Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 330 The Wounded Woman 2

Hu Lijin continued, "I pointed at Zhou Tianming and scolded him: You're not helpless, you're selfish!"

You want a son, but you don't want to lose me as your wife; you want to carry on the family line, but you don't want to be stigmatized by divorce.

You want to have your cake and eat it too. You want me to stay at that house while this woman has your babies. You're fucking cunning!

"My voice was too loud, and the child in the woman's arms was frightened and started crying loudly again."

The woman quickly patted the child's back and whispered soothingly, "Don't cry, don't cry, baby, don't be afraid..."

The child, crying and crying, suddenly cried out, "Daddy, hug me!"

That cry of "Daddy, hug me!" felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over my head.

I stood there, stunned, watching the child reach out his little hand, wanting a hug from Zhou Tianming.

Zhou Tianming stood there, motionless, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

The woman quickly hugged the child tightly and whispered, "Daddy has something to do, Mommy will hold you..."

As I watched this scene, I felt a mix of emotions. Suddenly, I shouted, "Go and hug him! Your son is calling you. Are you deaf?"

Zhou Tianming looked at me, his eyes pleading: Lijing…

I yelled: I told you to go and hug him!

Zhou Tianming took the child from the woman's arms.

The child stopped crying as soon as he was in his arms, hugged his neck, and buried his face in his shoulder.

He stood there holding the child, not daring to look at me or the woman, just frozen there.

I looked at the three of them—he was holding the child, and the woman was standing beside him with her hand on the child's back. What a perfect family of three.

I suddenly laughed, not a happy laugh, but a cold laugh:

Zhou Tianming, what a wonderful family of three!

The way you hold your son is so natural and practiced.

Then, I turned around, walked to the TV cabinet, and picked up the picture frames.

One photo shows Zhou Tianming holding his son and feeding pigeons in a park, his eyes squinting with laughter.

One of the photos shows the woman with a large pregnant belly, and Zhou Tianming squatting beside her, touching her belly with an expectant look on his face.

There is also a group photo of the three of them. Zhou Tianming is holding his son, and the woman is holding his arm and leaning on his shoulder.

I held up the photo frame and waved it at Zhou Tianming: "Zhou Tianming, these photos are really well taken! What a sweet family! What are you thinking when you see me after taking these photos?"

He didn't say anything. I threw the picture frame on the ground.

The glass shattered, and shards were scattered all over the floor.

The woman screamed, and the child was frightened and started crying again, clinging to Zhou Tianming's shoulder and sobbing loudly.

Zhou Tianming finally spoke, angrily saying, "Lijing! That's enough!"

I looked at the familiar stranger in front of me and sneered: Zhou Tianming, let me tell you, this is just the beginning!

I grabbed the baby bottle from the coffee table and smashed it on the floor.

He then grabbed the children's water cups and smashed them on the ground one after another.

He grabbed a toy from the sofa and smashed it against the wall.

He grabbed whatever he could see that belonged to the family and smashed it, one by one.

The woman was so frightened that she grabbed her child and hid in the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Zhou Tianming stood there, wanting to stop me but not daring to, just watching me go crazy.

I'd smashed enough. I squatted in the messy living room and cried my heart out.

He stood to the side, looking at me blankly.

Finally, I spoke: "Zhou Tianming, listen carefully. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Bring your ID card and household registration booklet, we're going to complete the divorce procedures."

He paused for a moment, then asked: Tomorrow?

I said, word by word: Yes, tomorrow! I don't want to wait any longer, not even a day!

I waited for you for ten years, and this is the result! I won't wait for you for another day!

He opened his mouth and said in a pleading tone: Lijing, can we talk again?

I sneered: "What are we going to talk about? How will you continue to lie to me? How will I accept your illegitimate child? Zhou Tianming, do you think that's possible?"

He stopped talking.

I said again: Zhou Tianming, this woman gave birth to your son, and you rent a place for her to live in. How can you do this to her?

As husband and wife, I don't want to push things too far!

The house in Longcheng was bought with our money, so you can keep it. After our divorce, you can give her the status she deserves!

Our savings are all in my name, and all this money belongs to me!

After the divorce, we are strangers, and we will keep to ourselves!

Zhou Tianming stood there, head down, saying nothing.

I stared at him and said it again: Tomorrow at nine o'clock, do you hear me?

He finally raised his head, looked at me, and his eyes were filled with tears: "Lijing, I know I was wrong, I'm sorry." But what could I say now?

These words are more hurtful than anything else.

He didn't ask for my forgiveness, didn't say he still loved me, and didn't say he wanted to win me back.

He simply said, "What can I say now that things have come to this?"

Yes, what can he say now? It's no use saying anything.

He lied to me for four years, kept it from me for four years, and had a child with another woman.

In these four years, every time he spent with me, every time he texted me saying he missed me, every time he played the role of a good husband in front of me, it was all fake, it was all an act.

What can he say now?

I looked at him and suddenly felt like a stranger.

The man I've loved for ten years, the man I thought would be with me for a lifetime, now stands before me, and he seems so unfamiliar!

I stood up and said one last thing:

Zhou Tianming, my biggest regret over the past ten years is believing you. You said you loved me, and I believed you!

You said you didn't care about not having children, and I believed you!

You said you'd find a way to transfer me to Longcheng, and I believed you!

I believed everything you said, and this is what I got in return! You'd better watch yourself from now on!

I opened the door and went outside!

He didn't try to stop me.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. As the elevator slowly descended, I leaned against the wall and finally burst into tears!

It's not sadness, it's relief.

Ten years have passed, and it's finally over!

The room fell silent, save for Hu Lijin's suppressed sobs.

Wu Zhiyuan didn't interrupt her; he just sat quietly opposite her and handed her a tissue to wipe her tears.

He knew that at this moment, what Hu Lijing needed was not grand principles, not sympathy, and certainly not a man who would take advantage of her vulnerability, but a trustworthy listener.

The spring rain was still falling, pattering against the windowpane.

It took a long time for Hu Lijing to calm down.

She wiped away her tears, raised her head, forced a smile, and said somewhat awkwardly, "County Chief Wu, I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now."

Don't take those words and actions to heart. Just think of it as a woman heartbroken in love acting impulsively.

Wu Zhiyuan said, "Sister Hu, you're telling me all this because you trust me. Thank you for your trust."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "Mayor Hu, there's something I need to tell you. County Chief Ding wants a woman to be the director of the county government office, and she asked for my opinion. I recommended you to her."

"County Chief Ding specifically asked you to come along on this inspection trip, wanting to observe your abilities and performance up close. This is a very good opportunity."

Hu Lijing raised her head and looked at Wu Zhiyuan with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude and surprise: "County Chief Wu, thank you for your kindness and for your recommendation."

However, I'm afraid I'm not qualified for this position, and I don't want to go.

Wu Zhiyuan was somewhat surprised: "Why? Because of Zhou Tianming's matter? This is a completely different matter from work."

Moreover, a change of environment, going to the county, might help you start a new life.

Hu Lijing took a sip of water and said slowly, "County Chief Wu, if you had told me this news before, I would have jumped for joy."

The director of the county government office—that's a position that many people would never even dream of.

Moreover, many people dream of being transferred to the city. Upon arriving in Qingshan County, the distance to Longcheng City is reduced by another twenty kilometers.

But now, none of that matters to me anymore.

This is how my life is going to be. No children, no husband, no home, what else do I want?

Why am I working so hard? Why am I climbing the ladder? Who am I climbing for?

Hu Lijing's eyes reddened again, but this time she held back her tears.

"County Chief Wu, as you know, my hometown is Xindian Town."

My parents are getting older, so I'm staying in Xindian Town to work, which makes it easier for me to see and take care of them. It would be less convenient if I moved to the county seat.

My mother is in poor health; she has high blood pressure and diabetes.

I often go back to see them, bring them medicine and food, and talk to them.

My mom keeps nagging me, saying I'm too busy with work and shouldn't keep coming home, as it's interfering with my work.

But I know that every time I go back, she's as happy as if it's New Year's Day, preparing my favorite dishes in advance and talking to me endlessly.

Hu Lijing finally couldn't hold back her tears, which fell silently: "Over the years, I've always felt that I'm still young and have plenty of time to spend with them."

I need to focus on my career first, climb the ladder, and then take good care of them once I'm stable.

But now they suddenly realize that they can't wait any longer.

They're in their sixties, and their health is declining day by day. I don't know how many more years I have left to spend with them.

Hu Lijing wiped away her tears and continued, "County Chief Wu, there's one more thing I haven't told anyone else."

My inability to have children is my problem. It's congenital and incurable.

This is why, despite his parents' constant urging, Zhou Tianming kept saying he didn't care.

I used to think that he really didn't care.

Now I realize that he wasn't indifferent; he just changed his approach to solving the problem.

So, County Chief Wu, you see, I'll never have my own children in this lifetime. That's fate, and I accept it.

But that's precisely why I want to spend more time with my parents.

They are the only people in this world who truly love me. I can't wait until I lose them to regret it.