Kim_Li_0078

#DARK ROMANCE 
Lin Yueyao spent five years of her youth married to Shen Xiao, a man whose heart was as cold as steel. She believed that her gentleness would eventually melt his indifference, but the only thing that melted was her own dignity.

Every night, she endured his cruel touch, his words like blades, and his silent disgust. But no matter how much it hurt, Yueyao clung on – for the sake of their son, Xuanxuan, and for the sliver of hope that someday he might see her.

That hope shattered completely when his first love, Bai Zhi, returned from abroad. The very night Bai Zhi came back, Shen Xiao left Yueyao alone to dine with her. His gaze, once cold and dismissive, turned tender only for Bai Zhi.

Then, just as Yueyao discovered she was pregnant again, Shen Xiao handed her divorce papers. Abandoned while carrying his child, betrayed by her husband, and discarded like a stain on his life, Yueyao’s world collapsed.

Even their son, Xuanxuan – the little boy she’d nearly died giving birth to, the one she raised with unwavering devotion – rejected her, clinging instead to Bai Zhi with innocent adoration.

But fate was crueler still.

Kidnapped straight from her hospital bed by men demanding ransom, Yueyao realised no one was coming to save her. Her husband hadn’t even noticed she was missing. As she lay in that abandoned factory, trembling in pain, all illusions crumbled.

She was done waiting for love from a man who treated her like dirt.

This time, she would save herself. And when she returned, it wouldn’t be as the pitiful Mrs. Shen, but as a woman reborn from ashes – with a heart no longer beating for Shen Xiao.

But will he realise her worth only when it’s too late?

Love After Divorce: Her Second Chance

They looked like a perfect family.

Yueyao's phone slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered onto the sheets.

Her chest felt like it had been hollowed out with a blunt knife, every breath scraping painfully against her ribs.

She pressed her palms tightly against her eyes as fresh tears spilled out, her shoulders shaking silently under the thin hospital blanket.

She didn't know how long she sat like that, broken and alone, before Aunt Mei came back with a fresh thermos of soup.

On the fifth morning, the doctor finally signed her discharge papers.

Aunt Mei packed up her few belongings and folded her cardigan neatly before helping her stand up.

"You are still weak, Young Madam. Lean on me," she said softly, supporting Yueyao's fragile frame as they walked slowly down the bright corridor.

At the reception desk, the nurse handed Aunt Mei the bill and asked, "Will you be paying now or…?"

Aunt Mei glanced at Yueyao nervously before saying, "Master Shen already settled everything yesterday."

Yueyao said nothing. Of course, he had paid. Money was never an issue for him.

Outside, the sun shone brightly against the hospital's glass facade. The air smelled of fresh asphalt and car exhaust, mixed with the faint sweetness of blooming summer flowers.

Aunt Mei helped Yueyao into the waiting black sedan, carefully arranging a thin blanket over her lap.

"Lean back, Young Madam," she said gently, brushing a stray hair from Yueyao's pale forehead with motherly tenderness.

The driver closed the door softly and circled to the front, starting the engine.

As the car pulled away from the hospital entrance, Yueyao leaned her aching head against the window, staring at the blurred scenery rolling by. Her chest felt hollow and raw, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Every breath scraped painfully through her ribcage.

They were only five minutes away from reaching the Shen estate's quiet residential avenue when a dark SUV suddenly swerved into their lane, cutting them off with violent force.

The driver cursed under his breath and slammed the brakes, the screech echoing sharply as the car jerked to a shuddering stop.

Yueyao's frail body lurched forward despite her seatbelt, her vision blurring from the sudden motion.

Aunt Mei cried out, clutching the door handle for balance.

Before the driver could react, four masked men in black tactical clothes jumped out of the SUV. One smashed the driver's side window with the butt of his gun, shards of glass exploding into the front seat as the driver ducked in terror.

Two others yanked open the back door, their gloved hands reaching straight for Yueyao.

"Who… who are you…?" she whispered hoarsely, her voice thin and trembling with panic.

"Stop! STOP!" Aunt Mei screamed, reaching across Yueyao to push the men away. "Don't you touch her! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!"

One of the men turned sharply and slammed the barrel of his gun against Aunt Mei's temple with a sickening crack.

"AHHH—!" Aunt Mei's scream was cut short as her body crumpled sideways, her head slamming hard against the car door before she slumped into Yueyao's lap.

"Aunt Mei! Aunt Mei!" Yueyao cried out, her shaking hands reaching for the older woman's face.

Blood was seeping from a gash on Aunt Mei's temple, trickling down her cheek and staining Yueyao's hospital blanket red.

But Aunt Mei didn't move. Her eyelids fluttered once before falling shut, her breathing ragged and uneven.

"Please… please don't hurt her… please…" Yueyao sobbed, tears falling freely as the men dragged her out of the car. The world spun violently around her as her feet scraped against the hot asphalt.

Chapter 16; Shut up....