CHAPTER 00: SIDE STORY — RAINIE YANG

A Trajectory of Her Everlasting Impressions part I

[*Written in Rainie Yang’s POV]

“Rainie, meet Aaron Yan.”

I glance over to the boy dressed in plaid shirt and jeans. He was your typical boy people would often brand as ‘dorky/geeky.’

We were childhood friends and it wasn’t until our parents told us that we were going to be engaged to each other soon, there was something about being together with him... I began to look at him differently and for him, he must’ve caught on too. We were both too young to be wed but at the same time, I want to get married. I just didn’t picture my future husband to be him, Aaron was like a close friend, he has always been quiet so no one really knew what he thought about but when he opens lips to speak, I knew that it my life changed. To be perfectly honest, I am the type of person who judge anyone on a first impression basis. So the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ didn’t completely cross my mind nor did I comply with it. But at that moment, I didn’t know why but my mind decided to go out of the limp and jump into an impression. An impression that will forever be embedded in my memory, in the deepest part.

My parents arranged a blind date between Aaron and I. Of course, I judged him based on his looks and the verdict was—I didn’t like what I saw. How can I like one of my closest friends? He’s a friend who shared childish secrets and we played together, he knew about me and I know about him. He’s the typical teacher’s pet in all aspect and angles I viewed him in and he knew what kind of person he was. There was nothing special about him that screamed, ‘Rainie Yang’s man’ but somewhere along the lines of staying as acquaintances, it got drastically changed.

After a couple of months knowing him, he said he would change my view on him and I didn’t believe him. Fast forward a couple of months later; he corrected me. He said he would change my view on him and he did. I was pleasantly surprised that he went to prove me wrong. But then again, he’s someone I judged and he was out to correct any miscalculations I had, even if it was just a teeny tiny piece, Aaron would prove to me that he wasn’t the boy who I brand him as.

“Aaron...”

“Rainie, let’s tell our parents that we want to get engaged.”

Was he serious? Is he being serious or is he playing his own game?

“Aaron... we can’t... we cannot be engaged.”

“Why? Rainie, tell me why we can’t! TELL ME DAMNIT!”

“We just can’t. At least not right now...”

Unable to keep my emotions to myself, I ran out of the room and got into the car. I told the driver to quickly drive but he looked over at me hesitantly as he point over to Aaron who was tapping on the window, confused and frightened.

He had questions about their relationship, she too have questions.

He was scared that she’s going to reject him, she too was scared of being rejected.

He was confused why she ran away but there was no answer from her.

I stared at my driver, signalling him to drive and he did. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove off. Silence greeted me shortly after I pull away but despite the car being silent, I could him yelling, telling me not to leave. My eyes widen just in time to hear my driver tell me that Aaron is still running after the car, trying his best to catch up but battling against a car and pure human core strength wasn’t a perfect match.

I turn around in my seat to see him stop for breath. ‘Aaron...’

People around us have continuously commented us on being compatible but I thought that it was because they didn’t know why we were together. Initially, I hated being next to him but with time, I managed to got over it and instead of finding ways to push him away, I found myself counting my luck and the love I had for him gradually heightened exponentially.

Talk about a hopeless romantic huh?

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When the car pulled into my driveway, I hop out of the car without acknowledging anyone as I made my way into my room. I began throwing my stuff from one corner to another, kicking the things I care about to the side. Throwing my anger out like I was throwing a one-man slumber party.

“Rainie darling... please, don’t do this.”

“Dad, do you know why I am so messed up?! IT’S BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU ANNOUNCE SOMETHING, I BLINDLY BELIEVE YOU BUT THAT’S YOUR HABIT HUH? YOU MAKE ME FALL IN LOVE ONLY TO SHATTER IT INTO PIECES!”

“Rainie... I don’t mean too... The company is having a tiny set-back but everything will— The company will go bankrupt and I cannot see it fall. Not when I sweat blood and tears for it, I will not let go. With the Yan’s, I just wanted you to see your vision of happiness but since things have come down to this, I just want to let you know that we have no choice but to stop your engagement announcement. You understand right darling? Everything will be—”

“EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY RIGHT? YOU SAY THAT ALL THE TIME! NO WONDER WHY MY RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO MESSED UP! I CAN’T EVEN HAVE A DECENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GUY I LIKE AND YOU? DAD, OUR RELATIONSHIP ISN’T A RELATIONSHIP! ANYMORE!”

I felt him slap me across the face and at that moment, my heart raced rapidly as I glare at my father who stare back at me, bewildered, confused, and above all, regretting what he did.

“Rainie, I’m so sorry... I didn’t mean to—”

I grab my things, ran out of my room and out of the house to find Aaron standing in front of me. To this day, I could still visualize how I looked, the perfect girl who looked perfect was aiming for the role of the crazy girl. From head to toe, I looked like a mess and I knew it. There was no way he is going to keep his relationship with me... if anything, he is going to desert me and leave. Just like all the guys that came and go in my life. He was just another boy who I will brand as my ‘once-upon-a-lifetime-lover.’the only difference in that title was that maybe... just maybe, he was different then the rest.

“GO AWAY! I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU!” and it was true, I didn’t want to see anyone.

I pushed him away but he remained standing, holding my hand. If it’s one thing I love about him was his persistence. He never gave in, he always push through obstacles and to this day, I still admire him for it.

The only problem right now doesn’t lie with him, is lies with me instead.

“YOU ARE HURTING ME RIGHT NOW! STOP!”

“Rainie.. I love you.”

“GO AWAY AARON! I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU!”

“RAINIE! OKAY, I WAS SHOCKED BUT IF YOU TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOU, I’LL HELP YOU! Why can’t you see me? I am not invisible and you don’t have to push me away!”

“AARON, LEAVE ME ALONE OR ELSE I WILL CALL THE POLICE!”

“Rainie—” He stretched my fist out so that I lie my palm out flat. “—I will be waiting for you.”

He drop the rings he wanted to show me on the palm of my hand and left my families property.

While his back me, I glance over to the rings and when I did, my tears come out. ‘Why? Why are you treating me like this? I don’t deserve this... I don’t deserve any of this!’

I threw the rings on the lawn, forcing myself not to look back and search for it. “Out of sight, out of mind right?” I hopped into my car and drove away.

Just like that, I partied since dawn never once wondering what was happening at home. Aaron probably hates me and I snicker at the idea. He should hate me, for all the things I have said and done to make him break-up with me. This is something that I forced herself to take on. The role of the villain is played perfectly when my role and stage is laid out for me.

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It wasn’t until the next morning when I found herself carried into the back room and that’s when I notice that someone was urging me to get up.

“Rainie...” I look up to see Uncle Yan looking down at me, with his concerned expression. “I tried to find you and this is where I came to, Rainie, do you know where this place is?”

I had been judged and it was only a matter of time before I crumble against the pressure.

“YES I DO, THIS PLACE IS MY HOME! I HANG OUT HERE WITH ALL MY FRIENDS BECAUSE MY OTHER HOME IS NO LONGER A HOME TO ME! MY DAD THINKS HE CAN CONTROL EVERY ASPECT OF ME AND I AM SICK OF IT ALL!”

“Rainie... Where is this coming from?”

“Uncle Yan, when I met Aaron, I admit, I didn’t want to marry him but now that we have come this far, I can picture myself marrying him and having kids with him. But how can you and my dad to this to me? We haven’t started and you guys are planning on announcing our incompatibility? I thought we were going to see it through the end!”

“Rainie... This is between your father and I. What you and Aaron have is something you two have and it got nothing to do with us. But this scandal between your father and his company is shaking me as well. Sometimes when you are in a relationship, you have to think of not only as you two but think of the pe