Full Moon
BastardThis is ridiculous. After she realizes that this is too much punishment even for Yi Fan to have to endure, Gale clears and puts on her best Mandarin accent. “With all due respect,” by which I mean none, “wasn’t it Mister Wu who gave your son a second chance? You should be thanking this man for getting your son out of all the mischief that he was involved in. Tao went on his own accord and—”
“Who the hell do you think you are?!!?” Zi Tao’s father is furious to say the least.
“Someone who has clearly spent more time with Tao than you have,” Gale snaps back. I tried being civil, now I’m just mad. “You’re simply upset that your one source of free income is dead and now you’re here to try and guilt-trip the one person that you should be thanking into giving you more money.” They’re silent. “Victoria, please show these kind folks to the door and give them a tour, would you?”
Victoria does as she is told and the couple could do little to demand otherwise, now that their true intentions are brought to light. Yi Fan stands there dumbfounded as Gale huffs to herself for a second before straightening herself out and going back to work. “Uh… Thank you,” Yi Fan says absent-mindedly. Did she just defend me?
“Did the great Wu Yi Fan just thank one of his underlings?” Gale asks, trying to regain some of her colder image. “Don’t get the wrong idea, pretty boy; I was only calling them out on their .”
“Of course.” Yi Fan can’t help but smile. He makes his way to leave but he adds, “I’m different than how I was three years ago. I’m sure that even without contacts that you can see that. You may not believe it, but you’ve changed too, so don’t try to act like you haven’t.”
“Says the boy who is falling into the oldest cliché in the business handbook,” Gale scoffs, not looking up from the dense paperwork. This is why I will never accept a promotion. I can’t do this mindless dribble. She feels the need to add, “And before you ask, no, I don’t know if she feels the same way that you do. All I know is that she really cares about you—but then again, that’s not saying much—she cares about a lot of people.”
“She hasn’t changed.”
“Oh no, she has,” Gale points out. “You don’t see it but I sure as hell do.” I’m sure Victor and Henry has seen it too.
“Are you planning to see her today?”
“Not if you are.”
“I don’t think I can face her.”
“I’m surprise you can even think.”
Yi Fan laughs to himself at the jab but simply says with an attempt at assertiveness, “Get back to work, Estella.”
“Yes, sir,” Gale mocks.
When Gale clocked out, she calls Xue and asks her to bring Alistair to the hospital. However, when all three arrived, Mei Lin is not in her room. Scared, Gale inquires every possible person on the whereabouts of Mei Lin. “She’s been moved to the rehab facility,” a nurse says.
Gale finds Mei Lin attempting to stand with a nurse and Henry by her side. “How long have you been here?” Gale hears Mei Lin ask after being put back into a wheelchair. “Surely it’s been more than a week. I might not be completely myself, but even I know that that’s way too long. You have a tour to get back to—”
“There were only three more stops; I refunded them,” Henry says, insisting on pushing Mei Lin back to her new room.
“Hin Wah,” she says seriously, “I’m conscious and of sound mind; I don’t need a proxy anymore.”
“Is that your way of telling me that I should forget about you?” Henry asks, stopping momentarily for emphasis.
Gale takes this as her cue to give the ex-couple a private moment. So that’s why he stayed.
On the walk back to her room, Henry adds, “Mei, it’s over now right? You pushed me away because—”
“Are you honestly telling me that you can forgive me?” Mei Lin asks, not believing him for a moment. “Even with good intentions, it doesn’t change what I did.”
“You’re not even going to let me give you a second chance?”
“I’m not blind, Henry,” Mei Lin says matter-of-factly. “Maybe you are.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
“Are you seriously oblivious to the young lady that’s been with you all this time?” Mei Lin asks, craning her neck to get a better look at him. “You’re doing what you love with her—”
“I did that with you too.” You can’t expect me to compare you and Amber.
“Hin Wah,” Mei Lin sighs. “History is not always a good thing.” I’m only going to hold you back. Too much of the past is tied with me and you have a better life now.
If anyone were to listen into this conversation, it would be most cryptic. Henry nonetheless understands and can’t help but ask, “Is there someone else?” Do you love Kevin back? Do you even know how he feels?
“No,” Mei Lin says. Henry helps her into her bed. “It’s not that I don’t love you anymore, Hin Wah. I still care about you very much. I just think you’ll have a less complicated and much happier life if you were with someone else.” Honestly, can you trust me after everything? After all the secrecy and betrayal? “You can’t truthfully say that your feelings for me haven’t changed. Once someone hurts you, no matter how or for whatever reason, you can’t see them the same way again. Even if you can find it in your heart to forgive them and accept them again, it’ll never be the same, so it’ll be foolish to think that we can have what we had before, especially considering our careers.”
“Why are you pushing me away, Mei?” What did I do wrong?
Mei Lin looks down and tries to think of the reason, because even she’s not sure. “I guess I’m ashamed,” she says slowly. I caused you the same pain that I felt about three years ago, even though I promised myself I would never do that to a person. “I broke so many promises.”
“I don’t care,” Henry says, holding her hands and sounding desperate. “What does it matter if I forgive you?”
“It does matter when I can’t forgive myself,” Mei Lin says, her head getting lower with every word. “I can hardly look in a mirror, much less look at you.”
“Then I’ll wait.” I still love you.
Idiot. Mei Lin shakes her head, shaking the tears loose from her lashes and discoloring the pristine sheets. “You’ve waited long enough,” her voice doesn’t crack, but it’s hard to tell now that it's coarse and muted to a whisper, “I’m not going to make you wait anymore.”
Mei Lin starts to sob silently and all Henry can do is hold her trembling hands. He wants to say something else but it is cut off and forgotten when Mei Lin suddenly throws her head up and gasps for air. She clutches tightly onto Henry’s arm in attempt to get a hold of her life as her heart sputters and her air supply staggers. Nurses rush in a push Henry out of the room as they attempt to calm her sudden attack.
“We’ve calmed her down with a mild sedative. She’s sleeping now,” the doctor tells Henry. What could you have said to put her through such sudden distress? “She’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, doctor,” is what Gale hears Henry say when she had decided that she gave the lovebirds enough time.
“Something wrong?” Gale asks, Henry’s red-tinted eyes not going unnoticed. He just shakes his head, not wanting to talk about it. With his hands in his pockets, Gale notes that he would likely wish to be anywhere but here. “Xue is about to leave with Alistair, why not save your poor chaffer a drive?”
“What about you?” Henry manages to ask without his voice giving too much away.
“I’ll stay until she wakes up again. It’s still good to talk to her, right?” The guilty look on Henry’s face tells her otherwise. “Go home, Henry.”
He doesn’t have to be told twice. Gale walks in and pulls up a chair next to Mei Lin’s bed. She scrolls through Mei Lin’s tablet and does some work as she waits.
“Gale?”
“Well, would you look at that. Sleeping Beauty is awake and I didn’t even have to kiss you. How do you feel?”
“Water.” It isn’t the response that Gale was asking for but it was effective nonetheless.
“So judging by his ‘woe is me’ demeanor, is it safe to assume that you two won’t be getting married any time soon?” Mei Lin simply throws a playful glare at her friend. “You really are an idiot you, know that?”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Mei Lin sighs.
“Did you know that Victor did the same thing to you?” Gale asks slowly and seriously.
“What?” The cup in her hands shakes with as many ripples as blinks.
“He didn’t cheat on you, dear.” Gale watches Mei Lin’s reactions slowly, careful not to say too much at a time so that it doesn’t overwhelm her. “He did what you did with Henry… he hurt you because the result was for the best.”
The stillness and lack of blinking starts to worry Gale and she debates on whether or not she should call the nurse. Gale opens but Mei Lin says, “I want to see him,” with an empty voice.
“Given your current condition, that might not be the best idea,” Gale says honestly. “If Henry can take your breath away, I can only imagine what a confrontation with your ex—”
“Ask him to come here tomorrow after work,” Mei Lin says, as if she didn’t hear a thing that Gale has said.
“If you feel guilty, you shouldn’t.” Nothing works; Mei Lin is still insisting on seeing Victor. Gale sighs in defeat and texts the person of interest. I might as well be here when this happens for her sake and my sanity.
Victor, although surprised by the text, comes to the hospital immediately. “Is everything alright?” he asks frantically when he sees Gale standing in the hall outside of her room. Henry’s here, what happened that needed me?
“She wants to see you,” Gale says simply.
“What?” Victor looks at the door and catches Mei Lin’s eyes. “Why?”
“I’m not the person you should be asking,” Gale says, throwing her eyes at the door. “Just don’t rile her up too much. She might be going through rehab but she’s still more fragile than her mind would like her to believe.”
Victor walks in slowly and is unsure if he should even say anything. Luckily, Mei Lin speaks first, “Sit.”
Your voice… It was weak and sounded as if she had been breathing smoke for the last month. There’s a long and tense silence that makes Victor consider leaving. “I should let you—”
“Stay,” Mei Lin says, still trying to wrap her mind around what Gale had told her. “You’re an idiot,” she finally says.
Her words do not sound malicious, so Victor goes along with her joking tone and asks, “What else is new?”
“We’re not getting back together, even though everyone knows the truth now,” Mei Lin says.
Victor picks up on the double meaning of her statement and a familiar stabbing feeling takes refuge in his heart. “I—I’m not sorry for what I did.” Victor’s voice shakes like his confidence. “You’ve saved dozens of lives with your work and that wouldn’t have been possible if—”
“The ends don’t always justify the means, Vick,” Mei Lin chuckles. “Henry’s still alive and untainted by all this, so does that mean that I had a right to betray and hurt him like that?” There’s another silence but this one is more brief as Mei Lin cuts it off by adding a light-hearted, “The answer is ‘no,’ Vick,” with a smile to boot.
A strained but painful smile can’t help but push its way to Victor’s tearing face from the sound of his old nickname. “I’m sorry that you had to push away someone that you loved for the sake—”
“It was my choice,” Mei Lin shrugs, “You have no need to apologize.”
“I gave you the idea—”
“Did you make me do it?” Mei Lin stares at him in the eyes until he can blink again. “Yes, you gave me the idea, an effective one at that, so I guess Henry should be thanking you for saving his life then.” She chuckles to herself, “By your logic, all of my patients and clients should be thanking you for their lives then.”
“Mei…”
“Life is a weird thing and things happen. For one reason or another, they happen.” She can’t help but sigh and finish the water. “Apologies don’t change what happened, but it makes it easier to look back, doesn’t it?”
Victor can only nod as he sniffs in attempt to control the rolling tears that just seem to have no end. Although still in pain, something that feels like closure slowly creeps into Victor’s consciousness.
“Vick,” Mei Lin says, putting her hand on his. “Look at me.”
For the first time in almost three years, I can.
“I forgive you.” Victor is overcome with the urge to hug Mei Lin and his tears dry on her shoulder. “Just promise me that you’ll try to forgive yourself now.” I know it’ll be a while before I can do so. She feels him nod into her shoulder. “I think I’d like to get some sleep now.” He nods again and straightens himself up before bowing deeply and leaving.
Gale comes in shortly after and refills Mei Lin’s cup. “You’re leaving all the boys crying today, aren’t you?” Mei Lin chuckles but is choking on fresh tears. “Don’t you start too.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to enlighten me on?” Mei Lin asks. Gale bites her lip but luckily, Mei Lin is wiping her eyes. “You know what’s funny?” Mei Lin chuckles to try to cheer herself up. “I keep on having these dreams, or maybe I’m just remembering things, but it’s nothing but voices.”
“Whose voices?” Gale attempts to humor Mei Lin even though she knows it’s likely from all the things that they’ve said to her while she had been comatose.
“Mostly Lu Han, Tao and Yi Fan’s. I heard Henry’s and yours too but not as much.”
“What did they say?” Gale asks, hoping that she does bring up what she remembers from Zi Tao’s voice.
Knowing that Gale doesn’t particularly like Yi Fan or Zi Tao because she blames them for the fact that she’s in the hospital bed, Mei Lin still tries her best to remember what Zi Tao’s voice said to her (she figured that out of the three she remembered best, he was likely the best choice due to his efforts to bring the K-gang to justice). “Apologies,” Mei Lin says. “He apologized a lot.”
Gale assumes that Mei Lin is talking about Yi Fan. He better have.
“He said that he loved me and was going to make things right,” Mei Lin says, unaware of what she’s mindlessly recalling.
Wait, you know that he loves you and—
“And he said that I probably won’t see him again—I guess he knew what he was getting himself into.” I wish that I could see you again to thank you.
Gale’s breathing stops momentarily and says quickly, “It’s late; you should get some rest.”
Mei Lin interpreted that as Gale was tired and wanted to get back to her newborn, so she didn’t say or do anything to detain her or disagree. That night, Mei Lin has another recollection of what was said to her when her body was unresponsive.
“Things are running smoothly at GIBI so you don’t have to worry about it—just… focus on waking up. It’s not that you’re not essential—because you are—I just really want you to wake up again.” He clears his throat. “I probably sound really pathetic right now, but I’m banking on the fact that you won’t remember this—or maybe I’m hoping that you do, because I don’t think I would have the courage to say any of this to you otherwise.”
There’s a twenty-second (or so) silence.
“Mei, I know you’re very observant, so I find it hard to believe that all your close friends can see something that you don’t—do you know? Do you know how I really feel and how I see you? Maybe you do and just choose not to see it—you were always so professional. Maybe that’s for the best; you always seem to know.”
A sigh.
“I guess I can see why it wouldn’t even cross your mind. You know me better than anyone and I’m not the ideal bachelor that the press always perceives me to be. But I would hope that you of all people know that what they say about me isn’t true—well, as true anymore—and I really think I owe most of that, if not all of that, to you.”
Another pause.
“You remind me of how much I’ve grown in just a few years, and just seeing you makes me want to be a better person. So please, Mei, please wake up and get better soon, because if you don’t, it’s going to be very hard to believe that there’s any good left in the world. So if not for my sake, wake up for the sake of your purpose in life. Please…”
There is silence and it can be assumed that the speaker has fallen asleep or something of the sort.
Mei Lin wakes up the next morning and looks around. Her morphine IV drip has been removed upon her request and even during her expedited rehab (also upon her request), her mind is elsewhere. When did he say that to me? Was it recent? Mei Lin dismisses his lack of recent visits on the pretext that he’s overcompensating in terms of work due to Mei Lin’s absence. But it quickly occurs to her that the time in which it was said is not nearly as important as the fact that it was said. What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to react? What is my reaction?
The person on her mind is actually in distress because he is arguing with his so-called father. “You can’t go to see her!” Yi Fan can’t help but slip and use informal Cantonese.
“You are two generations too young to be telling me what to do,” Mr. Wu says as they walk into the elevator, maintaining a cool Mandarin tone.
“You have no right,” Yi Fan hisses.
“Surely I have a right to check on the well-being of one of my employees. You should follow my example.”
So you’re willing to go see an employee but not your own wife?!!? Yi Fan is too livid to be able to voice it. “Then why not send one of your secretaries like you always do?”
“You should know better than anyone that a personal appearance conveys just how important the asset is.”
“So after you married mom, she was no longer an asset; is that why you never made a personal appearance?” The two men stop and the feeling of the ground floor lobby tenses to a standstill. “You didn’t care enough to even send one of your underlings to check on her. You mean to tell me that Chan Mei Lin has greater value than your late wife?”
If the lobby wasn’t still before, it certainly is now. Mr. Wu is much too wise to say anything that might incriminate him further, but his silence spoke volumes. But suddenly he lashes out in stern Cantonese, “You better watch your tongue, boy. I’ll rip it from you—how dare you speak that way to me?!” Mr. Wu marches to his car and Yi Fan quickly doubles back to get into his own car.
All the way from the front door to the hall of Mei Lin’s room, Yi Fan attempts to detain Mr. Wu. The media that was outside the hospital did not help. “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but she’s in the rehab wing right now and has requested to have no visitors,” a composed nurse says politely.
Although Yi Fan is relieved to hear that his father will not be allowed to disturb Mei Lin, he is confused as to why Mei Lin refuses to even see Gale or Henry. Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to distract her from recovery. Don’t push yourself too hard Mei, that’ll do more damage than good.
“Whom do I speak to in regards to her medical bills?” Mr. Wu asks just as Henry walks into earshot. Well look who’s here.
“That’s already been taken care of,” Henry lies firmly. “You have no right to be here.”
“I have just as much right as you do. To think that you care enough about that to come all the way back,” Mr. Wu says slickly in Mandarin.
Henry holds back the urge to punch the old man in the face. The two blonds both have half a mind each to go off on the man before them but Henry simply says, “I’m her proxy. I have every right to be here.”
“Would you mind telling me why she’s not seeing anyone?” Yi Fan asks him in English.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Henry sighs, the two choosing to ignore the fact that they’re still in the presence of someone who used to mean something to them.
Mr. Wu eventually leaves with his respective secretaries, grumbling to himself something about how disrespectful the younger generation is.
“Can we talk?” Henry asks as they pace throughout the hospital.
“Isn’t that what we’re doing, Lau?” Yi Fan sighs.
“I’m going back to America soon,” he says, Yi Fan nearly stops walking. “She was right. Things have changed and we can’t go back to what we had. Second chances would be in order if it weren’t for the fact that that was indeed our second chance and a third would simply be too painful for us both.”
“All that music and lyric writing has made you way too poetic in your speaking, Lau,” Yi Fan chuckles.
“I’m serious, Kevin,” Henry says a drop more heavily. “I’m telling you this because I’m leaving her with you again. Try not to get her shot twice this time.”
“Do you honestly trust me?” I certainly don’t.
“It’s more like I don’t have choice.” Henry sighs, “Victor saw her after my visit the other day.” Now both boys stop. “She’s forgiven him. Those two are not so different.”
“Stop talking in riddles, Lau, this isn’t one of your songs.”
“What Mei did to me, Victor did to her, to the letter.” Good thing Yi Fan had stopped or else he would have tripped. “So, try not to follow her example and forgive the kid. Try to work with him like you’re supposed to and I’m not talking about how we used to ‘work together.’” Yi Fan is speechless. “I have already forgiven him.” That just keeps Yi Fan silenced even longer. “Look, I don’t care if you shut her out or if you try to make a move on her, just make sure that she’s safe and happy, okay? Because at the very least, she deserves that. Can you promise me that, Kevin?”
“I won’t make promises that I can’t keep, but I can promise you that I’ll try.”
The two shake on it firmly. “If I get wind that you’ve done anything to jeopardize her well-being or happiness in any way, I’ll be back for your head, you got that?”
“You’re assuming that I’ll even be alive after Gale has her way with me.”
“Speaking of whom, she’s staying at my place for the time being, but as soon as Mei recovers, I would like to move her in as well. Mei has trusted me and Victoria to take care of her apartment, but I see this as an opportunity to give her a proper place deserving of her.”
“What are you going to do with her things and her apartment?”
“Sell it.”
“Why not just give it to me?” Gale’s voice comes from down the hall. “So this is where you boys are hiding. I called to see if Mei had any visitors so that I could plan accordingly when to come, only to find out she’s not seeing anyone. You didn’t come home and pretty-boy here made a scene that half of China heard, so I just wanted to make sure that you two weren’t causing her any issues.”
“How kind of you,” Yi Fan rolls his eyes.
“What do you mean, give it to you?” Henry asks.
“I don’t think Mei would want to live with a baby in the house after just getting out of the hospital, and by the time that she recovers, Alistair will be old enough to not need feeding, so I’ll be able to manage on my own.”
“I think Xue’s grown quite attached to your baby,” Henry chuckles.
Gale simply shrugs, “I could use a babysitter.”
Lu Han lives closer to Mei’s apartment than Lau’s mansion. “Do it,” Yi Fan agrees. “If Gale is living there with Alistair, and if she’s moved in before she is discharged, Mei wouldn’t dare to suggest another stressful move and impose on her friend.”
“Finally, you’re starting to make some sense,” Gale says with a gesture of her hand. “I was starting to think the bleach had gone to your head.”
“Then I guess it’s settled,” Henry says. “I’ll make the arrangements. Victoria is working on getting you a work visa. Just remember to renew it next time.”
Gale scoffs, “I’m only staying here because Mei asked me to. But after working again, I can see that this company clearly needs me. My so-called replacement is a ing joke. He looked so much more capable on paper. I’ll stay here as long as I’m needed, nothing more.”
Just be honest and say that you want to give Lu Han another chance, Estella. Henry chuckles to himself. “Since she’s not letting anyone see her, we all might as well call it a day.”
“Did the doctors say when she’s expected to be discharged?” Yi Fan asks.
“Their initial prediction was two months,” Gale says slowly. “But with how much she’s pushing herself and all the progress that she’s made, I’d give her no more than six weeks.”
“More like a month,” Henry sighs. “Knowing Mei, she’ll be back at her desk before the next full moon.”
Yi Fan sighs, not wanting to expose Mei Lin to such a toxic environment again. “Well, my father will be happy to hear that.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Henry says. “I lied earlier when I said her medical bills have been taken care of. I should go pay them now.”
“You shouldn’t pay for all of it, she’ll feel in your debt, literally,” Gale says.
“Maybe that’s why the chairman was so keen to pay for it himself. So that she would be more inclined to stay with the company and not sue.”
“I’ll pay for half,” Yi Fan offers. “We can use the excuse that she doesn’t really owe either of us.”
“I’m not going to let you boys get all the credit,” Gale says. “The more people that chip in, the harder it’ll be for her to pay—”
“Then why not ask—”
“He already donated his own blood,” Gale says, cutting off Yi Fan’s obvious suggestion.
“Why not keep this anonymous?” Yi Fan asks.
“She’s eventually going to find out,” Gale says. “I don’t see why we’re even doing this, Henry, it’s not like she doesn’t have the money.”
“It’s not about the money,” Henry says. “It’s about the message. It’s her turn to be taken care of. She can’t argue with me paying her back for everything.”
“She can, and she will—in three languages, I might add,” Gale retorts.
The three spilt the bill and are about to part ways, but Henry adds, “Take care of the company, would you?”
“You’re no longer an investor, what do you care?” Yi Fan asks.
“It’s not just your future, Kevin, it’s hundreds of peoples’ futures. Just think of all the people who are alive because of the Treatment Department’s work and all those who depend on GIBI’s paycheck or stocks. I would argue that Mei is more important than that, but she wouldn’t want you to put her above everyone else. I’m just reminding you that by thinking of her well-being, you should also be thinking about all those who are indirectly connected to you.”
“Is this about Victor?” Yi Fan asks.
“Think bigger, pretty boy,” Gale rolls her eyes. “Just think it over.” They leave Yi Fan sitting in his car pondering.
Just as Henry predicted, Mei Lin leaves the hospital (against doctor’s orders) the night before the next full moon. She comes home to Gale feeding Alistair in her living room. “Oh,” Gale says, not surprised in the least by this point. “I would tell you ‘welcome home,’ but you don’t live here anymore.” Before Mei Lin could ask, Gale tosses her some familiar-looking keys and makes a call to Xue.
“First the bills, now—”
Gale smirks. “Shut up and get off my property.”
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