Chapter 15 — Called Off Right on the Spot

Mr. Tham, please cooperate with our investigation regarding the fabrication of documents, intimidation, and obstruction of witnesses.

Lam Man instinctively stepped backward, her face draining of color.

This has nothing to do with me.

I turned my head to fix a cold gaze upon her.

Nothing to do with you?

Duong Duong calmly extracted another folder from her briefcase, sliding the contents out with deliberate care.

Here are the call logs between you and the school administration where Mr. Chau's granddaughter is enrolled.

And these are the text messages where you explicitly demanded that the school pressure the grandfather.

Finally, we have the audio recording of you promising to increase the institutional funding if Mr. Chau agreed to alter his sworn testimony.

Lam Man's legs buckled completely. She lurched forward, desperately grabbing onto the sleeve of Shen Zhihang's suit jacket.

Zhihang, you have to help me. I did all of this purely for you.

Shen Zhihang slowly, deliberately withdrew his arm from her grasp. Lam Man stared at him in utter disbelief, her eyes wide.

You cannot just abandon me like this.

He looked down at her for a long, heavy moment, his expression unreadable.

Yesterday, you claimed that Hua Qinghe intentionally drove her vehicle into yours.

Shortly after, you changed your story to claim she pushed you down.

Now, you are actively intimidating witnesses in a criminal investigation.

Tell me, is there a single truthful word that ever escapes your lips?

Hot tears spilled over Lam Man's eyelashes, tracing frantic paths down her cheeks.

Do you not believe me either?

Shen Zhihang closed his eyes tightly, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

For a very long time, I believed you far too much.

Lam Man shook her head repeatedly, her hair flying in wild strands.

No, you cannot treat me this way. I have devoted the last five years of my life to you. Everyone in our circle knows that I am the person closest to your side.

I spoke up then, my voice devoid of any warmth.

You are entirely right.

It is precisely because he indulged you blindly for five full years that you grew bold enough to treat the law, regulations, and the lives of ordinary people as if they meant nothing at all.

Shen Zhihang snapped his gaze back to me, his lips parting slightly.

Qinghe, I...

I have no desire to listen.

I cut him off sharply, leaving no room for argument.

Do not dare tell me that you were deceived.

From the very beginning to the end, you had every opportunity to review the security footage, to listen to the explanations, and to examine the irrefutable evidence with your own eyes.

Yet, every single time, you chose to believe her fabrication.

It was not because she was a master of deception.

It was simply because, deep down in your heart, I was never a person worthy of your trust.

Shen Zhihang's complexion turned the color of ash.

I am sorry.

These were the first words of genuine apology he had ever spoken to me. But they arrived far too late. I simply shook my head.

I refuse to accept it.

The police officer stepped forward, escorting the elder gentleman and a sobbing Lam Man out of the conference room. As Lam Man passed by me, her eyes burned with a venomous, unadulterated hatred.

Hua Qinghe, you have completely ruined my life.

I looked straight into her eyes, unflinching.

You are the one who ruined your own life.

Nobody forced you to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Nobody forced you to frame an innocent person for your crimes.

And certainly, nobody forced you to use a child's education as leverage to terrorize her grandfather.

She choked on her words, unable to mount a defense. The heavy doors of the conference room clicked shut, sealing her out. The remaining members of the Shen family sat in absolute silence, paralyzed like statues in a museum. No one dared to utter a single sound. Old Liang turned his weathered face toward me.

Qinghe, the matters outside have all been properly resolved.

I gave a silent nod.

Uncle Liang, I want to go home now.

Shen Zhihang suddenly stepped forward, blocking my path to the exit.

Hua Qinghe, please, just give me one more chance to make things right.

Duong Duong let out a sharp, cynical laugh.

Do you even possess the shamelessness to utter those words?

He ignored her entirely, his gaze fixed solely upon me, filled with a desperate pleading.

The marriage alliance can be set aside if that is your wish.

I only want to compensate you for the wrongs you have suffered.

I looked at him coldly and asked.

And just how do you intend to make compensation?

I will dismiss Lam Man from the company immediately, issue a public apology to your name, and bear the full financial burden of all damages.

I stared at him for a long beat.

Shen Zhihang, you still do not understand at all.

I did not call off our engagement merely because of a damaged car.

Nor did I end it solely because of Lam Man's malicious interference.

I broke off this engagement because of you.

His face stiffened into a rigid mask.

You cannot distinguish right from wrong, choosing only to believe the narrative that pleases you.

You view other people's forbearance as weakness, while treating the arrogance of those closest to you as mere temperament.

A man like you, even if Lam Man were entirely out of the picture, would inevitably find another like her tomorrow. A different woman with a different name would simply take her place.

Because the fundamental problem was never her.

The problem has always been you.

Shen Zhihang stood frozen to the floor, utterly devoid of a response. I stepped gracefully around him. This time, he did not reach out to block me. Three days later, the official investigation results were released to the public. Lam Man faced formal prosecution for driving under the influence, causing a traffic accident, destruction of property, witness intimidation, and perjury. Meanwhile, the school formally reinstated the scholarship funding for Mr. Chau's granddaughter.