Thunderclaw

After my family went bankrupt, my boyfriend and friends distanced themselves from me, avoiding me.
Only Jiang Yu willingly approached me, accepting all my shortcomings.
Married for eight years, I have accompanied him from obscurity to the peak he stands at today.
But when I thought my life was complete, I accidentally heard him chatting with his friend.
"Come on, if it weren't for the five million investment wager, I wouldn't have married that woman."
How ridiculous, it turns out, I have never been loved.
It turns out, what I thought was completeness was just a deception.
My husband and even my child have long belonged to someone else without my knowledge.
With a heart turned to ashes, I willingly let go, granting them freedom.
But one day, as I traveled to a new place by the river and mountains.
The father and son suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Wife, I can't live without you."
"Mom, I really miss you."

Eight Years of Marriage, All Lies

Escaping from the bar venue, I sat in the car trembling, still feeling that everything I witnessed just now was too unreal.


Today is the eighth anniversary of my marriage to Jiang Yu. I prepared a candlelit dinner, yet he hadn't returned home.


Worried whether he was busy with company social events, I proactively called.


A clear woman's voice came from the other end.


An unfamiliar voice, I had never known about the existence of such a secretary beside Jiang Yu.


But my subconscious trust made me feel uncomfortable with her tone without suspecting anything.


Jiang Yu has a bad stomach; afraid he'd drink too much, I asked for the address, took the sobering stomach-warming soup, and prepared to pick him up.


Before leaving, I specifically glanced at our already asleep son in the room.


Ever since the family went bankrupt, I don't often come to these places filled with dazzling lights.


Finding the corresponding room on the second floor, I pushed the door open a crack, wanting to see what was happening inside.


Instead, what I saw was the hand dragging me out of my dream of happiness.


"I heard it's Mr. Jiang's anniversary today. Why don't you go home and accompany your wife? What's fun about being with a bunch of us guys?"


Jiang Yu had drunk quite a bit, his face flushed. He heard this, chuckled softly, but didn't respond.


"How can a humble wife compare to a beautiful secretary? I think the one Mr. Jiang brought today is his true love!"


I clenched my fists, feeling disgusted and uncomfortable with their words.


The secretary mentioned by several people timely handed him a glass of water.


"Mr. Jiang is drunk. Drink some water to sober up."


Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the woman's wrist drooped slightly before Jiang Yu took the cup, and liquid soaked into his clothes, causing an immediate stir around.


I watched wide-eyed as the woman, in an intimate gesture, helped Jiang Yu wipe the water, leaning into his arms to drink a cross-cup toast in apology amid the crowd's coaxing.


Someone said, "Mr. Jiang is a family man. Aren't you afraid his wife will be unhappy if she finds out?"


"Come on, if it weren't for the fifty million wager back then, I wouldn't have married her."


A basin of cold water completely extinguished the passion of my eight-year marriage.


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