Chapter 19 — Nine Months Post-Divorce

Rumors also circulated that Yen canceled the wedding only because I had forced his hand by using our child as leverage. When the assistant relayed these malicious whispers to Dinh, the sharp, piercing pain in my chest that such words once caused had already faded. Now, they simply struck me as absurd. From the very moment I brought Zhiyi into this world, neither of them had ever genuinely inquired whether the little girl was healthy or safe. Their only questions concerned what surname she bore. Whose blood she carried. What material advantages she could possibly yield. As dusk settled, Yen returned. He did not step inside the hospital room, choosing instead to remain outside, speaking to Dinh through the clear glass panel of the door.

The discarded papers in the study have already been sealed, Yen said.

The housekeeper is prepared to offer testimony, and the supplemental explanatory notes have always rested securely inside the wall safe of the old estate.

I have also managed to make contact with my father’s former attorney.

I raised my eyes. Dinh asked what the other party had to say.

Yen’s voice sounded tight and strained.

He confirmed that the supplemental explanatory notes do indeed exist.

However, there is an even earlier original memorandum predating those.

And its contents are written with absolute clarity.

My heart sank a fraction. What did it say?

Yen looked at me, his gaze heavy with a complex mixture of emotions.

My father wrote that should my marriage be dictated by the interference of the elders of the Yen family, resulting in the infringement upon the rights and interests of my spouse and children, the trusteeship management rights shall be preferentially assigned to the child’s mother.

A sudden, heavy silence fell over the corridor. I stared at him, unable to utter a word for a long moment. As it turned out, Yen’s father had seen right through Shuohua long ago. What he had left behind was not merely a sum of money, but a carefully constructed line of defense. Yen’s voice dropped even lower.

The attorney will bring the original memorandum to the hospital tomorrow morning.

He explained that back then, my father feared my mother would overreach and meddle excessively, which was why he specifically established this particular clause.

I let out a faint, dry laugh. What a pity that you remained entirely unaware of it all this time.

Yen’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

That is correct.

I did not know.

Nor did I ever truly make a serious effort to find out.

Just as those words faded, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor. The assistant rushed forward, his expression far grimmer than it had been before.

Director Yen, he panted.

Miss Jiang has contacted several independent media outlets.

She claims she possesses evidence proving that Miss Wen engaged in concealment for the purpose of asset appropriation during her pregnancy.

Furthermore, she announced that she will make these fabricated documents public right at the hospital entrance tomorrow morning.

I opened my eyes wide. Dinh’s expression darkened into a chilling frost. Yen demanded with cold severity, What else does she intend to do?

The assistant swallowed nervously.

She stated that if Miss Wen refuses to withdraw the lawsuit, she will plaster every single document regarding the child across the entire internet.

That night, hospital security was significantly reinforced. Two guards were posted directly outside the entrance of Zhiyi’s intensive monitoring unit. Although I lay rigidly upon the hospital bed, not a shred of drowsiness could touch me. Ruishi was no longer merely fighting a petty battle to win back Yen; she was now hurling every desperate weapon within her grasp, utterly indifferent to the fact that one of those stray missiles would inevitably strike a newborn infant. At one o'clock in the morning, Dinh was still reviewing documents alongside his colleagues. He meticulously organized the entire web of leaked materials into a comprehensive dossier. Text messages, live-stream transcripts, group chat screenshots, forged statements, transfer applications, name-change petitions, and leaked DNA test reports—every single piece of malicious fabrication was laid out side by side. I stared at page after page of this undeniable proof and suddenly asked, Is this enough?

Dinh lifted his head.

It is more than enough to petition for an emergency protective order.

And quite sufficient to pursue full legal accountability.

I pressed further. Will it be enough to make them stop?

Dinh fell silent for a brief moment.

The law can force them to pay the price for their actions.

Yet to ensure they cease entirely, we must also strip away their final card.

I knew precisely which card he was referring to. Public opinion. The family trust fund. And Yen himself. As long as Yen remained hesitant and unresolved, those people would continue to believe a glimmer of opportunity remained for them. At half-past eight the following morning, the elderly attorney who had served Yen’s father arrived at the hospital. He was a man with greying hair, carrying an old-fashioned briefcase that had been meticulously maintained. Without indulging in polite pleasantries, he simply placed a sealed document pouch upon the table.

This is a certified copy of the original memorandum left behind by Mr. Yen during his lifetime, he stated.

The public notary’s office holds the corresponding official records as well.

The document Mrs. Shuohua tore up was merely the archival copy kept at the old estate.

I asked what this collection of documents ultimately proved.

Lawyer He looked directly at me, his tone steady and unwavering.

It proves that the primary objective of establishing the educational trust fund was to safeguard the future lawful heirs of Mr. Yen.

Should the child’s mother suffer unjustified interference from within the inner circles of the Yen family, she retains the absolute priority right to apply for sole management.

In other words, the more Mrs. Shuohua attempts to interfere, the more decisively she pushes the administrative rights directly into your hands.

Those words left me silent for a long, profound duration. Shuohua had schemed and calculated through countless twisted turns, only to bar herself from the prize with her own hands. Yen stood near the doorway, his complexion remarkably pale. In a low, resolute voice, he spoke.

I will sign it.

Lawyer He glanced over at him. Are you certain you wish to relinquish your priority rights and the authority to designate the manager?

Yen cast a brief, lingering look in my direction.

This is not about abandoning Zhiyi.

It is about relinquishing the use of a father’s title to wage a war for control.

The safest place for our child right now is safely by Wen Lan’s side.

I offered no response to his words.