Worse than Hanging by a Thread

Everyone is busy.

And that includes the one who brought pandemonium to her room.

Sarah glanced once more at her room. Her meager clothes were all scattered on the floor. Her laptop smashed and her books wrinkled and some were torn into pieces.

"My goodness! What happened here?!" The first thing her eyes searched is her photo with her Mama Daisy.

She cried, with her hands covering her mouth to stop herself from producing sound for she might cry really loud. Who wouldn't be?!

Her hands tremble as she picks the photo with the frame badly destroyed. Her room was totally obliterated.

Who could have done such injustice to her?

This is supposed to be her home, where she would feel safe and cared for. But now, it was a total opposite. The one who came in her room, is evidently looking for something, which she has no idea.

It was really a wise decision she made when she was barely 12 years old to let Mira keep all the photo albums, jewelries and memorabilia her Mama Daisy left her. Additionally, saving the life size painting of her and her adoptive mother in Mira's cottage in Fujian.

While cleaning her room, someone knocked at her door, but she was hesitant to open it. With what happened to her at the church earlier and to her just now, she feels paranoid and on guard.

She took a pair of scissors from the drawer and let out a deep sigh as she looks directly at the door with fiery in her eyes.

And the knocks were incessant. Then she heard her foster father's voice calling at her.

"Sarah..."

"Sarah..."

"Sarah, are you there?"

"Uncle, I'm here." She finally had the courage to utter words. Her throat was dry from nervousness.

She opened the door. Her uncle looks at her room and was shocked.

'Oh, my God! What happened here!?" Alfred exclaimed.

She got over her emotions and with let out a sigh of relief. Her uncle hugs her and she weeps. "Uncle, I guess, I shall leave earlier than I planned."

"No, Sarah. You have nowhere to go." Alfred holds his niece shoulders. Feeling guilty and remorseful with the hardships and of her sister's beloved adopted daughter.

"Come here. I bought a dress and shoes, which you will use tonight." He handed her two signature paper bags.

"I must go now. I'll call the guards about this, and  Peter willcome and help you here. Promise me you take care. I'll explain things, when this party is over."

She wipes her tears away, and couldn't help but feel sad not only for herself but also for his uncle. She looks at the paper bag and saw a pair of pumps and a beautiful pale yellow dress. And there is still something there. Something heavy.

She gasps when she realized what it is, "Mama Daisy's tiara!" She was surprised. It was the tiara she wore in one of her life size paintings.

But wait a sec...

"Why is this tiara with her uncle?"

A  week before her Mama Daisy passed on mysteriously, Mira told her, the tiara went missing. It can't be...

Oh, no it can't be!

Her mind is about to explode, things are slowly unfolding before her very eyes.

She has to leave now. Looking through the rummage, she spotted her bagpack and place there just few important things, then just as she pick her photo with her mama and removed the frame, she saw something.

An envelope, which perhaps before it was white, but now it looks rather dirty and with dark creases.

She opened it, and much to her surprise, there is a document  and a key with initials DL and at the other side VF...

"Think, Sarah... Think..." Then she remembered something. She took a ring from her pocket. "There must be something here." She looked at the initials inscribed inside her Mama Daisy's ring "VF"...

If "DL" is DAISY LUI, then who is "VF?"

She recalls the man in the church who wears the same ring. He was the man who saved her.

And she remembered him saying in the car... "I'm Vincent Feng. My child, do  you know the men following you?"

"VF is VINCENT FENG!!!"

She is my mother's fiancé!!!

Then, there was a sudden flashback...

A six years old girl being carried by a handsome man, she calls her "uncle"

The man kissed her rosy cheeks. My child, you are growing so fast.

"Of  course, I always takes care of her. She is now our daughter, my love."

"Be patient my dear, soon we will be married. Wait for me in few years time." He kisses her lips while the six years old girl claps her hand.

"Yippie, I will have an uncle papa!"

The words of her young self echoed in her heart, reminding her of the excitement and joy that had filled her soul at the thought of having a family.

"Oh my dearest daughter, call him 'Papa Vincent,'" the sweet loving voice of her beautiful Mama Daisy brought warmth and nostalgia. It was a gentle and loving request, a proof to once family. they had. Sarah cherished those memories, for they represented a time when life seemed simpler and love felt pure.

Mira is serving them dinner that time. And Mira eats with them as well. Though her mother was an actress and a business woman, she takes her most of the time wherever she goes, with Mira with them.

Back to reality...

She carefully opened the sealed document. Alas! It's her mother's last will and testament. It's hand written by her mother with three specimen signatures and a finger mark in all the pages.

Sarah starts reading...

I, Daisy Zang Lui, who was born in the province of Fujian, being of sound mind and disposing memory, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. I revoke all prior wills and codicils made by me.

Article I. Personal Representative

I appoint my daughter, Sarah Zang Lui, as the executor of this will...

Then Sarah proceeds to Article III. Bequests

I give, devise, and bequeath all my remaining estate and property, both real and personal, of whatever nature and wherever situated, to my beloved daughter, Sarah Zang Lui, to be her sole and absolute property.

And there was a follow up for her uncle, Mr. Alfred Lui...

Article IV: Specific Bequests to My Only Brother

In addition to the bequest mentioned in Article III, I hereby give, devise, and bequeath the following specific items to my only blood brother:

Alfred Zang Lui:

our family house in Fujian;

my two bank accounts in Shanghai International Bank;

200 acres of farmland in Fujian

(for which I know at this point he wishes to own ever since we were young.)

Sarah was almost at lost. She is the sole heiress to her adoptive mother's estate. She imagines what she could do with her mother's fortune, that is to give scholarship to farmers'children.

At the end of the documents were the signatures of Mr. Richard Wane and her mother.

She placed it in her bag including her mother's tiara. There is another realization she made just as now.

Yesterday night, Mr. Wane said she is the rightful owner of everything, so she will not leave the mansion. But his attention and everyone's was shifted to Adelle's alleged pregnancy.

It's obvious who is at hand in doing this to her...

To the extent of physically inlicting pain and threatening her life.

She feels sudden rise of temperature on her face, and so with her nape. Perhaps her blood pressure is up and her heart pumps so much blood with everything that has transpired right now.

She immediately went to the bathroom lavatory and splashed water on her face and gargled afterwards.

She was wiping her face with a handtowel when she heard heavy footsteps and knocks on the door. "Who could that be?"

She went out of the bathroom and grab her bag pack from the bed and hurriedly took the contents of paper bags as well.

It is not Peter at all. The knocks are so loud, almost banging the door.

Peter is supposed to help her out fix her things but obviously he didn't come, so someone else did. She has been with Peter for so long she could remember, so she's familair how he walks and moves.

 The knocks stops. She looked outside from her window, and she sees shadows.

"God, help me!" Then an idea pops in her mind. She went back to her bathroom. She passed through the bathroom door, and postioned herself on the oak tree, where she could peer through her window's room. The branches were thick and there's enough leaves to hid her.

In matter of minutes her door locks were open and her windows as well. Men in masks entered her room.

She's praying fervently to God and her mind calling out for Mama Daisy.

If there's only one thing, she has to be thankful about her wicked aunt Huifen, that is making her do errands most of the time, and letting her walk even kilometers in the village. And of course, letting her do menial tasks, which made her muscles defined and her reflexes fast.

Few minutes later, she's drenching with sweat and ants are marching to attack her... Checking on her wristwatch it's 6:00PM, everyone must be in mood for merriment. She could hear a faint music.

Right now, the celebration of her cousin is far from the situation she is embroiled in..

She's literally worse than hanging by a thread...

For she is hanging by an oak tree infested by ants.

Peaking through the leaves, those men are searching for something. Her room is in so much chaos. Now, she is sure what they are looking for...

It's the last will testament of Daisy Zang Lui, her known mother. And she isn't that stupid not to know who's behind all of these.