Chapter 7 — The Call That Locked My In-Laws Out

I sat directly across from her.

"First, let us examine the ledgers."

That night, I barely slept. I exported every transaction from the supplementary credit card statements for the past year. Hotels, jewelry, restaurants, fresh flowers, private clubs. Some amounts were small, but the dates were dense and continuous. On the day I was six months pregnant, he swiped the card for a necklace at a luxury mall. The day I went for my glucose tolerance test, he swiped it for a hotel room. The night before I went into labor, he swiped it for a premium suite. The more I read, the clearer my mind became. It turned out his money didn't always have a place to be spent—but mine had long since been earmarked for their indulgences. By dawn, I had arranged the statements chronologically and sent them to my lawyer friend. After reviewing them, she called me immediately.

"For now, do not mention divorce."

"Why?"

"Keep him anxious." Her voice was remarkably calm. "The car, the credit cards, the house—they are all in your hands. Let them expose themselves further on their own."

I glanced toward the bedroom. The baby let out a soft, babbling sound from within, and I heard my mother whispering to soothe her. "I am afraid they will try to take the child," I said.

My friend paused for a moment. "Then from today, start documenting his absences. His birth, the hospital discharge, the baby's medical records, the history of transfers, the call logs—keep everything. If it truly comes to a legal battle, these are the cards that will protect your child."

At seven-thirty in the morning, the doorbell rang. On the security monitor, Meng Shi Yuan stood outside. His eyes were rimmed with dark circles, and his clothes were disheveled. Feng Li Bin and Meng Shi An were nowhere to be seen. He held a bag of breakfast, acting as if he had suddenly remembered his role as a husband. I did not open the door. I asked through the intercom, "What is it?"

Meng Shi Yuan looked up at the camera. "Qing He, let’s talk."

"Talk right there."

His face stiffened. "Must spouses treat each other this way?"

I replied, "When you took the car keys from me, you didn't treat me like a spouse either."

He was silent for a few seconds. "Yesterday was my fault." I watched him. This was perhaps the first time in our three years of marriage that he had bowed his head so quickly. But he wasn't doing it out of remorse; he was doing it because the supplementary card had been blocked, the car had been reclaimed, and his wedding plans were falling apart.

"The car is back with you, so open the card first," he said.

"For whom?" I asked.

He frowned. "The hotel still needs the remaining balance cleared."

"Meng Shi An is the one getting married, so why must my card pay the rest?"

"Qing He, don't be so heartless."

I looked at his familiar face on the screen. "Where were you the night before our child was born?"

Meng Shi Yuan clearly faltered. He spoke quickly, "At the company."

I held the hotel receipt up to the camera. "Then who is Shen Man?"

His expression on the screen finally shifted. At that exact moment, his phone rang. He glanced down at it but did not answer. However, I had seen the name clearly: Man Man.

He hung up with a swift, jerky movement, but the speed only betrayed his guilt. I stood behind the door, watching him. "Answer it."

He looked up, a trace of distress flashing in his eyes. "It’s just a client."

I laughed. "A client saved under the name 'Man Man'?"

"Xia Qing He, do you have to latch onto these baseless things just to pick a fight?" His voice hardened again. It was as if he believed that if he only spoke loudly enough, the receipt would vanish and the caller's name would disappear.

I did not argue. I simply withdrew the receipt. "If it is baseless, then it should be easy for you to explain."

Meng Shi Yuan took a deep breath. "She was drunk that day, so I brought her to the hotel."

"And then you brought yourself in as well?" I asked.

His face fell. "Can you stop being so cynical?"

"I can," I replied. "As long as you stop doing such filthy things."

The fatigue on his face was finally overtaken by anger. "I spent all night out there dealing with a mess, while you were at home changing locks, canceling cards, and stealing the car. Xia Qing He, do you think the whole world revolves around you?"

I looked at him. The words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over me. The day I gave birth, no one revolved around me. The day I left the hospital, no one revolved around me. I had stood in the hospital lobby with my daughter in my arms, unable to even catch a taxi. But now, he dared to say the world revolved around me. Suddenly, I had no desire to argue.

"Meng Shi Yuan," I said, "do not step foot into this house ever again."

He was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

"I am the child's father."

"Then you may visit according to the regulations."

His expression darkened completely. "You want to divorce me?"

I did not answer. To say it now would be too easy for him. What I wanted was to settle every account, drive him out, and secure peace for my child. Meng Shi Yuan stared intensely at the camera, his voice dropping to a low, cold register.

"Qing He, don't you dare regret this."

I cut the video feed. Silence reigned outside the door for several long seconds.