Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The policewoman asked, puzzled, âHow did you find out?â
To which, she glumly answered, âOne day, a woman turned up at my doorstep and gave me a slap across the face as soon as I opened the door. I was so shocked and confused when she called me a sl*t.â
â...A man like him isnât worthy of your longing!â Chu He fumed.
âI was heartbroken, and thatâs the first time we had a row. I demanded in tears a reasonable explanation from him, but all I received for an answer was: âWhatâs done is done. What more of an explanation do you want?â He even told me that he has plenty of other women, but most of them are just one-night stands. To him, women are nothing but tools for his biological needs; I only managed to stay by his side for so long because of my obedience and his feelings for me. Even so, heâd get irritated and sick of me if I tried to act out.â
â...â She could detect a trace of despair and heartache in the otherâs calm and composed speech.
âYou should have left his side earlier.â
âYeah. Thatâs what I told myself at one point.â
The expectant mother let out a self-deprecating laugh. âTo think I was so naïve that I thought I could mend his ways! I-I could sense his love for me... so I thought there might be a day when heâd end his philandering and be devoted to me alone.â
âYou could sense his love for you?â
âYes!â
âIn what ways?â
âIn many little ways. He would stay by my side whenever I came down with a fluâcoaxing and hugging me as if I were a little child when I felt down. I probably mistook those actions for love since no one has ever doted on me as he did; I grew up without experiencing familial warmth, after all. Heâs the only person whoâs treated me so wellâ
That got the cop even more exasperated. âJust like that, you fell for his tricks hook, line, and sinker? Qingxue, I must say, you are just too naïve for your own good.â
With quivering lips, Meng Qingxue responded innocently, âN-No one has ever been as gentle and indulgent towards me as he did...â
âWhyâs that so? Do your parents not care about you at all?â
âNo. Itâs because... Iâm not my fatherâs biological daughter.â
âWhat?â The other woman was surprised by this news.
She went to reveal it. âI heard this from my younger brother. According to him, Iâm not a member of the family, for I have no blood ties with my father and him. My father took me to the hospital for a DNA test when I was three, and the results revealed that I am not his biological child. It turned out that my mother was already pregnant when they got married. From then on, my father never cared about me and left me in our hometown after my younger brother was born. My mother, on the other hand, has to consider his feelings, since itâs already kindness on his part for not kicking me, an outsider, out of the family. My entire family sees me as a disgrace, so...â
The lady officer helplessly said, âThatâs not your fault, though.â
âThatâs why I fell so hopelessly in love with him when he treated me so well.â She laughed scornfully at herself. âSounds ridiculous, huh?â
âNo. I just feel somewhat sorry for you,â replied Chu He. âYou wanted to change him, so what happened?â