Tea for Two by Clara Ng

Summary

Tea for Two is Matchmaking Company, owned by Sassy. For her, there are no bigger responsibility and happiness than set up two strangers, and then bring them to most expected moment in life: MARRIAGE!

Live happily ever after. This is Tea for Two’s motto, which sounds nice.

But wait!

Is it true that marriage is the only way to be happy? Is marriage always full of happiness, flower, and romantically beautiful? The truth is, Sassy’s own marriage is facing a big problem. Secret lies, which is transforming slowly into big ones. Domestic violence. And all is started with infatuating romance, and ended with brutalism.

It could happen to you. It could happen to anybody.

This book epically tells us about bad side of marriage. Not intended to scare us of marriage, but teach us to be warned, to think logically, to be careful, because a Mr. Right is able to change into Mr. Totally Wrong.

Look Sassy. Successful career woman in her twenty something. Has her own company, which is reaching its peak. Pretty. Has four lovable, caring friends.  Smart, of course. Independent.

So, when one day, she met Alan, a young professional, handsome, wealthy, and dreamy, she thought that she’s already found her Mr. Right. What else does she look after? And after eight months, they got married.

At their honeymoon, Alan slapped Sassy.

It’s so unpredictable. How could Smart Sassy not be able to observe its sign, that Alan is violated person, freaky jealous husband? But, love conquers all. Although Alan continues his cruelty, in the name of love, Sassy hides it all. From her mother. From her best friends. From the world. Even after a baby comes between them, Alan becomes more and more aggressive. Not only physically, but also verbally. He forbids Sassy to hang out with her friends, asks her to quit from his company, and sell them.

And Sassy, who we’ve known previously, is so independent, is defeated. She is scared, not be able to leave her husband. She leaves once, but Sassy always thinks a million reasons to return.

How does Sassy solve its problem?

The best thing that we can learn is even the strongest woman needs help when they face such as domestic violence. Some women maybe could runaway easily, leave it all behind, but the rest of them are scared. Scared of loneliness, scared of reputation, scared of not to be loved. In Sassy’s case, we could see, that love is like heroine for her. And, after a while, she becomes familiar with Alan’s habit, and treats it as if it’s ordinary routine. It’s fearful, realizing how women can accept awful behavior, just because they are used to it.

This book is beautiful in its own way. It’s giving spirit, revealing some facts, which is maybe we’ve known before, but we choose to ignore it. Good way, Clara Ng.