Tuesday, continued …

Anna quickly accessed remotely the ANX Lawyers legal software and noticed over twenty different matters for HOUENT (Australia) Limited. She opened up the most recently created file and observed it was a fifty-million-dollar land deal. She only believed it after she double checked the figures. She also saw information existed that Hou Yi had with the Senior Commercial Partner six months ago.

“See my version is quite possible, I was in Australia at your firm a number of times just over six months ago, and we could have met.”

“I thought Hou Enterprises was a family company, but that amount of money tells me it is not.” Said a bewildered Anna.

“It is a family company. The only shareholders are my grandparents, my parents and myself. I purchased my Uncle’s widow shares for giving her five percent of the profits for life. The children of my great grandfather’s brothers also have the same deal in place when my parents purchased their chares. The only thing is it is not as small as you thought. If we had this conversation when my great-grandfather was 26, it would have been. We have simply been in the right position at the right time, hence we have grown.”

“What have I gotten myself into?”

“Nothing that you did not agree to. The size of the company makes no difference. I will help you, support you, and try and work with your employers for you to work for us on Australian matter as their in-house Lawyer here. It will mean regular trips back to Australia, which enables you to spend time with your friends and family, but I will help them come and visit you frequently to…”

Hou Yi, realised that the conversation was getting out of control, and Anna was very annoyed with him. He paused for a few seconds.

“Anna, please do not get angry, as I have not lied about Hou Enterprises, being a family company. I can arrange for you to see the Share register that will confirm what I am saying. All we need to do is make up our mind on what is the somewhat stretched version of the truth we will tell everyone, and the other matters can be worked out later.”

“You b**tard. You are exactly like Lu Jinhu. Lying and manipulative of me to get what you want….”

Hou Yi became incensed. “Stop that. I am not lying and manipulative. I have told you the truth, you have just interpreted it in a way that is incorrect. Think about it, it in fact puts you in a more powerful position to get your revenge. I have never said that you cannot work and will do what I can to ensure that you can. We will have a home in Australia for visits, but we cannot permanently live there, as I need to be here for Hou Enterprises.”

“You just always assumed I would do everything you want. That is not a marriage. It was your choice to marry, and we can end it here any now. Make your decision. I will still get what I entered the marriage for, in that the agreement never stated with my father and grandfather that I had to remain married. Just that I had to be married. You get nothing. I do not have to put up with this. All that happens is that I do not keep the promise I made to you. Make your choice now.”

By the time Hou Yi finished, Anna realised how angry he was with her. She however was certain that he would not hurt her, like Lu Jinhu would have. She paused, took a couple of deep breaths, and said “OK, we will have it your way. Please do not treat me as someone you can manipulate. Given what I have just learnt you need to treat me as an equal in this relationship, as our financial power gives you otherwise so much more control.”

Hou Yi calmed down and realised Anna was willing to meet him somewhere towards the middle, rather than needing to control. He took a couple of deep breaths “Anna, firstly I have to apologise in getting angry at you as you did not deserve it. I will do everything that I can to ensure that our relationship is that of equals, but please recognise that there will be times where that is impossible, for whatever reason.”

“Remember I have already given to you the most control in of our relationship earlier today. In your promise to agree to present a public image, you have total control of what happened behind our bedroom door. Anything that happens there is your choice, and your choice alone. And I will reiterate another promise that might not have been totally clear, but I will not cheat on you and our relationship. While we are together, I will not have any intimate relationships with other women.”

He paused for a few seconds, and picked up the keys in the middle console of the vehicle, pressing a button, which made Anna realise that they were about to enter some underground car par.

“Before you ask, we are just about at my apartment. Please let me know if you are comfortable with my proposal. They main thing about it, it that it tells the world that you were willing to go through with your commitment to Lu Jinhu, despite your concerns, and were willing to treat him well. He just treated you like a piece of dirt.”

“OK, we will go with that. I am sick of arguing, and if this is how our marriage will be, I will walk away.”

“It will not” and with that Hou Yi stopped the vehicle and a car park attendant opened the door quickly.