Chapter 14 — Nine Months Post-Divorce

Reduced to a mere bargaining chip, she was entirely at their mercy to be carved up for the sake of partitioned interests. Yen gripped the tablet so fiercely that his knuckles drained of all color, turning a stark, deathly white.

So this is why you were so eager to welcome the child into the family with open arms, mother. It was never because she is my daughter. It was always about the trust fund my father left behind.

Fang Shuhua’s face drained of color, her features contorted.

That is not true. Naturally, I cared for the child as well. That money belongs rightfully within the Tan family.

Yen stared at her, his gaze unyielding and cold.

Zhiyi is not a tool for the Tan family to wield at will.

Sting by his words, Shuhua suddenly raised her voice, her tone shrill and defensive.

What could you possibly understand? After your father passed away, those vultures circled the company like hawks. I preserved the Tan family through years of hardship, holding it together by a thread. Now that a child suddenly appears out of nowhere, am I simply expected to stand by and watch a fortune slip through our fingers into Wen Lan's hands?

I spoke coldly, cutting through her frantic rationalization.

Fang Shuhua, listen to me very carefully. That was an educational trust fund established by Yen’s father for his own flesh and blood. It was never meant for you. Nor was it meant for your parasitic relatives to pillage and divide.

She whipped her head around to glare at me, her eyes brimming with venomous hatred.

So you finally admit it. You came back for the money all along.

I laughed, a dry, mocking sound.

When we divorced, I took neither their house nor their car. I even endured the theft of those three hundred and sixty thousand, swallowing the insult until this very day to finally demand accountability. If I had come for the money, I would have blocked the entrance to the Tan estate nine months ago, waving my pregnancy report in your faces.

Shuhua was left completely speechless, choked by her own malice. By then, Ting had already stepped toward the doorway.

Mr. Tan, please hand the tablet over to the police immediately. It contains evidence of privacy violations, evidence tampering, and clear indications of intent to misappropriate assets.

Yen nodded solemnly. Shuhua let out a piercing shriek.

Yen! If you dare hand me over to the police, consider that you no longer have a mother!

Yen looked at her, and for a fleeting second, a profound sorrow flickered in the depths of his eyes. But this time, he refused to take a single step backward.

Mother, it is precisely because I am your son that I call you mother for the very last time. From this day forward, you must bear the consequences of every single action you have taken.

Shuhua staggered back as if struck, looking at him as though he were a total stranger. In her mind, Yen was forever meant to be the silent, obedient son who preserved the Tan family’s facade at all costs. But she had forgotten a fundamental truth: people do not remain blind forever. Some awakenings, however, demand a devastating price. The police arrived swiftly. The tablet was confiscated, and Shuhua was asked to accompany them for questioning. As she passed the doorway of the hospital room, she abruptly stopped, fixing her gaze on me through the glass partition.

Wen Lan, do not celebrate just yet. The doors of the Tan family are not a place where you can simply come and go as you please.

I met her gaze with quiet indifference.

I never wished to step inside. It was always you people who lived in perpetual terror that I might.

Shuhua’s face twisted in fury before she was led away. The corridor finally settled into a heavy, suffocating silence. Yen stood motionless, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. He looked at me, his voice hoarse and broken.

I knew nothing about the trust fund.

I believed him. But belief was a far cry from forgiveness. I merely said:

There are far too many things you knew nothing about.

The rims of his eyes turned red, stinging with unshed tears.

Wen Lan, I will ensure Zhiyi receives everything that rightfully belongs to her.

I looked at Zhiyi resting peacefully inside the incubator.

Everything that belongs to her, I will seize with my own hands. It will not be a gift from you.

Yen’s throat tightened painfully, leaving him utterly speechless. That evening, Ting organized all the accumulated evidence into formal legal documents. The DNA test results, the origin of the fabricated statement, the surveillance footage, and the proof of Shuhua disseminating the medical report were all compiled for submission. He told me that we could now successfully apply for a restraining order and separately pursue criminal liability regarding the breach of Zhiyi’s privacy. I replied simply:

File everything.

Ting looked at me searchingly. Are you certain you wish to leave yourself no way out?

I lowered my head, gently tucking in the edges of Zhiyi’s small blanket.

I have already left myself far too many ways out. That is precisely why they believed that neither my child nor I possessed any boundaries at all.

Ting nodded. I will head to the courthouse tomorrow morning.

I had foolishly believed that once these matters were addressed, I would at least enjoy a few days of peace. But early the next morning, when the nurse pushed open the door, her expression was visibly strained. She held an unmarked envelope in her hand.

Miss Wen, a cleaning staff member found this left outside your door.

I took the envelope. There was no return address. Inside lay a single printed sheet of paper bearing a single sentence. If you wish to know who made you sign that blank authorization form all those years ago, come to the garden behind the hospital at eight o’clock tonight. The signature at the bottom consisted of only two characters: Rui.

I stared at the printed text, and my initial reaction was not fear, but profound disgust. Rui was still relying on the exact same tired tactics. First, she would cast out a lure, and then she would wait to trap anyone foolish enough to follow it. Noticing the chilling change in my expression, the nurse asked anxiously:

Miss Wen, should we notify the police?

I folded the paper carefully. Call Ting first.