Author's Notes: I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that four of you had already favorite-d this story at its prologue! I was truly astounded, and completely touched by all the reviews that all of you left. Thank you for the encouragement. I'm really excited about writing this story. So, onto Chapter One! Enjoy! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.
Behind Closed Doors
Chapter One: Sweet Revenge
"Arrgh!" A scream of frustration broke through the air of a group of chattering women. "I can't believe that woman!"
Four pairs of eyes turned in their seats at their individual desks in a spacious, clean, glossy office.
"What happened to you Chiharu?" A shoulder-length wavy brown haired young woman asked.
"I told you Rika! It's that woman! She must have done this! I know she did!"
"What has she done this time?" A shoulder-length, straight dark-brown haired woman with glasses asked.
"It's that Li woman, Naoko! She fired Takashi!"
A sound of shock went around the room, before a woman with waist-length curly hair broke the echoing silence. "Oh, Chiharu. I'm so sorry to hear that. Takashi-kun must feel terrible."
"Thanks, Tomoyo," Chiharu sighed. "He's pretty upset right now."
"Especially with that baby of yours coming," the last and final voice of a short, honey-colored haired woman added.
Chiharu absently rubbed the five-month-old bulge that was beginning to show under her shirt. "Sakura, what am I going to do?"
Sakura's brows knitted together. "As far as I knew, Ava pays us enough to cover for his loss until Takashi-kun can find a new job, right?"
"I guess you're right," Chiharu grumbled. "But that's beside the point! Takashi was only fired because of that Li woman!"
"Who? Do you mean Li Marlene?" Tomoyo asked.
"Yes!"
"How is it her fault?" Sakura asked, confused.
"Chiharu suspects something about her, but no one has ever been able to find anything concrete," Rika answered.
"Interesting," Naoko commented to herself. "But, as fascinating as Chiharu's theories might be, I think she may be channeling a bit of Takashi-kun's personality."
"What was that?" Chiharu's glare shot across the room.
Everyone in the room broke out into peals of laughter until a giant white screen began to descend from the ceiling against the far wall. All five girls immediately focused their attention on it when the screen turned black.
"Good morning Ladies," an androgynous voice filtered out through its speakers.
"Good morning Sir & Madam" all five women answered in unison.
"We have an interesting mission for you today," another genderless voice started, straight to business. "A very powerful family has come to us, asking for our aid. One of you will be going undercover as a new office secretary and a cleaning maid, should you choose to accept."
"Two identities at one time?" Naoko remarked. "That would be fun."
"Who is the family that requested us? And who exactly are we investigating?" Chiharu questioned.
"A woman by the name of Taizen Meiling. She has asked us to investigate the circumstances surrounding her cousin, Li Syaoran's life. Specifically his wife Li Marlene."
Naoko's fingers were already flying across the keyboard in front of her, keying in specific words to dig up more information, before the screen had finished speaking.
"Taizen Meiling, formerly Li Meiling, twenty nine-years old. She is married to Taizen Kai, also twenty-nine years old, whom is making quite a name for himself as a physician. Together they have one daughter, Taizen Raelin, nine years old," Naoko informed the group in greater detail.
Rika had already pulled up the remaining information. "Li Syaoran, twenty-nine years old, owns one of the largest companies in the nation. He helped to create it from the ground up, and it has made him very rich and very powerful. He married his wife, Li Marlene, also twenty-nine years old, when they were both at the age of seventeen. Li Marlene works with her husband as his secretary. Together they have had three kids, oldest daughter Kerri, twelve years old, middle child and only son Nathan, eight years old, and youngest daughter Aria, four years old."
"From what I've heard, they seem like the picture perfect family," Sakura commented as she tapped her chin in thought. "At least, that's the way the media displays them. Do you know anything Tomoyo? Since Eriol-kun works there and is on friendly terms with them?"
Tomoyo shook her head. "Every time I ask him about work, he changes the subject, but he has only ever had good things to say about Li-kun. Eriol says that he has always been a kind and compassionate person in private, although he puts up a sterner front for his company in public. And as far as I know, Li-kun has always been dedicated to his family, and has never tolerated anything bad to be said about them, particularly his wife."
"So what's the catch?" Sakura asked the screen.
"The client, Taizen Meiling, will provide further information upon her arrival should you choose to accept the request. However, Ava has been keeping an eye on the company as employees have either been fired or quit out of the blue for no discernible reason. With the company as powerful and influential as it is, tabs have been kept on it. Will you accept the job?" The neutral voice asked.
"We have to take it!" Chiharu immediately put in. "Please! This is our chance! Please!" She looked at the remaining four women with pleading eyes. "For Takashi's sake? For my sake? For my own personal revenge? For my unborn child's sake?"
The women rolled their eyes, but couldn't help but crack a grin in the process. "Alright, alright. We'll take it," they agreed.
"Yes! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!" Chiharu ran over to wrap each of them in a hug.
"Thank you," Ava's unknown leaders accepted. "More information shall be sent to you right away, and when you have chosen the agent to go undercover, please buzz Taizen Meiling in. She is waiting in the downstairs lobby." The screen flickered, went blank, and then began to draw itself back up into the ceiling. The women watched it leave.
"So…? Anyone have any new ideas over who 'Sir' and 'Madam' are yet?" Chiharu voiced aloud.
"Nope," everyone responded at once.
"No one knows who they are," Sakura continued. "Those two have been running Ava since before even the oldest, retired members can remember. No one knows how old he or she are, what they look like, or what their purpose is exactly, but their members trust them unflinchingly, and their clients know the job will be done correctly and efficiently… All right. Down to business. So who's going undercover?"
"I would if I could," Chiharu kicked the gray-carpeted ground. "But Takashi is treating me like glass right now, and would absolutely freak if I accepted it. And since he was a former employee, they would recognize me with this," she pointed at her belly.
"Count me out too," Tomoyo chimed in. "Eriol still works there, and I don't want to compromise anything. Plus, our wedding is right around the corner, and there is still so much to plan."
"I'm still exhausted from the last mission," Naoko chimed in. "I'm just doing desk work this time around. Why don't you take it Sakura?"
"Me? Sure, if that's alright with you Rika." Sakura looked over at Rika to see her smiling.
"That's all right with me, I would like some extra time to help Chale study," she answered.
"Studying as hard as usual to get into high-school, huh?" Chiharu asked.
"Yep," Rika beamed, pride radiating from her everywhere.
"Sounds good," Sakura slapped her hands together in confirmation. "I'll do it then. Naoko, pull up the information, please."
"Sakura, you shall be going undercover as Warai Miko, Li Marlene's assistant. You're other identity is Seawall Terese; she's a foreigner from Europe, working as an after-hours cleaning maid, and to top it all off, she's deaf. Time to brush up on your sign language Sakura," Naoko smirked.
"Ha ha," Sakura laughed dryly. "If that's all there is to it, let in our client."
Tomoyo nodded and pressed a button on the phone next to her. "Mika-san? Please send Taizen Meiling-san up please."
"Can I join you?" Mika's eager voice asked.
Tomoyo smiled. "Come on up."
"Yesss," they heard the excited girl say before the call with disconnected.
"Have fun Sakura-chan," Tomoyo waved. "We'll be watching you on the screen. Oh! And be sure to wear your outfit as Miko! I already have something picked out for you in compartment A-453."
"Thanks," Sakura said as she headed out the side door, and into another room that looked like it was something out of a costume room in the back of a theatre. Wigs, make-up and a vast array of outfits were organized throughout the entire room.
She walked right over to a side hall that contained rows upon rows of separate compartments; preset identities created by Tomoyo to fit any occasion. Only she knew exactly what was in each one.
Sakura located A-453 and pulled open the latch to reveal a curly brown wig, dark brown contacts, and glasses. The outfit was a simple gray-silk dress suit complete with plain black half-inch heels. She thanked Tomoyo silently again before changing into Warai Miko back in the other room.
She checked herself once before heading out a door set on the opposite wall, and into an empty hallway that echoed with the sound of her shoes. Multiple doors lined the walls, and Sakura stopped in front of the third one on her right. She straightened her knee-length skirt once more before entering through the door.
The other side looked like a simple corner office; one window taking up the entire wall on her left, in front of it sat a wooden desk and chair. Sakura took her seat, and played with the earphone in her right ear while she waited. "Can you hear me okay?" She asked the room.
A dreamy sigh was heard on the other end. "Sakura-chan you look absolutely adorable," Tomoyo's voice rang in as clear as if she was standing right next to her.
Sakura smiled at her friend's reaction. "I'll take that as a yes, then."
A few moments later the door opened and Sakura saw two people before her. The first, leading in the client, was sixteen-year-old Kinomoto Mika, Sakura's older brother Touya and his wife Kaho's only daughter.
She had been born when Sakura was only thirteen, but the young teenager already looked like her mother, except for her father's dark brown eyes. She had only started a few months ago, but she was already making a name for herself in Ava, unbeknownst to her parents of course.
Mika could find any information on anyone, hack into any system known to man, and she wouldn't stop until she was satisfied that she had done her best and covered her tracks.
Touya and Kaho believed her to be Sakura's office assistant in a temp job.
Right behind the eager-eyed girl came the client, Taizen Meiling. Her long, black hair, and startling ruby-colored eyes instantly caught Sakura's attention. "Good morning Taizen-san," Sakura greeted. "Please sit down." She indicated the pair of chairs in front of her desk.
"Thank you," Meiling sat down, and Mika sat in the corner with a clipboard and pen, ready for note taking.
"My name is Warai Miko, I will be the agent for your contract with Ava. I have heard the initial proposition from my employers," Sakura started. "Could you please explain to me what exactly I will be looking for?"
Meiling glanced around warily. "Are you sure this place is secure?"
"You are in one of the safest buildings in the world. Please, go ahead," Sakura assured her.
"I would like you to help me. Well, more my cousin than me, but I am the one hiring you so I suppose it adds up to the same thing," Meiling began.
"She's rambling," Naoko's voice sounded in Sakura's ear.
"She's probably scared," Rika commented.
"You don't have to be nervous," Sakura smiled gently at the young woman before her. "Every and anything you say here is strictly confidential. No one out side of this building will know why you were here."
Meiling drew in a deep breath. "Sorry, it's just that I've had to deal with this alone, outside of my family that is, for so long that I'm a bit paranoid."
"Paranoid?" Chiharu's voice sounded confused. "What? Is someone out to get her?"
"Is someone watching you?" Sakura asked.
"Sort of," Meiling looked down at her hands in her lap for a moment. "You see…it's my cousin Syaoran."
"Your cousin is having you watched?"
"No! No, nothing like that," Meiling hurriedly corrected Sakura. "It's his wife Marlene. She's, well, you see…"
"A lying, backstabbing b-"
"Chiharu!" Rika, Naoko, and Tomoyo's voices quickly silenced their irritated friend, and Sakura schooled her face to remain neutral.
"I cannot help you unless I know what the problem is," Sakura pointed out kindly.
"Sorry. It's just that I've been bottling this up for over ten years…" she took another deep breath and let it out slowly.
Ten years? Sakura frowned internally. And she's just coming to us now? From what Chiharu says, this Li Marlene has been creating subtle problems for years. Not that any of that has ever been able to be confirmed, of course.
"Okay. I've never liked Marlene. From the moment I first met her," Meiling began. "There was just…something about her. Something I couldn't put my finger on at first, but it dug at me like a splinter on my finger that I could never find." She scowled. "I tried to tell Syaoran that something was…off about her, but he wouldn't here a word. Not even from me.
"They were married a year, it was just after Kerri, their first daughter, was born when I discovered her cheating on him with someone else. Some guy she had met a bar." A dark look flashed across Meiling's face. "Of course I confronted her on it right away, I was completely appalled, but she burst out into tears. She apologized profusely and begged me not to say anything to my cousin. She promised she would never do it again, that she loved Syaoran too much to hurt him.
"We were only eighteen at the time, so I took into account of her age and promised I wouldn't say a word." Meiling looked up at Sakura, slightly worried. "I couldn't say anything. Syaoran's my cousin and I love him like a brother, I would never want to see him hurt, and he looked at her with such adoration all the time… I kept my lips sealed." Her face fell again, and it took her a moment before she could raise her gaze to meet Sakura's. "Two years later I was married myself, and had my own daughter, Raelin, to look after."
Meiling shifted in her seat, trying to be more comfortable as she crossed her arms over her chest. It was obvious how much this was tearing at her. "The next year Syaoran and Marlene had Nathan, and I discovered her cheating on my cousin again. This time it was with one of his employees. His assistant of all people," she glowered at the memory.
"I happened to stumble upon them when I came in to see if Syaoran was available for lunch." Her eyes blazed with confined rage. "They were in Syaoran's own office, enjoying the pleasure of each others company," she spat. "I was livid. I confronted her once again, but this time she became nasty with me. She threatened to have an unfortunate 'accident' happen to my husband or daughter if I said a thing to anyone. It was all I could do to stop myself from wringing my own hands around her scrawny little neck, but…my hands were tied." She looked back at Sakura imploringly, as if asking her for forgiveness that she couldn't seek elsewhere.
"Is Marlene still with this lover?" Sakura asked, intrigued. If the assistant was an ex-lover, they might be able to convince him to spill some dirt on her.
Meiling sighed deeply, and replied in a defeated voice. "Several days later her new lover mysteriously went 'missing'… He was found in his vehicle in a ditch fifty miles from here. His wallet and valuables were missing and there was a bullet in his head; everyone just assumed a thief had shot him on his way home from work and stolen his goods." Meiling stared at Sakura hard. "But I knew. I knew what had really happened. I took my suspicions to the police, but without any evidence, they couldn't do anything."
"Sounds like she's gifted in covering things up," Naoko commented.
Chiharu snorted. "Covering her mistakes up maybe. But certain other things she seems to like to flash at men," she added bitterly.
Tomoyo sighed. "Chiharu? Was that really necessary?"
"Could you please, in your own words, describe Li Marlene to me?" Sakura asked politely, trying to keep revolting images out of her head, no thanks to Chiharu.
Meiling places her hands in her lap and sat up as straight as she could, as if trying to mimic 'perfection'. "Marlene has long lustrous black hair, a radiant smile, and deep blue eyes, with a figure to catch anyone's eye. She has it all. A wonderful husband in my cousin, three adorable kids, a gorgeous house, and she never has to worry about money. Syaoran and I already come from a powerful family, and his business has only boosted that."
Meiling's face lifted into a mocking smile. "At least, that's what the world sees. But I know better. She's never satisfied. She hates children, loathes her husband, and wants all that power and money to herself, and she's willing to get it any way that she can. She's been cheating on her husband since the beginning of their marriage, and-"
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, as if considering if this was really the right thing to do, but then plunged on ahead without wavering. "Lately I suspect that she's been developing a way to get my cousin out of the picture for good."
"And what about her kids?" Sakura asked, storing all the information in her head, as Mika's hand flew across the page with her notes. Sakura was slightly surprised the paper hadn't caught on fire yet from all the friction.
"Her kids?" Meiling snorted, she was on a roll now. She found it was much easier to keep going now that she had started. "Ever hear of something called boarding school and hired help? Syaoran refuses to send his kids anywhere, and that's the only reason why they're still here, in their private schools. But when they're at home, someone else takes care of them. Marlene never gets near them unless it's to abuse them, mostly mentally, but she's resorted to physical a few times too. I've seen the bruises and angry red marks. I try to get them over my house as often as possible, because I can't stand it over there. In a way, I've been a substitute mother for those three."
Tomoyo's strangled gasp rang out over the earpiece. "How could anyone do that to their own children?"
"Who could be married to someone who does that to their own children?" Chiharu asked back.
"And the kids themselves? What are they like?" Sakura's face was all seriousness. She wanted to know as much about this family as she could before she began.
Meiling's face seemed to instantly light up, as if someone had thrown the switch to turn on the Christmas tree.
"Kerri' twelve, but extremely smart already. She is the near-mirror image of her mother in their looks. She knows more than she lets on, and tries to protect her younger siblings from their mother, often taking the full-force of her mother's wrath. Despite it all she has grown-up to be very mature, quick, and protective, acting as a mother for Nathan and Aria. She is very responsible and loves her family, except for her mother." Meiling smirked, "I think she received that from my side of the family."
Sakura couldn't help but crack a grin in response.
"Nathan's the middle child. He's cheerful and is always smiling. At eight years old he is looking more and more like his father every day, and being naturally curious, he knows more than he completely understands. He's constantly trying to please, and looks to Kerri to explain things to him. He's young, but he knows not to say anything about his mother around Syaoran, or anyone for that matter."
Meiling began to almost glow as she continued. "Aria is four years old and absolutely adorable. Her parent's combined genes have given her such dark brown hair that it's almost but not quite black, and big green eyes with flecks of amber in them. She's shy, quiet, and incredibly sweet. She follows Kerri around like a duckling when they're together, and has never fought with either of her siblings. She loves to play with them, but is perfectly content to occupy herself alone too."
Sakura nodded, taking in every word. "So your cousin's wife is causing a lot of family problems, along with the business ones, correct?"
Meiling's eyes darkened. "To the world Marlene is, in a word, perfect, but to those who've seen the truth…she is a sly, cruel, heartless, and conniving woman who knows how to charm. Anyone who has ever dared to question her has found themselves suddenly unemployed, and anyone who has stumbled upon her other acts, well," she laughed humorlessly. "I can find the police reports for you." Her voice took on a slightly desperate edge. "Marlene has something up her sleeves. I can feel it. I feel it as strongly now as I did when I first met her. After all, who's going to stop her?"
There was an appalled silence on the end of Sakura's earpiece. "We will," Sakura said determinedly.
"I hope so," Meiling said, exhausted from her long rant. "Because you're my last hope." She rubbed her temples, trying to rid herself of the headache that always accompanied any thoughts of Marlene. "May I ask how?"
"I will be the agent going undercover for you, although it looks like you have everything discovered already," Sakura grinned good-naturally. "If you didn't have so much on your hands already, I'd suggest that you work here."
Meiling smiled back, wearily. "Thanks, but no thanks. Four kids, five if you include my husband, to look after are quite enough for me at the moment."
"This sounds like a much higher risk level than you originally indicated," Sakura noted.
Meiling looked abashed. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to say too much in case Ava rejected my request."
Sakura smiled reassuringly. "I understand. So, you would like us to not only expose Marlene, but protect your cousin as well?"
"Yes, and his family. No harm is to come to the four of them." Meiling hesitated. "I realize that bringing Marlene's secrets out into the open is really going to hurt Syaoran, but…"
"Better hurt than dead, right?"
Meiling nodded. "Exactly."
"Taizen-san? I don't mean to pry, but are your cousin's children biologically his children?"
"Yes," Meiling looked at Sakura, puzzled. "By some stroke of luck, Marlene wasn't with any other lover each time she became pregnant. You'll see that right away with Nathan, and a bit in Aria too. Why do you ask?"
"If Kerri, Nathan, and Aria were not Li Syaoran's children, there would be a legal mess if a biological father stepped forward to claim them after Marlene is taken care of."
"You say that assuming that any of her lover's are alive," Meiling stated matter-of-factly. "But then again, some may have survived." She shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? If they did survive, I would knock them off myself, if it weren't already illegal." She glanced at Sakura.
Sakura smirked. "Don't worry. You have every right to say that. Just as long as I don't catch you actually doing it, or discover that you have, then we will get along just fine."
"If I may ask," Meiling ventured. "How exactly are you going to do this?"
"I will enter the company under an alias, get close to the Li family, and work my way from there. That is all I can tell you right now," Sakura informed her client.
"Are you going to disguise yourself?" Meiling asked, genuinely curious.
"I already am," Sakura answered. "This is who I will be. Warai Miko, at your service."
Meiling whistled low, her eyebrows rising. "I never would have guessed that. I would ask what you really look like, but somehow I get the feeling that that is 'classified information.'"
Sakura smiled broadly in answer. "Thank you." She stood up and offered her hand. "It will be a pleasure working with you Taizen-san. We will put forth our best efforts in helping you and your cousin's family."
Meiling stood as well and shook Sakura's hand. "Call me Meiling, and thank you."
The two women released their grasp and Sakura signaled Mika, who had been scribbling away like mad throughout the entire conversation. "Mika shall guide you on your way out. Please contact us with any information you uncover or would like to share, no matter how small it may seem, and regardless if you think we know it yet or not."
"I will," Meiling, gathered her purse from where she had set it next to her chair and straightened.
"Before you go. Out of curiosity, may I ask where or whom you heard about us from?" Sakura asked the kind-hearted woman before her.
Meiling turned around to face Sakura once more. "One of Syaoran's closest friends, Hiiragizawa Eriol dropped the name to me one day. I think he knows what is going on, and that I was at my wit's end."
Sakura nodded once. "Thank you, and have a safe journey home."
Meiling nodded once as well before following Mika's lead out the office door. Once it had closed firmly behind them Sakura let out a slow breath.
"So girls, what do you think?"
"I'm going to get every last scrap of information out of that fiancé of mine the next time I see him," Tomoyo's voice sounded back over the sound waves. "I can't believe he never told me any of this!"
"I knew it," Chiharu explained triumphantly. "That's why Takashi wouldn't say anything! That horrid little witch made him keep his mouth shut! I cannot wait to get my hands around her scrawny little neck! Sakura, take her down and take her down hard!"
Sakura chuckled. "Did you get all of that Naoko?"
"Yes," Naoko's clear voice sounded in Sakura's ear. "But I will compare notes with Mika when she returns just in case."
"What do you think Sakura?" Rika asked.
Sakura's smile widened. "I think this is going to be fun."