1. She Was Gullible
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Thinking back of that time where she screwed everything up made her face twist into a bitter smile. 

From a sweet charming angel to a mad demon, who would still love her? It wasn't that she wasn't aware of what she did, in fact, she is. It's just that the feeling of letting everything out and being unrestrainedly rebellious is a dangerous move. 

Sometimes being too fearless has its flaws. And during those times she sure did not mind the consequences of her behaviour. 

The changes in her came abruptly leaving the couple at a loss. She became withdrawn, irritable and petty. She refused to communicate calmly when Leo and Linda tried to talk. Every time they would try to approach, she blew up like a pufferfish. She indulged in the feeling of having too many new friends and did as she saw fit. The result was a devastatingly notorious reputation. 

One of the highlights of her colorful antics was the day of the wedding. Sena got herself drunk and made a scene in the middle of the banquet embarrassing the new couple in front of families, friends and business partners. 

Still, the two forgave her because they knew she was feeling neglected and they are somehow feeling guilty for it. Leo and Linda waited for her to overcome the phase of letting go and learning to trust not only herself but her loved ones.  

But their concern can only last as long as she cooperates. 

Sena failed to do so and only grew worse from then on. The couple was distressed seeing her crumble bit by bit. But she treated their concern for nothing. They want to guide her out of that muddle headedness. They did their best, by God she knew they did. 

But Sena's outburst was just the beginning of a long nightmare.

Not even one year after their wedding an adultery issue broke out. Leo was accused of cheating Linda and the rumoured mistress was none other than her. The unsuspecting Sena was tagged as a vicious mistress who carefully devised a plan to steal someone else’s husband. 

The Tang family who had always regarded her with fondness started to doubt her sincerity and even the old friends they knew began to look at her differently. 

Linda who was supposed to be the victim was publicly mocked instead of being sympathized. Several articles satirized her as a doormat who wouldn’t put up a fight even when two people closest to her did the betrayal. 

All these issues stemmed from their unusual closeness. The thing people most admired from them eventually became the very weapon that plunged them into the abyss.

The rumours went on no matter how they defended. None of them could focus on work. The company stocks fell, business partners withdrew, the clients would no longer trust them and finally cut off connections. The once sweet couple could not stand the pressure and decided to live abroad to mend their relationship. A lot more things happened, like dominoes toppling one by one after the catalyst was pushed. 

When Sena realized they might have been played she tried to redeem herself, unfortunately, it was too late. She had long cut ties with people who once tenderly held her. The situation wasn't completely lost if only she had more courage to turn back and lower her pride. But in the end, she still chose her own way stubbornly refusing to seek help. Because of that, the brokerage company they worked for from the ground up fell. Her career failed, and the relatives who once curried favour started to show their true colors as soon as the benefit was lost.

It took her years to rebuild the company from scratch, sacrificing her personal life along the way. But Sena did not mind, it was but a little compensation to the evils of her youth. Though the company was not as stable as the one before, at least she managed to get by. 

They always say that once you overcome the fiercest storm in your life the next one will be a lot smoother. Or so she thought but that was just her being naive again.  

Much devastating news came to her later. She found out that Leo and Linda divorced because Leo accidentally got a faraway relative pregnant when they returned for a reunion. 

She watched with guilt and remorse as Linda sorrowfully told her the whole story. She was helpless and lost that it made Sena wish she could kill her younger self for being the kind of idiot who started the problem and hurt her loved ones. 

It broke Sena, even more when she learned that the baby was not even big brother Leo’s child yet he was forced by the elders to leave his distraught wife. What was decided was hard to take back. 

Cracks already appeared and the steady ground they once stood gave in.  

In the end, Sena could only turn back to alcohol to keep the voices of guilt, blame and self-loathing at bay. Perhaps, it was one of those nights of sorrow that she died. She lived dazedly and pushed on until forty. 

The memories are vivid after she dared open them again. Especially those painful ones. 

Who said that it was easy to forget?

Sena laughed and cried like a fool, after that she gave herself a few hard slaps. 

Now you're given a chance, perhaps someone took pity to an idiot like you so don't go wasting it again. With a light shining in her eyes, Sena faced the direction of the hotel and stepped forth full of determination.

      

Tonight is the eve of the wedding. 

She stood not far away from the couple and looked at them. Linda and Leo were at the lounge restaurant talking with the elders. 

The familiar place, familiar faces and scene greeted her. A man about one meter nine tall wearing a casual shirt tucked in chino pants sat beside a slender woman in white summer dress. Their seats were much closer to each other than the required arrangement. 

It made her smile knowing that they didn't like having so much space in between. The man's eyes never left the woman's face even when talking to the elders. Under the table, Sena could see that those two are also holding hands intimately.  

When Linda spotted her on the entryway she gave a sweet smile. The long missed warmth and radiance of it made Sena's heart clench. She resisted the urge to cry. Slowly, she raised her hand and waved gently while silently promising that from here on she will protect their happiness. 

Whichever sluts or bastards wanting to break this couple will have to weigh whether they can handle her wrath.  

"Hmm, what's wrong love?" The dashing young man leaned closer to his soon-to-be wife and playfully blew warm breath to her ear when he saw her looking elsewhere.  

"Sena went back to her room."

He could hear relief from her voice, "Humph, the little brat must have realized her fault. Don't worry, I'll talk to her later."

"Don't be too harsh or else..." Linda warned. 

"Alright, I won't but that depends on what kind of reward I will get from you."

Linda gave him a dead-eye look. The hand which was resting on his thigh under the table gave him a hard pinch. "Leonard Tang, restrain yourself. We are in front of the parents." 

The thin tender skin inside is particularly sensitive that he gave a yelp causing the elders to look at the two of them suspiciously. Everyone is an adult and doesn't have to guess what they were whispering about. What else can they do but pretend to be blind and deaf at the moment? They are to be married tomorrow anyway. 

"Children, are you listening?" Leo's father cleared his throat and gave him a knowing smile.  

The two nodded obediently. Linda was dying of embarrassment and gave another vicious pinch. 

"That's domestic violence, darling." Leo murmured with a pitiful look. "I must get double benefits…"

"Wait until we get back in the suite." Linda gritted her teeth.

The elder's coughing intensified. 

On the other hand, Sena went back to her room to wash up quickly. She pulled out a comfortable mini dress and a shawl, exchanged her sandals for slippers and put on moisturizer to fight the salty breeze. At seven in the evening, she sneaked out of her suite to find a little space to breathe. 

Half an hour later those people will deliberately pass by her room and invite her to the bar. 

A heavy feeling pressed on her chest. She had no idea. 

Her temper has always been mild, though she is pampered, she knows the rules and her education prevents her first and foremost to act wantonly without shame. So where did the big change come from? It all started this very night.

The new friends she thought were nice to her planned everything carefully. On the surface they came to her with a pure intention of getting along, often taking her out to play and experience the freshness of being free. She did not know she had been lured into an endless trap. 

In order to make her more obedient, the friends she unwittingly trusted generously spent a fortune to let her taste a new kind of drug. Because the substance was deliberately mixed into her food and drink she did not notice anything strange. It wasn't obvious at first until the symptoms gradually intensified. There were moments where she felt irritable and restless whenever she was in a lot of stress. She couldn't concentrate on her work and even after taking several breaks or no matter how she distracts herself, the hollow feeling still lingers.

Strangely enough when receiving an invite from those people only then the restlessness would abate. Noticing this, Sena tried to resist but it seems to have grown worse. The more she forces to distance herself from their influence, the more unstable she becomes. She felt stuck.

Later she was introduced to a little bar downtown by them, a quiet inconspicuous place with little patrons. She liked it there and it became her little haven amidst the bustling noise of the city. It wasn't until the police and the narcotics division stormed into the place that she knew she fell into a scheme. She, along with everyone else, was brought in and tested positive to one of the year's most controversial drug cases. 

Her reputation plummeted. 

The image in the mirror brought her back to the present. Sena touched her slightly dry skin. Her eyes looked tired because of neglect these past few days and she had been drinking alcohol like water. Sena thought she's no different from a lunatic, she allowed herself to listen to other people's instigation. 

But now with a sober mind and a clear plan, Sena is very much ready to clean up and solve the upcoming issues. 

First, she cannot attend the wedding looking like trash. An ample rest would remove those bags and dark circles. Thankfully, her body is still clean and there is not a trace of poison in it. If she stays here for long, she cannot guarantee that she could remain a fake civility with those three and won't start an early killing spree. 

On her way out, she caught a glimpse of those nasty women coming from the elevator. Her heart took a tumble. The anger and hate she felt rose but she bit her teeth hard. 

No, she cannot start yet. Linda and Leo's future depends on this day! 

She needed to stay away. Taking a detour Sena took a mad dash in the opposite direction and bumped into someone. She muttered a brief apology and continued. 

From behind, a pair of light brown eyes watched in amusement how she scurried like a thief. He never thought he'd see one acting like this in a luxury hotel.   

Sena had no idea that this accidental encounter might become the turning point of her new life.

  

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