The day came sooner than expected with all the preparations rushed out. It was to be a small and quiet affair with just my father, brother and the Lu family, no other relatives were invited.

I was barely awake before I was made up with the help of our servant, Ah zhi and the matchmaker. I was dressed in Mother's kua as Ah zhi combed my long hair slowly, meticulous in whatever she did, and before long my hair was up in a bun. Ah zhi added a peony,freshly plucked from our garden to the side of my bun. I stared into the bronze mirror and saw another girl staring back, my lips were a luscious red that made my eyes look livelier and my normally pale face had a tinge of rosiness to it. Ah zhi had done a good job turning me from an ugly duckling to a swan, as she placed the red cloth over my head she said, "Dont forget to smile no matter what, I wish you all the best and may you be happy."

This was probably the last time I would ever have Ah zhi serve me or ever see her again, through the red cloth I saw her kindly face smile back at me the wrinkles creasing around her eyes. I took a good look at her trying, to remember her every feature this was the face that took the role of my mother after my own one had died when I was six.

"Hurry! Hurry! We don't have much time! The auspicious hour is not to be missed!" the matchmaker hollered from outside. Ah Zhi squeezed my hand and we went out.

The Lu's provided a car to fetch me to their manor, I was starting to regret as I got into the car."Be happy missy!" Ah zhi shouted as the car started off. All the way to the manor I didn't dare to look back for fear of breaking down before the ceremony.

The Lu manor was as grand as expected of one of Beijing's influential families, it was a traditional manor with modern parts such as the stained glass windows fitted into wooden doors, lacquered pillars and two majestic guardian lions,the female lion restraining the cub on the right, and the male lion on the left.

The manor was decorated with red cloths and ribbons,like the usual wedding ceremonies just that there were no fire-crackers,for fear of scaring away the ghost of their dead son. I shuddered at the thought of a ghost.

As I entered the grand main hall, a long table was set in the middle before the ancestral tablets, supposedly brought out for this special occasion. I was getting really nervous and it didn't help that in place of my fiance was a life-size paper effigy dressed in ceremonial wedding garbs. The atmosphere was heavy and solemn just like a funeral. Mr Lu had a commanding presence and was probably a charismatiic man when he was younger, however,what piqued my curiosity was Mrs Lu. She was a great beauty,elegant and slim,she seemed to be only a few years older than me.

Soon the ceremony began I was to bow three times just like a normal wedding, first to the heavens and the ancestors, second to my parents and the in-laws and finally to each other. As I bowed to the wooden tablet placed on the table in front of the paper effigy,I read my husband's name, Lu Han.

After the ceremony,both my father and brother gathered together with my in-laws and I for lunch. The meal was mostly silent except for a few words exchanged. I later learnt that the young and beautiful Mrs Lu was actually LuHan's step-mother.

When Mrs Lu learnt that I couldn't speak, a look of disdain passed over her lovely features, it was fleeting but I had seen it. It seemed like she was the last to know as Mr Lu's expression did not change, even when she turned to him with slightly raised brows.The meal was soon finished and my father and brother bid us, bid me goodbye.Father didn't even look me in the eye when he said goodbye brother patted my shoulder gently and followed father out.

I was to be shown around the manor and to know what my duties were as the new daughter-in-law of the Lu's. Since it was my wedding day I was to wear the kua for the day. A servant, this strict old lady with slitted eyes and a long nose, whom always had her lips pressed into a tight line except when she was introducing to me the rooms, showed me around. I shivered involuntarily when we passed by what she said was my husband's chamber.

The sky was already dark after I was shown around and knew of my duties, I was made to try my hand at my duties so that I could get a hang of it, they made it pretty clear that I would be earning my keep here at the Lu manor. It had started to pour heavily when I was shown to my room, I was extremely curious of my room for which I was to spend the rest of my life sleeping in. As I was brought to the place, I found the doors familiar and shivered once again, it was my husband's chambers.

As if she knew my reluctance to enter it, the old servant whom I learnt was called Feng jie, (sister Feng) pushed me in. She instructed me to remove the gold jewellery which I was wearing and placed it into a wooden box. Before I coul take a last look at Mother's dowry which was my dowry to the Lu's, it was whisked off by Feng jie.

Outside the rain continued to pour heavily, as thunder and lightning flashed.Dinner was soon served to me in my new room, the room made me very uneasy and I barely had appetite for dinner. The storm seemed to be more menacing as it went on. 

I barely touched my food and sat there staring at it, the empty rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks placed opposite me reminded me that I was supposedly sharing my meal with a dead man. The thought of it sent shivers down my spine. After a while, servants came in to clear the dishes, none of them seemed to care about my existence as they went out.

I sat on the bed staring as they walked out the last servant shut the door. Immediately I heard the sharp click of a lock sliding into place, this scared me greatly. I pounded on the door demanding why; why was there a need to lock me up? Were they afraid I would runaway? All my senses were on full alert, my heart was beating so fast in my chest. I then had a sudden thought, they locked me in without telling me why,was it because they had something to hide? This room...

All of a sudden the candle lights in the room went off and on cue thunder rumbled outside louder than before. I stood rooted to the ground my back pressed against the lock doors. I spun aroun and continued pounding at the door, tears started to stream down my face as clamoured at it. My lips tried to form words that I could never speak, only sounds of agony came from my wretched throat. I was screaming in my head, begging them to open the door. And then I heard it, footsteps. Footsteps from the corner of the room...

I heard it a second time, this time it was clearer and louder, my legs gave way as I slid onto the floor sobbing. Each step seemed to get closer and closer, I pressed my hands against my ears and curled up, leaning as hard as I could against the doors. Whatever it was I didn't find out as I out.