The materials were thrown on the ground.
Qin Haiming stood by the window, his back to her.
Zhang Rujia looked down at the material bag on the ground, then picked it up and slowly opened it.
She couldn’t think of anything else that Qin Haiming might have suddenly discovered, she dared not think about it, unwilling to even consider it.
She did not even want to open the heavy bag, although her fingers felt as if there were only a few sheets of paper inside.
Zhang Rujia could even hear the sound of her own breathing as she reluctantly opened the bag and was startled by the contents.
Had it not been for this material, she would have even forgotten about the incident.
She suddenly sat on the floor, her mind blank until she remembered the day she went with Qin Mingzhu to that private hospital to find the girl who dispensed herbs and bribed her with some money.
She suddenly remembered her own voice, telling the girl, "Just put the medicine in, no one will notice, not a soul, and you could make a large sum of money. Why wouldn’t you do it?"
"Let’s get a divorce!"
Zhang Rujia was so frightened by those words that she didn’t dare to make a sound; she just turned her head to look at his back.
She couldn’t even see his face now and had no idea what expression he wore; she shook her head vigorously, biting her lips that were painted with a men-slaying color.
"How could you, Qin Haiming’s wife, be so ruthless? Yet minute by minute you play the role of a virtuous wife and loving mother in front of me, telling me you would treat Qin Mu as your own daughter,—let’s divorce."
Qin Haiming gazed outside with an indifferent look; the only thing he could think of at that moment was his ex-wife, who used to speak to him in gentle tones. She had died because of a major accident caused by his drunkenness.
He had never dared to get drunk again in all these years, fearing another such incident.
That night from over twenty years ago, he had long since forgotten.
All he remembered was someone telling him that Mumu’s mother had died!
After that, Zhang Rujia said that Qin Mu seemed to dislike her and feared Qin Mu would become introverted if she stayed at home, so she sent her to the open-minded West as he thought perhaps such a family environment was indeed not suitable for Qin Mu, and so he sent Qin Mu away.
On that day, the words Qin Mu blurted out in anger, she said she was nearly sold, she said she nearly died...
He had always known he had been an incompetent father these years, but he had never realized he was this foolish.
Foolish enough to let his stepwife hurt his most guilt-ridden daughter so badly.
He loved Qin Mu dearly, and she had always been the apple of his eye over the years.
Outsiders all said he doted on Qin Mingzhu the most, but in truth, besides Qin Mu, he had never cared for another child as much. That kind of genuine affection seemed only possible for the first child, or perhaps his heart had been resistant all along.
"Rujia, I have already forgotten that night from more than twenty years ago!"
He said softly, without any anger.
But his words made Zhang Rujia eyes turn red.
"I should not have been promiscuous that night after drinking, I certainly shouldn’t have neglected Mumu’s mother to go to work during that time, I shouldn’t have started a family with you later, sending Mumu off to Paris for over a decade without a word. I am simply a failed man."
Qin Haiming thought of the harsh words Qin Mu had said to him; he had felt Qin Mu was selfish at that time, but now he realized the most selfish person was actually himself.
Zhang Rujia called out to him, distressed, shaking her head incessantly.
Qin Haiming turned his head to look at her: Leave this home, go live well with Mingzhu, or find another man.
"I won’t! Your status doesn’t allow a divorce."
"I don’t value everything as I did before!"
Zhang Rujia looked at him in disbelief; she knew better than anyone how much Qin Haiming valued his own reputation over the years, and yet today, he spoke these words. He really intended to discard her.
Zhang Rujia had anticipated this day might come, but she never thought it would come so soon. Her own daughter had just been disowned and thrown out not many days ago, and now it seemed she was about to be kicked out as well.
"I can move out, it can be good for you to calm down, I’ll go pack my things right now."
Qin Haiming turned and called out to the woman who had gotten up from the ground and was running out.
"I won’t! Till death do us part, where is the love of days past? How can you be so heartless? Even if I bribed that girl to add contraceptive drugs to Qin Mu’s herbal medicine, so what? It’s not like she can’t get pregnant again in the future. Besides, she made you distant and cold towards me, why should I let her live the comfortable life of a young madam in the Mu Family, why should I make it so easy for her to take you away from me? She doesn’t deserve it, she doesn’t!"