Threatening suggestions

Daisy took Lee to a cafe. They sat and decided to order.

"What will you have?" Daisy asked Lee before calling the waitress to place an order.

"I don't mind anything," Lee responded. She wasn't allergic to anything and wasn't a foodie anyway and didn't see the difference.

"Two orders of mint flavoured ice tea and croissants," Daisy spoke crisply.

"How have you been lately?" Daisy asked. Back then, she first met Lee when the girl was leaving work. Daisy was being harassed by some robbers who injured her foot. Lee had intervening and threatened to call the police making the thugs run.

Daisy was surprised to see that her savior was a little girl. Many people had avoided helping her that day because they feared getting into trouble. She couldn't really blame some of them for walking away, knowing what to do is one thing and doing it is another. Because her foot was injured, Lee took her to her home and nursed her for a while.

Daisy appreciated the girl's help and she soon realized that Lee lived alone.

She assumed that the girl might be orphaned. When she asked Lee to move in to her place so she could take care of her, the girl rejected.

The only thing they agreed on was exchanging phone numbers in case of anything. She was glad Lee asked her for a job. It would be easier to care for her.

"I am doing well," Lee answered.

Daisy wanted to ask if Lee had moved because she went to check on her and the girl wasn't there anymore. She decided against it to avoid awkwardness and focused on eating the food that had just arrived.

The meal was done and they both went separately.

Lee, as good as she was at rejecting had declined a ride with Daisy and was walking back home. It was very far but over the years,she had gotten used to walking alot.

When she arrived, she went to have a shower and clean off the sweat. She put on her clothes and went to the garden.

A servant had called her and informed her that Ze Li wanted to meet her. She wasn't interested in whatever he had to say but she still had to go.

The garden had several flowers of many different colors. The breeze was refreshing adding to the nice view.

Problem was, Ze Li was seated somewhere on a bench waiting. Seeing him simply made her mood hit rock bottom.

Being here was the best idea as long as you had the right company, Lee thought.

Ze Li saw his daughter approaching and smiled, " Come sit over here," he pointed at the spot next to his.

Lee would rather stand than sit with him so she didn't react.

"The conversation could get long, sit over here instead," he directed her to the opposite seat this time.

Lee sat this time because it wasn't going to be a good idea to stand for long given that she was tired.

"Things must have been hard living alone, that is why I brought you with me, it's a pity you had a hard time," he spoke.

Lee patiently listened, this was some sort of old news already. Her ears hoped to trace a sorry instead.

" Why are you seeing us as the bad people?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Lee asked her father.

" The way you behave towards me and yesterday's incident," Ze Li stated.

That is when Lee realized what it was all about, her family wanted her to sit back and watch them treat Lynn wrongly. But, anyway they were obviously the bad people

" Family is family,we must always support each other and not others," Ze Li added on. He was fulfilling his promise to his mother by making sure Lee stayed away from Lynn.

Lee understood whatever he said but had no reply yet. If it was right to support family, why did he abandon her?

You barely know Lynn, is it right to get close to her?

Do you think your stepmother cares for you? Ze Li's tone was now harsh because he had grown impatient, he was used to asking the questions and not answering. He also hated it when somebody didn't listen to him.

"She is your wife, how could you say that?" she couldn't help but ask. Lee wondered if her father also spoke that way about her mother.

"Can't you see that she is the reason our family tore apart, she isn't a good person, Lynn has always been pretending," Ze Li spoke harshly.

Lee was getting frustrated with the yelling, she remembered all of Lynn's expressions. Trying to recall if she was faking anything.

A part of her that once wished to have a complete happy family blamed Lynn.

Ze Li was right, she didn't know her stepmother and it could be a pretense.

The thing was, for what. These past few days, Lynn had never been treated well by Ze Li as far as she knew. Lynn also lost a loved one, her daughter Nichole.

Lynn wasn't happy.

She remembered the times Ze Li and her mother argued. For as far as she knew, they were never really a happy family. Ze Li didn't show any love or physical care to them.

He never once sat down to have a chat or even hug his daughter. Never had he ever gone to her school to pick her up. Most importantly, she wishes there was a time he said "I love you".

Ze Li didn't seem to bring any special happiness to anybody's life. He just held onto the title he was filling but was of no use. Not a person you could really miss in your life.

"Why did you leave us?" Lee asked. She always wanted to know. It was better to close this chapter today since it seemed like it was a question answer day.

Ze Li hesitated before saying," I had my own reasons."

Lee had already stood up to leave. Her father as far as she knew, always had answers. The reason he could have hesitated was because his answer would ruin his plans to make her agree with him. It was all his selfishness.

"I have always loved you and your mother," he shouted as she walked hoping to get her attention.

Lee felt so sad, the words he spoke just now were the words she waited to hear from him for 17 years.

Now that he said it, she wished he said nothing just like always. His voice sounded so forced. Ze Li could barely lie convincingly.