TRUE COLORS

THE STORY REPEATS ITSELF

Five years later...

POV DYLAN
I enter my brother’s room.
"Su! If Xixi leaves again..." I freeze when I notice he’s making a video call.
Yue’s eyes peer at me with apprehension across the computer screen.
"Hello, Wang He Di" she says, lifting a hand.
I go out and I close the door.
Damn it.
I stand by the door. I know I shouldn’t. I know I’m just hurting myself. But it’s stronger than me.
"Forgive him, Yueyue..." says Su.
"Don't worry. How... How is him?" she asks.
How am I? How am I?! I clench my fists and bite my lips to avoid going back into the room and smashing the computer.
"He feels alone, as usual" replies my brother.
There are a few seconds of silence.
"Yueyue... Come on, don’t do so... Don’t cry".
I walk away from Su’s room and go out into the yard to get some air.
I hate her. I hate her. I hate her.

POV MR WANG
When I get home, I find Wang He Di sitting on the bench, in the yard.
He looks angry...
I’m so tired of seeing him like this... Since his relationship with Yue ended five years ago, my son has completely changed. He’s always grumpy, aggressive... At first, he was just sad. Then the anger took over.
Yue stayed to live with us for a month after the breakup, but soon she realized the situation was getting too heavy and so she moved in with her aunt for a while. Wang He Di didn't agree, he wanted her to stay. He was willing to find another place to stay, to let her live in our house. Obviously Yue didn't accept. After graduation, she moved to Shanghai, in a small apartment. Now she works in a High School, where she teaches Literature. She found out she hated that job, but it allows her to pay her rent and live independently...
She too has changed. She is always kind, sweet and caring, but she has that veil of sadness in her eyes that breaks my heart every time I look at her. Every day she videocalls Wang Su and comes to visit us as soon as possible.
I have been looking for a way to solve the situation... Seeing my kids ruin their lives with their own hands is eating me up. Talking is not enough. I have to do it differently.
I sit next to my son on the bench. "Wang He Di?"
"Yes?"
"I have to... I have to tell you something".
"Tell me".
"I decided to give up the Bookstore" I say.
He Di gets up suddenly, upset.
"What are you talking about?! Are you crazy?! You know what my projects are for the Bookstore! I want to expand it, I want to make it famous! You can’t!" he exlaims, agitated. Once he got his degree, he took the place of Yue, in the Bookstore.
"Let me finish. I’m old now, I get tired too easily. And honestly, I can’t keep up with your innovative ideas. At this point, I think I’d just be a burden on this bookstore and what it could become thanks to you. So, I decided that it’s time to leave it in your hands... "
"Oh, Daddie... Thank you... I...
"... And in the hands of Shen Yue" I add.
His eyes get small, small, as he looks at me with anger.
"What game are you playing?" he asks me.
"No game, Wang He Di".
" You can’t do this to me. I’m your son. She’s not involved. How do you think I can work in there with her? And then... I’m sure Shen Yue no longer cares about the Bookstore, otherwise she would have stayed," he says, clenching his fists.
"She’s my daughter too. And she’s worked by my side in there for almost ten years. She’s certainly better prepared than you. Your mother and I spent our lives taking care of our Bookstore with love and sacrifice. And now, if you please, I demand that our "creature" ends up in the right hands... In the hands of whoever I know could give it all the love we gave it.
You’re smart, son, and you have an eye for business. I know you’re gonna make it a better place. But right now, your heart is too dry to really love it. While Yue... She would take care of it as she has always done" I explain.
"My heart is dry..." he bursts to laugh. "And why do you think it became so dry, eh?! Because of who, according to you?!" he screams.
I look at him for a few moments. I know I’m making the right decision. "You’re all grown up now. And I’m sick of your bullshit. Right now, all I care about is my Bookstore. Don’t you want to collaborate with Shen Yue? Okay. Then it’s all her," I say, getting up.
He grabs my arm.
"You’re hurting me, you know?" he whispers.
"You’re hurting yourself ," I answer, looking him in the eye.
He puts his head down.
"Okay. I accept" he murmurs. I smile and caress his face.