The chopsticks in my hand fell to the ground and rolled into the corner of the wall.

My ears were ringing, and my vision became blurry.

“What did you say?”

I unconsciously repeated the question, my throat tightening with emotion.

“Seven years ago, on that night with Su Wan Yi, she became pregnant.”

Huo Mingchen didn’t hide anything; after saying it, he even breathed a sigh of relief:

“It’s good that you’ve finally told me. I’ve kept it a secret from you for seven years, and life hasn’t been easy for me.”

I was flustered and forced a smile as I asked my mother-in-law:

“Mom, today is your birthday, are you and Minh Tham just joking with me?”

Mrs. Huo took a sip of her tea, saying nothing.

My heart instantly sank into the abyss.

Huo Ming Shen continued:

“I’m not kidding. When she went for a check-up, the doctor said she was weak and that aborting the baby would have negative consequences for her future.”

“After all, it’s a human life, and my conscience won’t allow it.”

When he mentioned that child, his expression softened considerably.

I lowered my head and looked at my protruding belly; my child with Huo Ming Shen was eight months old, and my due date was approaching.

“Song Yu, you should be thanking me. Back then, I didn’t force you to abort this baby.”

“Otherwise, we’ll never be able to have children together in this lifetime.”

With all that said, if I still didn’t believe it, I’d be a fool.

No wonder he said he had to go for training at the military district, and would be away for half a year.

He called every night to give me a report, but it turned out he was just taking care of her and her child outside.

In the following years, he went on business trips for a week every month, claiming it was to visit local areas.

And yet I believed it completely.

I pursed my lips, my eyes stinging with tears:

“You’ve kept it a secret for seven years, how could you possibly reveal it today?”

Before Huo Mingchen could even open his mouth, his mother slammed her chopsticks down on the table, her voice agitated:

“I want to see my grandchild!”

She took a deep breath and said to me in a heartfelt voice:

“Song Yu, I’ve treated you well normally, haven’t I? That child has been hiding outside for seven years, and as her grandmother, I feel so sorry for her.”

My fingers cramped, and my whole body felt icy cold.

It turns out everyone knew about it, only I was being led astray.

Mrs. Huo took a file bag out of the cupboard.

Inside were land ownership certificates, savings passbooks, and accumulated allowances from over the years that Huo Ming Shen had saved, totaling at least 20 million yuan.

“The Huo family won’t let you suffer any harm. Just consider it like having another child in the family; you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

“Minh Thâm promised his mother that after bringing the baby home, he wouldn’t see Tô Vãn Ý anymore—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Huo Ming Shen interrupted her:

“If you don’t agree, we can get a divorce.”

He pushed a divorce agreement over, already signed at the bottom.

I stared at those words, my eyes practically watering.

Seven years ago, I wanted a divorce, and he pointed a gun at my head, begging me to stay.

Just when I was finally getting the better of this bitter pill to swallow, he demanded a divorce.

The atmosphere fell into utter silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock.

The large door was pushed open. A clear voice rang out:

“Mom, I’ve brought Xiao An to wish you a happy birthday…”

Tô Vãn Ý walked in, holding the hand of a seven-year-old child. When she saw me, the smile on her face froze.

Her face was full of hesitation: “Sister… Sister Ngoc…”

Upon seeing her grandson, Mrs. Huo’s face lit up with joy, and she bent down to pick the baby up:

“Little An has arrived, let Grandma give her a kiss.”

I remained seated, my eyes fixed on Su Wan Yi.

For seven years, Huo Ming Shen has kept her hidden so well.

Everyone in the family knows that I’m the only donkey.

I saw a house where they were all gathered together in a lively atmosphere.

What’s even more ridiculous is that I’m still carrying his child.

“Huo Mingchen, is this the ‘explanation’ you gave me back then?”

“You fooled me for seven years, had a lot of fun, didn’t you?”

Everyone’s expression changed.

Tô Vãn Ý hugged the baby tightly, her face full of tension:

“It’s okay if I suffer a loss, but my son can’t. He’s Minh Tham’s flesh and blood.”

“He’s also the eldest grandson of the Huo family. If we don’t let the child into the house, from now on, Xiao An will be considered to have no father!”

Her words were sharp, as if I were the one bullying her.

After saying that, she took the child and prepared to leave.

Huo Ming Shen immediately jumped up and chased after him.

Mrs. Huo glared at me with a burning look, then threw the agreement in my face:

“Song Yu, is 20 million yuan enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life?”

“The child must enter the Huo family’s household; you are not allowed to interfere.”

I stared blankly as they walked further and further away.

He bent down and picked up the agreement from the ground.

It was written very clearly: give me the money, on the condition that I pretend to be deaf and mute and not interfere in the affairs between Huo Ming Shen and Su Wan Yi.

My heart ached, and I tore up the stack of documents.

I can’t believe Huo Ming Shen could have deceived me for seven years.

It was the third month after the wedding.

I returned home from studying in another province, and when I opened the door, I saw a battlefield.

Used condoms litter the floor, and women’s underwear hangs from my favorite vase.

The bedroom door was wide open, and Huo Ming Shen pinned Su Wan Yi tightly against our wedding photo, thrusting into her as he pleased.

I stood at the door, my legs trembling, unable to move.

Huo Ming Shen staggered to his knees, clinging to my legs, his voice trembling as he pleaded:

“Xiao Yu, listen to my explanation. I drank too much and mistook her for you…”

“I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t mean to…”

He spoke incoherently, explaining himself over and over again:

“I won’t touch a drop of alcohol again after this. As long as you don’t divorce me, I’ll do anything you ask.”

This news shocked Mrs. Huo.

That day, she personally slapped him more than ten times, and after hitting him, she bowed and apologized to me.

“Song Yu, he only made one mistake; he still loves you.”

At that time, I didn’t listen to a word they said; all I wanted was a divorce.

Seeing that I remained unmoved, Huo Mingchen pulled a gun from the drawer and pointed it at my temple:

“If you divorce me, I’ll kill you right in front of you.”

“Anyway, I don’t need you anymore, and your life has no meaning anymore.”

That very statement touched my heart.

I couldn’t just stand there and watch him in front of me.

I snatched the gun from his hand:

“We’re not getting a divorce, but this is the last time.”

From then on, he tried everything to make up for it.

The house, the car, the paycheck—everything was handed over to me.

Even my younger brother’s job was arranged by him.

Everyone around me said:

“Song Yu, how many lifetimes of good deeds did you accumulate in your previous life to marry such a wonderful husband?”

Year after year, my friends around me either get divorced or their families break up.

They even secretly placed bets on how many years Huo Mingchen and I would be together.

Then he said the military district had a mission, and he had to go elsewhere for a year of training.

We have video calls every day.

He knew I was suspicious, and sometimes he would drive home in a hurry late at night.

He always said, “Just focus on your work, don’t overthink it, there won’t be a next time.”

I truly wanted to spend my whole life with him.

But I was the only one who foolishly believed it for seven long years.

Tears blurred my vision, so I gently wiped the corners of my eyes.

She lowered her head and looked at the divorce agreement, already signed by him, on the table.

I quietly tidied up.

If that’s the case, I’ll grant their wish.

Huo Ming Shen and his mother eventually welcomed Su Wan Yi and her child back home.

Mrs. Huo shielded the baby while glancing at me warily:

“As long as I’m here, Xiao An will remain the granddaughter of the Huo family. No one should dare lay a hand on her.”

Hearing these words, the awkward expression on Su Wan Yi’s face disappeared, and she even reached out and took Huo Ming Shen’s arm.

“Sister Ngoc, please rest assured, I’m not competing for any title or status.”

“I just want the child to be with its father, so it doesn’t have to live its whole life as an illegitimate child.”

I smirked:

“That label isn’t unfair. If you’re born an illegitimate child, no matter how much you try to change it, you’ll still be an illegitimate child.”

Su Wan Yi’s face turned pale, and she looked at Huo Ming Shen with resentment.

Huo Ming Shen frowned:

“Song Yu, watch your words.”

My heart trembled, my fingers clenched and then released:

“I said it seven years ago, that’s the last time.”

Huo Mingchen lowered his head and squeezed his son’s hand, casually replying:

“Didn’t I already give you the divorce agreement? If you want a divorce, then go ahead, I won’t stop you.”

“But you have to think carefully, you’re carrying my child in your womb.”

His gaze fell on my visibly pregnant belly:

“Xiao Yu, I just want to bring Xiao An back. He’s only a five-year-old child; he can’t be without a father.”

“Don’t be so narrow-minded. Besides, our child will have an older brother; what’s wrong with that?”

He didn’t seem to feel he had done anything wrong.

Those dismissive words extinguished the last glimmer of hope in my heart.

Before I could say anything, he announced:

“I’ve already talked to Mom, and we’re planning to hold a family reunion party next week.”

“If Xiao An accepts me as her foster mother, then outsiders will no longer have any objections.”

I tried to suppress the pain in my heart, never imagining that he had planned this far.

“I will not agree.”

Huo Ming Shen let out a sarcastic laugh:

“Okay. Then go to the hospital now and have an abortion.”

I suddenly looked up:

“Are you crazy? The baby is eight months old!”

His face was expressionless, but his words were incredibly cruel:

“You are the child’s father, you have this right. A child is a human being when born; before birth, it’s just a lump of flesh.”

“You choose. Either let Xiao An accept you as her foster mother, or I’ll tie you up and take you to the hospital.”

Leaving those words behind, Huo Ming Shen led Su Wan Yi and her child away.

For the next two weeks, he didn’t come home even once.

Perhaps because everything had been exposed, Huo Ming Shen – someone who never used to post on his social media – now started posting every day.

Today, Tô Vãn Ý cooks for her son, and tomorrow, the father and son will go jogging on the training ground.

Even the accompanying status updates are thought-provoking, as if they were truly a family of three.

Many friends saw his message and immediately called to check on me.

“Song Yu, who is that woman on Huo Ming Shen’s social media? That child looks so much like him, could it be…?”

I no longer have the energy to explain.

Only those who knew about it from seven years ago could advise me:

“I told her back then, she shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted. Adultery only happens once or countless times.”

I hung up the phone and stared out the window.

It’s something that’s perfectly clear to anyone looking in.

And yet I was the only one so foolish.

A week has flown by so quickly.

The reunion party was held at the military district guesthouse, and half of the military district’s personnel were present.

Huo Ming Shen gripped my hand tightly, their fingers intertwined forcefully, and he leaned close to my ear, whispering a warning in the lowest possible voice:

“You’ve probably thought it through carefully these past few days, so don’t cause any trouble later.”

I didn’t answer, nor did I even look at him.

Until the seven-year-old child was wheeled up to me, calling me “mother” in front of everyone. I bent down to look at her:

“I’m not your mother. And I won’t accept you as my son.”

The entire hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

People began to whisper and murmur, their gazes fixed on Huo Ming Shen with strange expressions.

He felt humiliated, and the grip on my wrist tightened cruelly.

“What do you mean?”

“If you don’t take it today, I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”

His attitude was so resolute that I couldn’t believe a father could utter such words.

He clearly knows how hard I struggled to get pregnant with this child.

I drank bowl after bowl of traditional Chinese medicine, and my arms were covered in needle marks from the injections I received to maintain the pregnancy.

But now, because of an illegitimate child, he says he’s leaving and he’s leaving.

“I will not raise someone else’s child.”

Tô Vãn Ý stood not far away, her eyes instantly reddening. At that moment, the large screen in the hall suddenly lit up.

One intimate photo after another of Huo Ming Shen and Su Wan Yi appeared in bed. The photos were taken seven years ago.

The scene immediately descended into utter chaos. Huo Ming Shen stood rooted to the spot, his eyes glued to the screen, motionless. Su Wan Yi immediately pointed directly at me, her face flushed bright red:

“Song Yu! If you hate me, just target me! What’s the point of releasing these photos?”

“Seven years ago, it was my fault. Minh Tham drank too much and mistook me for you.”

“But what does that have to do with anything now? No matter how dissatisfied you are, you can’t deny that Xiao An is Huo Ming Shen’s biological son!”

People around us began to understand the problem.

“Oh, so he’s an illegitimate child.”

“No wonder they kept it so well hidden for so many years.”

“That’s truly a good show for us.”

A mocking laugh assaulted my ears. Huo Ming Shen frantically ordered someone to turn off the screen, then spun around and slapped me across the face.

The metallic taste spread in my mouth, and I felt slightly dizzy. Looking up, I met Huo Ming Shen’s hateful gaze.

His chest heaved violently, and he gestured for someone to take me to the hospital.

I struggled desperately, but the burly guard roughly dragged me away. My stomach suddenly cramped, and I felt a rush of warm blood coursing through my body.

At the hospital, just as the doctor was about to administer the medication to prevent miscarriage, Huo Ming Shen suddenly spoke up:

“Abort it. I don’t need this baby anymore.”

My head exploded with a loud “boom”.

“I didn’t release the photos!”

He smirked:

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s you or not. I just want to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget, so you’ll never dare bully them again.”

I clutched my stomach, crying and begging him:

“I was wrong, I shouldn’t have caused trouble. The child was innocent, it was a human life…”

“Hoắc Minh Thâm, I beg you, please let me give birth to the child. After I give birth, I will take it away and it won’t be an eyesore to you all…”

But no matter how much I begged, it was useless. Huo Ming Shen still took me into the operating room.

The child that was removed was a stillborn baby. It was a girl, who never had the chance to see the world.

I lay on the cold operating table, covering my face, crying and laughing at the same time. I don’t remember exactly how I was discharged from the hospital afterward.

I only remember throwing the already signed divorce agreement onto the chair in the hospital room.

The December wind stung my face. I cradled the poor little creature in my arms and slowly, step by step, walked outside.

Seven years ago I gave in once. This time, never again.

When it came time to have Song Yu undergo surgery, Huo Ming Shen was initially a little hesitant. Eight months had already passed.

He knew very well how much hardship Song Yu had endured for this child. Back then, the doctor said her health wasn’t good and it would be very difficult for her to conceive. When she finally got pregnant, the whole family was overjoyed.

At that moment, he thought, with this child, she would never be able to escape him for the rest of her life. Even if one day she found out about Xiao An, she would endure it for the sake of her child.

But when those photos were leaked, any trace of guilt he felt vanished completely.

Even he didn’t know when those photos were taken. Su Wan Yi couldn’t possibly have released them; she needed to save face. So it could only be Song Yu.

He just wanted to teach her a lesson. So that she would never dare to harm them again.

After the surgery, when Song Yu was wheeled out, her face was frighteningly pale.

He didn’t dare look at the newborn baby, whose skin was already turning purple. The doctor told him it was a girl. He mumbled something in response, not bothering to pay attention to Song Yu’s condition.

Actually, he was a little hesitant to face her.

Tô Vãn Ý approached him and took his arm:

“Minh Thâm, are you alright?”

“Even if Tong Ngoc did something wrong, she’s still your child… Isn’t what you’re doing a bit too cruel…?”

He didn’t answer. Mrs. Huo stood beside him, her eyebrows furrowed.

“My mother promised him ten million yuan, but unexpectedly he’s so stubborn and unrepentant.”

She let out a sigh.

“We can have more children in the future; having Xiao An as our heir is enough for the Huo family.”

“I’ve heard it too, Mom. It’s fine if you’re born a girl. It’s good enough that I have Little An as my grandson.”

Upon hearing the words “heir,” a slight smile involuntarily appeared on Su Wan Yi’s lips.

Huo Ming Shen rubbed his temples, looking around but couldn’t find Song Yu anywhere.

He remembered her kneeling on the ground, begging him. Her face was covered in tears, calling his name repeatedly.

He felt a lump in his throat, but he quickly dismissed the discomfort.

Xiao An ran over and grabbed his hand:

“Dad, no one will bully me anymore.”

The tone was as if Song Yu had been bullying her all along.

Huo Ming Shen patted the child’s head, then looked towards his mother:

“Mom, the doctor said Xiao Yu’s health isn’t good. Even if I don’t force her to abort the baby, it won’t be healthy when it’s born.”

During the screening test, Song Yu was very much looking forward to this child. Therefore, when the baby was found to have a defect, Huo Ming Shen’s first thought was to conceal it to avoid disappointing her.

He didn’t want Song Yu to know about it. If she had actually given birth at that time, he would have found a way to ensure the child grew up healthy. After all, the Huo family wasn’t short of money.

He hugged Su Wan Yi and held Xiao An’s hand.

“Let’s go, let’s go home. This time she’s recognized us, she won’t dare cause any more trouble for anyone.”

Tô Vãn Ý leaned against him, her voice soft:

“Minh Thâm, I never imagined you would go to such lengths for me.”

“I’m fine with whatever happens to me, I just can’t bear to see my son suffer.”

The more understanding she became, the more indebted Huo Ming Shen felt to her.

That night, seven years ago, he really drank too much. That day, his friends were gathered, and someone pointed toward the bar and said to him:

“See? She’s new, young, and clean. She’s only in her early twenties, and her family is struggling, which is why she had to go out to work. So many people want to help her but can’t.”

He watched her, and was immediately captivated by Su Wan Yi.

Those eyes and eyebrows, they’re exactly like Song Yu’s when she was young. In truth, his marriage to Song Yu had long since lost its initial freshness over the years.

He always wanted to try new things. And this time finally gave him an excuse to indulge.

Later, I wanted to break free but couldn’t. On one hand, there was Song Yu at home, with whom I had shared over a decade of affection; abandoning her wouldn’t be worth it, and the bad reputation would spread far and wide, which would be unpleasant to hear.

On one side was Su Wan Yi, gentle and obedient, who never demanded any status.

And so, he spent seven years running back and forth between the two sides.

When Huo Ming Shen arrived home, he couldn’t find Song Yu anywhere.

He just thought she was acting childish and throwing a tantrum like before, so he didn’t bother to pay attention.

After being married for over a decade, both in their thirties, he couldn’t believe Song Yu would actually dare to divorce him over this matter.

But even by late evening, she still hadn’t come home.

Previously, no matter how heated their arguments were, Song Yu had never stayed out all night.

Huo Ming Shen sat listlessly on the sofa, not even noticing when Xiao An came to stand beside him.

“Dad, I want to sleep with you and Mom tonight.”

The child hugged the stuffed animal, tugging at his shirt hem. The three of them had slept together before, but today, Huo Ming Shen suddenly felt reluctant.

“Be a good girl, go to bed with Mommy. Daddy is busy tonight.”

Tô Vãn Ý happened to overhear these words.

“Minh Thâm, are you still worried about Tống Ngọc? If you don’t want to, Tiểu An and I won’t bother you.”

Tô Vãn Ý sighed, stroking the child’s hair: “Xiao An, don’t make your father uncomfortable.”

Previously, if she just showed this kind of humility, Huo Ming Shen would give in to anything. Su Wan Yi thought it would be the same this time.

“You and your daughter go to sleep first. I’ll figure things out after I finish my work.”

But this time, he yielded to her request, making an excuse to leave, and turned to go straight into the study.

Huo Mingchen sat on the chair, opened his phone, and searched for Song Yu’s number. His finger hovered above the screen for a long time without pressing the button.

He went in and out seven or eight times before finally deciding to make the call.

Once. Twice.