My Alleged Husband

I really never thought you could be such a vengeful person. Had I known you are so spiteful, I would have never let you marry my son. You made my son indifferent to his relatives—I truly don’t understand. Is he still my son? He’s become so ruthless and callous, not considering my feelings as a father at all. He’s no longer the son I used to know, and it’s all because of your arrival that things have become utterly uncontrollable. I really don’t understand why you had to come into our family’s life. Do you think you’re comfortable with this in your heart? Don’t you think your actions are too much, causing us such embarrassment? Every single thing you do makes things very difficult for us.

”Dad, are you saying that it’s my fault your son has turned into what he is now? Have you never considered why he has become like this today? Each step he takes is so hard; he treads so wearily, afraid that if he isn’t careful, he will be abandoned again by the people he cares about. He’s human, after all. He knows the pain in his heart. He’s not a puppet. He has a soul and thoughts in his head. He remembers every word he said, he’s very clear about the things he’s done, and he knows whether they should be done.”

”But he doesn’t even acknowledge me, his own father, anymore. Does that have nothing to do with you? He was never like this before, but now he’s become such a person. Who do you think is to blame? Could it really be that I, his father, raised him to be this way? Are you trying to push all the responsibility onto his grandfather? When you do something, you should learn to take responsibility for it. Why do you always deny it? Do you think by doing so, others will believe you? Do you think every word I’ve said is true?”

Ran Zhihan truly did not expect her father to say such things to her. It turns out that it was not as simple as she had imagined. She had intended to verbally reject him first, then secretly help him, so as not to be discovered by her husband. This way, there would be no rift between them as a married couple. Now she understood that this approach was of no benefit to her. No matter how she wanted to help her father, in his eyes, she would always be the woman who corrupted his son by any means necessary. She would never understand her pain. She was expected to follow her husband’s lead in all things upon marriage, wasn’t she? She couldn’t just do the opposite of what was expected and make it hard for him to hold his head up in front of others, right?

”Dad, you can say whatever you want about this matter. No matter what you say, I still stand by my words: ’When you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, you follow the dog.’ I married your son, so I will certainly obey his every decision and support him. I can’t just act contrary without consideration. Otherwise, what difference would there be between us and enemies? You know, when you treat the right person as not your spouse, it truly feels like they are an enemy. Only enemies act in such opposing ways, growing further apart, with no way back. I don’t want to have such a relationship with my husband. It would be so tiring. He is the man I love so dearly; how can I allow him to suffer so much for a decision I make and let it all go ’Dong Liu’?”

”When you do these things, do you truly believe you are without guilt in your heart? Do you not feel that your actions hurt not just me, but also other family members who love you and look forward to living together with us? I know you also think about your husband and your grandfather when you make these decisions, but did you ever consider that your mother and I also hope to be by your side and accompany you both?”

”Honestly, no matter what you say to me, I feel no guilt for any of the decisions or sacrifices I’ve made up until today because, in my view, I truly want to live together with my family. With them by my side, my life is more perfect, more fulfilling. It’s because of them that I have become what I am today. They are the ones who have brought me to this point, making me understand that true affection does exist in this world.”

”Do you truly believe you are without guilt? Will your actions not cause heartache for your husband? Won’t your grandfather feel pain in his heart? You are also selfish and fear that our return might cause disputes with you, so you fear me coming back. Your heart is just as selfish. When have you ever considered the feelings of others? Don’t always think that your mother and I are selfish. In fact, you are no better inside!” Zhang Zhentian knew his daughter-in-law was unwilling to help him, which sparked a fire inside him. He could say anything in his state of confusion, not knowing what he really wanted. He could only rely on her to move forward, never seriously considering the consequences of his next step.

”Even if I am selfish, it’s nothing compared to the selfishness that you and mom have shown. Have the decisions you made ever really taken into account the pain in our hearts? Actually, you are the truly selfish ones in this world. For your own desires and the powers you want, you could abandon your own family. But I would never do that because I know family is most important. It’s only with family that you can obtain everything you want. Without family, so what if you’re wealthy? Is it enjoyable to live the life you want all alone?”

Zhang Zhentian had to admit that he was shaken by what his daughter-in-law had said. Yes, even if he had all the money, what’s the point of living life alone forever? He now knew the pain of living without his wife. He wasn’t happy at all, especially considering all the mistakes he had made before. If he didn’t repent now, his life would truly be over, and his wife would never come back to him. Nor would his father and son ever forgive him.

”I know what I should do now...”

”All you need to do is have a clear conscience.”