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墨書 Inktalez
The meeting with my mother-in-law was scheduled for three o'clock in the afternoon. I didn't have to pick up Lu Shuang on Sunday, and I felt adequately prepared to face her.
I told Wang Xu that he absolutely could not come along, and to his credit, he complied. Only my mother-in-law showed up.
From the entrance hall, she glared at me with a frown. It wasn't until she walked in and took a seat that she finally shifted her gaze away from my face. She glanced at my hands resting on the table, sneered disdainfully, and made no effort to hide her deliberate aloofness.
"Would you like something to drink?" I took the menu from the server and placed it in front of her, kindly suggesting, "The Oolong and Pu-erh tea here are quite good."
My mother-in-law coldly pointed at the menu. Before the server could leave with it, she sighed dramatically, "This old woman has never enjoyed any blessings. The tea leaves cost a fortune; it pains me to see my son working so hard every day."
I averted my gaze and didn't respond immediately. When the server brought the tea, I pushed it toward her.
"I recently started working at a software company, and the pay is decent. This cup is on me."
Having worked for two and a half years before, I was well aware of social dynamics and rules. I considered my mother-in-law family and never treated them with formality. However, now that we weren't related by marriage anymore, things were different.
"Hmph, money—how much can there be? My son has worked so hard for so many years, coming home late every day; all he earns is hard-earned money," she scolded me while slapping her palm down emphatically.
Her bright eyes fixed on me as her mouth turned downwards, her entire face sagging.
I couldn't tell if her nagging was due to old age or if recent events had overwhelmed her, causing confusion. She repeated the same complaints twice. There was little point in arguing with an elderly person about such matters.
There was no resolution to be found; previously I had avoided confrontation, but now I felt lazy about it. There were more important matters to discuss, and I didn't want to waste too much time.
"How have you been feeling lately?"
I tried not to be too blunt in my opening remarks; after all, we had three years of history together. It was best to ease into the conversation.
"I'm fine; I haven't died from anger yet. This old body of mine won't last much longer anyway; let’s just keep stirring things up," she said while waving her hand dismissively. I sensed that her mental state wasn't quite right but couldn't pinpoint what was off.
I recalled having spoken to Wang Xu about matters concerning Deng Xiaomei before my mother-in-law came to see me. It seemed likely that Wang Xu had said something to her that made her believe I posed a threat to her grandson.
At that time, I indeed wanted Wang Xu to make a decision. It would be cruel to say that I wouldn't kill Bo Ren but that he would die because of me. The existence of a child was a mistake; I wanted Wang Xu to choose to end a mistake he had made. If they were going to label me as cruel for that choice, it felt entirely inappropriate.
"Mother-in-law, I came to talk to you today about the divorce from Wang Xu."
I held the teacup in my hands, feeling the warmth of its exterior. But when I looked at my mother-in-law's bright eyes, it sent a chill through me.
"Divorce? You want a divorce?!"
I nodded, my heart beginning to ache again.
Was she really that happy about the divorce? Did it feel like she had shed a heavy burden and could finally breathe easy?
She didn't seem to consider whether this would hurt me at all; she was so eager to discuss the divorce. Before I could say anything, she continued.
"How did you come to this decision?"
Ah, how did I come to this decision?
She asked how I had figured it out, but she hadn't even thought about trying to keep me from leaving or offered a single word of comfort. The suspicion in her expression betrayed her; at this moment, what worried her most was probably that I still held leverage over her regarding Deng Xiaomei and their relationship.
But that wasn't it.
I had more—much more—damning evidence.
"Mother-in-law, before we proceed, I want to show you something. I hope you won't be too upset."
I pulled an envelope from my bag and placed it on the table, sliding it toward her with my fingertips.
"What is this? Why are you being so mysterious?" Perhaps my mention of divorce had put her in a relatively good mood; when she picked up the envelope, there was still a faint smug smile on her face.
My heart sank to the point where breathing became painful. I had told myself countless times that this person had never regarded me as family, and I didn't need to show her any kindness at such a critical moment.
Yet, my own emotions were hard to suppress. I still pitifully hoped that my mother-in-law would at least show a hint of reluctance, but she didn't; her cheeks seemed even rosier.
It felt like encountering some great joy.
Where could I go to seek justice? I, Zhuang Jun, couldn't afford to lose face, but the old woman in front of me wore a cruel smile. After opening the envelope, she pulled out a stack of photos, squinting her eyes and leaning in closely to look at them.
Until she saw my pale face, filled with terror as she stared at me. She opened her mouth several times, the lines on her lips clearly visible.
The photos were scattered all over the table, and I patiently picked them up one by one.
The old woman's expression twisted in an odd way. She stared at me for a few seconds, then seemed to come to her senses and looked back at the table. Suddenly, she slammed her palm down hard on the surface, stopping me from continuing to collect the photos.
I paused for a moment but eventually let go. Looking at her calmly, I said, "Grandma, I've kept copies of these photos; I can print them again."
I understood her; she was afraid. She feared that I would take them away and destroy the evidence. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her wrinkled hand tightly gripping the photos until they became deformed.
Just like our relationship, from the beginning until now, it had never taken on the right shape.
Suddenly, she stood up. Caught off guard, she slapped me across the face. I didn't expect her to be so strong; the slap knocked my head sideways. I quickly felt my cheek swelling painfully, radiating a sharp ache.
"You wretched girl! You filthy girl!" The old woman shouted angrily, pointing her finger at me, trembling all over with wide-open eyes.
That slap had considerable force and truly shattered the defense I had just erected.
The earlier slap on the table and then across my face had successfully drawn the attention of surrounding customers. Whispers began to rise as they speculated about the reasons behind it all.
But who could really guess that a daughter-in-law who had bent over backward for three years couldn't earn a shred of genuine affection from her mother-in-law? My inability to bear children made her glare at me with disdain and call me a filthy girl.
The biggest mistake I made was trying repeatedly to make amends; it was my choice time and again to blind myself.
How laughable.
I suspected that my right cheek was already red and swollen, but this wasn't the time to deal with that. My gaze fell on the photos in the old woman's hand as I calmly told her.
"The two men here are the most common for Deng Xiaomei. I have inquired about it, and she knew them even before Wang Xu." At this point, my heart ached, and I could only pause for a few seconds before continuing, "So the origin of the child cannot be verified; we still don't know who the child belongs to."
"You're lying!" The old lady was furious, her face suddenly turning a deep shade of red. She disagreed with every word I said.
But I had to finish what I wanted to say.
"You, who can't bear children, dare to scheme behind my back! How can you be such a person? My son really made a mistake marrying you! How could he marry someone like you!"
"Mother-in-law!" I shouted, trying to lower my voice, but as she repeatedly slandered me, I was close to losing my composure and causing a scene in this public place.
"The reason I, Zhuang Jun, haven't gotten pregnant has not been determined by the hospital yet; it's not just my issue or Wang Xu's. It was Wang Xu who knelt down and proposed to me; why should I marry him? Ha ha."
The old lady sneered and spat on the ground.
"Pah! My son was blinded by you when he chose a woman like you; it’s all your doing! Now that I have a grandson, don’t think you can cause trouble! As long as I, Wang Min, am alive, you will never step into this house!"
"If that child is Wang Xu's, then it's my issue. But what if the child isn't Wang Xu's? You've seen the person in the photo; you don't recognize that man, do you? And do you still not recognize that woman?"
Isn't that Deng Xiaomei, whom you've been insisting should be your daughter-in-law?
That same Deng Xiaomei who bought lingerie during her pregnancy!
Mother-in-law, do you really not know?
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!" The old lady threatened as she reached out. Instinctively, I swatted her hand away lightly, but her expression changed again.
I knew she was trying to provoke me to embarrass myself. I quickly interrupted her and took out other items from my bag.
"This is something Deng Xiaomei received on the day I bought you the massager. Wang Xu had contact with her during that time. If Wang Xu didn't touch her, who was this lingerie for? Has Wang Xu ever seen it?"
I chuckled self-deprecatingly; while I was thinking about my mother-in-law, she was thinking about someone else.
The mother-in-law's expression darkened even more, but she fell silent. I had achieved my goal and continued to pull out other printed documents.
"This outfit on Deng Xiaomei costs fifty thousand, and this bag is over ten thousand. It's not bought by Wang Xu; she can afford it herself."
There were also posts from Deng Xiaomei's other WeChat accounts, which were equally revealing.
"Here are screenshots of her chatting with another man. This happened recently; take a look."
The mother-in-law's face grew increasingly grim. I worried that she might not be able to catch her breath, and I would end up with the reputation of a murderer. But what concerned me more was her future decisions.
"Mother-in-law," I called her softly. This time, she looked up at me again, her eyes filled only with confusion and helplessness.
"What do you think would happen if I showed these things to Wang Xu?"
The mother-in-law displayed a horrifying expression, unable to regain her composure for a long time. When she finally looked at me again, I continued.
"Do you think he would consider getting rid of the child?"
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