Chapter 4 Bully The Weak

Julie nodded with a smile. "You know what? I learn my lesson well. Fear the strong but bully the weak. I had lost my mother in a car accident in which I was seriously injured. I even lost a part of my memory. I even forgot the basic stuff that even primary school students know. As I was lying in the hospital, all bruised and immobile, my so-called father was busy appropriating all my money, every scrap of what I owned. He even had the guts to sell off my grandfather's villa. Without a penny, I was forced to leave the hospital even before I was fully healed.

You know who a real bully is? You and your mother burnt my mother's portrait; you even threw away her cremains!"

Indignant, Julie continued, "You were the one who sought kinship with the Leng family! It was as clear as day to all who knew you, how your attitude to me changed the moment I married James. Afraid of the strong, aren't you?"

Julie always had the last say. With a smile, she continued, "So we both are the same. We bully the weak and fear the strong. But I am not shameless like you. You and your mother are known to seduce other people's husbands."

"Alice!" Julie smiled and said, "What a pity! At times, I am incomparable!"

On hearing this, Alice trembled with rage, pointing a finger at Julie yet unable to utter a word.

James smiled, unlike his cold self. Standing at the end of the stairs, he was listening to the conversation between Julie and Alice. Julie was meek and obedient to him, although she proved to be eloquent, when it came to defending her self-esteem. But the next moment the smile transformed into a sneer when he thought about all the scheming she managed just to marry him.

"This is the Leng family. What are you two arguing for then?" James' angered tone got both of them turn to him. There he stood just behind them with a stone cold face.

Alice, in an attempt to gain sympathy from James, mustered all the grief on her face. Pointing to her swollen face, she added painfully, "James, Julie slapped me."

Glancing at Alice, James said coldly, "That's your family business. It has nothing to do with me."

"James." Alice called out to him, hurt by his indifference.

Seeing Miranda walk over, she ran to her. Again Alice put on an aggrieved look and made a failed attempt to speak ill of Julie. Miranda however, walked right past her, to stop in front of Julie.

"You are his wife. Even if his allegiance or love lies elsewhere, it is your duty to cater to his needs, and your responsibility to bear his child." Miranda's cold voice pierced Julie's heart. Focused on drilling some sense into Julie, Miranda continued, "Even if he doesn't fall in love with you now, you must fulfill your duty. He will come back to you, one day. If he wanders about, if he still has doubts about continuing this relation, I can't blame him. It's your fault. You've done something dreadfully wrong. Can't you see that?"

Julie controlled the retort that sprang up, pursing her lips shut, lest she lost control. Instead, nodding, she softly said, "Yes, I know."

Miranda snorted, "Oh! You do? Would just knowing help? What have you done about it? It's been almost a year since you've married him. Have you been to your honeymoon yet? Arrange your work and plan a honeymoon trip as soon as possible. Even if James is not willing, you better find a way to get him join you."

Miranda knew she couldn't make James listen to her in any way. So she was left with no choice but to assign Julie with this impossible task.

Julie hesitantly spoke up, "Mom, I..." She then bit her tongue seeing the look on Miranda's face. She was wondering 'How am I supposed to persuade James?'

Frowning, Miranda looked at Julie and said, "Keep your excuses to yourself. I have no time for that. We all know how you schemed and begged and cajoled your way into the Leng family. Put the same determination to work. By hook or by crook, get this done. If you can't, then your marriage better end here and I am no longer your mother-in-law."

Julie took a deep breath, lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I'll try my best."

Irritated, Miranda now turned to look at Alice's red and swollen face. Disgusted, she walked out of the room avoiding eye contact.

Alice was still glaring at Julie when she noticed that Miranda was leaving the room, ignoring her. She called out "Aunt" while trying to catch up with the latter's pace. "Wait for me."

Looking at Alice's enthusiasm, anyone would have thought her to be the daughter-in-law.

Miranda walked out of the villa and got into her car. She frowned and looked at Alice. "I hate uncertainty and I detest liars. Miss Alice, I thought you could do better than this. Never waste my time."

Miranda then closed the door and said to the driver coldly, "Let's go."

As the car slowly paved its way out through the gates, the day's events unfolded in front of her. Miranda lowered her head to look at her hand that had just slapped Julie. She frowned but quickly assured herself in a low voice, 'She is not a good person. She set my son up to become a part of the Leng family, so she definitely deserves this. If she was able to accomplish that, why can't she do this?'

Regardless of all the enmities between them, she still picked up her phone and asked impatiently, "Isn't Julie going to cooperate with the YM Group now? Please do me a favor. She is my daughter-in-law. And I will help her."

James stood by the window, watching Miranda's car drive away, He then sneered at Julie, "What are you going to do? How can you persuade me?"

The truth was, Julie didn't know how to persuade James at all. She had tried her best to maintain this marriage. No matter how bad it had been at the beginning, once in the Leng family, she just wanted to be James' wife and play her role well. She had never wanted her marriage to fail like that of her parents'.

But ever since her abortion the day before, she suddenly felt tired of keeping up the pretense. Rather, she felt the desperate urge to bring an end to all this. There was no use doing everything all alone to make things right. Every marriage should be based on efforts from both the partners. But hers was destined to fail, from start.

Julie looked up at James and asked, "Mr. James, what do you want me to do?"

"What I want? I want you to stop thinking too much and let it be the way it is. I don't want any more trouble from you," said James in an indifferent manner.

Julie sneered, "But all the trouble starts when you get drunk. If you don't want any trouble, then just stop drinking. And then neither would you have anything to do with me nor me with you."

While speaking, Julie's hands unconsciously stroked her belly.

Frowning, James sharply looked at Julie and then his eyes followed her hand.

His voice had a cold edge as he squinted. "Do you feel wronged to have had an abortion? So now you will take up the pretense to be resentful? Wasn't this your own choice? You should have foreseen all this long before. You got into the Leng family just for money and power, but is that everything? Stop playing tricks to humiliate yourself further."

He then slowly walked out of the villa.