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After everything was ready, Mu Miaomiao thanked Auntie and we left Wang Nan's house. When we arrived at the entrance of our community, Mu Miaomiao parked the car. I held the clay pot and followed her down. Mu Miaomiao had been to my house a few times and was familiar with the route, but she didn't take the elevator. She took the clay pot from my hands and said we should take the stairs.
"Think about it, your mother-in-law comes and goes unpredictably. If we run into her, it would expose us. Taking the stairs is safer."
I thought about it and agreed, following Mu Miaomiao up the stairs. The fourth floor wasn't too high, and we reached it quickly. I had lived here for three years without ever going to the fourth floor, but today, in order to catch someone cheating, I was fortunate enough to come here.
Mu Miaomiao told me to hide in a corner and wait for the right moment to come out. After exiting the stairwell, there was a corner right there; Deng Xiaomei's room was diagonally across from that corner. As long as I stood behind the wall, I could see without being noticed, while Mu Miaomiao distracted her from the other side.
"I thought you needed to put on makeup to meet her face-to-face," I said, preparing to argue my case.
Mu Miaomiao sighed, still holding the clay pot: "Don't be silly. If things go wrong, you'll be the one at a disadvantage. Just hide and watch for now. It's better to lose face than lose ground. Put on some makeup to look more spirited; I'm going over now."
Mu Miaomiao walked straight towards room 402. Her previously stern expression instantly turned into a smile when the door opened: "Hello, you must be the owner of this place. I'm your neighbor from next door. I heard you just moved in and wanted to get to know you better. Please take care of me if anything comes up."
I felt inexplicably nervous; I didn't even realize when my palms started sweating. I pressed tightly against the wall and slightly peeked out to see the woman in front of Mu Miaomiao wearing a silk camisole dress and yawning.
At that moment, I could only see her profile from behind; I could hardly make out her features, but her alluring silhouette made my heart ache. I was almost certain she was Deng Xiaomei—the woman Wang Xu was infatuated with—was this really what she looked like?
I had no idea if I had ever encountered Deng Xiaomei before. Before coming here specifically to meet her, I already knew many things about her: her child, her house; now I was deliberately here just to learn about her husband.
I never imagined there would come a day when I would scheme against someone else.
But all I wanted was to protect my family; that was everything to me. I couldn't just stand by and watch it fall apart.
"Next door? How come I've never seen you before?" Deng Xiaomei's voice was sharp and cold, lacking warmth.
Mu Miaomiao continued smiling: "I just got back from a business trip! Since we're going to be neighbors, I thought I'd come over for a visit. This is some Old Duck Soup that I just made; it's quite nourishing and still warm, so I brought you some."
Deng Xiaomei hesitated for a moment, lifted the lid, leaned in a bit, and then leaned back repeatedly, her tone filled with disdain: "What is this smell? It's so greasy."
"Old Duck Soup is like this; it's nourishing. By the way, what's your name? Isn't your husband home? I heard you didn't move here alone."
"My name is Deng Xiaomei." So it really was her!
From the side, her expression looked extremely unnatural, and she only answered half of Mu Miaomiao's questions.
"Really? You look quite young, just in your early twenties, right? That's great; you look lovely too. If you don't have a boyfriend, I have several friends who are pretty good. We should introduce you sometime."
Faced with Mu Miaomiao's enthusiasm, Deng Xiaomei lazily replied, "We'll see."
It seemed she had no intention of continuing the conversation with Mu Miaomiao. Throughout the exchange, Mu Miaomiao maintained a smile, probably thinking it was enough. After handing the soup to Deng Xiaomei and saying they would chat another day, she waited for Deng Xiaomei to close the door before her smile finally faded.
"She's such a flirt," Mu Miaomiao spat in disgust. "Did you see how sheer her pajamas were? Wearing that out without fear of being taken advantage of, and she's already a mother of three months. What a disgrace."
I smiled wryly and replied, "Maybe it's precisely because I don't have that kind of behavior that I lost my position."
"Hey, the battle hasn't even started yet, and you're already giving up?"
"Miao Miao, she has a child. I'm fighting this battle alone; I can't win."
Thinking it over, I truly realized what I had lost to Deng Xiaomei. I knew Wang Xu earlier than she did and loved him deeper than she did. I wasn't unattractive either, yet I ended up being the one left behind. The reason was simple.
I couldn't get pregnant. Before, I didn't know if it was my problem or Wang Xu's. Now that Deng Xiaomei already had a child, it couldn't be anyone else's issue.
For the sake of the child, we have never used contraception, and now it has been three years without getting pregnant. I am not sure when Wang Xu met Deng Xiaomei—was it half a year ago? A year? Or was it three years ago when Wang Xu knelt down to propose to me that Deng Xiaomei was already in the picture?
I am angry at Wang Xu's betrayal, but how can I not hate myself for being so useless?
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this here. Let's discuss it at your place."
When I got home, I didn't expect my mother-in-law to be there. She rarely appears at this time. Because I had just visited Deng Xiaomei, my hands trembled slightly out of guilt.
Mu Miaomiao was the first to greet my mother-in-law: "Hello, Auntie! Look at me, coming over to bother you again. I'm really sorry!"
My mother-in-law sneered and then glanced at me, as if holding back her words before turning and heading into the guest room. If I knew nothing, I would have been anxious and worried, fearing that I had done something wrong to earn my mother-in-law's displeasure. But now that I think about it, it's just that while I am struggling with my inability to conceive, others are thriving.
But this is almost the most fatal point, and it just happened to be what I encountered.
"Let's go back to the room." After my mother-in-law left, Mu Miaomiao's face fell again. She never hides her feelings in front of me; whatever she thinks is written all over her face.
Once in the room, Mu Miaomiao didn't let me pour any water or anything; she sat down and asked, "Zhuang Jun, you need to start planning."
"What do you mean?"
"There are a few questions you need to think through: after confronting Wang Xu, will you stay married? What will happen with Deng Xiaomei's child? What about Deng Xiaomei's house?"
My mind was in chaos, and Mu Miaomiao's questions left me speechless.
Mu Miaomiao didn't press me further; instead, she continued to help me sort things out: "If you don't divorce Wang Xu, then you'll have to deal with Deng Xiaomei and her child. The moment I saw that woman today, I knew she wouldn't be easy to handle. You need to prepare for a long battle."
I took a deep breath and said, "What if I want a divorce?"
I couldn't believe I had actually said those words. Divorce was something I had never considered with Wang Xu. I hadn't interacted with society for six months and had grown accustomed to the calm and routine life of a housewife. What would I do if I got divorced? Would I have to start looking for a job again? What about Wang Xu? After our divorce, would he just marry Deng Xiaomei without hesitation?
"If you want a divorce, you need to get the house. Both properties must belong to you," Mu Miaomiao said firmly. "Wang Xu was at fault first; he must leave empty-handed. We just need to gather enough evidence to prove his infidelity, which is easy. If he refuses to give up the house, we'll see him in court."
"But the mortgage still has a long time left. Right now, I can't even think about paying it off; I don't have a job and can't support myself."
"You don't need to worry about that. Wang Xu is still a man; he should understand that he needs to pay off the mortgage for this house. Don't stress too much about finding work either. You did so well before; it shouldn't be hard to find a job. I'll ask Wang Nan to see if he can help you out."
"Miao Miao, what do you think I should choose?"
I felt lost and helpless, lacking even the most basic judgment. If it weren't for Mu Miaomiao guiding me step by step, I would still be lying on the bed crying. Just as she said, my emotions had become too dull; I couldn't even discern what I truly felt.
"Zhuang Jun, listen to me. You don't have children, so you can confront Deng Xiaomei openly. But now that she is pregnant, even if you were to get pregnant too, what difference would it make? Can you just put that child back?"
Yes, the child couldn't be put back, and neither could my relationship with Wang Xu be restored.
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