Chapter 8 — Nine Months Post-Divorce

I looked right at him.

They are going to claim it is broken.

Ting gave a faint, bitter smile.

Then that works even better in our favor.

Whether the security cameras are actually broken or not, the maintenance logs and cloud backups will reveal the absolute truth.

A fleeting sense of relief finally settled in my chest. Yet, that fragile peace barely lasted until noon. Around midday, Shu Hua arrived. This time, she carried none of the aggressive hostility she had displayed yesterday. Dressed with deliberate simplicity, her eyes were swollen and red, and she held a thermal food container in her hands. The hospital guard at the entrance barred her path. She did not raise her voice or create a scene, choosing instead to remain quietly outside.

Lan, I am not going to step inside.

I only wish to say a few brief words.

I instructed the nurse to keep the door firmly shut. Through the reinforced glass pane on the door, I watched her. She stared right back at me. The matriarch who had stood so haughtily upon a pedestal yesterday now appeared a decade older overnight. Yet, her pathetic display could never erase the memory of how cruelly she had once cornered me. Shu Hua gently set the thermal container on the floor just outside the threshold.

This herbal soup is for you.

I did not move an inch. Her voice choked with suppressed tears.

I admit it. I was in the wrong before.

Yet, this child carries the bloodline of our family.

You cannot be so cold-hearted as to let the baby come into this world without a father.

I spoke with absolute calm.

Whether my daughter has a father or not is not for you to decide.

Panic flared in Shu Hua eyes.

Lan, I have already humbled myself and bowed my head. What more could you possibly demand from me?

I looked straight into her eyes.

I want you to stay as far away from my daughter as possible.

The fragile veneer of sorrow on her face finally shattered completely.

Do not push things too far.

Before I could utter a single word, she abruptly lowered her voice.

Do you honestly believe Ting can protect you for the rest of your life?

Once the official paternity test results are released, our family has countless legal avenues to fight for custody.

By then, your stubborn refusal to let us visit the child will serve as concrete proof of your malicious intent to sever the bond between father and child.

I gazed at her, suddenly finding the entire situation absurd. It turned out that her display of vulnerability was merely a change of masks. Beneath that facade rested the exact same repulsive face. I picked up my phone, dialed Ting, and switched the call to speaker.

Shu Hua is standing right outside my hospital room door.

Did you hear every single word she just uttered?

From the other end of the line, Ting voice came through with absolute clarity.

I heard every word.

The color drained entirely from Shu Hua face. She spun around, intending to flee. However, standing at the far end of the hallway was Yen. In his hands, he held a sealed plastic evidence bag containing a crumpled piece of paper. He stared at Shu Hua, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.

Mother.

Is this the original medical report you swore you had thrown away?

In that exact fraction of a second, Shu Hua face turned ashen white. Instinctively, she reached out a hand, attempting to snatch the evidence bag from Yen grip. Yen stepped backward, neatly evading her grasp.

Do not touch it.

His voice was not loud, yet the coldness in his tone plunged the entire hallway into absolute silence. Shu Hua hand hung frozen in mid-air. She stared at him, then glanced over at me, her eyes abruptly welling with tears.

Yen, I am your mother.

Everything I have ever done, was it not for your sake?

Yen stared at her unblinkingly.

For my sake, you altered Lan medical examination report?

For my sake, you stole her signature page to forge a malicious declaration?

For my sake, you took her hard-earned money to purchase a house for Jui?

Shu Hua lips trembled uncontrollably.

I did not forge any declaration.

Jui did that entirely on her own accord.

She took the original document without my knowledge, and I had no idea what her intentions were.

Through the glass panel, I looked down at her.

So you finally admit that the original document has always been in your possession.

Shu Hua whipped her head around to look at me, realizing belatedly that she had fallen into her own trap and spoken too much. Yen expression grew even darker and more terrifying.

Did you not claim that the original was lost forever?

Panic consumed Shu Hua.

I was only terrified that you would be deceived by her.

That medical report should never have been brought to light in the first place.

Yen raised the evidence bag, holding it directly before her eyes.

Why should it never have been brought to light?

Because it clearly stated that all of Lan medical indicators were entirely normal.

Because the person who truly required a medical re-evaluation was me.

The hallway remained as still as a tomb. A tear finally escaped Shu Hua eye, rolling down her cheek.

That was merely a minor issue.

The physician assured us it could be easily managed with proper care and rest.

At that time, the pressure surrounding your company was immense. If you had known you had a condition, you simply would not have been able to bear it.

Yen let out a hollow laugh. That sound was infinitely more agonizing to hear than weeping.

So all of you decided to shift the blame onto her instead.

You forced her to endure three entire years of malicious gossip and condemnation for failing to conceive.

Shu Hua stammered hastily.

I never intended to harm her.

I merely felt that her temperament was far too distant and cold, that she lacked the warmth to dote on you properly.

Jui is far more sensible and considerate than she is, making her a much more suitable daughter-in-law for our family.

By the time I heard those words, all anger had completely drained out of me. When toxic words are repeated often enough, they resemble foul water splashed against a wall. Whether you attempt to scrub it clean or leave it be, everyone can still smell its stench. I spoke directly into the phone.

Ting, have all of these statements been fully recorded?

Ting steady voice echoed from the other end.

Everything has been recorded.

Only then did Shu Hua fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, her entire body shuddering violently.

Lan, you recorded me again?

I looked at her with serene indifference.

If you had not lied, you would have nothing to fear from a recording.

Yen slowly turned his head to look at me, the corners of his eyes burning a raw, furious red.