AN: Jeez, you guys really do want their secrets to come out, don't you? I had never realized that. But you guys need to be patient. I need to build up the suspense, get a few things out of the way, etc. But I promise you don't have to wait long, especially with the way I've been updating. I'm trying to keep the updates every week. Let's see if I can do it. Hey, you never know. I might even update faster than that!
On with the story!
Affairs of the Heart
Chapter Eight
Lydia couldn't believe it. Her eyes were wide, both with resentment and with confusion. How was it possible? How? She was so sure of it, so sure she would never have to deal with it. Her plan had been impeccable- she was the smart one, always has been.
But now her supposedly impeccable plan had backfired.
"You don't want to invite us in, Ms. Lang? Oh, wait, it's Mrs. Li now, isn't it?"
She stared at the two of them hard, her arm outstretched and her hand resting on the door, telling them without words that they weren't invited inside her home.
"Mr. And Mrs. Hiiragazawa" she said "how wonderful to see you two again." She said it sarcastically, an attempt to cover her nervousness at having them here.
"Shocked aren't you?" Eriol said smoothly.
She glared at him. "You guys are very stupid in coming here again. I thought I said that I would send the information I have to the tabloids if you guys ever come back. I still have it, you know." That was a lie. She had burned the papers months after they had gone, thinking they would never come back, but they didn't know that.
"Yeah, you did, but you see, Lydia, we left because we wanted to protect Xiao-Lang. We didn't care what you wrote about us, but we were worried about his company. It was just so new, barely getting a great reputation. To give bad publicity about his partner, me, would have ruined it all. But we have been keeping tabs on him for the past two years, since the day we left. We even kept tabs on you."
"You really have to learn not to show when you are bored at functions" Tomoyo stated, a brow raised. She wasn't at all sorry for coming here. She wanted to see Lydia squirm. So she continued the story. "We had gone to Sapporo, and subscribed for all the Tomoeda newspapers and magazines. We read every article about you two. We have learned about the many charities you have donated to, although I am very sure he was the one donating while to the reporters he said it was you two, and we've learned the reputation his company has: reliable, fast-working, no lies, no secrets. We had come Thursday, last week."
Today was Tuesday, five days later. What took them so long to come here? Not that Lydia had ever wanted to see them, but she would at least expect them to come straight to her, gloating that they came back, to frazzle her-
Unless they had gone straight to her husband, told him everything. She froze at the thought.
Xiao-Lang wouldn't believe them, she thought frantically. Not after what they did by not showing up at their wedding. He loves her too much, he would never believe them.
Would he?
If they had noticed her frozen state, they ignored it. Tomoyo continued. "We knew that you would try to blackmail us again, but we know it won't do you any good. Eriol is no longer well-known as he used to be. Being away for two years, people forgot about him. But most of all, he is no longer part of Xiao-Lang's company."
Lydia couldn't believe it. She was right. Blackmailing them to leave again won't do her any good. She thought, two years ago the day before her wedding, that when they left it was because they cared about their reputation. Eriol had been partners with Xiao-Lang, so, obviously, he would get a bit of publicity himself. She had thought that he cared about his image when he left, but now she knew that all this time they were protecting Xiao-Lang.
And now she had no idea how to get rid of them.
"Why are you here?" She demanded.
"To frazzle you, of course. We haven't told Xiao-Lang- well, that's not true. He didn't want to talk to us."
Lydia smiled a smug smile.
"But" Tomoyo continued, stepping forward so only an inch separated the two woman from actually touching "he will eventually wonder about us. He will want to know why we left, why we came back. His anger will subside, and curiosity will take it's place. It's human nature, sweetie. Anger, then curiosity, and guess what he will do when he comes to us for answers?"
"He'll never believe you" she said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Maybe at first, but eventually he'll know we were telling the truth. And if he is stubborn and still doesn't believe us, I'll do everything in my power to bring you down. I'll never let it go for you bringing my child into this. My son is gone, and I don't appreciate you using his death as a means to get rid of us."
Eriol had remained silent. He knows his wife, knew that on the outside she seems harmless but on the inside she has steel, steel that had hardened the day her baby died. This was something she had to do, and he didn't want to be in the middle of it. Besides, what stupid man gets in the middle of two fighting women, verbally or physically?
"So I want you to squirm, Lydia. I want you to wake up every morning thinking of us, sleep every night thinking of us. Every minute thinking of us."
Tomoyo backed off and went to Eriol's side. "Every minute" she said again and they looked at each other before leaving.
Lydia tried to breathe as she watched them leave the Li grounds. Slowly she walked back inside and closed the door. She was grateful her husband wasn't here. Instead he was at work, and she shuddered at the thought of him being here at the same time they were. All possibilities of the outcome flashed through her mind. She cursed them for coming back. She has to get rid of them, before they tell Xiao-Lang anything. But how? She can't blackmail them again. She has no leverage. She certainly can't kill them. Xiao-Lang will find it suspicious of them disappearing, coming back, and then being killed. He'll investigate it.
She knew Tomoyo was right. He wouldn't talk to them because he was angry, not because he hates them. They've been friends for years, even before Lydia came into the picture. Those three are like the Three Musketeers. Anger will never erase the memories and love her husband feels for those two. They are like a family. So, eventually, he will get curious and demand to know why they are back. And they'll answer.
She couldn't take a risk. She had to do something! Everything was finally falling into place.
With a tired sigh she walked into the living room and sat down, trying to think. But only two questions kept popping into her head: When will they tell Xiao-Lang and, the question that had haunted her since the day Tomoyo and Eriol had confronted her, how did they find out?
(Sakura)
Breakfast was tense as she ate her food silently. She could feel Kiyo watching her every now and then but she was determined to ignore him. Last night she had done her duty and pick him up from the airport, but the ride was silent. There were a few times when he tried to initiate a conversation but she only gave him cold looks or a movement of the head, and eventually he had realized that she was only picking him up because she had promised to.
"That's it, Sakura, you can't ignore me forever."
She merely glanced at him with a blank face, but inside her stomach revolted and she placed her fork down, now knowing that she wouldn't be able to eat. She took a sip of water, eyeing him over the rim of her glass.
"Listen, I know you are mad at me but you have to believe that I didn't intend to slap you. I swear it on my mother's grave."
She placed her glass down and leaned back in her chair, still giving him a blank expression. She knew the slap wasn't intentional, but it was the way he tried to control her that she would never forgive. Ordering her around and telling her that he "disallows" her to go. She would have maybe thought things over if he had asked her calmly not to go, but no, he just went crazy and started to demand her to stay home.
He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, darling. I almost died when my hand hit you. But I'll never hit you again. I promise."
She noticed he was apologizing for the slap, although she wasn't sure if he meant it, but he wasn't apologizing for his attitude. Nor was he explaining it.
So she said nothing, and waited.
Kiyo clenched his hands, hard, his fists going white. He knew she was waiting for him to apologize for his trying to control her, but male pride kept him from doing so. He was a man: It's bad enough he had to apologize in slapping her when, in truth, she had deserved the pain, but to apologize for saying something that is true? For saying that she was a wife and nothing else? No, he wasn't going to do it.
So how was he going to get through her cold barriers?
He wanted to yell at her, but that will only anger he more, and who knows what she'll do when angry. No, he needs her to be scared of him and then, and only then, will he be able to finally come out of his shell.
But again, how was he going to get through her cold barriers?
There was only one way to do this. He had tried verbally- now it's time for physically. He stood up and rounded the table. He saw her eyes widen a bit, even though she apparently had tried to keep her face motionless. He grabbed her arm and hauled her up and against him, wrapping his arms around her.
Sakura's eyes were wide, no longer trying to control her facial expression. "Don't you dare kiss me" she hissed at him. For a brief moment she saw a smug expression in his eyes and abruptly she knew that she just gave him what he wanted. She has just spoken to him after having gone all night and almost all morning without even speaking a word to him, or around him. "Let go of me, Kiyo."
"Why?" he drawled, his eyes glittering.
"Why? Isn't obvious? You demoted me from an independent woman to a wife who has to hide behind her husband's shadow! And to add icing on the cake, you slapped me!"
"It was an accident!" he yelled suddenly. He then sucked in a deep breathe and waited a moment. "It was an accident" he repeated in a calm tone. "And I had gone crazy for saying such things."
She glared at him, wanting him to apologize. But he didn't, he just stared at her, waiting for her to forgive him. The arrogance of the man! He had gone crazy all right. He had gone crazy for letting himself slip, for just saying those things before thinking about it and stopping his tongue from uttering those words.
Has he always thought that way?, she thought, suddenly realizing that maybe he has. Perhaps he has always thought her as nothing more than a wife. Never as an independent woman. Never as a working woman. How could she have seen pass such a thing? How could she have married him!
Abruptly, their marriage life passed before her eyes, and suddenly she realized that in a very subtle way, he had been controlling her. She had always giving in to what he wants, because he would always make her doubt her decisions. He allowed her to create Blossom Petal, but only so she wouldn't suspect his barbaric side, so she wouldn't accuse him of controlling her. Now, looking at his smug, handsome face, she realized that the only freedom she ever got was when she was in Blossom Petal, when she was decorating other people's houses. Other than that and going out with friends he knew, she wasn't able to do what she wanted, because he always made her doubt her decisions.
Until she had decided to go to Italy.
For three years, he had controlled her life, and she never suspected it.
And when, for the first time she went against his wishes, he slapped her.
She suddenly wanted to cry. Her throat was already burning, closing up as she tried to control it.
This new side of him wasn't her imagination. It was real. It existed. She hoped for so long that it wasn't real. But it was. It very much was.
She stepped away from him, all strength to argue with him gone. "Who are you?" She whispered, looking at him as if this was the first time she has ever seen him. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty, and a bit of fright.
Kiyo knew right then and there that it was time for him to get out of his shell. He wasted no time. "You're husband" he crooned, gathering her in his arms. He felt her stiffen. "The one man you love. The one man who would kill just to be with you."
And, because she believed him, she said nothing.
(Syaoran)
"And tell that intern downstairs to always, always, check if the coffee maker is off before she leaves everyday, especially if there is a newspaper near that thing" Syaoran said tiredly as he sat in his chair. His employee nodded before leaving the office.
He sighed again, not quite able to believe that his building could have burned down, all because the coffee maker had been left on overnight and left near a newspaper. The lunchroom was now all burned, but he was grateful that the sprinkler installed in the kitchen had turned on and was able to wash out the fire. It would cost a bundle to get the kitchen fixed, but until then everyone would have to eat at their desks during their lunch hours.
To get his mind off what could have happened, he began to think about the weekend in Italy. It was remarkable. Except for those two men who nearly blew his cover, everything just went smoothly, and they had enjoyed themselves. It had allowed him to get lost in Sakura without having to worry about everybody else. It had allowed him to relax.
But most importantly, it kept his mind off the fact that someone had hit her. The only time that was ever mentioned was when she got the call from, he presumed, her abuser. Even now, fury shot through his veins as he remembered the bruise on her cheek. She didn't want to tell him who it was, but he'll find out. He truly will.
"Knock, knock."
He looked at the person that entered his office, and glared. "I thought I said-"
"You know me, Xiao-Lang. I never back down." Eriol smiled as he entered the office and closed the door. "Tomoyo isn't here. She doesn't know I'm here. She believes I went out for a walk. So it's just you and me. I don't want Tomoyo to be hurt by talking about her baby."
Syaoran leaned forward, his glare never leaving his face. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get his ex-friend out of his office. He remembers all to well how Eriol never gave up in anything; he's a persistent bastard, and doesn't let go until what he needs to say is done. So the faster he spits out whatever it is he wants to say, the faster he will leave and get out of Syaoran's life.
But he still felt anger towards him, so with menace in his voice he said "You have some nerve coming back here, Eriol."
"You need to listen to me."
"No, I don't, but because I want you gone I'll tolerate your voice- for now."
"Xiao-Lang, you need to know the truth about Lydia."
"Why do we need to talk about her? Lydia isn't involved-"
"She wants to get pregnant."
Syaoran gave him an incredulous look. "Every wife at some point wants to get pregnant. What does that have to do with any-"
"How many of them wants to get pregnant to use the baby as a weapon to kill their husbands?"
Silence hung between them, each staring at the other. Then: "What?" Syaoran shot up and out of his chair, the piece of furniture tilting back until gravity took over and let it fall onto the ground with a crash. "That's what you came here to tell me! Some bull!"
Calmly, Eriol replied "It's not bull. Me and Tomoyo overheard your wife over two years ago explaining a scheme to her staff. But I don't want to tell you what it is because you won't believe me and I don't want to waste my time on something that you'll figure out on your own later anyways. This is what I came to say: Your wife had used my and Tomoyo's situation to her advantage. I don't know how she found out that Tomoyo had been raped. I don't know how she found out that I didn't know if I was the father or if the rapist was the father of Tomoyo's baby. But Lydia did find out."
"You're lying" he hissed. "I know my wife inside out."
"You don't know what's pass that façade she wears every time you are around. Lydia made up a story, Xiao-Lang. She actually made up a story of how I was driving like a maniac and purposely drove off the highway in order to kill the baby because I couldn't handle the fact that the baby might have been someone else's. You know damn well that I had loved that child, no matter the circumstances. You know that on my way to the hospital to get a DNA test my tire blew out and I ran off the road. It was an accident. It was an accident!" Remembering that accident made Eriol shake with the anger and sadness he felt over losing that baby. He had been blaming himself for so long that Lydia just put the icing on the cake, making it worse. A couple of times he had actually tried to kill himself to end the pain, but no one knew this. No one.
Syaoran watched as Eriol became silent, his eyes unfocused. The owner of Li Corps was a little confused over how he had explained his little story. At first he had began talking calmly, but then towards the end his voice got louder and louder until it verged to the point where it sounded as if Eriol would yell.
But Syaoran didn't believe the story. Lydia wouldn't do such a thing.
"It was an accident" Eriol murmured, his eyes focusing once more. "I had to leave with Tomoyo, or she would have published all that information. It would have destroyed you."
"I don't believe you."
"No . . . I supposed you don't. Just know that we left because we wanted to protect you and this company. Half my money went into this, and this was like my other baby. I had to protect it, and I had to protect my best friend."
"This company, Eriol, is not your baby. It's called Li Corps; it's my baby, if you want to use that term. I never used your money, Eriol. When you left I didn't want anything to do with you, including your money. I built this company, I'm the owner. And now I want you off the premises. I'm sick and tired of your lies. I'm sick and tired of you using Lydia as an excuse for you not being there as my best man in my wedding and never contacting me again. My best friend, who've I've known since childhood, wasn't there on the most important day of my life!"
And for the first time Syaoran let Eriol see the hurt he had felt of his best friend not being there for him.
"We've been through so much, Eriol! We were practically brothers, we were even the most popular guys in high school! I had even covered for you when you had cut classes so you can be with Tomoyo when you first met! We were best friends and you still miss my wedding! I was even stupid enough to ask you to be my best man because I wanted you, a guy I love like a brother, to celebrate the happiest day of my life and you weren't there. You weren't there, you traitor!" Syaoran yelled out the last statement. "Then you disappear and don't even have the nerve to tell me why you weren't there! You betrayed our friendship, and I'll be damned if I let you convince me with your lies that my wife is the whole reason you left! Now get out!"
Eriol couldn't believe that he had hurt him this much. But like Syaoran said, they were practically brothers. After high school they had moved from Hong Kong to Tomoedatogether. They had worked together. They had majored in the same major when they went to the same college. They did almost everything together.
Syaoran had depended on him to be there on his wedding day, to help him through it, to give him advice in case he gets cold feet. Syaoran has no family here. Both parents are dead- father died when he was three and the mother died five years ago- and his siblings all live in Hong Kong. Eriol was his family in Japan, and he wasn't there on the most important day of his life.
"Fine, I'll get out. But please don't get Lydia pregnant."
"Get out" Syaoran said through clenched teeth.
"Don't get her pregnant" he repeated, and left.
Syaoran stared at the spot Eriol had been standing before he punched his desk. "He's a liar and a traitor" he muttered. "Lydia didn't make them leave. They left on their own. They betrayed me. It's not Lydia's fault. It's not Lydia's fault." He continued to murmur the same sentence, but no matter how many times he said it, he couldn't squash that little piece of his mind that kept whispering that Lydia really was the one who made them leave, and destroyed their friendship.
(Eriol)
Eriol entered the car that was waiting for him in the Li Corps's parking lot.
"How did you explain my absence?"
"I just said that you went out for a walk and that you didn't know I was there while I warned him about Lydia- again."
"How did he take it?" Tomoyo asked him.
He smiled at her. "I think he's starting to believe. I know him inside out. He'll want us to fill him in on all the blank spaces sooner or later."
"But he won't be able to find us."
"Exactly. He'll be forced to figure everything on his own." He cupped her cheek. "He's smart. I wish we could tell him everything, but he'll never believe us. The only way he can believe the truth is if he learns about it himself. Knowing him, he'll first demand the truth from Lydia, but she'll just deny everything."
She nodded. "I still don't understand how going to Lydia earlier and then going to Xiao-Lang now is going to do anything. We told Lydia he would come to us, but he doesn't know where we are or our numbers."
"But Lydia doesn't know that. When Xiao-Lang demands the truth from Lydia, she'll realize that her plan is falling apart. Then she'll be worried and sooner or later she'll make a slip-up or will forget to do something and he'll find out the truth."
"Oh" she said, now understanding.
"Yeah. So now all we have to do is sit back, and wait."
(Later: Sakura: Lydia's Mansion)
She sighed with contentment when she saw the finished product of the living room. Her and her employees were doing a fine job and had already finished a lot of the rooms. She went to the study and looked around, noticing all the dark colors. It was all man in here; nothing feminine.
This must belong to her husband, she thought.
Just thinking about husbands made her think of Kiyo, and she shuddered.
When did he change? When did he become such a violent person? She now knew that the slap, accidental as it was, had given him great pleasure. She figured it out when he had deliberately squeezed her wrist while he was warning her to never disobey him again. He had hurt her, and he knew it. She had winced way too much for him not to know that he was squeezing her wrist more than her fragile bones could handle.
He was abusive and controlling, and her first thought was to leave him and go somewhere, anywhere. But what if he came after her? What then? She was too scared to leave. But she needed to leave if she wanted to remain in one piece. Eventually he'll start beating her, not caring about anything except the pain she suffers.
And she'll suffer. What woman wouldn't suffer after being hit by the man she loves? By the man she thought she knew?
She wanted to run to Syaoran, tell him what was going on, tell him to protect her. But she couldn't do it. If she did that, then she would have to tell him about Kiyo, about her marriage. Then he'll be damned before he helps her. He'll probably just say that she deserves all the hits coming her way. And he would be right. She does deserve it, after having an affair behind her husband's back. But she was too much of a coward to take the abuse. She was too much of a coward to rebel against Kiyo. She was too much of a coward to go and tell Syaoran everything.
She was just, simply, a coward.
She shook her head, wanting all thoughts to just go away. That's the whole reason she came by, to get her mind off Kiyo and the problems she now has to face. Only a couple of rooms remained, and then Lydia would be able to have the little party she'll be throwing.
So far, everything in the mansion has a little bit of Chinese flavor. Sakura had even thrown a few dragons here and there. But she was completely baffled on what to do with this room. She has never met the husband, never even seen a picture, so she couldn't just assume on what he would like. All the finished products Lydia had liked, but she never said if her husband liked it too. Sakura had asked once, but Lydia just shuttered her eyes and changed the subject.
Apparently, the husband was taboo for now.
She walked around the study, looking for anything that would give a hint of what the husband likes. She looked at the books on the bookcase, on the colors in the room. Not a single hint popped up.
Suddenly, she spotted the tie resting on the top of the big, leather chair. It was black with gray wolves on it. She smiled slightly.
That's the same tie Syaoran wears, she thought, remembering the tie she had said was cute.
She slightly jumped when she heard a door slam. Then a yell came, calling for Lydia.
That must be the husband.
Curiosity, everybody's greatest sin, took over. She has never seen him, and couldn't help but feel that this would be her only chance. Maybe by studying his features she'll figure out what to do with his study. She left the study and tried to follow the footsteps. They were going up the stairs and, because the study was downstairs, she headed towards the stair case. Glancing up, she saw the husband's slacks, but he was walking so fast she couldn't get a glimpse of anything else. She was about to follow up the stairs when that butler came forward, the one that would always glare at her. She briefly wondered where he came from.
"The rooms you are to redecorate are downstairs. You are not allowed upstairs."
"I know, I just wanted to tell Lydia-"
"I will tell the mistress of the household that you wish to speak to her and she will come to you."
She sighed, knowing that she won't be able to see who the husband is. "Fine" she mumbled, disappointed. "What I had wanted to say was that I'm leaving and that it might be another week before I'm finished here."
Sulking, she walked to the living room, grabbed her purse, and began to walk out. She stopped and glanced back, seeing that the butler followed her. "You know" she started saying when she saw the glare he was giving her "I did nothing wrong to deserve that glare."
It was a moment of insanity that made her say any words to him, so when his eyebrows snapped together in anger she hightailed out of there, not once looking back.
(Syaoran)
"Is it true!" he yelled again. He looked at Lydia, who was sitting on the bed and looking at him as if he was crazy. "Did you make them leave?"
"Of course not!" She yelled back jumping off the bed. "And keep your voice down, the interior decorator is here and I don't think she has to hear this."
"Does it look like I care about the damn decorator!" He snapped, but he did lower his voice and was now growling. "Now tell me why Eriol would say that you blackmailed them."
"Because they hate me! They always have!"
"They had liked you. And even if they didn't why would they lie?"
"First off, Xiao-Lang, why would they tell you they hate me when all they want is your happiness? It was obvious they pretended to like me just so you can be happy! And second of all they would say anything just to get on your good side. Excuse after excuse just so they could have a good reason for leaving."
His eyes narrowed and, like a hawk, swooped down on the one thing that didn't make sense. "If all they want is my happiness, they wouldn't have left and they wouldn't be here and telling me that it is your fault!"
Lydia's hands clenched, both from nervousness and desperation. Everything was falling apart. This couldn't happen! It just couldn't! At the end of nine months he would be gone, but if everything came out now, and he divorces her, then she will be the one disappearing!
"I don't know what to tell you, Xiao-Lang. They don't like me, and they left. I don't know why they are lying to you now, I don't know why they came back, all I know is that I did not make them leave."
"Did you know about their baby?" he asked abruptly.
"Of course not!" She glared at him. "I cannot believe you would trust their word over mine" she hissed and briskly left the room.
Syaoran watched her leave and had the urge to go after. Not to beg forgiveness, but to call her a liar.
He hadn't mentioned the baby when he entered the room. He had demanded the truth, demanded if she had blackmailed Eriol and Tomoyo to leave. He hadn't told her how Eriol explained she blackmailed them to leave. All he had wanted to know was if she was reason they had gone.
When he had asked about the baby, it was a test. He had wanted to know what she would say. Instead of saying 'what baby?', which is the first thing everyone would say, she had replied with 'of course not', which is like saying she knew about the baby, but didn't use it as a way to get rid of the Hiiragazawa's. She had known about the baby, but was denying it. Something was up.
Don't get her pregnant.
That's what Eriol had told him. Was he right? Was Lydia going to use a baby as a way of getting rid of him, her own husband?
Damn it, nothing made sense and it was driving him crazy! His best friend comes back, tells him information that Syaoran had thought was bullshit. And now he comes home to find out that his wife did know about Tomoyo's son, but was lying through her teeth about it! That only meant that Eriol had been telling the truth, but then why would Lydia want to get pregnant and use the baby as a way to kill him? Lydia wouldn't do that. But then he had also thought that she hadn't known about the baby.
Everything was so confusing that his head began to hurt. He needed to find out what was going on. He wanted to talk to Eriol, but he didn't have their number and they probably won't ever get near him again after demanding them to go away. Besides, Eriol had said that he wouldn't waste his time explaining whatever it was they had heard his wife say.
Syaoran would have to figure out this big puzzle alone.
AN: You guys are probably disappointed that their secrets didn't come out in this chapter, huh? Well, if you guys really want to know when Sakura and Syaoran find out about each other's spouses, all you have to do is continue reading the story. Believe me when I say that the story is rapidly reaching it's climax. Very rapidly.
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