Chapter 26 — My Husband Brought His Ex Home

You are truly incompetent, Father.

Because of that, I had to suffer such profound grievance and humiliation.

I stepped forward, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

Father, the apartment you gave me ended up saving my life.

The lessons you taught me about gathering evidence and protecting myself also saved me.

You are by no means incompetent.

You are my greatest source of confidence and strength.

My father raised a weathered hand to wipe the corners of his eyes.

Shall we go home now, then?

I offered him a gentle smile.

Let us go to my home.

Three months later, I returned to the eighteenth floor. The entire apartment had been thoroughly and meticulously scrubbed clean. The bedsheets were replaced. The dressing table was replaced. The door lock was changed. Even the entryway floor, which had once been stained with greasy residue, had been polished until it gleamed anew. My father stood at the threshold, still harboring a trace of lingering unease.

Perhaps you would prefer to come stay at my place for a while longer?

I opened the door and handed him a newly minted electronic key card.

Father, from this day forward, this place welcomes only you.

He accepted the card, his calloused fingers tracing its smooth surface for a long moment.

Does that mean when I bring you meals in the future, I can come straight up here?

I nodded with a smile.

Indeed you can.

Though you must still call me beforehand to announce your arrival.

My father chuckled softly.

Very well.

I shall obey whatever the landlord commands.

I walked into the master bedroom and swept the heavy curtains wide open. Brilliant sunlight instantly poured into every corner of the room, flooding it with warmth. That cloying, sickly-sweet perfume had long since dissipated without a trace. There were no muddy paw prints beside the bed. No strange woman's lipstick smudges marred the dressing table. Inside the drawer, my mother's pair of pearl earrings still rested peacefully within their velvet box. I picked them up and fastened them to my lobes. My reflection in the mirror showed eyes that remained slightly red and swollen, yet my spine was held impeccably straight. My phone chimed softly with a single notification. It was a message from Attorney Lam. The compensation funds from the cyberbullying lawsuit had been successfully wired to my account. The public apology link issued by Fang Xiaohui had been pinned to the very top of her profile. Han Dehai's debt recovery case had officially entered the mandatory enforcement stage. Han Hao had finally signed off on the final asset verification documents. Everything had finally come to a definitive end. I set my phone down on the nightstand and poured myself a warm glass of water. The doorbell chimed. Glancing at the intercom screen, I saw my father standing outside in the hallway, carrying a bulging bag of groceries. He offered a somewhat sheepish smile toward the camera lens.

Landlord, may I be permitted to enter?

I let out a clear, genuine laugh.

Come right in.

At the exact moment the door swung open, a profound realization washed over me. A home is never determined by who possesses the loudest voice or who can seize it by sheer force. Nor is it something that anyone, under the hypocritical guise of familial affection, can casually reach out and snatch away. A home is a place where someone inside is always willing to stand guard and protect you. A home is also a sanctuary where you possess the absolute right to lock out those who are utterly unworthy, once you have finally learned the art of defending your own boundaries. My father carried the provisions into the kitchen, cheerfully muttering about simmering pork ribs for dinner tonight. Bathed in the golden sunlight, I gently touched the cool pearl resting against my ear. This spacious three-million-yuan apartment had once merely been the safety net my father had thoughtfully prepared for me. Now, it was far more than a mere retreat. It was my ironclad boundary. My unwavering confidence. And the magnificent beginning of my entirely new life.