Chapter 6

I work as an academic affairs coordinator at a training center and earn a little over 6,000 yuan a month.

The children have been in my care since birth. I handle everything involving school, hospitals, extracurricular classes, parent meetings—all of it.

But those everyday caregiving tasks are hard to turn into pages of evidence.

My lawyer told me to gather the children’s birth certificates, payment receipts, pickup and drop-off records, and medical files.

I took more than ten folders out of the cabinet.

Every one was labeled with dates.

In the past, Zhao Ming had laughed at me when he saw them.

He said I meddled in everything and kept paperwork for every little thing at home.

As I spread the records out that day, I realized that for twelve years I had kept every important moment in the children’s lives—just not the grievances I had suffered myself.

Zhao Ming’s lawyer contacted me soon after.

The other side was polite, but every sentence was an attack.

“Mr. Zhao believes the children’s long-term exposure to their mother’s overly rigid parenting has made them increasingly distant from their father, which is harmful to their development.”

“The children are distant from him because he only eats with them once a week.”

“Mr. Zhao is busy with work.”

“So am I.”

“Mr. Zhao can provide better financial conditions.”

“How much does he contribute to the household each month?”

The other lawyer did not answer.

I hung up and opened the household-spending app.

After payday, Zhao Ming regularly transferred 5,000 yuan to me.

The mortgage had been paid off long ago. The rest went toward the children’s daily expenses.

Whenever he took out extra money, it was spent on Zhao Xue’s family.

Last year, when Zhao Xue’s daughter needed tutoring, Zhao Ming sent her 20,000 yuan.

The year before, when Zhao Xue bought a car, he contributed 80,000 yuan.

Zhao Ming also always paid my mother-in-law’s monthly living expenses.

Those transfers were enough to show that much of his supposed financial capacity rested on my carrying the household expenses.

That evening, Zhao Ming came home carrying two cakes the children liked.

Zhao Nian didn’t take one.

“Dad, did you file for custody of us?”

Zhao Ming’s hand stopped in midair.

“Who told you?”

“Mom’s lawyer called her.”

Zhao Ming looked over at me.

“You told them about this?”

“This concerns the children. They have a right to know what they may have to face.”

“You’re using the children to deal with me.”

Zhao Hang picked up his backpack.

“We want to live with Mom.”

Zhao Ming crouched in front of the twins.

“Dad can take care of you too.”

Zhao Nian asked, “Can you cook?”

Zhao Ming didn’t answer.

Zhao Hang asked, “Do you know what time I get out of school every day?”

Zhao Ming pressed his lips together.

“I can learn.”

Zhao Nian wrapped both arms around me.

“We don’t want to live at Grandma’s.”

That evening, my mother-in-law called. The moment she heard Zhao Nian’s voice, she snatched the phone away.

“You ungrateful children! I’ve loved you for nothing!”

Zhao Nian was so frightened she hung up.

Zhao Ming looked at me.

“You’re letting her hang up on Grandma like that?”

“Your mother scolded the children, and you expect them to apologize?”

“Mom is just upset.”

“Does being upset give her the right to take it out on a child?”

Zhao Ming took out an agreement.

“Mom and I discussed it. If you add my name to the property deed, we’ll drop the custody issue.”

I looked at the agreement.

“When did you discuss this?”

“Today.”

“So you filed for custody to get the house?”

Zhao Ming’s expression changed.

“I only want to give the children a complete family.”

“If I add your name to the deed, your mother can move in and Zhao Xue can come and go whenever she wants. That’s what you call a complete family?”

“Don’t assume everyone is as malicious as you are.”

I tore the agreement in half.

Zhao Ming snatched the remaining pieces from my hand.

“You’ll regret this.”

“You’ve all said that so many times already.”

He slammed the door and left.

That night, my mother called.

She asked what I planned to do.

I told her I wanted a divorce.

She fell silent for a long time.

“Wanqing, the children are still young. Raising two alone will be very difficult.”

“I know.”

“Zhao Ming may be too blind when it comes to being filial to his mother, but he hasn’t treated you badly in other ways.”

“He’s trading my house for a place for his mother to retire.”

My mother sighed.

“Think it through carefully.”

“I already have.”

The next day, I went with my lawyer to file for divorce.

After receiving the notice, Zhao Ming did not come to see me.

But my mother-in-law posted a long message in the family group.

She said that I had been married into the Zhao family for twelve years, had only given birth to two children, and had failed to fulfill my duties as a daughter-in-law.

She said I was occupying the marital home and forcing an elderly woman to wander the streets.