me that I was neither rich, nor powerful, nor welcome every single time she saw me. And Rin? He'd sit there keeping his mouth shut while his sister humiliated me in front of everyone. Why the hell would I be excited for that embarrassment in front of royals?
"Make sure to wear my favorite dress. You know, the one that shows your boobs."
"I'm not going," I said, pulling my hands out of his.
Rin leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes narrowing. I could feel his glare burning straight through me.
"Of course you are. You don't have a choice," he replied, looking me up and down.
"I can actually choose for myself, thank you." My hands rose to my hips. "I won't go. Either you talk some sense into that mad woman you call your sister the next time she tries to insult me, or I stay home."
"Mei Lin, I won't create a rift between Hui Xian and me just because you can't handle her jokes. Maybe stop being so sensitive."
"You think I'm sensitive because I won't let some brat with a superiority complex make me feel small? Newsflash, Rin: I don't bend for anyone. Not your sister. Not your family. Not you."
Rin rolled his eyes. "You're so exhausting. Please. Learn to take a joke. She's harmless."
"Her stupid jokes are rude and degrading, Rin. Do you not remember when she called me a pauper and a golddigger in front of everyone? She even told you she'd rather you die alone than be with me, and you sat there like a clueless statue."
Rin chuckled softly, then his expression became serious. "Are you drunk or something? Why are you acting like a difficult child?"
He stared at me, his eyebrows in a high arch, as if the concept of me saying "no" was perplexing. That pissed me off.
"Of course, I'm drunk, and it's the reason I'm standing up for myself." I stepped closer, my voice low but sharp. "Can you even hear yourself? Do you think before you speak?"
Rin looked at me like I was a calculus problem. Then he laughed and stroked the roots of my hair. I was a pet to him.
"You're so cute when you're mad, baby."
He tried to kiss the top of my head, but I stepped back like he had the black plague.
"Can't you listen to me for once?" I said, slapping my hands on my thighs. "I'm not going until you grow some fucking balls!"
Rin's face twisted into something ugly. "My balls are fully grown, thank you very much. Why don't you grow your tits? Or your ass? Your hair? Or maybe just grow in general? You're so short, it's like you're an underdeveloped plant. You know my ex was a model, right? Five feet and ten fucking inches. Beautiful body. And I left her for such a degenerate girl, Lord save me."
My chest felt like someone had shoved a brick inside it. He said my tits were perfect last night. He said he loved how my body looked in this black dress I wore to our last date. He smelled my black hair like a vacuum and said it was the softest hair he'd ever felt. Was all of it fake?
A hot tear slid down my cheek. I swiped it away with the back of my hand, refusing to let him see me vulnerable. He didn't deserve that satisfaction.
"You know what, Rin?" I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "You're a dick. Now that I'm refusing to go along with your little family charade, suddenly you have the audacity to insult me? Calling me short, underdeveloped, or whatever? Admit it, you're only insulting my appearance because you know I'm right."
He blinked, lips twitching. "I'm not-"
"You are!" I crossed my arms, trying to look calm, but my blood was boiling. "You're wrong, so now you're comparing me to your ex. You know I don't have to sit there and take it, right? It only proves how weak you are, Rin. That's why you're lashing out."
He opened his mouth, a hiss of irritation escaping him. "You're impossible-"
"And you're pathetic," I shot back. "A grown man reduced to calling out my body because you can't deal with a woman who's right."
He muttered something under his breath, lips tight, but I didn't care. My fists were clenched, my heart was screaming, but my voice was calm, precise.
"I'm going to my mother's tonight, not to your retarded family dinner. Don't call me 'til tomorrow."
Rin's shoulders stiffened. "You can't just leave! You're going to embarrass me in front of everyone."
"I can," I said, grabbing my coat. "And I will."
I stepped into some light shoes and slammed the door behind me. I walked to my car and sat in there just thinking. I didn't even last ten seconds before I started sobbing into my hands. I can act like I don't care about Rin mistreating me all I want, but I know I do.
I stared at a couple walking together, stopping to kiss every few seconds. I didn't care if I looked like a weirdo—I was reminiscing. Rin and I used to be like them, and I felt like a queen because he treated me like one.
Just imagine: you're a poor girl—a pauper, as Hui Xian would call me—walking on an empty stomach, enjoying fresh air, when a hot guy named Rin Zhao with a nice car slows down next to you. He tells you you're the prettiest woman he's ever seen, that he'd rather mash his fingers in a vault than never see you again, and of course, you accept when he asks you to ride in his car.
Thankfully, he's not a murderer. We went on three dates, then he asked me out, then we kissed and had sex until the next morning. That was how perfect my life was, before his jealous, horrible sister started spreading rumors that I was a gold digger. I've heard so many versions, I don't even blink anymore. According to Hui Xian, I stole Rin's wallet, beat him up, or tried to poison him. Just ridiculous.
I kept my eyes on the couple, wishing I could go back to when Rin and I were perfect. I wanted it so, so badly.
A sigh escaped my chest, and it came out as this weird jagged noise I didn't know I could make. I needed to go somewhere that would allow me to forget about Rin - my mother's house.
I started my car and peeled out of the driveway, hoping Rin was watching me and feeling way worse than I was.