Chapter 256 - Special Edition!

Hello my dear readers, first of all, I would like to apologize for my four months' disappearance. When my country has begun the MCO, my laptop was at the shop and two months ago when I received back my laptop I got writer's block. I couldn't write anything at all...but, to get rid of the writer's block, I try to find a new idea of writing with different concepts. So, after a few months of not doing anything, I finally can write again. But, I decided to write it until the end of the chapter before I update it back in here. For right now, I already achieve around chapter 280 and will/maybe end it around chapter 300...so, please be patient for another few weeks.

And for the teaser, I attach here a chapter from my practice of new writing concepts to get rid of the writer's block...I still don't know either I want to make it official or not. I even don't have any titles yet. So, please tell me what you guys think?

....

Sha Sha's POV.

My name is Sha Sha, I am a plain-looking girl who lives in the Baltic southern country, Estovia, and to be specific, in Tallis City. Even though the name of this city sounds elegant, however, it just a small city with the countryside's scenery.

It close to the sea and the port. Also it has a mountain terrain that added to the travel list 'must-see'. What a nice place, isn't it? The weather around the year is always breezy and humid, but when it comes to winter, it's fairly severe. We, the people who live in this city always wearing 'full-close' clothes.

Be it during summer or winter, we people like to dress that way. In this small city, almost everyone knows each other, meaning, we recognize our neighbors and even their lineage. How weird, isn't it? 

Every new year or if we have any celebration, we people of Tallis City will surely attend the banquet hold by our community members. In this city also, gossip travels faster than a virus. It's spread and could've done damage to the household if not handle it with care.

So, this is a story about how I..met the person who turns my boring and dull life to an upside-down. A bumpy road that I through thick and thin with this person. Nevertheless, I am happy to be his significant other! He's the 'final' love that I swear to God to only love him in the next life if I reincarnate again. Even if we separate by the different universe, I, Sha Sha will find him no matter what.

....

May, early of summertime. A few years back.

"Sha Sha, it's 7 o'clock. Hurry up and eat your breakfast. Faster!" My mom yelled from the kitchen. Hoping that I will do my hair simply and sit on the table where's my father already eat half of his breakfast portion.

"I'm coming," I replied back and pick up my sling bag and a cap hanging on the door of my bedroom. I rush over to the dining table and scoop my baked beans soup before I chew it slowly.

"Why you always do things slowly like a sloth?" My mom starts nagging me while sorting the plate for my brother. I can't talk back to her. As if I do, I'll be beaten up by my mother and earned a deadly glare from my dad. Really, don't ask me why I born in a family that always beaten their child because my father and my mother are from a country where beaten the child to educate them is the legal and right thing to do for each family.

Oh yes, my dad is like the boss of the house. Everyone has to listen to him. It's always been like that in Lin's family. Even my mom, sometimes need to seal her lips and follow whatever my dad decided. As a result, we, the kids never really close to that man.

"She's a real sloth, mom. Even slower than a sloth." Sinister comments come from my brother. Among my siblings, he's the rude one. But he's also the favorite of my dad because he gains more achievement than I am. I still have a little brother who still studies in Universities in the capital city.

As for me, I just work as a clerk at the port, while my brother works as a vet and has his own clinic in town. I'm not 'that' stupid actually, but because of him..I let go of my dreams because I just a woman. Well, according to my dad, a woman shouldn't have surpassed a man in either study or life. (I always wonder where did he get this idea?)

My brother should thank me because I made a huge sacrifice back then. But, I never got appreciate by him nor my family. I don't know why either. But, nevertheless, I love my family. That's what I thought. I am a very good daughter because I am the only daughter in this house.

"Shut up, Hanwei. Eat your portion and don't forget to send my regards to Mian Mian." My mom smiles upon remembering the future daughter-in-law who works as a teacher in the near kindergarten around our apartment building.

"Of course ma.," reply Lin Hanwei while glancing at me, a bit annoyed. "By the way sis, according to our family tradition, you need to marry first before I can get marry. So, hurry up and find yourself a husband please. I can't wait for another year and Mian Mian's parents have been asking me lately."

I stop chewing the breakfast I have in my mouth upon hearing what my brother's said. I wonder if he's joking around or not. He's well aware that I have never been in a relationship nor I have the beauty to catch a fine man, not in another year, and I just barely 25 years old. One year older than him.

Just when I opened my mouth, my father suddenly interrupts our conversation. "Uncle Cheng's son just got back from overseas, I already arrange a blind date for you this weekend with Darian. Make sure you properly introduce yourself to him and make him fall for you." The word "fall for me" is like a thunderbolt slashing on my conscious mind. How could I make someone fall for me if I..myself is not pretty enough and lack of education to be with someone who obviously lives his life in a high horse??

I keep myself calm and collected. I just nodded my head and drink my coffee before I took the bowl and the mug to the sink. Wash them and dried my hands with the kitchen towel. When I turned around, my father already walks to the entrance hall with his briefcase.

I run following him from behind and glances at my brother who sticks out his tongue to me, probably mocking me for being lame or bad at fashion. I don't care how he thinks of me. I just work as a mere clerk and I'm not going there to seduce men, who mostly I knew them from my childhood years.

Like I said before, this is a small town where we know each other. It also means I know most of the people in town. There's good people and also bad people. Best if...I do not interfere with their matter and they won't interfere with mine too.

All of the people in this town thought that I was a shy, silent, and obedient girl. But they were wrong. I had my desire too. I had something that I like to do and want to try it out too..but, my circ.u.mstances and my family's restrictions made me buried all of that. I've become a woman who lacks confidence and always feels inferior to others.

I always hide my own opinion and my liking to meet my parent's perception. I just... probably, maybe...I want them to love me more like how they love my brother. Unfortunately, I was born a girl. I had no right to speak freely as a man does. I had to undergo a strict lesson of becoming a great woman like my ancestors?

Oh well...I just want to live quietly if I can't receive my family's love. Seriously, I know I just a sad person. Don't judge me please.

...

When I and my father enter the elevator, my dad pushes the button to the ground floor but we stopped at one level below our floor. 

When the elevator's door is opened, there's a man, who I never saw before. Not in my entire life. He looked at both of us before he slightly bows his head a little and enters the same elevator as us. He pushes the button to close the door and stand there silently.

I was standing at his back when we're in the elevator, I could see clearly that he had a weird tattoo from his wrist to his neck even though he's wearing a long-sleeve maroon shirt. His hair is dyed with a green mixing with a little color of grey and he combs it backward and he also had numerous piercing on his ears and at the end of his eyebrows. He just... looks like a 'punk' kid who just got out of the prison.

Ding!

The elevator door opens and my father and I walk out of it while he keeps staring at me. I know, he might be judging my appearance from my back as I did to him earlier. But there's no point in dwelling how I look. At least, to me, I don't look a total ridiculous like him. Heh. I smile unconsciously. What a weird fella!

...

At the workplace.

"Sha Sha, did you hear it? My crush is going to returns tomorrow " my friend, Carol leans her head on my shoulder while dreaming something as she looks at the ceiling with a smile on her face.

"Is that so?" I replied short. Of course I know about it. My father just set a date for us this weekend. But I don't know how should I tell her. Should I or shouldn't I?

"I saw his picture on the bulletin news this morning, he's so hot..I bet he must have a lot of women while he's overseas.."

I nodded on her statement. I couldn't agree more with her as I too thought the same thing as her. As someone who is considered 'successful', surely has someone at his back. A woman at that. He has also been too long living overseas, their culture is different like in here.

They were more liberal in so many ways. Free as air unlike her. No, precisely the people who live in this small town. 

"Ah~...I really want to meet him and say to him that I've been liking him for more than a decade. But...what if I got rejected?" Carol groans before she sighed.

"Maybe, you should write a letter?" I try to give an idea but I got laughed at by her.

"Letter? Sha Sha, that's so lame.." she still laughing and went back to his work station.

I shrugged my shoulder as I also start to work on my paperwork which seems to never end. Ugh...now is the time for a closing month which means I will come home late than usual.

I call my father with an office phone to let him know that he need not pick me up today. I will return on my own. Upon hearing it, my father just said okay and ended the call. Simple and short.