Chapter 4: In This Life, It Wasn’t Meant To Be (part two)
Shao Fen died at the age of sixty four. The business world agreed that he was far too young and out of respect, they chose to wait until after his funeral to see what would become of his business empire. They would never say no to a piece of his vast wealth should it fall into their open hands.
The Will was read by his lawyer in front of Shao Fen's blood related paternal family, his marital partner, his long term and loyal servant and a young boy. The child was only about ten, kept close by the side of Shao Fen's maternal grandmother, but his mother frowned; she did not know this boy, just that her mother had claimed to be his guardian. The lawyer and the servant did know, however and acknowledged this in curt and silent exchange.
The lawyer looked to her assistant, who opened up his light brain and began recording the proceedings. This had, for a long time, been a practice amongst the wealthy and elite, though it was also becoming popular amongst the lower classes as well. Too many families were shattered by money, tainted by their greed in a way that blood no longer remained thick.
"Before I begin," she said, catching their attention, "I wish to confirm that my client was of sound mind during the making of this will. The doctors of the Imperial Central Hospice have also confirmed that my client was mentally sound and could speak for himself without aid, thus his words have not been misunderstood. I have the entire interview between myself and my client recorded. There was no other individuals in the room, what he said has been psychologically confirmed by a leading specialist as having not been spoken under influence or duress of outside influences."
She watched as several of Shao Fen's family members glanced at each other. Madam Shao, Li Xingya had dabbed her reddened eyes several times over the past ten minutes, but the handkerchief remained dry, while the old Madam, Fan Yong didn't bother to hide the fact that she was not saddened by her son's death. Instead, her eyes were slightly curved upwards as if counting the credits before they'd reached her bank account. Her living son held much the same expression, while her granddaughter and grandson simply looked bored. Shao Dong at least had cried at some point, but earlier the lawyer had caught the old Madam yelling at him to 'shut up' when he had sniffled and he had swiftly complied.
The lawyer felt like rolling her eyes as she once more pitied her client for having such a family. At least seated at the other side of the room there were signs that he'd received love.
Fan Mei sat in an almost regal way, blinking back the tears as she also lamented. The boy at her side glanced at her often and she in turn sent him reassuring looks. Her hand discreetly reached out more than once to squeeze the hand of the man standing behind her as well. She was well away that Fa Xian was far more than some mere servant.
As for Fa Xian, he couldn't help but feel somewhat numb. The white of his eyes had vanished beneath a haze of red, his throat still sore from the nights he'd poured his heart into his pillow and he couldn't help but feel that this was all wrong that things had not meant to turn out this way.
"Any questions?" The lawyer brought them all back from their individual thoughts. No one spoke a word. "Then I will begin." She selected an option from the screen upon her light brain that only she could see and a small hologram was projected. It was of her client from when he was alive and still inside the medical pod during his last days.
"This is my, Shao Fen's last will and testament," he said. His words were clear and firm, much like they had been before he had become encapsulated in order to extend his life those precious months. However there was a pause following the sentence as he breathed, his lungs straining with exertion. Fa Xian felt the sting of tears once more fill his already sore eyes. "I haven't been the best husband, the greatest father and as for being a son... well, I can't say much about that either. I can't say I've died without regrets and I can't say that I've died peacefully. I wanted to live. But the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west. The living go on, while the dead can only lament, right?"
A muffled sob broke the silence of those gathering and for a brief moment, Fa Xian thought it had escaped his throat, only to realise it had come from Fan Mei. Shao Fen's grandmother had already lived to reach a century and a half and yet had buried more than one loved one. Her hair was completely silvery white while her grandson had died with black hair; she felt so worn and so much older than her years.
The hologram naturally would not see, could not hear the reactions of those watching him, so continued to speak; "First to my dear wife." Li Xingya lightly dabbed her eyes once more, putting on a good show the others to display her virtue as a young widow. "Some twenty four years ago, you and I bowed to heaven, bowed to our ancestors and bowed to our parents, vowing to respect each other, love each other and be loyal to each other." As he slightly emphasised each vow, Fa Xian glanced over at the woman, who had yet to show a line upon her fair skinned face through the corner of his eye and witnessed as she flinched and lowered her peach blossom eyes.
He inwardly sneered. Shao Fen had been no saint, Fa Xian was more than aware of this fact. Beauties like men of wealth and men of wealth liked beauties, it was a exchange of mutual benefit, but he had stopped those playboy ways for her, while Fa Xian himself had continuously watched from the sidelines. Seeing the beauties off with 'gifts' had been one of his tasks and though he had been pained, he had told himself that at least he was the one to remained by Shao Fen's side. Li Xingya had been like a living slap in the face for him. But he had continued to grin and bear it like a masochist.
However Li Xingya seemed not to honour Shao Fen's regards for her, easily swept off her feet by Shao Bao's handsome charm.
"I suspected," Shao Fen had slurred that night ten years ago when he'd stopped turning a blind eye and gained proof by way of a private detective. "But I had hoped that I was wrong."
His face had twisted as he had shown Fa Xian the images. Shao Bao and Li Xingya had walked down the street arm in arm in broad daylight, uncaring of witnesses. They were captured kissing amorously in a park, holding hands as they window shopped down a street, before cheerfully entering a prestigious hotel together. The private detective had even discovered that 'Mr and Mrs Song' regularly checked into the hotel on Huaxia, a flight away from the world of Imperia, on which they lived. Their arrogance in flaunting their affair was outrageous.
"What charity event, what spa trip?! It's fucking obvious that it's been going on a while!" He had yelled angrily, sweeping everything from his desk with his arm, breaking a glass and spilling its contents as he did. Fa Xian had quietly kneeled down and cleared away the mess. "Why did she have to do this? And why the fuck with Shao Bao? Is he all that charming?"
"I don't know," Fa Xian had murmured softly in response and then had shaken his head. "His charm is like that of a peacock, perhaps nice to look at, but without much going on up here." He had tapped his temple, his eyes glinting in jest.
As he had thought, Shao Fen had laughed loud and hard at his words. Neither cared for the eldest son of the Shao family and were he not family, neither would have spared spit to quench his dying thirst. His laughter had turned into sobs as the alcohol gripped him once more and Fa Xian had had to help him to bed. He'd removed his slippers and socks, unbuttoned his collar of his shirt and tucked him into bed. Shao Fen had grabbed him by the waist before he could leave, almost stopping his heart.
"Why are you so good to me?" He had murmured into Fa Xian's back.
"You pay me to," Fa Xian had responded, but he had not accepted those words. Perhaps finally opening his eyes to the truth of his wife's affair had caused him to notice other things and he pressed onward.
"No, if it were just that, you could have left me at anytime," he'd sighed and tightened his hold. "Better wages, better terms of employment, better treatment."
"You treat me well enough," Fa Xian had tapped his arm, reassuringly.
"I had a dream the other night," Shao Fen had mentioned, still unwilling to let Fa Xian go. "I dreamed that we were raised well, that my parents treated us both as sons and that we were close as brothers."
"Haven't we always been close?" Fa Xian had joked, lightly.
"Master and servant, it's not the way it should have been," Shao Fen had denied and Fa Xian had openly agreed, believing that Shao Fen would not recall this conversation in the morning anyway.
"No, you are right," Fa Xian had sighed, "but neither of us knew better. I was raised to be subservient to your parents, to your older brother and after you saved me, this was transferred to you. I didn't know any other way to express my gratitude to you."
"A thank you would have been fine," Shao Fen had groused, causing Fa Xian to chuckle. A silence had fallen over them for a short while, but the older man had not fallen asleep in this time, nor let go of Fa Xian's waist so he could only practice patience.
In the end, he had broken the silence. "What else happened in your dream?"
"We grew up, we developed feelings and we got married."
"Oh, who was I married to? Were they pretty?"
"No, ugly and blind in one eye. You were my wife, idiot."
Fa Xian had frozen in Shao Fen's hold. "What?
Shao Fen had rolled backwards, pulling him onto the bed and onto him, causing him to flush an appealing dusky rose. "You were my wife, I was your husband, we were in love and married to each other." Fa Xian had trembled in his arms, thinking that it was he that was in the dream right now, even though he could feel the touch of Shao Fen's calloused fingers sliding across his face and weaving through his hair. "I never thought about being with any man," Shao Fen had confessed, "but after that dream, I can't stop thinking about you."
"B-b-but you're married to Li Xingya," Fa Xian had half protested, but he had not been able to stop the longing from softening his words.
"And if she can be so easily unfaithful, why can't I?" And with that, he had silenced all Fa Xian's protests with his mouth and tongue.
That had been the start to their own private affair. It had only lasted a month, but it had been the happiest time for Fa Xian. They'd had picnics within the gardens by candlelight, went horse riding through the grounds before swimming in the lake, watched old and classic movies, joking and laughing over the romantic scripts. And things would often turn more sensual and Fa Xian would find himself pressed beneath Shao Fen's body as they moved together, finding pleasure and completion within each other. And even if his hips ached and dark chrysanthemum tender, he'd never push him away nor deny him. He'd already sensed at that point that theirs would be a bittersweet period of stolen time.
And he had been right to feel this way for all too soon, Shao Xiao Lin and Shao Xiao Lei returned from their respective boarding schools for the summer break and splashed cold water over their affair. These children, a daughter and a son had been what Li Xingya had given to Shao Fen during their marriage and at that time Shao Xiao Lin was just twelve, her brother only ten. Shao Fen had felt that he was wronging this children, who their mother had greatly wronged first. And so he'd asked Fa Xian to wait, to let his children grow into adults first in order that the divorce be less painful for them. After all, both men were only a little over fifty, they still had time. If only they knew that this was not to be, that Shao Fen's condition would deteriorate much more rapidly within those years, maybe he would have not made that decision, despite everything they believed back then. Plus, their little affair brought other, very unexpected results.
"To Li Xingya," The holographic Shao Fen was continuing to announce, "I leave this sealed file of documentation." The lawyer discreetly sent the file over, the corner of her lips slightly upturned as she casually glanced the woman's way, while pausing the playback of the recording. She did so wish to see Li Xingya's reactions. She was not disappointed.
As if someone had taken powder made of the whitest pearls and applied it to her face, Li Xingya became quickly drained of colour. "W-what's this? Is this a joke? How dare you attempt to forge these and present them instead of what my husband really wished to leave to me!"
"This is no joke, Mrs... I mean Ms Li," the lawyer nearly purred with satisfaction. "If you doubt them, you can look into the official Imperial records to see that the divorce that my client placed in petition becomes fact as of today. You and he are no longer legally married wife and husband."
"He.. he.. he can't do this to me!" The woman continued to deny, despite all the evidence in virtual print before her. "I do not agree to this!" She stood up and marched to the lawyer's desk, slamming her hand through her deceased ex-husband's image.
"You do not have to," the lawyer mentioned. The Empire took marriages very seriously and disliked those who made vows lightly. What was the point of getting married if you could simply divorce the following day? Naturally, the Empire could not make laws that refused separation and divorce, they were a progressive society after all, however there had to be stipulated reasons for the divorce. A mutual divorce was not uncommon amongst individuals who had 'fallen out of love' and had no children, but both parties had to agree and go through mediation. A one-sided divorce was more difficult to attain, unless the circumstances called for it. Cheating on ones' spouse was most definitely a good reason for requesting such.
The lawyer did not give her a chance to lie and refute and continued; "My client has logged evidence that you and the other party involved have had an affair spanning two decades. There is no point denying it."
"He said that I could see others, he was impotent and simply asked that I was discreet! Did he neglect this fact when he logged this... this waste of government resources?!"
"Is there any documentation to back up your claim?" The lawyer asked her and watched as the woman's fist unfurled, knowing that the agreement between her and Shao Fen was only verbal. Even if it had been documented, it had been ten years since then and the affair had spanned double that, there was no chance her divorce would be overturned, but it did not stop her from attempting.
"What about doctor's records?" She pointed out, grasping at straws. "Surely his medical notes would have proof of his impotence..."
"He lied."
All heads turned towards the person entering this admission, a person who could always be found in Shao Fen's shadow, the person they had all deemed as little more than his slave-servant. He never spoke much in their presence, usually informing them of Shao Fen's whereabouts or instructions, serving them tea while ignoring their slights against him. So they were all surprised when he spoke up of his own accord now. They couldn't help but finally notice his reddened eyes that had mourned so much.
"Shao Fen did not have impotence," he repeated his declaration in clarification. "Shao Fen only told you that as he did not wish to lie with used goods." His sharp knife cut deep, Li Xingya had never been so bluntly slighted, immediately losing her temper. Her hands once more curled into fists as she sought retribution in a physical manner. Her son and daughter held her back.
"Mum, stop!" Xiao Lei grabbed her wrists.
"Yeah, it's not worth arguing with this low born mutt," Xiao Lin sneered at Fa Xian, whom she had never liked. "All he knows is how to grovel at the old man's feet after all!"
"I'll give him a good beating later, Xing'er," Shao Bao slammed his fist into the cup of his other hand, a nasty gleam in his eye. "It seems you've forgotten the taste of my fist, Fa Xian."
The lawyer rose to her feet and slammed her own palm against her desk. "You dare use violence in my office? Then get out! I'll send you your dues through the net, no need to remain and hear my clients last words. You taint his memory. Of course, forgive me if I'm not prompt about this. I am, after all, a very busy woman." Her words at least gave Xiao Lei and Xiao Lin pause as well as roused Fan Yong from still being shocked by the revelation that her daughter-in-law was a cheat and her son's servant had a mouth! Shao Fen's lawyer was very well known in business circles and not unknown in public ones, they could not afford to offend her, plus they wished to know now how much money Shao Fen had left them. It was bound to have increased now that Li Xingya had received nothing but a divorce in his will.
Indeed, it was nothing but a divorce. A prenuptial had been signed at the beginning, just as was usual between marriages of the elite and apart from two children, Li Xingya had produced nothing in this marriage. She had been a complete lady of leisure, did not need to work so did not work. Her husband had earned all of their wealth with his own two hands. Not even her birth family's influence had made any difference in his abilities or connections, so she could not even claim that. She might be able to expect child maintenance, but her children were not far from the age of maturity, that being twenty five, so just how much could she actually get? A couple of million maybe and a property so she had a roof over her head?
Actually, it would be less than that...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone