continuation of flashback
'What's this?' Sakura thought to herself while trying to recognize the white sheet with pink bear decorated on it. She stared at it until her vision came out of the blur and realized that it was a letter to her. She scanned the paper to see whom it was from. It was from Li. 'Hmmm, why would he write to me like this?' 'Maybe he has a surprise for me.' She giggled and started to read the letter.
Dear Sakura,
I hope you feel better. I will return to Hong Kong soon. It's clan business. I think its better for me to leave you a note before leaving.
Li
Sakura studied the words and scanned for any answers that would explain to her what the letter meant. When she finally realized that there were hints or clues to this she went to call Li. He didn't pick up his cell. All she could hear was the ringing tone. She tried his house but the housekeeper picked up and said he didn't come back yet.
Sakura picked up the phone again, only to call Madison. "Hello, may I speak to Madison please?" "Hello? Sakura?" Madison answered in a hesitant voice.
"Madison, do you think you can come over now. I have to talk to you."
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Sakura's place
Ding Dong
The doorbell rings and Sakura ran to get it. "Come in Madison. I have something to show you." Sakura grabs Madison's arm and ran upstairs to her room. Madison could feel her intense grip loosen a bit when they got there. Confused, she asked "What is it Sakura?" Stationary paper was shoved in her face. "Hey what's the big.." Before she could finish, Sakura was on her bed crying. Madison read the note and understood what had happened.
Sakura was now on the floor, sitting upright with her face buried in her hands. Madison walked over and kneel beside her trying to comfort her heartbroken friend. For awhile, she had let it all come out. Madison didn't mind her clothes being soaked. She just didn't want to see her friend sad.
When Sakura started to calm down, Madison thought it was safe to start talking about it. "Sakura are you feeling better?" She asked the sobbing Sakura. All she did was nod her head. Madison took it as a yes and went on. "You know, Li called me about two hours ago."
"What!" Sakura's head shot up from the limp stance she was in before. "Why?"
Madison knew this was coming. "He called to tell me that he was leaving for Hong Kong."
"But I know that already, didn't you read the note." She said disappointly and sniffled.
"Yeah, I know that, but he also told me that when he was at the airport getting checked in for the next flight to Hong Kong."
Sakura couldn't let the words absorb in. She wouldn't let it, but she did. With each word said, it felt like daggers being shot in her heart one by one. She couldn't take the pain, and stared numbly at Madison. The once eyes of happiness turned dark. The joy has left it and Sakura herself. Not even tears could express the feelings trapped inside of her. It was fuming and growing until she couldn't take it anymore.
She lashed out at Madison. "Your lying. He wouldn't do that to me. He couldn't." Now the sadness and hardness turned into anger and fear as the thought of what has happened entered her mind and seeing herself alone came into a clear view. At that, she collapsed on the floor.
end flashback
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Tears are now streaming down her eyes. Sakura hadn't noticed until she came back to reality. She felt the hot liquid coming down her cheeks. 'I will not let him get to me, I will not let him get to me' she repeated to herself 'But didn't he already?' another voice inside her head replied. 'No, no, no'
"Sakura?" Madison asked timidly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Madison." Sakura quickly wiped the tears away. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Li." was the one word that could change her whole world. "He sent me a letter recently."
Madison pulled out a piece of gold paper with Chinese prints on it. "I think you should read it yourself, and then come to your own conclusion." She handed it to Sakura. While she was reading the paper, Madison studied Sakura. Her face seems tired but expressionless. 'I wonder what is going on in her head right now.'
As she is reading, questions overflowed her mind. 'Marriage?!?!' 'Why didn't Li mention any of this to her?' 'He can't even say these things to me himself?' 'What did I really meant to him?' 'Was I just a puppet with strings to be played around with?' 'Why doesn't he want me to go to Hong Kong?' and most important of all 'If he loved me, how is not seeing him off harmful? Is he avoiding me?
All these years since Li had left her, she learned to stop trusting guys so quickly. She also, didn't go back out with guys anymore either. She had dating around, but nothing more. She hardened through the years. She wasn't weak like before in the subject of love. Sakura knew that if you gave in, she would be left with a broken heart. With this advantage, she wasn't going to break down so easily from the news she just received. "Oh Madison, I hope this didn't put you under any pressure, and if it did I apologize." Madison blinked and realized that she wasn't dreaming it. She knew Sakura had toughened up these past years, but not this much. "So..so..so your not mad?"
"Of course I am! But not as much as when he left me."
"What about the marriage?" "If Li's happy, but it didn't sound like it, so be it. I guess it was unavoidable. Destiny have its ways." She knew she was lying, both to herself and Madison. This was the only way that she can surpass this stage in her life. Her heart still quenched horribly at the thought, but she has to let go.
"Plus, I have better and newer things to think about, like Shawn."
"Don't you think we should do something about it at least? I mean the wedding is in a month, no even less." Madison stated quietly. She doesn't know why Sakura is acting this way.
"No." Now Sakura was getting angry. She didn't know if it was Madison or her own pain from Li. "Like I said before, I have new and better things to worry about."
"Don't tell me that Sakura. I know you too well for this act. Why can't you accept it and do something sensible about it?"
The shouting started. "Because, I have to let go. I don't want this to burden my whole life. Why can't you understand that? Madison, just support me in this one, okay?" She was trying to keep her anger back and almost lost it. Sakura didn't have much patience at that time. There were too much thoughts running through her head this time.
Madison wasn't in such great shape either. Here she was, trying to help ease Sakura through all this and she isn't even grateful for it. 'Why can't things be just like it used to do?' She knows that Sakura couldn't go through this so she decided to go along with it. "Fine then, go to Shawn. See what happens then."
"I will. I bet he is better than that Li." He ruined her life once, but she won't let it happen again.
Madison sighed when she said that and said "Let's turn in for the night, okay?" "We'll deal with
this more tomorrow."
'What's this?' Sakura thought to herself while trying to recognize the white sheet with pink bear decorated on it. She stared at it until her vision came out of the blur and realized that it was a letter to her. She scanned the paper to see whom it was from. It was from Li. 'Hmmm, why would he write to me like this?' 'Maybe he has a surprise for me.' She giggled and started to read the letter.
Dear Sakura,
I hope you feel better. I will return to Hong Kong soon. It's clan business. I think its better for me to leave you a note before leaving.
Li
Sakura studied the words and scanned for any answers that would explain to her what the letter meant. When she finally realized that there were hints or clues to this she went to call Li. He didn't pick up his cell. All she could hear was the ringing tone. She tried his house but the housekeeper picked up and said he didn't come back yet.
Sakura picked up the phone again, only to call Madison. "Hello, may I speak to Madison please?" "Hello? Sakura?" Madison answered in a hesitant voice.
"Madison, do you think you can come over now. I have to talk to you."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sakura's place
Ding Dong
The doorbell rings and Sakura ran to get it. "Come in Madison. I have something to show you." Sakura grabs Madison's arm and ran upstairs to her room. Madison could feel her intense grip loosen a bit when they got there. Confused, she asked "What is it Sakura?" Stationary paper was shoved in her face. "Hey what's the big.." Before she could finish, Sakura was on her bed crying. Madison read the note and understood what had happened.
Sakura was now on the floor, sitting upright with her face buried in her hands. Madison walked over and kneel beside her trying to comfort her heartbroken friend. For awhile, she had let it all come out. Madison didn't mind her clothes being soaked. She just didn't want to see her friend sad.
When Sakura started to calm down, Madison thought it was safe to start talking about it. "Sakura are you feeling better?" She asked the sobbing Sakura. All she did was nod her head. Madison took it as a yes and went on. "You know, Li called me about two hours ago."
"What!" Sakura's head shot up from the limp stance she was in before. "Why?"
Madison knew this was coming. "He called to tell me that he was leaving for Hong Kong."
"But I know that already, didn't you read the note." She said disappointly and sniffled.
"Yeah, I know that, but he also told me that when he was at the airport getting checked in for the next flight to Hong Kong."
Sakura couldn't let the words absorb in. She wouldn't let it, but she did. With each word said, it felt like daggers being shot in her heart one by one. She couldn't take the pain, and stared numbly at Madison. The once eyes of happiness turned dark. The joy has left it and Sakura herself. Not even tears could express the feelings trapped inside of her. It was fuming and growing until she couldn't take it anymore.
She lashed out at Madison. "Your lying. He wouldn't do that to me. He couldn't." Now the sadness and hardness turned into anger and fear as the thought of what has happened entered her mind and seeing herself alone came into a clear view. At that, she collapsed on the floor.
end flashback
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tears are now streaming down her eyes. Sakura hadn't noticed until she came back to reality. She felt the hot liquid coming down her cheeks. 'I will not let him get to me, I will not let him get to me' she repeated to herself 'But didn't he already?' another voice inside her head replied. 'No, no, no'
"Sakura?" Madison asked timidly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Madison." Sakura quickly wiped the tears away. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Li." was the one word that could change her whole world. "He sent me a letter recently."
Madison pulled out a piece of gold paper with Chinese prints on it. "I think you should read it yourself, and then come to your own conclusion." She handed it to Sakura. While she was reading the paper, Madison studied Sakura. Her face seems tired but expressionless. 'I wonder what is going on in her head right now.'
As she is reading, questions overflowed her mind. 'Marriage?!?!' 'Why didn't Li mention any of this to her?' 'He can't even say these things to me himself?' 'What did I really meant to him?' 'Was I just a puppet with strings to be played around with?' 'Why doesn't he want me to go to Hong Kong?' and most important of all 'If he loved me, how is not seeing him off harmful? Is he avoiding me?
All these years since Li had left her, she learned to stop trusting guys so quickly. She also, didn't go back out with guys anymore either. She had dating around, but nothing more. She hardened through the years. She wasn't weak like before in the subject of love. Sakura knew that if you gave in, she would be left with a broken heart. With this advantage, she wasn't going to break down so easily from the news she just received. "Oh Madison, I hope this didn't put you under any pressure, and if it did I apologize." Madison blinked and realized that she wasn't dreaming it. She knew Sakura had toughened up these past years, but not this much. "So..so..so your not mad?"
"Of course I am! But not as much as when he left me."
"What about the marriage?" "If Li's happy, but it didn't sound like it, so be it. I guess it was unavoidable. Destiny have its ways." She knew she was lying, both to herself and Madison. This was the only way that she can surpass this stage in her life. Her heart still quenched horribly at the thought, but she has to let go.
"Plus, I have better and newer things to think about, like Shawn."
"Don't you think we should do something about it at least? I mean the wedding is in a month, no even less." Madison stated quietly. She doesn't know why Sakura is acting this way.
"No." Now Sakura was getting angry. She didn't know if it was Madison or her own pain from Li. "Like I said before, I have new and better things to worry about."
"Don't tell me that Sakura. I know you too well for this act. Why can't you accept it and do something sensible about it?"
The shouting started. "Because, I have to let go. I don't want this to burden my whole life. Why can't you understand that? Madison, just support me in this one, okay?" She was trying to keep her anger back and almost lost it. Sakura didn't have much patience at that time. There were too much thoughts running through her head this time.
Madison wasn't in such great shape either. Here she was, trying to help ease Sakura through all this and she isn't even grateful for it. 'Why can't things be just like it used to do?' She knows that Sakura couldn't go through this so she decided to go along with it. "Fine then, go to Shawn. See what happens then."
"I will. I bet he is better than that Li." He ruined her life once, but she won't let it happen again.
Madison sighed when she said that and said "Let's turn in for the night, okay?" "We'll deal with
this more tomorrow."