| Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
And yes. He was happy. Euphoric. He was going to have an heir. Finally. Edward threw himself even more determinedly into work, slaving to build an empire for his child to inherit.
The pregnancy was smooth. Neoma ate healthily and took care of herself as the doctors had instructed her to. Edward had ensured that her medical care was entrusted only to the best doctors and midwives money could buy. In the seventh month of her pregnancy, Edward was called to Taiwan on urgent business and he left, remorseful and apologetic. Neoma had watched him leave; her body heavy with his child and her heart heavy with love.
One week after he left, on a sunny strawberry day, Neoma started having labor contractions. The housekeeper, alarmed, called for the doctor and the midwife who had been specially hired for the birth of the Lin heir. One of the many members of staff had called Edward in Taiwan, informed him that the baby was coming and that it would be prudent if he were to return to Canada immediately.
Edward was overjoyed. Sure he knew that it was too soon, but the company he was with convinced him that it was only that the baby was too impatient to arrive. They persuaded him to throw a party celebrating the birth of the baby and even participate in it. So it happened that he caught a flight the next morning instead of the same night. He arrived at the mansion, unkempt, disheveled and impatient to see his child. Sober faces greeted him at the entrance. Everyone was lined up with funereal expressions on their faces. Nobody had dared to call him, had dared to tell him.
Edward was a smart man. “Is it the baby?”
“The child is fine, sir.” The doctor hastened to reassure.
“No!” Denial rocked him. “Neoma…?”
“I’m sorry for your loss, sir.” The doctor whispered as Edward crumpled to the ground, convulsing with sorrow.
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Nicholas Lin or Feng Lin was a beautiful baby who grew up to be a handsome man. He was a quiet child often lost in the musings of his own mind. He seemed to prefer solitude and his own company to large crowds. Even so, he attracted a lot of attention from men and women both.
Perhaps it was his quiet demeanor that granted them confidence but everyone tried to take advantage of him. Consequently, he was pulled out of school and taught at him by a variety of tutors. Edward barely paid attention to him, whether it was because his existence was a source of guilt or because he was the splitting image of his mother was not known. All Edward knew and cared about was the fact that Nicholas’s existence insured his own immortality and as such, from an early age, nine in fact, employed people best qualified to groom him so he could take over the Lin Empire.
Nicholas was a biddable child and then an obedient teenager. He simply did as he was told, learnt what he was taught. He was no genius but he had an above average intelligence. He didn’t have any special interest in any kind of sports preferring to watch rather than play. Perhaps everyone knew before Edward did, Nicholas lacked everything that was essential to a good leader, a good heir.
He was very soft hearted, bringing home stray animals, enough so that a small menagerie had been created at the Lin mansion. He would be cheated out of his allowance and sometimes more by con artists skulking the streets. He was not a good judge of character and had his heart broken more than once by women who targeted him simply because of his wealth. But he was kind and there was a purity about him that made him glow ethereal.
On his 23rd birthday, Edward told Nicholas that his marriage was being arranged to one of the daughters of the Goh Kiat family from Brunei. Again, Nicholas had no reaction. He simply accepted his father’s words.
The afternoon of the great big announcement, Nicholas drove to Stanley Park, Prospect Point. A place, he knew, that was very familiar to lovers and people wanting to secretly rendezvous. He sat in his car, looking out, wondering about life when a flying stiletto hit the windshield of his car. Startled he got out and removed the red stiletto from where it was tangled up with the wipers.
He looked up to see the most beautiful woman he had seen, wearing a red gown, barefoot, and curly, black wild hair. She stood, framed by the sun, her face damp with tears and her nose red.
“Bastard dumped me.” She sniffled and the sunlight caught one of her tears and turned it into a rainbow.
And for the first time ever in his life, Nicholas went against his father. He fell in love. And he fell hard.
Her name was Estrella Yan. She was a 21 year old Science student at the University of British Columbia, unlucky in love and had a weakness for peanut butter and Disney princesses. Ariel was her favorite princess. Her parents had passed away when she was quite young but she had been brought up by her elderly grandparents who made a living with a small bakery they owned. She was passionate and fiery. She had dreams and ambitions. She rebelled against everything and everyone and she was as unlike Nicholas as anyone had ever been. But like a moth drawn to a flame, Nicholas was drawn to her. He loved her so much, so much that it was painful. It would keep him awake some nights and would make him sleep deeply others. When she smiled at him, it would scorch his insides and when she was mad; his entire life would be an icy tundra. And in the midst of his first real love affair, Nicholas forgot who he was, forgot that his destiny had already been written.
About six months after his love affair with Estrella begun, Nicholas was called to his father’s office.
“Your engagement is next month. The Goh Kiats are coming to Canada three weeks from now. Prepare yourself.” This was all that Edward said to him. But it was enough. Enough to remind Nicholas about his responsibilities and duties as a son.
The days that followed were frantic. Nicholas didn’t know what to do. He lacked the strength of spirit to decisively tell Edward that he would not marry a woman whose name he didn’t know. That he loved someone else.
Estrella told him very seriously, “If you tell me to leave, I will. This is your choice. You make it. And when you decide, you tell me.”
Could he bear to live without her? Without her smiles to look forward to? Without her scent to glory in? But was he strong enough to rebel? Was he brave enough?
So he told his father about Estrella. In his innocence, he did not realize that by doing so he placed her in danger. Edward destroyed Estrella’s grandparents. He made it so that they lost their only source of living, the bakery. Old as they were, they became ill from stress and worry. They passed away a few days apart. Estrella was defeated but she loved Nicholas.
In the end, on the evening before his engagement, Nicholas ran away. He chose Estrella. And Edward lost an heir.
Of course, Edward pursued him but they had fled to a small tropical country in the South Pacific. The Fiji Islands. By the time, Edward’s men caught up with them, they were already married. And at that time, Edward’s influence didn’t reach that far, he couldn’t extract them from the country forcefully.
Thirteen years later, Nicholas finally contacted his father out of his own will, seeking to mend fences. And Edward had been agreeable. Of course he had been agreeable. The man was his son, his only chance to leave a legacy. So he had sent them plane tickets and invited them to come visit him.
Then the tragedy had occurred. And Edward had lost a son. But life being what she was, he had gained an heir.
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Author's Note: Give me credit. I updated twice within two days. I deserve pineapple. Haha. I know it's a short chapter but it's a very important one cuz it puts things in context. Gives you a closer look at Ariel. I should warn you though, the following chapters might be a bit too intense for some of the (younger) readers to handle. Some circumstances will call for adult situations which probably will not be suitable for you young folks, lol, listen to me, I'm not a perv, honest. Writing a story is exhausting, specially this one. Specially since this Ariel is very scary. Scary? Well, you'll find out soon why I say so. But hey, 10 chapters or so to go (I hope!!!) before any goodbyes are need to be said. So I'll do my best to take you on a ride. Just keep your seatbelts on, eh? =D