Chapter 30
Suhang wished more than anything that time could run backward, taking him back to the beginning-back when there were no shadows.
If nothing had gone wrong, he’d wanted two children with me. Every day after work, he would come home to me and the kids, to our laughter filling the house. That plain, everyday happiness had become a dream he could no longer reach.
He knew I was trying to conceive. When he heard I was pregnant, he swore that no matter whose child it was, it would still be his child. He would cradle that baby in the palm of his hand and dote on them as they grew up.
But those emails kept harassing him-delete one, another came. The language only grew more obscene. Like a parasite burrowed into the bone, they gnawed at his reason bit by bit:
“You’ve been with my wife for so many years. Isn’t it only fair your wife gives me a few more times?”
“Your dad owes so many romantic debts-you’ll never pay them back!”
“She even called me ‘husband.’ Said I’ve never been this good before, hahahaha!”
“She’s so soft and smells so good! I can’t forget her!”
…
For a long time, he’d been like a string pulled taut to its limit. Then, at the hospital, when he heard me say, “You knew the baby wasn’t yours,” his whole world fell apart before his eyes.
The sky collapsed.
And then he received another email that pierced him: “I took some photos of her too. Want to see?”
In that instant, he wanted to kill.
“The whole thing-that guy did it on purpose. He was targeting me, humiliating me. He kept insulting my dad. He came after me-he wanted revenge! …He hurt you. I can’t let him go!”
When he was ready to go all in and take everyone down with him, he never expected to be stopped by Zhang Man and me.
After he finished saying all of it, he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me, looking up with desperate pleading in his eyes. “Wife… as long as you don’t leave me, I can keep living!”
He said that after his father’s incident, he’d been met with hatred, attacks, ridicule, and people gloating over his misfortune. He’d been holding his breath, refusing to bend-he, Suhang, didn’t need to rely on his father. He would still make something of himself.
But now, faced with losing me, he felt none of that mattered anymore. What people thought didn’t matter. Being cursed at, being mocked-none of it mattered. Right now, he only wanted to hold on to me.
“Wife, give me a chance! I can give up everything. I only want you! Let me spend my whole life making it up to you. I’ll be your ox, your horse-I’ll serve you, take care of you… Please, don’t leave me. You love me, don’t you? Didn’t you say you loved me? Please, give me one chance…”
“Stop making promises,” I said, forcing myself to stand despite the dizziness, nausea churning in my stomach. My voice was ice-cold. “Your promises are worth less than nothing now. Divorce. I don’t want to see you again.”
The light in his eyes dimmed. He begged, “Dad’s health isn’t good, and the company’s matters still aren’t settled…”
“Divorce won’t affect your work. After the divorce agreement is signed, I’ll slowly look for a chance to explain things to Dad.”
I got up and walked out the door. He chased after me and grabbed my hand.
“Wife, please… give me a little more time…”
I yanked my hand free.
Just then, Bai Zifan suddenly charged out from nowhere, like a lion in a blind rage. With one punch, he knocked Suhang to the ground. “Are you even a man? You’re not even human!”
He grabbed Suhang by the collar and slammed him into the wall. “Touch her again and I’ll cripple you!”
Suhang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “What the hell does this have to do with you?”
“I like her!” Bai Zifan blurted out.
Suhang froze instantly, every trace of color draining from his face.
As Bai Zifan shielded me and led me away, I heard Suhang shout from behind us:
“Lili-!”
I didn’t look back. I left in silence, held close by Bai Zifan as we walked away.