Chapter 6

“Of course I know.” Lin Wanqiu took another set of documents from her folder. “This is evidence of your affair with Xu Qingya. Since June, you’ve booked hotel rooms together thirty-seven times. There are twenty-three transfers totaling eighty-six thousand yuan. And she’s four months pregnant. The baby is yours.”

Zhou Jianguo went completely pale.

Wang Xiufen recovered enough to point at Wanqiu.

“You’re lying! My son would never do such a thing!”

“Mrs. Wang, I have evidence for all of it.” Wanqiu pushed the documents to the center of the table. “See for yourself.”

Xiufen picked them up with trembling hands, turned a few pages, then flung them to the floor.

“Even if it’s true, you drove him to it! If you’d quit sooner and stayed home to take care of him like a good wife, why would he have gone looking for someone else?”

Wanqiu looked at her mother-in-law and suddenly laughed.

“So you think it’s the wife’s fault when her husband cheats?”

“You haven’t been a good wife!” Xiufen pointed at her. “You’re out every day. You don’t care about the house. I’ve raised Ningning myself! What right do you have to demand custody?”

“I’m his mother.” Wanqiu stood. “Mrs. Wang, having a job doesn’t mean the law will take my child away. I have a stable income, a home of my own, and comprehensive evidence that Jianguo is unfit to raise him.”

She turned to her husband.

“Starting tomorrow, your bank accounts will be frozen, and the house will be placed under a preservation order. If you won’t agree to a divorce, I’ll sue. Then Qingya’s pregnancy will become public, too. It’s your choice.”

Jianguo stared at her. For the first time, she saw fear in his eyes.

“Wanqiu, let’s talk this through…”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She picked up her bag. “I’m taking Ningning with me. I’ll be spending the New Year holiday at my parents’. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

She went into the bedroom, picked up her sleeping son, and put his coat on him.

Jianguo followed.

“You can’t take him!”

“Why not?” Holding Ningning, she faced him. “Do you want me to call the police? I have enough evidence to make sure you leave this marriage with nothing.”

He froze.

Wanqiu carried her son out. Behind her came Xiufen’s sobbing and shouting, and the sound of Jianguo smashing things.

She didn’t look back.

In the taxi, the driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“Taking your little one out this late over New Year? Where are you off to?”

“My parents’.” She held Ningning tightly. “Please hurry.”

It was nearly ten when she arrived. Her parents were still awake and looked startled to see her carrying her son.

“Wanqiu? What happened?”

She laid Ningning on the sofa, turned, and threw her arms around her mother. At last, the tears came.

“Mom, I want a divorce.”

Her mother paused, then hugged her tightly.

“All right. I’m with you.”

That night, Wanqiu told her parents everything that had happened over the years. Her father listened, then remained silent for a long time.

“You should have done this long ago,” he finally said.

On the first morning of the Lunar New Year, the court had not yet reopened, but Jiang Xiaofei sent a message.

“Mrs. Zhou, the asset preservation measures have taken effect. His accounts are frozen, and the house is under a preservation order. He called me first thing this morning and said he wanted to talk to you.”

“Tell him to wait,” Wanqiu replied. “I’m in no hurry.”

On the third day of the holiday, Jianguo could wait no longer. He came straight to her parents’ home.

Her father blocked the doorway.

“Mr. Lin, I want to talk to Wanqiu.” Jianguo looked haggard. “Please.”

“What is there to talk about?” her father asked coldly. “Do you think you can justify cheating on her?”

“I was wrong. I really know that now.” Jianguo’s voice broke. “Please let me see her. I’ll apologize.”

Wanqiu heard him from inside. She didn’t come out.

After about half an hour, he finally gave up. Before leaving, he called out, “Wanqiu, I’ll wait for you.”

On the sixth day of the holiday, the court reopened, and Wanqiu formally filed for divorce.

The hearing took place in mid-February.

Jianguo had hired a lawyer to fight for the property and their son.

“Your Honor,” his lawyer said, “although Mr. Zhou bears some responsibility for the breakdown of this marriage, he has stable employment and the means to support the child. In recent years, he and his mother have been the child’s primary caregivers. Ms. Lin has been occupied with her work for long periods and has neglected her son. She is unsuitable to have custody.”

Jiang Xiaofei rose.

“Your Honor, I have evidence.”