Life as a Venn Diagram

This was something I'd been concerned about ever since I'd learned that she was married. That she and Alan still had feelings for each other, and if hadn't been Alan, from what I'd observed, she didn't lack in eligible companions to keep her occupied the weeks she was in Hong Kong.

She gave me a nervous smile, "I had to have all the locks changed after he started dropping in uninvited, and I had a security system installed, and that didn't amuse him."

"How far did you have to go to keep up the appearance of being married?" I asked.

She gave me an intense look. "I told you that from the day we first met, I've been faithful to you, and that hasn't changed. There have been numerous opportunities to stray, but I was never tempted."

She reached across and clasped my hand. "You have been the most important person in my life for the past seven years. Please don't throw all that away because I've been such an idiot."

I squeezed her hand back, and a look of relief flashed across her face.

"The main reason I had never wanted you to join me in Hong Kong," she admitted. "Was because of the stupid promise I'd made to Alan, that I keep up the pretense that he and I were still happily married. I was convinced that the first time you came with me, someone would tell you I was married. I thought Roo was going to tell you that evening at the club. A few of my closest friends knew the truth, and only Sian and Roo knew about you. As far as the bank and our casual acquaintances were concerned, we were a happily married couple. The result was that on several occasions, I've had to share a room and even a bed with him when we were on business trips together."

"What does that mean?"

"Just what I said. If Alan and I were to be at the same place on a business trip, the bank would only book one room for us. Fortunately, they'd usually book a suite, so there would be two beds. But occasionally, there was only one, and we'd have to share. But that's all we ever did."

"Okay, but why didn't one of you get another room?"

"Because of our stupid agreement, I had to pretend I was his loving wife. So getting a second room was never an option."

I wasn't convinced, but I decided to leave it. "So what was the issue with the divorce? I was under the impression you and he had agreed to it, at least that's what you told me."

"I hurt his ego; he knew I've been talking about a divorce for years, but he'd convinced himself I didn't mean it. We had an agreement when we got married that I could ask him for a divorce if I met someone else, but when I asked after meeting you, he wouldn't talk to me about it. Then Ang Lee told me I should wait until my fifteen years were up."

Yes, those damn fifteen years kept rearing their ugly heads.

Mandy had continued, "I've been telling him he should start preparing our friends for the inevitable, but when I wasn't around, he kept insisting that we were fine. Christ, earlier this year, the silly bastard was telling our friends that I was going to move back to Hong Kong full-time as we were trying for a family."

A suspicion tickled the back of my neck. "When earlier this year?" I wanted to know.

"Oh, maybe six months ago," she replied.

About the time she was asked to extend some of her trips, I realized. Ang Lee had mentioned that Alan was the reason we'd had to cancel our vacation and triggered all this. The bastard had been manipulated her for months.

"So that's what he was up to," I mused

"Who was up to what?" Mandy wanted to know.

"Alan, he's been doing his damnedest to split us up for most of the past year."

"Are you sure?"

"Why else would he have done what he did."

"It doesn't matter anymore. When I went back there after our holiday, the first thing I did was make sure I told everybody about my relationship with you, and that he and I had been living separate lives for years. He went completely off his head over that, telling everyone that I was delusional and refused to talk to me to discuss anything about divorce. He demanded I move back in with him and started legal action to force me to give him my apartment. He claimed he'd never given it to me. I had to get Ang Lee to speak to him."

Christ, how many favors did she owe that man? "What happened?"

"Ang Lee invited both of us to a meeting with him to try and resolve our issues. Alan couldn't stop making ridiculous demands and kept insisting that I still loved him. That stopped when Ang Lee simply pointed out that if he was dead, then I'd be free to marry whoever I wanted, and I'd inherit everything."

"Would he have done it?"

"Of course, he would have; my father committed suicide rather than face Ang Lee's wrath. He would have arranged Alan's death without breaking a sweat, and Alan knew it. That's when he signed the documents."

If I need any more proof of how much power and fear Ang Lee wielded, I'd just heard it. He could have casually arranged for Alan's death with a snap of his fingers. Hell, he had arranged her fathers. What had the cost to Mandy been?

I looked at the woman sitting beside me, who was nervously twisting the engagement ring around her finger.

"And last but not least, Ang Lee, what's happening with him?" I asked. "Has he released you from your servitude?"

"Yes and no, as he told you he would, he formally wiped out the debt my father created. But he asked me to stay on as his financial advisor, his and the clan's."

"And do you want to do it?"

"It was fun being on both sides of the camp. The bank knew I had Ang Lee's trust, that's why they put me in charge of his accounts. But they weren't aware I was the one in his organization they were dealing with. But I'll give it up in an instant if it causes any problems between us. I don't think you trust Ang Lee."

She was right; I didn't trust his motives when it came to Mandy. Worse, he scared the living daylights out of me. He reminded me of a used car salesman I'd known, smiling as he screwed you out of your savings. And if you complained, then he was quite happy to have the problem permanently removed.

"What would happen if I said I'd prefer you don't take up his offer. Weren't you training up a replacement?"

She shrugged, "I was. Then that's what I will tell him. I'll offer to mentor the clan's replacement for the next few months and let Ang Lee know I'll carry on keeping an eye on their bank and investment accounts." She fell silent, and without looking, I knew she was intently watching me for any indication of my decision about her future.

The silence stretched out until she broke it. "I feel that I'm in a good place, Alex. I know you are still upset with me, and I wish to God that I'd told you the truth from day one. I knew after our first weekend together that I was in love with you. Despite everything that's happened since my feelings for you haven't changed."

"And what's happened to your wrist?"

She glanced down at her bandaged arm. "There wasn't enough time to have the tattoo removed. The best I could do was change it." She started to remove the bandage, "He only finished it yesterday, so it'll look a bit raw and inflamed."

The last of the bandage came away, and all was left was the transparent plastic film that covered the changed artwork. Now the dragon sported a collar and chain. The chain was held by a man who looked a lot like me. The dragon had been subtlety changed to look like it was cowering. The whole thing was only six inches in length.

"You own my tattoo, you are its master," she said. "Can I come home Alex, can I unpack my things?"

"I'll give you a hand," I said as I stood up.

The end.

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