Chapter 7 — Jilted at the Altar

As it turned out, once the truth was laid bare that day, Hua Ze returned home and unleashed a brutal beating upon Lin Wan. The five hundred thousand yuan in online loans hung over him like a crushing mountain, suffocating him. Now unemployed, he spent his days hounded by debt collectors, his spirit unraveling. Chu Gui Mai was so incensed she actually spat blood. The thought that the daughter-in-law she had emptied her entire retirement savings to secure was carrying another man’s bastard child made her want to tear Lin Wan apart with her bare hands. That very morning, the debt collectors arrived at the house and splashed paint across the facade. Neighbors gathered, eager to watch the spectacle. A frenzied Chu Gui Mai threw Lin Wan out of the house.

"Get out! You shameless harlot! Take that bastard child of yours and get out!"

How could Lin Wan possibly accept being cast out? Her former lover had long since vanished. With not a single coin to her name, she could only cling to the Hua family for dear life. The two women began to brawl directly in the hallway. Young and vigorous, Lin Wan swung her hand, striking Chu Gui Mai’s weathered face with a resounding slap.

"You stubborn old crone! Do you really think your house is worth that much?"

"That useless Hua Ze isn't even a man. If he doesn't accept the child in my womb, your lineage will end with him!"

The words struck with lethal precision. Chu Gui Mai’s eyes rolled back; the sheer rage triggered a cerebral hemorrhage. She began to foam at the mouth, collapsing instantly, paralyzed on the spot. By the time the ambulance wailed, whisking Chu Gui Mai away, Hua Ze was being cornered by debt collectors, who were raining blows upon him. His face was a mask of blood. He finally understood what it meant to have his life truly shattered. Listening to the accounts, I calmly finished the glass of milk in my hand. Retribution is never wrong; those who commit many unrighteous acts will eventually bring about their own destruction.

One year later. I had just received my first year-end profit distribution, amounting to millions. I stood before the floor-to-ceiling glass of the Mercedes dealership, watching the consultant process the handover of my new car. Just then, a commotion erupted outside the grand entrance. A man clad in a tattered, yellowed t-shirt, his back hunched, was being dragged out by security guards.

"Get lost! This is a luxury dealership, not a place for beggars!"

I was startled. I looked closer. The man was none other than Hua Ze. In just three short months, he looked to have aged a decade. His hair, once kept fastidiously neat, was now a tangled, oily mess. His cheeks were gaunt, and a sour, rancid stench clung to him. I heard that to settle his debts, he had sold the family home in the countryside. Chu Gui Mai, left hemiplegic by her stroke, lay in a rented room cursing him daily, forcing him to attend to her most intimate needs. As for Lin Wan, she had stolen the last of the money from the home sale and vanished from the face of the earth. Hua Ze had become a complete shell of a man. Through the transparent glass, he suddenly locked eyes with me. A sick, manic spark flickered in his ash-gray gaze. He shoved the guards aside and stumbled toward me.

"Nian Nian! Nian Nian! It’s me!"

"I sold the house, and I’ve cut all ties with that vile woman! Can we start over?"

"Nian Nian, you’re all I have left... Please, save me..."

I looked at him coldly. My heart remained entirely unmoved. I didn't speak, simply giving a slight nod to the security manager beside me. The guards understood instantly, grabbing Hua Ze’s arms without a hint of gentleness and dragging him back out the door. His desperate, wailing cries faded into the distance until they were finally gone.

"Director Shen, your car keys."

The consultant smiled, offering me a pristine set of keys with both hands. I took them and turned to leave the showroom. The hotel's major investor, who was also my senior from university, was leaning against a black Maybach, waiting for me. Seeing me emerge, he handed me a warmed cup of milk coffee.

"Got your new ride?"

A gentle smile played on his lips.

"Yes."

I took the coffee, the warmth spreading through my palms.

"I’d like to take you to dinner tonight, to celebrate, and also..."

He bowed his head slightly, his gaze focused and earnest.

"I’d like to formally pursue the youngest Director of the Huaxing Group. I wonder if I might have that honor?"

An autumn breeze swept by, lifting fallen leaves from the pavement. I met his eyes and broke into a radiant smile.

"That will depend on your performance."

I opened the door to the new car and slid into the driver's seat. In the rearview mirror, that muddy, sordid past had completely disappeared. Before me lay a clear, cloudless sky, and a path that was wide, level, and open.