Chapter 8 — Post-Divorce Rebound: Claiming My Daughter and Starting Over

Her mouth hung open, trembling.

“You…”

“You…”

She stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Having lived a life of luxury, she had always relied on her status and wealth to crush anyone in her path. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined someone would slap a legal statute directly in her face like this. Lin Wei Wei’s complexion turned even paler than Chu Bi Hoa’s. It was clear she understood far more than her companion; she knew exactly how much weight terms like “lawyer” and “evidence” truly carried. She tugged urgently at Chu Bi Hoa’s sleeve, lowering her voice to a sharp, rapid whisper.

“Aunt, let’s go first. We need to discuss this properly. There are too many people around here. It’s not the place to talk.”

She emphasized the phrase "too many people around" with a pointed glare toward the door. Sure enough, more than a few neighbors, drawn by the commotion, were peering out from their doorways. Chu Bi Hoa caught the drift. She realized that today, there was no way to gain the upper hand. She shot me a venomous look, her eyes filled with such concentrated malice it felt like a physical strike.

“Ye Qing Wan! Just you wait! We’ll see how this plays out! And you!” She spat at the lawyer. “You pathetic excuse for an attorney, daring to stand against the Gu family? I’ll make sure you never find a way to survive in Feng Dan City ever again!”

With those parting threats, Chu Bi Hoa hoisted the wailing Gu Zi Rui into her arms. She nearly had to lean on Lin Wei Wei for support, stumbling away in a display of utter disarray. The expensive basket of fruit and the boxed toys were left abandoned at my doorstep—a mocking reminder of their failed arrogance. Only when their footsteps had completely faded down the stairwell did my rigid spine finally begin to relax. It was then I realized my palms were ice-cold and slick with sweat.

“Mommy…”

Nuo Nuo looked up, her small face still etched with fear and, more than that, bewilderment. “Are Grandma and Aunt Wei Wei gone? Will they… will they come back?”

I crouched down, pulling her into a tight embrace and pressing my cheek against her chilled skin. “Don’t be afraid, Nuo Nuo. They are gone. From now on, Mommy will never let anyone bully you again.”

Shen Du Ming had stood quietly by throughout the confrontation. Only after he sensed our emotions settling did he speak. “Miss Ye, may we begin? There are several points in the documents you provided that I need to verify with you.”

I nodded faintly and led Nuo Nuo to the only worn sofa in the room. “Lawyer Shen, please, sit. Nuo Nuo, go into your room and play with the puzzle set I bought for you. Mommy has some business to discuss with Uncle Shen.”

Nuo Nuo nodded obediently. She cast a curious glance at Shen Du Ming before trotting off, turning back to look at us once more before ducking into the small bedroom and gently closing the door behind her.

“Lawyer Shen, thank you for earlier,” I said sincerely. I knew this was his job, but his intervention had truly pulled me out of an impossible situation.

“It is my duty,” Shen Du Ming replied, opening his laptop and shifting immediately into a professional demeanor. “Miss Ye, I have done a preliminary review of the situation you outlined in your emails and the supplementary documents. This case is more complex than a standard post-divorce property dispute, but it is certainly not without a solution.”

His voice was calm and steady, possessing a rhythmic clarity that naturally put me at ease. “First, regarding the validity of the divorce settlement: at the time you signed it, were you aware that Gu Ting Shen had already fathered three children with someone else during your marriage, and that he had actively concealed this vital information for such a long duration?”

I took a deep, shaky breath. “I didn’t know the full extent at the time, though I had my suspicions. When I signed that agreement, I was completely broken. I just wanted to leave the Gu family as quickly as possible. I didn’t read the fine print.”