Page 33 of Something Like Fate

I tell her all about Caleb, describing his muscles in vivid detail, followed by the story of how he saved my life with the trolley. It all sounds very cinematic when I say it out loud. “It’s kind of wild how ridiculously good looking he is. Like, he is so far out of my league, it’s hilarious.”

“Why are you so shocked? Did you think your soulmate was gonna be a troll?”

“I mean, no. But I didn’t expect someone who looks like an A-list movie star.”

“How old is he?”

“My age ... I think. I don’t know. I haven’t had much of a chance to chat with him yet, to be honest. After it all happened, I was too shocked to even tell him my name. And then this morning I tried talking to him, but these birds kept interrupting. And then Teller came out and started lecturing me about eating yogurt because I’m lactose intolerant. Kill me now.”

A witchy cackle erupts. “That’s embarrassing. But you can’t let that get in the way of destiny. Besides, if he’s your future person, he better get used to bodily functions. Farting and all.”

She keeps laughing while I will myself to sink into the mattress and disappear. “Do you think the universe is trying to tell me this isn’t going to work out?”

“Sometimes the universe likes to mess with us. It can’t just give us exactly what we want, when we want it.”

“Why not?” I whine.

“Because what’s the fun in that? Life would be pretty boring if we got whatever we wanted, when we wanted it, right?”

“I can’t say I agree. Serve it to me on a platter. I’m exhausted already.”

“You’re exhausted already? Good luck adulting, hon.” Ellen laughs. “But honestly, kid? Don’t sweat it. It’s not like you’ll end up like Cousin Lin or anything—” She slaps her hand over her mouth.

I can’t help but laugh. I was planning to broach the subject strategically, but her big mouth has a mind of its own. “Okay, so what’s the deal with Cousin Lin? Why was Mei so weird about her the other morning?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” she says robotically. Ellen is a terrible liar.

“Oh, come on. You can’t keep me in the dark. Was Lin like, cursed or something?”

“Basically,” she says, caving immediately.

My stomach free-falls. “Wait, what? She was actually cursed?”

“No, no!Cursedisn’t really the right word. It’s more of a ... consequence.” That doesn’t sound any less forbidding or terrifying.

I straighten my spine. “A consequence? Of what?”

“Well, any Zhao woman who doesn’t end up with their soulmate ends up alone, miserable, and subject to a lifetime of bad luck,” she informs me, far too casually.

A cough spews out of me. “Alone and miserable? Why am I only finding out about this now?”

“Because it’s so rare. And Mei didn’t want to scare you—which is ridiculous, in my opinion. Because you won’t end up like that. Forever alone and whatnot.” Her tone is still way too relaxed for my liking.

Goose bumps erupt on my arms. “So wait, what happened to Lin?”

“She despised the man she was supposed to be with, Glen. He was a real loser. Not a nice guy, according to your grandmother. So she broke things off, decided she’d rather be alone than be with him. And that’s when the bad luck began.”

“What kind of bad luck are we talking about? Getting pooped on by a bird? Getting caught in the rain? A drawn-out, painful death?”

“Well, the day after she broke things off, she got hit by a bus while riding her bike.”

I gasp. “A bus?! Was she okay?”

“She broke a bunch of bones, but she survived. Then, a couple years later, her house flooded and she lost everything. A few years after that, she tried to start a restaurant, but it failed and she was left in financial ruin. Had to move in with us, actually, for a few years. I remember her sleeping in the guest room when I was around eight before she could afford her own place. To top it all off, she never found love again. We invited her for dinner all the time, but she’d refuse. Your grandmother always said she was too proud.”

I cringe. A series of images flashes through my mind. Eating dinner alone. Watching movies alone. Traveling to foreign countries all by my lonesome. Just like Dad, when I’m not around. “That’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard.”

She nods. “But don’t worry, you won’t end up like them.”

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