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Waiting made every second feel unbearably long. I decided to call Dong Lu to find out where Lu Ming was. Dong Lu said that Lu Ming had just gone to the tech company where I used to work for a meeting and asked what was up. I didn’t answer, and after hanging up, I immediately headed over there.
I wanted to see Lu Ming as soon as possible to talk things over. After getting out of the taxi, I didn’t dare waste any time and jogged towards Dong Lu. By the time I reached her, I was panting. Dong Lu looked at me with interest, and I tried to catch my breath as I asked her, “Where’s Lu Ming? Is the meeting over?”
Dong Lu leisurely pointed towards the entrance. “He just left.”
I panicked. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Dong Lu smiled and replied, “You didn’t ask me sooner either. What’s going on? If you’re looking for him, I can…”
Not waiting for Dong Lu to finish, I quickly turned and ran towards the stairs while dialing Lu Ming’s number. As soon as he picked up, I shouted, “Lu Ming! No matter where you are, stay right there! I’m coming!”
“Right behind you.”
“What?”
My footsteps halted abruptly as I turned around, colliding directly with Lu Ming’s gaze. Seeing him casually leaning against the wall, it didn’t matter that this was his company or how many of his employees were inside or how long I had worked here before.
I was furious. “What do you mean by this? Why didn’t you tell me sooner about the consequences of your actions? Do you think it makes you feel good to make me feel guilty? Are you happy now? What do you really want?”
At that moment, I felt helpless, my eyes moistening. Compared to Huang Zhang’s helplessness, what scared me more was this feeling of harming others while seeking help for myself. No matter how unhappy my marriage with Wang Xu was, all I wanted was my share; Wang Xu deserved what he got. I didn’t feel guilty taking his things at all. But for an outsider like Lu Ming, all I hoped was that he wouldn’t get involved. Now it seemed that I had become the culprit.
“Don’t worry; everything will be fine,” Lu Ming reassured me as he reached out to help me up from where I had crouched.
I swatted his hand away and glared at him coldly. “Am I worried about you? Don’t flatter yourself; I'm worried about myself! I don’t want to feel guilty or carry this burden every day thinking about how to repay my debts! I'm worried about looking like a useless person who can’t repay!”
Hearing my words, Lu Ming’s lips twitched slightly, clearly displeased. He replied calmly, “This is my decision; I’m not asking you for any compensation. Your worries are unnecessary.”
"Am I being overly concerned? You may think so, but others do not. Why don't you say how important this collaboration is to you? You made me believe it was just a rare opportunity for you, but in the end, it's nothing more than that."
My words seemed to strike a nerve with Lu Ming. He shot me a cold glance and turned to walk away. I called out to him, but he showed no intention of stopping. I stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, and only then did he pause momentarily. "Is there something else?"
"You still haven't answered my question! You said you owe me; what do you owe me?"
"That woman was arranged by me," Lu Ming said abruptly.
I loosened my grip on Lu Ming's sleeve, my mind going blank as I struggled to comprehend what he meant by "that woman" and "arranged."
"Huang Zhang has always used women as a means to contact people. At that time, I had a deal going on, and I couldn't let Huang Zhang succeed, so I intervened midway. Your husband’s infidelity was not an accident."
"I investigated you before, which is how I found out it was related to the previous incident. Saying it was atonement is too much, but I really want to help you out of this predicament. Don't worry about owing me a favor this time; consider it repayment. If you feel it's not enough, I'll fulfill any needs you have later."
"As you think, that success was the foundation of my current situation. I wouldn't have what I have now without it; it would be only right for it to be taken back. You're right; you should have everything that belongs to you."
Lu Ming continued recounting the events from then until now. This was the most I had ever heard him speak during our time together—truths that I had experienced but never understood.
I listened calmly, yet tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. It didn't hurt, but I couldn't stop crying. What exactly had I heard? What had I truly experienced?
Was my life merely a trivial matter in the eyes of people like Lu Ming or Huang Zhang? I once thought they were different from each other; I believed my life couldn't be this miserable.
Like the butterfly effect, I was the one bearing all the consequences in the end.
"Have you said enough? Are you done?" Each of Lu Ming's words drained my strength, leaving me just a shell standing before him. I almost thought I could no longer utter a single word; the tears falling from my eyes tasted bitter.
Lu Ming frowned, "I've said my part, now it's your turn."
"Slap." I raised my hand and struck Lu Ming across the face. I saw his head turn away and the slowly appearing red mark on his cheek.
"I have always, always had little money, living my own small happy life with a fulfilling family. You all think you can casually use and change others' lives just to fight for your so-called interests? If my husband hadn't gone through that incident, would I be in such a miserable state now?!"
Tears choked me, almost making it impossible to speak, but I forced myself to get the words out because this is my life, this is everything for me, and it has all been ruined by Lu Ming and Huang Zhang!
They stood smiling amidst the ruins of my life; they would always be the ultimate winners.
"You got what you wanted, Huang Zhang got what Huang Zhang wanted, and now you come to help me, claiming to fight for my post-divorce assets, thinking this is what I want? I want my whole family back! I want my husband! I want my parents to not be disappointed in me!"
Again and again, emerging from the struggle of the mire, I once thought I deserved this fate, believing it was destined. Little did I know that everything behind it was man-made.
"I'm sorry." Lu Ming slightly lowered his head, no longer the proud figure he used to be.
Enough is enough.
I could barely remember how I left Luming Company. By the time I was crying so hard I felt faint, Miao Miao rushed over. She sat beside me, terrified as she wiped away my tears and the makeup that had long since smudged, comforting me bit by bit with heartfelt sympathy.
"What happened? It's okay, it's okay. Lu Ming must know the consequences of everything he did; he should still have a chance to start over; otherwise, he wouldn't be so stubborn."
Miao Miao thought I was worried about not being able to repay Lu Ming, but her comforting words hit right at my thoughts. Yes, how could Lu Ming not know the consequences of his actions? He knew that placing Deng Xiaomei next to my husband could potentially destroy a family, yet he still did it because the rise and fall of this family had nothing to do with him!
"What exactly did you discuss with Lu Ming? Why are you crying like this? Did something happen to you, Zhuang Jun? Is there something else going on?" Miao Miao was quite anxious. She was guessing my thoughts, but I didn't have the strength to tell her everything I'd heard that made me feel so utterly hopeless.
Lu Ming had long known that the person affected was me, which is why he insisted I accept treatment when I was on the verge of depression. Did he start to fear at that moment, afraid that I would become a flaw in his beautiful schemes?
He wasn't genuinely helping a stranger like me; he was merely atoning for his own sins. The ridiculous part is that I was still speculating about Lu Ming's thoughts, wondering why he was doing this, thinking he truly meant well.
In the end, were my self-righteous actions nothing but a source of amusement for Lu Ming?
My heart felt as if it was being sliced open bit by bit, and when it became a bloody mess, I stopped crying. The pain persisted, repeating itself over and over. Miao Miao finally stopped wiping my tears, and I managed to calm myself down enough to explain everything to her.
Miao Miao sat beside me, listening with a myriad of expressions. Finally, she clenched her fists and angrily accused, "Is that really true? If what Lu Ming said is accurate, then he's truly a bastard!"
The possibility that Lu Ming was deceiving me was minimal; he wouldn't fabricate such a lie just to make me feel better. Just as I wouldn't be so thick-skinned as to think that I was the reason Lu Ming did all of this. It was absurd to even consider.
"Miao Miao, I really wish I could go back to the past. When I heard what happened, I wondered how things would have turned out if I had known the reason. Would I have forgiven Wang Xu and continued living with him? Would I still be okay and have a family?"
Miao Miao's expression softened slightly, but she still spoke gently to me: "Zhuang Jun, don't overthink it. This incident is entirely Lu Ming's responsibility; there's no changing that. But Wang Xu—if it didn't happen this time, it will surely happen next time. And your mother-in-law—would she willingly accept not having grandchildren? She might even encourage Wang Xu to cheat in her desperate quest for a grandchild. So don't be too upset."
I knew my thoughts were extremely absurd. Even if Wang Xu didn't cheat this time, the likelihood of him doing so next time was high. But I couldn't bear the thought of my marriage being merely an accessory to someone else's success. Yet now that it had happened, did I really have no choice but to accept it as my fate?
"Zhuang Jun," she said hesitantly, "though it may not be appropriate to say this right now, time has dragged on for too long. You should contact Attorney Jin and hand over the recording device to her so she can prepare for the upcoming lawsuit. In this matter, you are in the right, so don't just give up and let go of what you deserve." Miao Miao added with concern, "You mustn't let your current emotions affect your actions. The deadline is approaching in just a couple of days—Zhuang Jun, think carefully."
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