Telling the Hou Family – Part 2
Tuesday, continued …
The tension in the room was palpable. Hou Jang’s voice broke the silence, his frustration clear. “What in the world are you talking about?” he yelled, the words laced with disbelief and anger.
Hou Yi, ever calm in the face of his father’s outburst, took a deep breath. His voice was measured, though his words carried a weight of their own. “As I said, Father, Anna and I were married today. The agreement between you, Grandfather, and I did not specify who or how I was to marry, only that I must marry. You knew I was waiting to find the love of my life, just as you and Mother did, just as Uncle did with Aunt before his untimely death, and what you and Grandmother did.” He paused briefly, his eyes glancing down at Anna before continuing. “It just happened that the woman I fell in love with was already in a relationship with someone else.”
He paused again, allowing his words to sink in. Anna, sensing the growing tension in Hou Yi, leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, squeezing his hand in silent support. Hou Yi’s expression softened as he looked at her before continuing. “While I wanted her to be with me, ultimately, her happiness was the only thing that mattered. If it wasn’t with me, I would have accepted it. We communicated, and it became clear that she was unhappy.”
Hou Yi’s voice trailed off, and Anna felt the weight of the moment. She could sense his anger beginning to build again, and she knew she needed to speak. Gently, she took a breath and began to explain.
“Father,” she started, her voice steady but tinged with emotion, “I was previously engaged in my prior relationship. It was a chance meeting between Yi and me at my place of employment in Australia that led to us starting to communicate. He began as a friend, and never pushed me about anything.”
Anna continued, glancing at Hou Yi for reassurance before returning her focus to his family. “He respected the commitment I had made to my former fiancé. As we communicated, I realized I couldn’t marry him. I think it was about three months ago that my feelings for Yi deepened, and I realized that I loved him more than any tepid emotion I ever felt for my former fiancé.”
Her voice quivered slightly as she recalled the complexities of her previous relationship. “I had made a commitment, and I wanted to stand by it, but my heart won out. It was hard for me to break things off with my former fiancé. A chance meeting a few days ago at the Australian Embassy made me realize that staying in that relationship would be a disaster. Yi and I spoke in passing, but we knew what we both wanted. We wanted to make the ultimate commitment to each other.”
Anna’s voice softened, but her resolve remained strong. “I would have married Yi immediately, without a care for the ending of my previous relationship, but Yi made it clear that I needed to do that with respect, so our relationship could move forward without any lingering shadows. However, before I could inform my former fiancé of my decision, he ended the relationship. As soon as I was free, Yi and I married.”
She fell silent, looking at Hou Jang, who was fuming. His anger was evident as he shot back, “I can’t believe you, Hou Yi. You helped break up an engagement. I thought you had more respect for people’s relationships.”
Hou Yi’s eyes darkened as his voice rose. “Father, I never pushed. All I cared about was Anna’s happiness. If she had chosen her former fiancé, I would have respected that and remained her friend. But she wasn’t happy. She realized she couldn’t marry him. But the real issue is that her ex was not a victim. What Anna didn’t tell you was that he used her. Not only did he use her to obtain Australian citizenship, but he also took almost everything she owned, leaving her with nothing but debt.”
Hou Yi’s anger was palpable now. His voice shook with emotion as he continued, “While I wasn’t there when he ended the relationship, he took pleasure in telling Anna that their whole relationship was a lie. He used her for everything he could before discarding her. He was the user, not Anna. She is the victim here, and I will make sure she is safe and protected.”
The room fell into stunned silence. Hou Jang’s expression shifted from anger to shock, his words coming out in disbelief. “What?”
Hou Yi took a breath, his anger still simmering but trying to keep control. “Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Aunt. I think we’re just going to go in circles here. I may not have married who you expected, but I’ve married the woman I intend to spend my life with. As for dealing with her ex-fiancé, we will handle that in the future.” He stood, pulling Anna with him. “We had planned to stay and have a meal with you, but tonight is our wedding night, and we are both tired. I think it’s best that we return home. We’ll come back another day when you’ve calmed down and can talk further.”
Du AnLing, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “Yi, don’t go. I would love to properly meet your bride. It’s just a shock to all of us, given what we saw earlier today.” She looked at Anna, a soft smile on her face. “At least have something to eat before you go. I’m guessing when you get back to your apartment, food will be the last thing on your mind.”
Anna, who had been feeling a bit out of place, blushed slightly at Du AnLing’s comment. Before she could respond, Du AnLing stood up and walked over to her, gently taking Anna’s free hand. “Sweetheart, feel free to call me Mum or Mother. Come with me. I’m guessing my son doesn’t want to feed you.”
Du AnLing guided Anna out of the room, and the rest of the family had no choice but to follow. It was clear that Du AnLing had made the decision to accept her new daughter-in-law, and Anna couldn’t help but feel a little relief, even amidst the whirlwind of emotions she had been through that evening.
As they walked down the corridor to the dining room, Anna’s nerves began to settle. Maybe this wasn’t the most ideal start to family life, but at least one member of the Hou family had made her feel welcome.
