His Crush, His Brother's wife

Chapter Three

As Luna went about her work that morning, her phone buzzed. She quickly glanced at it and saw a message from Kristopher, apologizing for the delay in sending the dinner details. But he was still on time, Luna thought, sending back a quick thank you and wishing him a good day.

Suddenly, her nosy colleague Melanie peeked over her shoulder, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“Lu, are you sure you don't have a boyfriend?” Melanie teased. “You get more calls and texts than any single person should.”

“Doesn’t a single person have friends?” Luna retorted, clearly irritated. “I deserve some privacy, you know.”

“No need to get so mad and overprotective,” Melanie said, her tone mocking. “It’s not like I’m going to steal your man. Your type of men aren’t my class. You’re always drawn to principled yet broke guys. That would never be me. Standards are important, but so is money.”

“Of course,” Luna chuckled, tired of Melanie’s daily taunts. “How could stout, and obviously married men ever be my type?”

“Luna Park!” Melanie snapped, her face flushing with anger.

“I’m warning you, Melanie. One of these days, the wives of those men will show up here and give you the beating of a lifetime,” Luna said, walking away. “If you keep provoking me, I might think of finding them and exposing you myself.”

Melanie’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as she looked around, noticing that some of their colleagues had overheard the exchange. She quickly excused herself and fled to the restroom, too ashamed to face anyone. That would teach her a lesson, Luna thought.

At the Xu mansion, Shaun stirred, his head throbbing with a dull, persistent ache. His eyes widened as he sat up in bed, surprised to find himself home after vowing never to return. The room was dimly lit, the morning light filtering through heavy curtains.

“Good morning,” came his twin brother Gabriel's voice, his English accent still imperfect. Shaun chuckled.

“Your accent is still bad,” he teased. “Keep practicing though. Hard work pays off.”

Gabriel smiled and handed him a glass of honeyed water. He took it carelessly, gulping it down before starting on his breakfast. He ate in silence, his mind struggling to piece together the events of the previous night. All he could remember was hearing the voice of a woman. Beautiful and candid, he noted.

“Who were you with?” Gabriel asked once Shaun had finished eating.

“None of your business,” Shaun shrugged, his tone dismissive.

“Pills,” Gabriel said, holding out a sachet. Shaun's jaw tightened, but Gabriel didn't back down. With a growl, Shaun snatched the sachet from him.

“How long will you keep doing this and making Mum and Dad worry?” Gabriel asked, his voice soft but firm.

“Are they worried about me now?” Shaun's voice was laced with rage. “It's too late, isn't it? They should have worried about me back then. If they had, and given me a break, I wouldn't be like this today.”

“Shaun, no one knew the accident would happen,” Gabriel said gently.

“Dad knew. I told him to replace those machines. You were there at the meeting that day, Gabriel. You heard me give the report, but since we weren't directly involved in the work, Dad took it for granted. He was fine with people getting hurt as long as it wasn't me or you facing those machines. But fate played a cruel joke on him, didn't it? It sent me to the production chamber right when the machine was about to malfunction. Good for him. He must be satisfied now that I'm dying.”

“Shaun,” Gabriel began, but Shaun cut him off.

“What is the point of this medication now, Gabriel?” Shaun bellowed, throwing the sachet on the floor, scattering the pills. “It does nothing for me. I'm going to die whether I take it or not. That's why I drink......to forget, even just for a moment, that my father's greed will cost my life. Do you think it's easy knowing you're going to die because of your father's actions? It's not like we didn't have the money to replace those damn old machines. He just chose not to do it.”

Suddenly, Shaun began to cough violently. Gabriel quickly handed him a handkerchief. He covered his mouth, coughing for another minute. When he pulled the handkerchief away, it was stained with blood.

Gabriel took the handkerchief and threw it in the bin, then propped more pillows behind Shaun.

“I’m not saying you don’t have the right to vent, Shaun, but alcohol is making it worse,” Gabriel said, tears streaming down his face. “Are you so eager to leave me?”

“No,” Shaun said, taking his brother's hand. “You’re one of the reasons this hurts so much, Gabriel. I feel sad that I won’t be able to protect you from Mum and Dad when I’m gone. Those two are selfish. They only care about money, wealth, and power.”

“Then find something else to do to forget your pain. If you do, you’ll be able to spend at least a year with me,” Gabriel pleaded. “The doctor said so, remember?”

“Fine,” Shaun said, leaning back. “I’ll find something to do.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, embracing him tightly. Outside the room, Lin, their mother, stood at the door, her hand clenched in a fist to knock. But courage eluded her as she listened. She had been among those who advised her husband, William, not to replace the machine for another year.

“Ma’am, would you like to go in?” Julia asked, standing behind Lin.

“No,” Lin replied, turning to face Julia. “Tell me, did you get the contact information of the driver who brought my son home last night?”

Julia's eyes widened as she realized who had been snuck into the house. “No, ma'am. I only attended to her upon Feng's request.”

“I need to meet him,” Lin said. “I mean the driver. I don't want any rumors about my son spreading on the internet.”

“It's actually a woman,” Julia corrected. It seemed Lin didn’t hear her the first time.

“A woman?”

“Yes,” Julia replied. “Quite pretty.”

“Too much information,” Lin scoffed. “Get me Feng immediately.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Julia said, hurrying off to fetch Feng. She returned a few minutes later and was dismissed by Lin. Lin then turned to Feng, her eyes narrowing.

“Tell me, what is the name of the woman who drove my son home? Who is her family, and where does she work?”

“Her name is Luna. She works as a waitress at Crystal Lake and as a driver for Huan Travel Agency,” Feng replied.

“A nobody,” Lin grunted, “was let into my home and treated like royalty?”

“It was nothing like that, ma'am. She only received food and shelter.”

“Shut up!” Lin snapped. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and then touched her hair, looking up at Feng with a smile. “What do you think of her?”

“I don't understand,” Feng said, confused.

“Is she a good person?”

“Definitely,” Feng said, smiling widely. “Unfortunately, lady luck hasn't smiled upon her good heart yet.”

“So she’s in need of money. That’s great. I hear she's pretty,” Lin said.

“Very,” Feng replied, losing himself in the memory of her. “She has natural black hair, long, wavy and healthy. Her deep brown eyes twinkle brightly at any time. She has a beautiful smile too. I looked through her moments a while ago….. But why these questions, ma'am?”

“Firstly, do not look at her ever again, or you will be fired. Secondly, I want to meet her. I would like to make a deal with her.”

“A deal?”

“Give me her contact details,” Lin said, standing up to leave. Then she paused and turned back to Feng. “On second thought, she's not worth my time. Contact her agency on my behalf and schedule a meeting with the boss this afternoon. We will meet at Luna’s restaurant, so book a table. It's convenient there. No one will suspect anything.”

Feng nodded, and as Lin walked away, he sighed with relief. She was a handful when she was angry or disliked someone or something. Then, suddenly, a thought struck him. He wondered why Lin had shown a hint of jealousy in her eyes when he spoke of Luna.

Lin, known for her meticulous nature, wasted no time. She contacted the agency and arranged a meeting with Kristopher at Crystal Lake. The restaurant was bustling with the lunchtime crowd when she arrived, her presence commanding attention. She was dressed impeccably, exuding an air of authority and elegance.

Luna, unaware of the impending meeting, was busy serving customers. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her boss and friend approach her with a distinguished-looking woman. She quickly led them to a private table, away from prying eyes.

“Luna, this is Mrs. Xu,” Kristopher introduced. “She has requested to speak with you.”

Luna's mind raced as she tried to recall if she had done anything wrong. She nodded politely.

“Please, sit,” Lin said, her voice calm but firm. Luna complied, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

“I understand you drove my son home last night,” she began, her eyes studying Luna intently.

“Yes, ma'am,” Luna replied, her voice steady despite her nerves.

“I appreciate your discretion and professionalism,” Lin continued. “However, I have a proposition for you.”

Luna's curiosity was piqued. “What kind of proposition?”

“I want to ensure that no rumors about my son spread. In return, I am willing to offer you a significant sum of money,” Lin said, her tone businesslike.

Luna felt a surge of indignation but kept her composure. “I assure you, ma'am, I have no intention of spreading any rumors.”

Lin nodded, seemingly satisfied with Luna's response. “Good. I also understand you work two jobs. How would you like to work exclusively for our family? You can secretly drive my son wherever he wants to go. The pay will be more than sufficient to cover your needs.”

Luna was taken aback. The offer was tempting, but she valued her independence. “I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Xu, but I need some time to think about it.”

“Of course,” Lin said, standing up as she pushed a contact card near Luna. “Take your time. My assistant will be in touch.”

As Lin left the restaurant, Luna felt a whirlwind of emotions. The proposition could change her life, but at what cost? She needed to weigh her options carefully. Kristopher shot her an encouraging eye as he walked out with Lin. He obviously wanted her to accept the offer. In his mind, it would save Luna from all her money problems. But she didn't work because she lacked anything. James sent her money regularly. But she just wanted to earn it on her own to avoid constantly relying on him for everything. So it was up to her to decide whether she’d take the job or not, and whatever decision she would make, she hoped it would be the right one.