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墨書 Inktalez
First, I needed to break down her defenses and reshape her doubts. As long as I could shake her belief in the facts she once held firmly, I would still have a chance.
The flame of determination in my mother-in-law's eyes was flickering and weakening, and I caught a glimpse of hope for myself.
Does it hurt? Is it uncomfortable? Are you afraid?
While I was tormented by this pain, he—Wang Xu! His mother! Did she ever consider me?
She, Deng Xiaomei, is the apple of the Wang Family's eye, while I, Zhuang Jun, have become a thorn in their side!
"The possibility of Wang Xu wanting to terminate the pregnancy, you should know better than I do. He values his reputation too much to let this go easily. Whether or not it's his child, he would likely watch it slip away. Don't you agree, mother-in-law?" I spoke coldly, each word deliberate as if reading a decree or issuing a death sentence.
"Impossible! That child is my son's! It is my son's!" Her struggle was exactly what I had anticipated; after all these years together, I knew her temperament inside out.
"It might be Wang Xu's; it would truly be a pity to terminate it." I casually remarked as if it were an afterthought.
Instantly, her face turned ashen.
Last night, while unable to sleep, I carefully organized my thoughts. Setting aside her identity as Wang Xu's mother, she was just an illiterate old woman. Her weaknesses were glaringly obvious. I had often avoided confronting her due to her status, but things were different now.
What did she care about most? Her son and her unborn grandchild.
How to make her understand that the final choice was not in her hands was a significant challenge for me. After all, in her eyes, I was the most useless one. I posed no threat to Deng Xiaomei, but there was still someone else.
Wang Xu.
I needed her to believe that everything I held could sway Wang Xu and compel him to end Deng Xiaomei's pregnancy himself. And indeed, it seemed that everything could unfold this way.
I wanted my mother-in-law to doubt her previous decisions and harbor some uncertainty about Deng Xiaomei's child. When faced with indecision regarding Wang Xu and Deng Xiaomei, I looked forward to seeing how she would turn the situation around.
But whatever the outcome, the torment was the most unbearable agony.
I once fervently wished for a good outcome but found no accountability from either my mother-in-law or Wang Xu regarding me.
I am now excessively taking advantage of my mother-in-law, but I am exploiting her greed that exists outside of me.
What is wrong with that?
The wrinkles on my mother-in-law's face are tightly knotted with anxiety, and the lines around her eyes briefly soften until she squints tightly again, deepening those lines once more.
She remains silent for a long time, and I do not rush to speak. I hold my teacup and sit in my place, waiting. I have said what I needed to say and left enough time for her to consider it, but I did not expect the solid slap on my right cheek to bring a continuous sensation of pain and reminders during this waiting period.
The pain and pity reflected on my mother-in-law's face have nothing to do with me; it is the result of her partnership with Wang Xu that has led to everything happening now. I can only watch as she reaps the consequences of her actions.
If I were to feel sorry for her, it would truly be a sign of madness. Fortunately, I have made plans to take good care of myself in the remaining years; that is what truly matters.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, or perhaps even longer, the waiting time has stretched into an unbearable shape where every second feels prolonged and tense.
“How could you do this?” When she speaks again, her voice lacks the earlier strength; it is low and hoarse as if she has aged ten years.
Rather than asking me, it feels more like an unintentional murmur.
It seems she has made a choice—to believe that Deng Xiaomei's child is Wang Xu's.
She intends to keep it.
That’s fine.
“Mother-in-law,” I lower my voice. After we have ceased our conflict, the surrounding people gradually retract their questioning gazes. Others lose interest in what is no longer new, but I persist in gasping for breath amidst the remnants of this situation.
“Everything I, Zhuang Jun, have done today is in accordance with my conscience. After Deng Xiaomei became pregnant, you all hid it from me. You bought a house in full and brought her downstairs to live while you took care of this pregnant woman. Shouldn't I, as the Legal Wife living upstairs, just endure this?”
Images flash through my mind like a slideshow, step by step pulling up the truth behind Deng Xiaomei's situation. Before this moment, had I ever wronged anyone?
“To this day, I have blamed myself for not being pregnant. I once thought that Zhuang Jun truly did not deserve your Wang Family. With regret, I sought reconciliation, yet what did you do to me?”
The expression on my mother-in-law's face crumbled, and I saw no hint of remorse. My accusations turned into meaningless words; I couldn't tell what she was thinking at that moment, but I was certain it had nothing to do with the suffering I had endured.
However, there were some things I had held back for too long. Meeting her alone might be my last chance, so why not indulge in my grievances?
"I tried several times to reclaim the family that should have been mine, but I had no choice but to give up and divorce Wang Xu. But before that..." I deliberately paused, and my mother-in-law's gaze locked onto me. Only when it came to matters related to Wang Xu would she listen.
"Wang Xu must know these truths."
I laid out enough evidence before her to make it more likely for her to believe my decision, to believe that out of revenge, I would instruct Wang Xu to terminate the pregnancy.
Suddenly, my mother-in-law trembled all over. When she looked at me again, her expression was complex, lacking the initial sharpness and pressure.
The skin on her cheeks sagged, and the emotions swirling in her eyes were strange.
Then she stood up, causing the chair behind her to scrape loudly against the floor. She stepped aside, leaving herself exposed without any barriers in front of her.
Finally, she knelt before me.
As she looked up, her eyes were filled with tears.
"I, an old woman, beg you here. Please don’t harm my grandson. My health has been poor these years; all I want is to hold my grandson while I still can. I'm old; I'm old. I just want to hold him."
As she sobbed, people around us began to look over, their gazes filled with accusations and blame directed at me. If I allowed my mother-in-law to remain on the ground, it would only invite more scorn.
I had no choice but to stand up, gather my emotions, take a deep breath, and grasp my mother-in-law's arm to help her back up. Intentionally speaking loudly, I replied, "Mother-in-law, you must be joking. Your son has been seeing a mistress behind my back and got her pregnant. It’s truly hard for me to take action against an innocent child; you know that about me."
My mother-in-law disregarded the surrounding hostility; she looked at me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
She may have lost her dignity, but I still needed mine.
"Are you serious? Are you really saying this?"
"Of course." I nodded, satisfied that the people around us shared the same values, and I helped my mother-in-law back to her seat. Now, the key part was coming.
"But you know, at my age, being a second marriage makes it hard to find a partner. Plus, I haven't worked for so long, and my finances are tight."
My mother-in-law became agitated and nodded repeatedly, "I'll give you money. How much do you need? I'll give you whatever you want."
I sneered inwardly but made sure my expression remained unchanged.
"I want the property under Deng Xiaomei's name, specifically apartment 402 downstairs."
Her expression suddenly changed. I knew she was reluctant, but I was prepared. I quickly interjected, "You know Wang Xu is still young; good days are ahead. He's smart and can save enough from stocks to buy another house soon. Look, it didn't take long for Deng Xiaomei to sell her place. You're getting older; it's time to hold your grandchild."
I gradually guided her to see that this deal wouldn't be a loss for her. I added, "Having money is great, but having children is even more urgent. You're getting older, and there's already a grandchild available. If I divorce Wang Xu, the child can be officially registered under your Wang family household. You can choose between a grandchild or a house."
My mother-in-law's face turned sour. She seemed to be seriously considering my proposal. Her eagerness when I mentioned Wang Xu and the property truly disappointed me.
Even her eventual answer was something I had anticipated; I understood her well enough to know which option she would likely choose.
"You mean, if you get the house, my son won't get rid of the child?"
Just as expected.
I nodded and assured her, "Yes, as long as you go back and tell Wang Xu to transfer that property into my name, I won't show him any of Deng Xiaomei's photos. I'll keep it confidential."
After a long pause, she finally managed to utter one word.
"Okay."
Great, she agreed.
With that said, I had reached a consensus with my mother-in-law. As I stood up to leave and started gathering the photos on the table, she instinctively pressed down on them and glared at me in anger.
She had performed this habitual action many times over the years, and in her heart, everything I did was wrong.
I forced a smile and suppressed my anger: "Mother-in-law, I need to keep these things safe. What if you take them home and let Wang Xu see them? Then we won't have our current agreement, and I won't be able to control matters regarding the child."
Her expression softened slightly as she moved her hand away. Today, I had taken the first step, which was somewhat successful, but I still felt angry. While tidying up, I suddenly said a couple of things.
"I just thought of something. Mother-in-law, if you hadn't put Deng Xiaomei's B-Scan Report in your purse back then, I might not have even known about her existence. If that were the case, when Wang Xu and I agreed to divorce, I really wouldn't have gotten anything."
My intentional sarcasm achieved the desired effect; I didn't glance much at her slumped figure in the chair. If I gave up, the one to be pitied would be me.
After leaving, facing the bustling street, I was just one of the crowd but with a swollen right cheek—a mark from my mother-in-law's slap. At that moment, I was still a pitiful daughter-in-law.
I wasn't afraid of being pitiful; I was afraid of those around me who would laugh at me.
This battle, guided by Miao Miao and my self-restraint, had yielded good results.
It wouldn't be long now; soon, all this suffering would come to an end.
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