Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If life had continued that way, I would have seen nothing wrong with it.

What exposed us was a bout of flu.

We ran into each other at the children’s hospital.

I was carrying Lin Wei’s son. Jiang Yao was holding our daughter.

Our eyes met, and the air froze.

After one stunned second, Jiang Yao turned and walked away.

Lin Wei tugged at my sleeve.

“Brother Chen, I can explain to her. Go after her. Hurry!”

I did not move. Instead, I tightened my arms around the boy.

“There’s nothing to explain.”

If this day had to come sooner or later, I would rather Jiang Yao accept reality now.

I would provide for the child, and she could go on living as a wealthy housewife. Her life did not have to change.

It was late when I finally reached home.

Jiang Yao had left a lamp on in the living room. When she heard the door, she beckoned to me.

“Come sit down.”

I frowned, seized by an inexplicable irritation.

“It is exactly what you saw. There’s nothing to explain.”

The light was dim, and I could not make out her expression.

“You’re overthinking it,” she said evenly. “We’re adults. We have to take responsibility for what we do. This is the divorce agreement. Read it, and if you don’t see a problem, sign.”

I stared at her.

“Divorce?”

“Yes.”

“Hah…”

I laughed in disbelief.

“Do you even know what you’re saying? You’re a housewife with no job and no income. What gives you the right to talk to me about divorce?”

Jiang Yao leaned back in her chair, the corner of her mouth lifting.

“You have an income. I can take a share of yours.”

For once, I had no answer.

She opened the agreement at an unhurried pace. Tucked inside were several intimate photographs of Lin Wei and me.

“Sign now and I’ll take only sixty percent of the marital assets. I also promise not to investigate you. If you keep dragging this out, though, I’ll have no choice but to take seventy percent—and let every one of your colleagues and superiors witness your great love. Think it over.”

My hands clenched into fists.

I had never imagined that this apparently mild, yielding woman could be so calculating.

“What about custody?”

“Either way.”

She held out a pen.

“I can always have another child. Whether I keep this one makes no difference to me.”

I went still.

“What did you say?”

“I said I can have more children. You can take our daughter. Then your daughter and her son will give you both a girl and a boy—the two halves of the character for ‘good.’ Everyone wins.”

The pen slipped from my hand and struck the floor.

“You want sixty percent of the money I earned so you can spend it on some other man? Dream on. I had an affair, that’s all. I haven’t caused this family any material harm. We don’t have to divorce. Let’s see which of us can hold out longer.”

“Oh?”

Jiang Yao drew a business card from her bag and slid it slowly across the table.

“No harm to the family, perhaps. What about your company? Lin Wei happens to be your contractor’s liaison. Are you certain the board won’t use your relationship against you?”

I sucked in a breath.

For the first time, I truly looked at the woman across from me.

She had no job, no income, no value to society.

And yet she had hidden depths I had never suspected.

She was right. In a state-owned enterprise, this was more than a disciplinary issue. It crossed a political red line.

If my relationship with Lin Wei reached the company, demotion would be the least of it. At worst, I could face Party sanctions.

Jiang Yao spoke again.

“I get this apartment and the car, plus sixty percent of every cash account. Print every statement within three days. Let’s both be honest. If I have to investigate, you may lose much more.”

I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath.

“I’ll compromise on the assets, but you can’t remarry. I won’t have my daughter raised by a stepfather. You’ve seen the news. There’s no telling what kind of man a stepfather might be.”

“Fine.”

“Then we have a deal.”

She stood, opened the front door, and stepped aside.

“From this moment on, you’re free.”