Conflicted – Chapter 117

“You tore our marriage apart. You ruined it. You brought yourself to this stage. Not Xi Men. Not anyone else,” Xiao You said.

Tears rolled down Mark’s face, “Damn… I should have died that night… I don’t want to hear all of these…!”

“Died?” Xiao You asked, a chuckle of disbelief escaped her mouth.

Mark lifted his head to look at her.

“Do you know I was the one that saved you that night?” Xiao You asked as her tears fell.

Mark’s eyes brightened up, “What?”

***

Xi Men frowned.

***

“H… how?” Mark asked.

“You were holding the weapon that night and you did not heed to the police’s instruction; still aiming it at Xi Men. So they have a right to shoot you to death that night. I asked them not to. Lei proceeded to him, and his nudge on the policeman causes the policeman to miss and instead hits your hand and thus you dropped the knife,” Xiao You said. “Since you have dropped the weapon, the police do not have to fire again, but charge to you and arrest you,”

***

Xi Men’s eyes widened, and he turned to look at Lei with his (Xi Men) teary eyes.

Lei looked at Xi Men, and seeing the gaze from Xi Men, he (Lei) nodded to indicate that what Xiao You has said is true.

***

“You… you did?” Mark asked, still surprised.

“Because I don’t want to see you die in front of my eyes. You are after all my…” she swallowed the lump in her throat, “…ex-husband,”

Mark looked at her.

“So you owe it to me,” she said. “You owe it to me that you are still alive now,”

Mark looked at her, and then belatedly lets out a small laugh. “That probably makes sense,”

She looked at him. “About?”

“I was pushing for it. I wanted to stab him one more time, and I was so darn sure the policeman will shoot and kill me; but then all I got is an injured hand,” Mark looked at his bandaged right hand. “For a moment I thought they are so unskillful…”

“They do. Just an interruption caused him to miss,” Xiao You responded.

Mark smirks, “I won’t thank you for that. Your act is useless. I don’t want to be alive…”

And she interrupts him, “I said I don’t want to see you die in front of my eyes,” she gritted her teeth. “Means don’t die in front of me. If you want to die, go and die somewhere else,”

He looked at her, noticing the cold gaze she is giving him.

Tears fell on Xiao You’s face, but suddenly, she chuckles incredulously.

***

Xi Men and Lei frowned, as to why she chuckles all of a sudden.

***

Xiao You sniffed and wiped the tears away from her face. “After all that you have put Xi Men thru that you almost robbed him of his life… he said he doesn’t hate you and won’t blame you; he totally understands why you do this. I can’t believe it,”

Mark’s eyes brightened up slightly. “He… he did not…?”

“Yeah,” she said. “That’s what he said,”

Mark looked at Xiao You and then chuckles, “Are you sure he means that?” he scoffs. “Maybe he is just telling you what you want to hear and not the truth,”

Xiao You looked at Mark, and she smirks, “Did I say he TOLD me personally?”

Mark looked at her.

“He said it in a private conversation with Lei that does not involve me. I overhear it,” Xiao You said. “They didn’t know I heard them from the back,”

***

Xi Men and Lei exchanged glances.

***

“You hated him. You hated what he did. He accepts them as the reasons you wanted to take his life,” Xiao You said.

Mark then smirks briefly, “So what is he planning to do with me since you said he didn’t hate me and didn’t blame me? Let me go?”

“Even if he would, I would not let that happen,” she uttered emotionlessly.

Mark’s smirk fades and stares at her.

“Do you think… after all that you have put me thru… I will treat it as though nothing had happened?”

He is startled.

***

Xi Men and Lei’s eyes brightened up.

***

Mark looked at Xiao You who is looking back at him.

He watches the change of her facial expression.

Her gaze turned sharp.

She looked full of hatred and anger; something he had never seen from Xiao You.

“You said your target was him. Your hatred tells you your target was him (*she repeats it intentionally). But I think you got it all wrong yourself. I got hurt the most out of this, not Xi Men. I am your real target, Mark Liu, whether you know it or not,” she said.

He looked at her.

“Do you know what pains me the most?” Xiao You asked, looking at him intently. “Watching my ex-husband killing my future husband,” she said. “And you also know what that means? Watching you becoming a murderer in front of me, killing someone I love in front of my eyes,”

Mark looked at her, stunned at her description.

“You knocked onto Xi Men’s car. You hit him. You stabbed him. You let him bleed profusely on the floor; and you made me watch you do all of that. Are you sure the person you hate is him and not me?” she asked. “If it is not me, then why do you want to put me thru that and wants me to live at the end of it with scenes of it flash into my mind and head forever & ever?”

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Do you want me to remember the image of you killing him, or the image of him dying in front of me? Do you want me to remember how evil my ex-husband is, or how innocent my future husband’s death is?” Xiao You asked.

“I…”

“And the slap,” she touched her cheek, “You had never hit me before,”

“I am sorry. I…”

“My heart ‘died’,” she uttered, and then she looked at him. “There is no more room for you anymore, that I had regretted knowing you and marrying you. You made me feel the four years I have spent with you; a pure waste,”

Tears formed in Mark’s eyes.

“Not to mention, I regretted feeling guilty for you after the divorce and made Xi Men wait for me,” she gritted her teeth.

He could only watch, he didn’t know what to say.

A tear fell to Xiao You’s cheek.

“Remember this tear,” she pointed at the tear that is still rolling down her cheek.

Mark’s eyes followed to where she pointed.

“This is the LAST tear I will shed for you,” she said coldly.

And on two seconds, she wiped it off harshly.

Unsure why, that act of hers saddens him.

His tears fell.

She looked at Mark with a furious gaze.

“The man you tried to kill; he helped me and allows me to start over in my life after you ended them all for me,” she said, a tear of anger fell onto her face.

He looked at her, still looking back at him furiously.

“That man you tried to kill; he is my fiancé. MY FIANCÉ,” she uttered. “He waited for me for so long, and when I finally accept him, you want to take him away from me? Do you f*cking know how happy I am with him? And you want to rob all of that from me? Aren’t you done with destroying our marriage and my life, and now you are even going after my NEW life?”

***

Xi Men looked at Xiao You.

He noted the conflicting emotions in Xiao You.

Another tear fell onto his face.

***

“That man you tried to kill; I love him so much, I love him even more now,” Xiao You gritted her teeth as she said it. “Through this one incident, I can see how much he cares for me. Even when he is lying on the damn floor about to die, he is still trying to protect me. NOT LIKE YOU,”

“Not like me?” Mark looked at Xiao You. “He threatened me, Xiao You. He threatened me with my company!”

“Didn’t you do the same thing too? You use me to threaten him. Does that make you any better?” Xiao You asked him.

Mark looked at her.

“Yes, he did. But he is a human, just like you. He is not perfect, just like you too. But at least he didn’t go and kill someone LIKE YOU do!”

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat, as he slowly lowered his gaze.

“And you want to know one more thing? Xi Men’s company went into crisis because someone causes it to. He could have blamed the person, but he didn’t,” Xiao You said. “He worked his ass off to get Xi Men Corporation to where it is today, NOT LIKE YOU! Blaming him for the fall of Liu Management? Nobody makes it fall other than you!”

Mark gritted his teeth.

“Our wedding is just in 2 months but you do this to us now, because you do not want us to get married, right? The more you want that, the more I will against it. I will marry Xi Men Zhong Er Lang. I definitely will marry him,”

Mark lifted his gaze to look at Xiao You.

Looking away but her gaze remained sharp, “If you did not even consider the fact that he is my fiancé when you stab him purportedly to take his life; then why should I look at you and consider you as my ex-husband and not to take action against you?”

Mark stares at Xiao You.

She returned her gaze to him, “You hated the power of F4, right? Yes, that is the same power that had been used on you to sign the document to divorce me, but that is also the same power that can be used to set you free. Yes, as I have said; I can do that, but I am not going to. Instead, I will use the power of F4, as Xi Men’s wife, to ensure you are charged for accident, kidnapping, assault, and attempt murder of my husband,” she breathes furiously as another tear fell onto her face, “You will spend the rest of your life in jail, you will never get to walk out from the cell again, and until the day you die, you will only stand behind the window pane and watch the sun rise in front of you. And even if you get to walk out, I will make sure you are deported or exiled; never get to travel out of whichever place you have been sent to, and you will never get to be close to the F4 and their families ever again,”

“Xiao You…”

“Call me mean; I am doing everything I should to protect my loved ones. My man protects me even though he is dying, and I will protect him from all dangers… even after I am dead,” she looked at him sternly as tears continue to stream down to her face.

***

Tears continue to flow down to Xi Men’s cheeks.

“Xiao You…” he murmured.

Lei turned to look at Xi Men.

***

“So how does it feel now that your ex-wife is doing this to you?” Xiao You asked, “Can you imagine what I’ve gone thru now?”

Mark lowered his gaze; the tears in his eyes are blurring his sight.

“But this is unfair. This is seriously unfair,” she uttered.

He lifted his eyes up to look at her.

“There is no way what you are feeling now is comparable to the pain you’ve put me thru,” she said. “While you probably feel awful because your ex-wife is doing this to you, I feel miserable because you are my ex-husband and you are doing it to the man I love & about to marry to,”

Mark looked at Xiao You, and his tears fell.

She gritted her teeth, “And you mocked me,”

“M… mocked?” Mark asked.

“Earlier in this conversation. You mocked me, have you forgotten?”

He looked at Xiao You.

“You said I need a man. Oh yeah? Even if I need a man, I will be with anyone but you. You don’t fit in. You are not a man. You are a monster. And saying I am with him because he took my virginity? So are you jealous about that too? And what about I told you he f*cks better too?”

He realized how offended she had been with his words which he had uttered since beginning of the conversation but she waited until now to hit back.

“Just because I hardly retaliate, don’t think that I wouldn’t do it after you had insulted me,” she stares at him angrily.

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat.

“You…” she uttered, “…hurt me physically, mentally and emotionally… the whole damn package,”

“I am sorry, Xiao You…”

As she looked at him right now, she recalled the entire incident.

The accident.

The kidnapping.

And diving the knife into Xi Men’s abdomen.

She almost lost Xi Men that night.

“You…” Xiao You looked at Mark, a tear fell onto her face. “…are a murderer,”

Mark looked at Xiao You, and he has nothing to say to defend for himself.

“My ex-husband… is a mur…” she is about to repeat her statement but then paused, “No,” she adds. “No, that’s not right,”

Mark just looked at Xiao You.

“The right thing to say is… the Mark Liu that I know; the person I once married to and had been with… is a nice person. He doesn’t blame people for his failure. He doesn’t kill for revenge. And I realized… he is dead,”

Mark’s eyes brightened up slightly at that statement.

“My ex-husband is dead,” she repeated, and she gritted her teeth, eyeing him after that. “You are not him anymore,”

“Xiao You, I am sorry…” Mark said.

“This will be the last time I see you,” Xiao You uttered.

Mark looked at Xiao You.

“I won’t see you anymore,” she looked at him.

Mark looked into her eyes, feeling extremely devastated all of a sudden.

“Because… I don’t know you anymore,” she said. “We are strangers from this moment on,”

Tears fell onto Mark’s face and he gasped for air.

Xiao You wiped all the tears on her face and then stands up…

***

Xi Men is startled to see Xiao You rose to her feet that he retracts his hand from the door, causing the door to close with a soft thud.

“GASP!” Xi Men and Lei reacted together.

***

The soft thud is loud enough for Xiao You and Mark to hear during that brief silence.

Both of them turned their heads to look at the door.

Xiao You immediately heads to the door and grabbed the door knob, twists and pulls the door open wide.

She meets Xi Men in his eyes; who actually wants to leave, but his condition forbids him from turning around quickly.

But even so, he can’t run away and she’ll catch him anyway.

“Xi Men…?” Xiao You looked at him.

Xi Men swallowed the lump in his throat, and he quickly wiped the trail of tears on his face. “I…”

She turned her gaze to Lei standing next to Xi Men.

Lei smiled awkwardly at her.

Just seeing that weird smile, Xiao You knew.

Xiao You returned her focus to Xi Men, “You… have been listening?”

Xi Men swallowed yet another quickly formed lump in his throat. “Umm… yeah,”

“How long have you been listening?” Xiao You asked.

“Since… the beginning…” Xi Men said.

Xiao You looked at him, and then she smiled faintly. “So… you heard everything?”

“Yeah,” Xi Men said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

He then diverts his gaze to look at Mark now, who is looking back at him (Xi Men).

“Alright then,” Xiao You lowered her gaze and that is when she sees the blood on his clothes. “Xi Men, you are…!”

Xi Men returned his gaze to Xiao You and interrupts her, “Don’t worry about me,”

“He aggravated the wound when he wants to come over to stop you,” Lei said.

Xiao You looked at Xi Men worriedly.

“I am really okay,” Xi Men said, “Are you alright?” he raised his hand up and holds her arm.

Xiao You nodded, “Yeah,” she smiled at Xi Men, “Let’s… go back to your room,”

Xi Men gazes over to Mark in the room, before he looked at Xiao You again and nodded, “Okay…”

“Please…”

Xiao You lifted her head slightly; didn’t turn her head around.

Xi Men and Lei looked at Mark in the room upon hearing that.

Mark is looking at Xiao You’s back, “Please take care of Xiao You. Make her happy,” Mark said.

Xi Men knew Mark is directing the words to him.

“He will. He doesn’t need you to remind him of that,” Xiao You answered instead, still with her back facing him.

“I will,” Xi Men looked at Mark and said. Xi Men then looked at Xiao You at her face, “I promise,”

“Good. You promised,” Mark said, and then slowly had his gaze traveled to Xi Men.

Xi Men also happens to turn his head and looked at Mark, and both of them looked at each other.

After staring at each other for a while, Mark breaks off the locked gaze and straightened his head pretending Xi Men is not there.

Xi Men then straightened his head as well, and looked at Xiao You biting her lower lip.

He turned to look at Lei, “Let’s go,”

“Wait,” Xiao You suddenly said.

Xi Men and Lei looked at Xiao You.

Mark also turned to look at Xiao You.

Xiao You turned her head briefly to the back, but did not look at Mark. “What does she have that I don’t?”

Mark’s eyes brightened up as he looked at Xiao You.

Xi Men and Lei had their eyes widened as they looked at Xiao You.

“I…” Mark looked at Xiao You.

“What does Ivy has that I don’t?” Xiao You asked again.

“I…” he stammered, “I have no intention to do so, Xiao You. I… I thought she can give me business contacts to save the company…”

“Explain,” Xiao You demanded.

Mark gulps down the lump in his throat. “I met Ivy… and she told me she knew a lot of company directors…” he said.

Xi Men and Lei exchanged gazes.

“So I approach her… hoping she’ll introduce some to me…” Mark swallowed the lump in his throat, “But instead of knowing any directors, things between Ivy and I…” he lowered his gaze.

“You lied to her about our marital status and condition,” Xiao You adds.

“Because I was trying to make her happy. I just wanted the contacts from her so I thought anything that will make her happy will…”

Xiao You straightened her head.

“It is for Liu Management! I did that for Liu Management! I didn’t know it will…”

“Then did you get the contacts?” Xiao You interrupted and asked.

Mark paused briefly. “No,” he said. “She did not introduce anyone to me until the day I ended things with her…” he adds, “Xiao You, I am sorry about that. I am really sorry,” Mark apologizes.

Xiao You swallowed the lump in her throat, and then looked at Lei, “You are right, Lei,”

Lei tilts his head and frowned; he does not understand while Xi Men looked at Lei, and then at Xiao You, for he also want to know what is that supposed to mean.

“He will still cheat on me no matter where we go,” Xiao You said.

Lei remembers this conversation that he had with Xiao You. His frown eases, and then glances over to Xi Men.

“If he is willing to cheat on me to rescue his company, then that is what he will do, no matter where we go in this world,”

Xi Men and Lei exchanged glances again.

Hearing that renders Mark speechless.

Xiao You then turned to face Xi Men, “Let’s go, for real,”

“Sure…” Xi Men responded.

“Okay,” Lei holds onto Xi Men’s IV drip now. He gently pulls back and followed Xi Men’s pace, where after Xiao You took a step forward, Xi Men closes the door behind her.

Lei then nods at the few police officers sitting on the bench, and they stand up; getting back to their position, with one enters the room.

Xiao You walked next to Xi Men, and Xi Men wrapped his hand around Xiao You’s shoulder while Lei walks at the other side of Xi Men, suddenly holds the responsibility for the IV drip.

Xi Men rubbed Xiao You’s arm.

He understood her conflicted emotions at this moment, after such an intense conversation with Mark.

“Are you alright?” Xi Men asked.

“Yeah,” Xiao You puts on a bitter smile. “It is a very depressing conversation; hurtful and painful… but I am alright. I will be okay even if I am not,”

“Really?”

“Mm hmm,” Xiao You nodded.

“I am here if you need me,” Xi Men said.

“I know,” she smiled.

He smiled too, “Xiao You, I love you,”

Xiao You smiled, “I love you too, Xi Men,”

‘Can I leave…?’ Lei thought to himself.

“If…”

Xiao You lifted her head up and looked at Xi Men, while Lei pretends to be invisible.

Xi Men stopped walking and turned to look at her.

Xiao You stopped walking; and Lei had to stop walking too (since the one who needs the IV drip stops walking – Xi Men).

Xi Men looked at Xiao You, “And I want to let you know that if you are not comfortable after all that had happened, we can postpone our wedding. My injury is the perfect excuse to postpone…”

She shook. “No,” she interrupts him. “No. We are getting married as planned,” she said. “Unless you are the one that wants to postpone…”

Xi Men shook. “No, I don’t want to postpone either. I want to marry you. I’ll walk down the aisle with a crutch if I had to… or even with this IV drip,” he pointed at the IV drip, and then happens to look at Lei.

Lei gave him a glare, as Lei felt like an outcast.

Xi Men smirks at Lei, before he returned his gaze to Xiao You, “Nothing will stop me from marrying you,”

Xiao You smiled, a tear fell onto her face. “Then let’s do that,”

Xi Men smiled as he wiped her fallen tear, and then he leaned over to kiss her on her lips.

‘Ah shit… you guys…’ Lei thought to himself.

Lei rolled his eyes as he had to watch them kiss in front of him, ‘Why are you kissing in front of me?’

‘Why am I responsible for this IV drip?!’

‘WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!’

‘URGHHHH…’

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