My Alleged Husband

Old Master Zhang was once again infuriated by his son. How could a child speak to his own father like this and still brazenly justify himself? Was it really so hard for him to admit his wrongdoing to his father? What did he, as a father, truly mean in his son’s heart? What more must he do for his son to understand the painstaking love of a father? He had given so much for him, and yet in the end, his son was so ungrateful that it caught him completely off guard. He could not reconcile with it. How had things come to this point, where his family, who could have lived happily together, became so pitiful and numb?

”Dad, do you really want to throw out your own son? Do you really have the heart to cast me out? Our family could have lived happily, but why has it come to this? Why have we become so numb? You always think it’s my fault, that all the mistakes are mine alone. But have you ever considered your own actions? Are you not afraid of hurting me, your son, with your actions? Even in the army, no matter how many mistakes I made, I have always been your son—a fact that cannot be changed in this lifetime. Don’t you know that? Our blood ties will never change, and even if you don’t acknowledge me, we’ll always be family, for your blood flows through me!”

Upon hearing his son’s words, Old Master Zhang found it almost laughable. So, his son remembered that he had his father’s blood in him after all. He knew of their blood ties. But then, why did his actions seem so unlike what a son should do toward his father? Why did he repeatedly test his father’s limits and hurt him? Did he want to leave his father covered in scars? Despite everything, he was still his father. Was his behavior fitting for his mother, who had been gone for many years?

”Don’t you think it’s funny to speak to me like this? Do you even regard me as your father? Are these words, these actions, fair to me? Are they fair to your mother, who has been gone so long? She must be suffering in the underworld. If she knew that the son she struggled to give birth to was so ungrateful, do you think she would be in peace? She would rather not have had a son, just to be alive. But for you, she chose to give up her life to bring you into this world, to let you experience the beauty of society. Yet, in the end, she found her son to be rebellious and disrespectful. As your mother, even in death, I would not rest in peace, having borne such an unfilial son. The pain is indescribable, a pain only I am privy to, because your mother begged me to ensure your survival, to bring you into this world. But the result has filled me with so much hatred. Had I known you would be so unfilial, I never would have listened to your mother and brought you into this world to cause your mother to lose her precious life. Because of you, so many have suffered, yet they chose to forgive you. But not once did you consider whether your own actions were right or wrong. You always act on impulse. Are you always correct? Each step you take, are they all without error? You will never understand how much those people care about you. The people you hurt are those who love you the most, those who treat you like family. And one day, when everyone is gone, you will realize that you’ve lost not just a relative, but the entire world that loved you. No one else will ever love you as much as they did, but you will never comprehend what that feels like. When you truly lose everything, you’ll understand that everything you’ve done was wrong. That moment will be the most painful and tormenting of your life. I am waiting for that day, to witness your comeuppance, to see how my rebellious and bullying son ends up...”

”So, my own father has always been thinking about how I will get my comeuppance, how everyone will condemn me, right? Do you even care about your son? Today, you force me from this house, but rest assured, I will leave and never have anything to do with the Zhang family again. No matter what happens to the Zhangs, I will never return, nor set foot here again. This place suffocates me, this place where I cannot feel love. Even the dearest relative, my father, wants to throw me out. Can you imagine how deep my hurt is?”

”Remember, the outcome of all this is not caused by others, but by yourself. Every path was of your own choosing. Now, what right do you have to resent others? Shouldn’t you be responsible for the path you’ve chosen? One day, you’ll have to pay for the sins you’ve committed, to face dire consequences. Every step you’ve taken has been calculated, manipulating those who care about and love you. Since that’s the case, you might as well leave. Then you can joyfully wander the world without worrying about me wanting you back!”

”Just leave...” Zhentian said and then left.