I clenched my hairbrush. Sai Ma was rewriting the past in her head, I reminded myself, so she could have someone other than herself to blame. I couldn’t let her poison my happiness.
“I did nothing to Lily.”
Sai Ma merely smiled, a feral red smile that made me shudder.
Finally she turned for the door. Once she was gone I sucked in my breath, welcoming a glittering rush of cold. Sai Ma was right about one thing, therewasa demon inside me.
One day, I prayed, it would see her to hell.
Repercussions were swift.
A few days later, Gu Ma burst into the kitchen. Sai Ma came too, stony faced. “There’s someone here to see you,” my aunt exclaimed, rifling through the cupboard for the expensive tea.
Susu was frantically boiling water while Gu Ma dragged me out into the main room. My knees faltered when I saw who had come.
“Director Fung,” I whispered.
His gray hair was now cotton white, pomaded into a wintry cap with not a strand out of place. Otherwise he was as I remembered. A tree, cold and unbending.
Tommy was at his side. Neither man was smiling.
“This is an honor, Director Fung,” said Gu Ma. “Please, sit, sit. Susu, bring the refreshments!”
Tea was poured, and Susu brought a last-minute assortment of cut fruit, nuts, and day-old cakes on a tray.
Director Fung remained standing. He kept his gloves on and ignored the tea that Gu Ma offered. “I am here to settle the matter of my grandson’s proposal.”
“Proposal?” Gu Ma let out a startled breath. “Forgive me, Director, but I’m not clear on what you mean.”
“To your niece.”
She hooked arms with my father, whom she had summoned from the den. “Young Mister Thomas has proposed to Yut Ying? What a happy occasion—”
“I think not,” Director Fung interrupted. “The Chan family has come under scrutiny in recent years. A union between our families is not suitable.”
“Yut Ying is not a Chan,” said Gu Ma, nudging me forward. “She is a Ha, and the Ha family has always been of repute. Why, my ancestors were advisors to the emperor—”
“Do you know why I’ve selected him to be my successor?” interrupted Director Fung again. “I have five grandsons. Tommy is not the brightest. He’s reckless and idealistic, and he lacks the ruthlessness it takes to run a business. So why did I choose him?”
Gu Ma, Sai Ma, and Baba were silent. They had no idea. But I knew.
“Because he loves Peaksoy the most,” I replied.
“Yes,” Director Fung replied, echoing me, “he loves it the most. But does he love it enough?”
“Grandfather’s offered a compromise,” Tommy said, finally speaking. He wouldn’t look at me. “He says we may marry—afterI finish my first year at university.”
Was that all? I almost laughed. Did the old man think that Tommy and I wouldn’t be able to last a year? We’d known each other since we were children.
“Yes,” I said. “I can wait a year.”
Tommy still wouldn’t look at me.
Something wasn’t right. My relief curdled into an icy knot of dread as I inched toward him.What is it? What else is there?
Tommy regarded my aunt. “I would like to speak to Yut Ying alone.”
It was an insolent thing to say to one’s elder, but Tommy was rich, so Gu Ma nodded politely. “Of course. The parlor—”
