Chapter 5 Mei Ling Investigates Sofía

The early morning had fallen over the city, but Mei Ling couldn't sleep. Jian Wei's words kept swirling in her mind, but something inside her told her that there was more he wasn't telling her. As the silence filled the apartment, Mei Ling's anger only grew stronger. Her mind, clouded by insecurity and distrust, began to search for answers wherever she could find them.

In the dim light, with the soft glow of her phone illuminating her face, Mei Ling opened her social media. Facebook, Instagram, any platform that could give her a closer look at Sofía's life. She didn't know where to start, but she had to do it. The woman who had sent the package, the woman who had invaded her life without warning. She needed to know more about her.

The first searches were unsuccessful, but after a few minutes of scrolling, Mei Ling found what she was looking for. Sofía Rodrígues. The woman Jian Wei had spoken so much about. Mei Ling clicked on her profile without thinking twice, and what she found left her frozen.

Sofía's account was filled with photos. Photos of landscapes, dinners, friends... but what caught Mei Ling's attention the most were the photos with Jian Wei. They were together in each of them, hugging, smiling, as if they shared a life full of memories. The couple appeared in different places in Spain: in the park, at restaurants, on beach trips. Each photo was a perfect portrait of a relationship that seemed much more than just friendship.

A flush of red rose to Mei Ling's cheeks, but not out of embarrassment, rather from the torrent of emotions flooding her. Why had Jian Wei never mentioned these photos to her? Why had he never told her how close Sofía was to him? How deep had their relationship been?

Mei Ling slid her finger across the screen, looking at each image. Sofía was beautiful, with a beauty so different from her own, but equally striking. She had a flawless figure, a warm smile that almost seemed designed to win anyone over. And she had done it. With Jian Wei. What bothered Mei Ling the most was the naturalness with which they posed together, how their hands touched without fear, how they looked at each other as if the world belonged only to them.

In one of the photos, Jian Wei was hugging her around the waist, while Sofía rested her head on his shoulder. The complicity between them was so evident that Mei Ling felt a knot in her stomach. That photo must have been taken at a special moment, one that she would never have shared with Jian Wei. What did all of this mean?

Her breath quickened, and an unbearable heat filled her. Mei Ling couldn't stop thinking about what she had discovered. Why hadn't he told her any of this? If their relationship with Sofía had only been a friendship, why hadn't he shown her any of those photos? How deep had that connection been between them?

Doubts and anger took hold of her. Sofía seemed to have everything Mei Ling feared losing. The perfect image, the perfect life, and Jian Wei by her side, smiling, happy. Was it possible that she was just a background character in his life? A temporary distraction?

Mei Ling stopped scrolling and stared at one of the photos in particular. Jian Wei and Sofía on what seemed to be a terrace overlooking the sea, both laughing, enjoying a moment that seemed so intimate. How could Jian Wei tell her there was nothing between them? She couldn't believe he hadn't had a deeper connection with Sofía. The way they looked at each other, the closeness, the touches that seemed so natural... all of that said otherwise.

The phone in her hands began to tremble slightly. She couldn't take it anymore. Was it possible that Sofía had been in their lives so subtly, and she hadn't known? The uncontrollable feelings she was experiencing were consuming her.

Suddenly, a notification on her phone screen interrupted her. It was a message from Sofía. Mei Ling opened it quickly. She knew that this woman, with all her confidence, had not stopped being in the spotlight. The message read:

"Hello, Mei Ling. I hope you're well. I would like to talk to you about all of this. I don't want you to misunderstand the situation between Jian Wei and me, and I would like to clarify any doubts you may have. I'm always willing to be honest with you. Hugs."

Mei Ling felt the rage building inside her. Sofía dared to write to her, trying to smooth things over. How could she be so confident? Did she really think Mei Ling was going to believe her empty words? Everything she had seen on her profile, all those photos of complicity, of memories, made her feel like she was being made a fool of. She wasn't going to let Sofía control her life.

Mei Ling took a deep breath, closed the app, and turned off the phone. She knew she couldn't keep ignoring what she had discovered. Her instincts told her that something wasn't right, that there was much more at stake than Jian Wei had told her.

The next morning, Mei Ling had a plan. She was going to confront Sofía. She had to know, once and for all, what had really happened between her and Jian Wei. She no longer cared what Jian Wei thought. The game was on.