Chapter 690: Chapter 464: Settling Accounts_3
“I don’t like talking to you.”
“You don’t like talking to me?” Glancing at Liu Lingmei’s retreating figure as she ascended the stairs, Jiang Ru said with disdain, “How could you love talking to me when you are too ashamed to speak?”
Liu Lingmei’s footsteps hesitated slightly before she quickened her pace and entered her bedroom, closing the door with a loud “bang!”
“Crazy woman!…” Jiang Ru rolled her eyes, entered her own room, took an old photo of her and her mother, and started to zone out, staring blankly.
Once, she had been friends with Zhou Aiping and had quite respected Liu Lingmei. One might even say that Liu Lingmei had been kind to her because of her relationship with Zhou Aiping.
It was for this reason that when Zhou Aiping disappeared and Liu Lingmei had nowhere to go, she had reached out her hand to help.
But she had never expected that her offer of help would turn Liu Lingmei into her stepmother.
She wasn’t against her father remarrying, but she had never imagined he would remarry Liu Lingmei.
It was utterly ridiculous!
The biggest joke in their circle!
No matter whether others gossiped about it behind her back, whenever she saw people whispering, she felt they were laughing at her, mocking her.
People say, having a stepmother means having a stepfather too. In the past, she had snorted dismissively at this idea, but now, she truly understood it. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, her father wouldn’t listen, only scolding her instead.
Living under the same roof with a woman who was now intimately involved with her father—a woman who used to be her good friend’s mother—felt incredibly awkward.
Looking around once more, she found a suitcase and began packing. Since staying would only make her unhappy, it would be better for her to move out.
“Miss, what… what are you doing?” Auntie Li, seeing her packing and the door open, panicked.
“Auntie Li,” Jiang Ru gave her a small smile, “I’m going to stay in my dormitory for a while. Please take care of my dad.”
“Miss, if you go, I’ll be even more worried.” Auntie Li grabbed her, “Could you please discuss it with your elder sister before making a decision?”
“What’s the point of discussing it with my sister?” Jiang Ru sighed, “She’s always engrossed in her work and has no time for these trivial matters. Besides, if she had cared, she would have intervened long ago. Forget it, if the eldest doesn’t care, I, the second daughter, won’t bother either. Auntie Li, if anything comes up, just come to my dorm.”
“Miss…” Auntie Li’s eyes filled with tears, “If the eldest doesn’t come back and you leave too, this house will truly become that woman’s!”
“Let it be hers then, as long as Dad is happy, whatever happens is fine.” Jiang Ru sighed, “It’s just pitiful for you, but you don’t have to tolerate too much from her. If she goes too far, just go on strike and find me. I will arrange a better job for you.”
“Miss…” Auntie Li’s eyes brimmed with reluctance. She had worked in this house for over thirty years and considered it her home. She vividly remembered the warm days past, and couldn’t believe how quickly it was all falling apart.
“Auntie Li, don’t be too sad. I just want some peace to think things through. Staying in this house is too suffocating.” Jiang Ru stood up and hugged her, “Mom would understand and support me in this, if she knew.”
Once she mentioned her late mother, Mrs. Jiang, Auntie Li no longer tried to stop her but instead began to help her pack, incessantly advising her to take good care of herself.
“What’s going on?” Yoon Ni appeared at the door; she and Jiang Ru and Zhou Aiping used to be best friends. Later, Yoon Ni married Jiang Ru’s brother Jiang Tao, and Zhou Aiping married Xiao Yuwen, leaving only Jiang Ru unmarried.
Since marrying into the family, Yoon Ni and Jiang Ru got along well but were no longer as close as before.
“I’m moving out.” Jiang Ru gave her a smile, “You won’t have anyone to argue with anymore. You can relax.”
“Why are you moving out?” Yoon Ni furrowed her brows and held her, “Just to make room for that woman? Why should it be so? She should be the one to leave, not you.”
“Now Dad only has eyes for her. How can I stay?” Jiang Ru smiled bitterly, “Yoon Ni, it’s different for me. Dad is your father-in-law. Although you also dislike what he’s doing, you just find it embarrassing.
But for me, it is the disloyalty to my mother that angers me more. Okay, I admit, even though I wanted him to remarry, I mind that he treats another woman better than he ever treated my mom.
If I continue to live here, I’m afraid I’ll eventually do something I’ll regret. So, moving out to get some calm is the best solution.”