Fan Fiction |
by TheTruthLies
“No, I’m not hungry. I think I’ll just go to my room,” said Man Gwan without emotion. Ah Sze watched her walk into the hallway. What was going on? She had to know. She went inside her room to talk to Alan.
“Do you mind telling me what happened today?
Alan sat on the edge of the bed. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “You might want to sit down because it’s a long story.” After Ah Sze sat next to Alan, he told her everything.
“You don’t believe her?”
“I tried believing her, but I found the pin in her purse and I know the pin didn’t just magically appear. Besides who would frame her?”
“What if the pin accidentally dropped into her purse? I mean you said that Ah Lik and her bumped into each other.”
“Maybe, but there’s no evidence for that and given her past, it seems more likely that she did it.”
“I’ll talk to her. She seemed really upset. If you’re hungry, there’s some rice and a few dishes on the table.” Ah Sze went into the kitchen and heated up a bowl of soup. She took the bowl of soup and knocked on Man Gwan’s door. “Man Gwan? You haven’t eaten anything so I brought you some soup. Can I come in?”
“Come in.” Ah Sze opened the door and went inside.
“Here’s some soup, but it’s still very hot so I’ll put it aside first.” She placed the bowl on the vanity table. Man Gwan sat on her bed and fidgeted with her pillow. “Is everything alright?” Ah Sze sat besides her.
“Everything’s fine.”
“You don’t need to keep it bottled up inside. Alan told me everything.”
“Of course he did, but with his perspective. No one ever listens to mine.”
“Nonsense, that’s what I’m here for.”
“Do you believe me?”
“Of course I do. I just think it’s really stupid to steal a pin. I’ve spent some time with you and you don’t seem like the type that would do that.”
“Exactly. Why would I want a stupid pin anyways,” she sighed, “Thanks, you’re the only one who believes me. The whole mall thinks I’m a thief now. I don’t know how I can go back there.”
“They’ll forget about it, with so much gossip going around.” At this time, Alan returned from the kitchen and saw that Man Gwan’s door wasn’t closed all the way. He was going to close it for them, but instead, stopped and listened.
“Are you kidding? They love to blow things like this out of proportion, especially now since Alan revealed that I’m his cousin. Not only is my reputation ruined, but Alan’s. I understand why Alan would be mad at me.”
“Oh sweetie, he’s not mad, he’s just disappointed. He’s beginning to see you in another light.”
“Thanks for cheering me up, but I know Alan. He doesn’t say much when he’s with me. I don’t see how we can ever become good friends.” Tears formed in Man Gwan’s eyes. Her voice trembled when she said, “I just want people to trust me. Everyone with the exception of you and one other person hates me, but I’m trying to change all that. A lot has happened in the past that has made me the way I am. I know people mistrust me because of my past actions, but they don’t understand why.”
“Well, of course they won’t understand. You have to explain to them and who’s this other person you speak of?”
“My dad. We used to live in Hong Kong until my dad’s business partners decided to relocate to Shanghai. So we moved up there. My dad was a very nice and generous man and because of this he was scammed and cheated. His partners ran off with all the money and we were left with nothing. My mom was angry and told my dad he was too stupid to let something like that happen. My dad did everything he could to get us back on our feet. He worked really hard and soon his health took a turn for the worse. He died when I was fifteen. It was from that point on that my mom taught me that for security sake we need to toughen up, use people before they use us. We became notorious and no one wanted to associate with us. Even the only family members we have left didn’t want to have anything to do with us. In the last couple of years, my mom met and married a rich man, but he was old. I know my mom was only interested in his money. She didn’t love him. The man was despicable and I refuse to call him my father. At one time he even tried to rape me, but I got away. I told my mom, but she didn’t believe me. She knew I had a grudge against him. I ran away from home after that and lived on my own. I tried to get job, but with my past experiences people were wary of hiring me. I learned that trust is something you must have because once you lose it, it’s hard to earn it back. My mom died six months ago. I decided to go to Hong Kong to start fresh because not everyone knew me there and as you can see I’m sure progressing,” she said with great sarcasm.
“Actually you are. Even Alan has noticed the change in you. He just always denied it. Now that explains everything. I didn’t know you had such a back story.” Ah Sze got a tissue and dried Man Gwan’s eyes. “You came to Hong Kong for a fresh start right?” Man Gwan nodded. “Then you must act upon it. Make them trust you again. I know it’s going to take some time, but you have to be patient. It’ll all be better in the end.” Ah Sze stood up and pulled Man Gwan up too. “You can do it.”
Man Gwan smiled. “Thank you so much, for everything. You are such a nice person. Alan is very lucky to have you as his wife.”
“You’re flattering me, but thanks for the compliment.” Ah Sze gave Man Gwan a hug. Alan stood there the entire time and heard every word. He felt extremely guilty for how he had been treating her. He returned to his room carrying his guilt with him.
Early the next morning as Man Gwan was going to get a cab to go to work, Alan’s car drove up to her. “Alan? I thought you left already. You never wait for me.”
“Get in.” Man Gwan was speechless. She didn’t budge. “You want to be late for work or what? Get in.” Man Gwan did as she was told and Alan drove off. They were quiet for a few minutes until Alan broke the silence. “I’m sorry.” Man Gwan looked at him in surprise. “I’m truly sorry for everything. I overheard your conversation with Ah Sze last night. We, my family and I misjudged you.”
“It’s okay. As long as you understand now.”
“How bout we put the past behind us and start out on a clean slate?”
“Deal.” Man Gwan smiled.
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(c) April 1, 2006 TheTruthLies