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墨書 Inktalez
During dinner, I found the food tasteless, my chopsticks picking at the dishes without bringing anything to my mouth. Suddenly, my dad asked me what I had talked about with Wang Xu in the room earlier. The situation was too complicated, so I could only tell him that Wang Xu did not agree to the divorce.
My mom paused for a moment and asked why. I could only shake my head and say I wasn't sure either.
"Since your mother-in-law dislikes you so much, and Wang Xu listens to her, logically speaking, if you propose a divorce, he should agree. What does he mean by this?"
My mom's murmurs stirred my confusion as well. Indeed, considering how protective Wang Xu was of his mother and how much she disdained me, even if there were no feelings left between him and Deng Xiaomei, it would be difficult for him to survive in the middle of our conflict. So why wouldn't he take this opportunity to divorce before I had any substantial evidence in hand?
At least he could get what he wanted and wouldn't end up destitute.
"Well, whatever his reasons are," my dad said as he took a sip of the white liquor in his hand and then set it down, adding solemnly, "No matter what reason he has for dragging our family into this with Zhuang Jun, this marriage must end soon. You should come with me tomorrow to consult a lawyer about the divorce."
"Dad, I know. I want to ask on my own first and will let you know once I have results."
My parents urged me a couple more times, emphasizing that money could always be earned again and that a home could be rebuilt; leaving Wang Xu was the most important thing.
I understood my dad's intention. He wanted me to get divorced; even if I ended up with nothing, he just wanted me back—that was all.
But I was different from my dad. He felt pity for me, while I felt sorrow for the family that Wang Xu and I had painstakingly built being taken away by someone else. I wanted to reclaim what belonged to me; this marriage couldn't end without reason.
It sounds strange, but I wasn't even tempted by the stocks or properties that Wang Xu held. I'm not yet thirty; with some effort, I can have everything. But why should I hand over my things to Deng Xiaomei without a fight? Especially after she had warned me before—I felt unwilling and resentful. If I just let it go like this, I'd hate myself for being weak now while Deng Xiaomei would probably laugh at my foolishness behind my back.
I couldn't let her continue like this.
After dinner, I remembered Dong Lu's call. Since I had some time in the afternoon, I returned to the company to find her and verify some salary issues.
When I arrived at the company and went to Dong Lu's office, she pulled out a folder to check each piece of information with me. I bent over to scrutinize it closely. After we finished, when I lifted my head, I found Lu Ming standing at his office door directly in front of me, rolling up his sleeves while discussing something with an employee beside him.
It seemed like it had been a long time since I'd seen him; quite some time had passed since I'd slapped him and left. Miao Miao had cursed Lu Ming many times on my behalf and eventually stuffed a bag of new medicine into my hands.
"Zhuang Jun, I know it's hard for you to adapt, but while we seek revenge, you still need to take care of your health. Don't let anger ruin your body; that's falling into Deng Xiaomei's trap, and it's not worth it."
I continued to receive the medicine bag from Miao Miao amidst Lu Ming's curses and hopeful glances, thinking about how I still lived at home and didn't want my depression to affect my parents' emotions.
"Zhuang Jun, Zhuang Jun? Did you hear me? Your salary from last month will be issued together with this month's. Make sure to check it when the time comes," Dong Lu said, tapping the pen she held between her fingers on the folder with a rhythmic "thud."
I shifted my gaze back to her and nodded, indicating that I understood.
"Alright then, you can head back. This is originally a finance matter, but given your situation, I need to double-check everything for you. As long as there are no issues, it’s fine. Thank you for making this trip."
"It's no trouble; it's part of the job," I replied to Dong Lu politely before planning to leave.
Just as I was about to step out of the company door, I heard Lu Ming call my name from behind. I paused and turned around to face him.
"Stay here."
He was unchanged from before, commanding me like a superior and ordering me to wait in the conference room without explaining what he wanted. As I sat in the conference room for half an hour, I hazily recalled the incident when my mother-in-law barged in. Before she arrived, I had asked Wang Xu to handle matters regarding Deng Xiaomei and her child. My mother-in-law publicly called me a vixen in front of all the employees, making me lose face. Just thinking about it brought a bitter smile mixed with sorrow to my lips.
Such unfortunate events seemed to only happen to me, Zhuang Jun.
Finally, the conference room door opened, and a woman in professional attire sat down beside me, smiling as she greeted me.
"Are you Ms. Zhuang? Hello, I'm Jin; you can call me Attorney Jin."
She appeared to be around forty years old, similar in age to Dong Lu. I hesitantly extended my hand to shake hers as she skillfully opened her notebook in front of her. Her voice was pleasant and warm: "I've learned some details about your situation from Mr. Lu. There might be some gaps in what I know, so I'd like to discuss it with you personally. There's no need to be nervous; I'm experienced in divorce litigation and have handled many cases similar to yours. You can trust me with your concerns, alright?"
If I had felt any resentment towards Lu Ming's arrangement before this moment, after experiencing Deng Xiaomei's intimidation and Wang Xu's rejection, looking at Attorney Jin felt like seeing hope.
“Attorney Jin, are you saying that there is still a chance for my case?!” I couldn't help but feel excited.
Attorney Jin remained calm, a smile always on her face: “I need to understand your specific situation, Ms. Zhuang, in order to provide a more detailed response.”
Neither my family nor Miao Miao had any understanding of divorce cases related to infidelity. Previously, when I consulted a lawyer, the answers were vague. Now that I had encountered Attorney Jin, perhaps I really would have a chance.
With hope in my heart, I carefully recounted the entire process to Attorney Jin. She listened attentively, occasionally jotting down key phrases in her notebook. After I finished speaking, she continued writing something until she put down her pen, a smile returning to her face as she turned to me: “Alright, Ms. Zhuang, I have a general understanding of your situation. Now, I would like to ask you some questions, if that's alright.”
“Sure.” I was more than willing.
“What is your current demand for the divorce, Ms. Zhuang?”
“My demand? If we're talking about demands... I want to divorce my husband and leave him with nothing.”
“Ms. Zhuang, actually in our country, if you are seeking a divorce through litigation and want your spouse to leave empty-handed, there is no legal basis for that. In cases where one spouse cohabits with another person without being classified as bigamy, the marriage law and its interpretations only provide for compensation for damages and a lesser share of joint property unless the parties voluntarily waive their rights to property division.”
My heart sank; it would be a huge joke if Wang Xu were to voluntarily give up anything. His vague attitude when I confronted him about Deng Xiaomei’s house had already revealed everything.
“So if my husband destroys the evidence of his infidelity and does not intend to divorce me, then what should I do...”
“If your husband does not agree to the divorce, you can only proceed with litigation. Moreover, in your case, you will need evidence to prove your husband's infidelity. I heard earlier that you have recordings, correct?”
“Yes.” I nodded: “I have recordings, but they are no longer in my possession.”
“Did the recordings capture substantial content? For example, did they include who you are, who his wife is, whether he was having an affair with you, or if he really bought you a house?”
Attorney Jin’s words reminded me of the time when I faced Deng Xiaomei. She had deliberately repeated my questions as if she truly knew what Attorney Jin was referring to. Her actions seemed like a show of defiance at the time, but now they could serve as powerful evidence for me.
"Yes." I nodded vigorously. "At that time, she took the initiative to say everything, and the content was very clear."
Attorney Jin smiled. "If you don't have that evidence with you now, what are the chances of retrieving it? If it's possible, it would be a strong piece of evidence."
This undoubtedly gave me hope but also left me disappointed. In the end, it was Huang Zhang who took the voice recorder. The evidence is with Huang Zhang, who is also Deng Xiaomei's mistress. So, does that evidence truly exist?
Moreover, obtaining such substantial evidence later on would be extremely difficult. The only one in Huang Zhang's possession had become my hope due to Deng Xiaomei's arrogance.
"Perhaps it's not going to happen."
"Of course, you can still collect other evidence. This requires a long-term chain of evidence, such as retrieving surveillance footage from cameras monitoring your husband and the other party's regular comings and goings, along with well-angled photographs."
I felt utterly disheartened and dared not hold any more hope. I had missed the best opportunity to gather evidence. Furthermore, since Deng Xiaomei had moved into our neighborhood, even if the two of them were seen together in the area, the lack of frequency would only be considered a coincidence. Using that as evidence would likely be too weak.
When Wang Xu brought Deng Xiaomei over to live here, did he ever consider this? I had just heard about the divorce process from Attorney Jin. Had Wang Xu already begun planning to reduce the chances of being discovered to zero?
So when he brought Deng Xiaomei downstairs, it wasn't out of boldness; it was a meticulous effort to avoid any possibility of gathering evidence.
I thought despondently, is Wang Xu really still the lover I married three years ago?
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