Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I took advantage of their sleep to quickly pack a bag and leave. I fled in a hurry. I took a night bus to find my college friend, Wen Qian. After graduation, she had always encouraged me to venture out into the world, saying that it was vast and I shouldn’t be trapped in a small family life. But where could I go? Marriage and motherhood had become my routine, and I had grown accustomed to Liu Yin's punches and kicks. I had grievances I couldn’t express, so I silently endured.
Gradually, I reduced my contact with her because I didn’t want her to see me in such a miserable state. A few days ago, Wen Qian reached out to tell me she had bought a new house and invited me to visit whenever I could. She even sent me the detailed address. It felt like a ray of light piercing through my dark life. At that moment, I thought perhaps I could go see her.
I arrived in the morning. When Wen Qian saw the bruises on my face, she was taken aback. I asked if I could stay with her for a while, but I worried about disrupting her daily life. That night, I slept in her car. She urged me to get a divorce and offered to rent an apartment for me to stay in temporarily, but I refused. I hadn’t figured out my future path yet.
I turned off my phone and didn’t use any bank cards or payment apps. All I wanted was some quiet time alone to sort everything out. So, each day, I stayed in Wen Qian's car. During the day, I read books, and at night, I went to bed early. However, this routine didn’t last long.
On the fifth day, around two or three in the morning, I was jolted awake by a knocking sound on the window. Groggily, I opened my eyes to see Liu Yin’s face pressed against the glass. I was so startled that I almost screamed, but no sound escaped my throat. He kept knocking on the window. Fearing that it would cause trouble for Wen Qian, I left her a note and got out of the car to go back with Liu Yin.
I did not resist, allowing him to drag me forward. Resisting would only lead to harsher treatment. Once we got home, it was no surprise that I received another beating.
I had reported it to the police before. Three officers came and were serious while inquiring about the situation. Liu Yin pointed to the scratches he got from arguing with Li Wei, claiming that I was the one who had hurt him. They lectured both of us, and one of them offered me a few words of advice before leaving, patting Liu Yin on the shoulder.
Liu Yin smugly told me that even if they didn’t believe him, he wasn’t afraid. The officer who had patted his shoulder was his childhood friend. In that moment, I felt utterly hopeless. I was like a wild beast trapped in a cage; no matter how hard I struggled, I could not escape the shackles of fate. Would this world ever get better? I didn’t know.
Recently, Liu Yin seemed to have reconciled with Li Wei. I could sense it because Liu Yin started to dress up again. Every day before going out, he would fuss in front of the mirror for ages—applying hair wax, spraying perfume, and even doing a few push-ups. This pattern had repeated many times: after a fight, he would let himself go; after making up, he would strut around like a peacock.
He seemed to be in a great mood lately—so good that he completely ignored me. It was as if I didn’t exist at all, which allowed me to breathe a little easier. Both of us knew about Li Wei's presence; there was nothing to hide. I had mentioned divorce before, saying that I wanted to let them be together as lovers.
He asked me why I wasn't considering having children.
He even scolded me, calling me unfaithful.
Wasn't it me who agreed to endure hardship and start a business with him?
Can’t he handle this little bit of suffering now?
When he said this, his eyes were red, as if he had suffered some great injustice.
It was utterly ridiculous.
I looked at his face, the face that once made my heart flutter.
Now, it only felt strange and disgusting.
I can’t handle hardship?
Which day after we got married wasn’t filled with struggle?
The claim that he would earn money to support the family was nothing but a joke.
Director Liu had never brought home a single penny.
The money for our child's education came entirely from the grandparents.
If it weren’t for the child…
Wen Qian was very worried about me, calling almost every day to check on my situation.
"Qi Mei, as long as you make up your mind, we will definitely find a way," she said.
She was more determined than I was.
She started helping me find familiar lawyers and experienced friends from school.
I hoped they could assist me.
My classmates shared their experiences with me, but they weren’t relevant to my situation.
Their journeys were all different from mine, yet they had all embarked on new lives, which I longed for.
The lawyer they recommended was named Lin Wei.
We are alumni from the same graduating class. We share some connections. Wen Qian created a small group chat, bringing together me, Wen Qian, and Lin Wei for easier communication.
In the group, I briefly shared my current situation, of course, it was a very simplified version. The humiliating details were too difficult for me to voice. Lin Wei was very professional. She first asked if I had retained any relevant evidence.
"Gathering evidence for domestic violence is challenging," she added. It was then that I realized the seriousness of the situation. I had never thought about these things before. I believed that as long as I spoke the truth, I would receive fair treatment. How naïve I was.
I only had a few photos—those showing the bruises left after Liu Yin pushed me. Other than that, I had no medical diagnosis to present. My previous fracture was merely recorded as an ordinary visit; it couldn't be converted into an injury assessment. There were no other pieces of evidence. A wave of despair washed over me, not to mention any proof of Liu Yin's infidelity—I was completely at a loss.
"I... I don't have much evidence," I admitted, feeling like a deflated balloon. The spark of determination that had just ignited within me began to waver, threatening to extinguish at any moment. Lin Wei sighed deeply.
"The evidence is difficult to establish as domestic violence," she said calmly.
But to my ears, it felt like a heavy blow.
She offered me some advice, suggesting I try to find evidence from Liu Yin's computer or other sources. She said this was currently the most effective method. Collecting evidence turned out to be much harder than I had imagined.
Once home, I began rummaging through everything in search of clues. I searched every corner of the house but found nothing. Liu Yin's phone was protected by a complicated password, and despite several attempts, I couldn't unlock it. His computer was also password-protected, leaving me completely unable to access it. A wave of helplessness washed over me.
Liu Yin noticed my recent odd behavior. He seemed to be in high spirits lately and hadn’t laid a hand on me. Sitting slouched on the sofa with his legs crossed, he asked if I wanted a divorce.
"I do," I replied.
"If you sell that apartment and give me the money, I'll agree to the divorce," he said, referring to the property under my parents' name—the one that was currently generating rental income.
I could hardly believe my ears. Could someone truly be this shameless? How could he make such a demand? Over the years, he had drained our family like a vampire, and my parents had sacrificed so much for me. My fleeting enthusiasm for divorce was doused by this cold reality.
I mentioned in the small group chat that I had temporarily given up.
It took a long time for Wen Qian and lawyer Lin to respond.
Liu Yin frequently went out on dates at night. When he returned during the day, he reeked of strong perfume and alcohol.
Finally, one day, Liu Yin had an accident. He was driving while fatigued and got into a traffic collision. Although there were no casualties, he needed to pay a hefty sum in compensation. I didn’t know the exact amount, but I knew he had been stressed about it lately. He was borrowing money from everywhere, but no one was willing to help him.
Yet, I felt a glimmer of hope in my heart. Perhaps this was an opportunity—a chance for me to completely break free from him.
I shared this news in the group chat. lawyer Lin remarked that this might be the quickest way to escape the marriage. Wen Qian was pleased that things had taken a turn for the better. "If you need financial support, I have some savings I can lend you," she offered.
I brought up the topic of divorce with Liu Yin again. This time, he didn’t object. He said, "Sure, transfer two hundred thousand to me, and we can go to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow."
I suppressed my disgust and asked how he could say such a thing. He replied that if it weren’t for me being a burden all these years, he would have already found investors to make movies. The two hundred thousand was his compensation for lost youth.
I wished I could travel back to my university days and wake up my younger self so that I wouldn’t have to endure these years with someone like him. Finally seeing hope for divorce, I didn’t want to give up.
I steeled myself and told Wen Qian that I needed to borrow money. She readily agreed but asked me to inform Liu Yin that once the divorce was finalized, I would transfer the money. Liu Yin agreed.
The next day, I took the bus to the civil affairs bureau with him.
I asked him where his car was.
He said it was being serviced and he would pick it up in a few days.
Once I got home, I felt no sense of relaxation. I just had to endure the thirty-day cooling-off period for the divorce.
During this time, Li Wei and Liu Yin had another argument.
Strangely enough, he didn’t lay a hand on me. It seemed he was very eager for that two hundred thousand.
The divorce couldn’t be hidden from the child.
I asked Lawyer Lin about it, and she said that since I didn’t have a job, it was highly unlikely that custody would be granted to me, but it also depended on the child’s wishes.
I secretly asked my son if he wanted to stay with me.
Perhaps only when it was just the two of us could I raise him right.
He was playing games on my phone, not even looking up.
“You have no money and can’t do anything; why would I want to stay with you, a useless person?”
“Liu Qiqi!”
I snapped at him sharply, “How can you say that about your mother?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Liu Qiqi looked at me coldly.
“What else can you do besides cry? Have you ever worked? Do you know how much other mothers earn?”
“I…”
I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words.
Since giving birth, I had been at home.
The heavy housework, raising the child, and Liu Yin’s beatings had worn me out completely.
I believed I had done my best and was utterly exhausted.
But indeed, I had become disconnected from the outside world.
I looked at the two identical faces—one big and one small.
The last trace of reluctance faded away.
Comment 0 Comment Count