Chapter 2: Chapter 1 Collision_2
By the time they snapped out of their shock, Su Xiaowan had already grabbed her bag and sprinted away.
She didn't want to utter a single word to them, didn't want to lay her eyes on them once more.
Heh, a lover who had stood by her side for ten years, starting from scratch, up till a year ago when they bought a car and a house and got married. How much had Su Xiaowan poured into this family in the form of sweat and effort, why did the reality turn out to be this?
She reminisced every bit of their journey together from their finest years to the present day.
At the age of 15, due to her parents' death, the indifference and greed of her relatives, and her guardianship falling into her uncle's hands, Su Xiaowan was filled with disgust and anger towards the world.
The house and money all fell into their hands. The school she transferred to had a bad academic atmosphere, filled with many hooligans.
Because she was transferred from the downtown area, they all believed Su Xiaowan was rich and constantly bullied her, taking her money. At her uncle's house, there was a never-ending list of chores to do. She was given only their leftovers to eat. In her helpless and desperate state, Yuan Kai appeared.
That year Su Xiaowan was 18 years old and had just entered university. Yuan Kai was bright and wonderful, speaking to her gently. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to her kindly.
He helped Su Xiaowan carry things, introduced her to the school environment, and in the days that followed, he helped Su Xiaowan get breakfast, reserve seats, took her out for outings, treating Su Xiaowan like a precious gem.
That dash of gentleness became the dawn and hope in Su Xiaowan's life, and in order to hold onto that warmth.
Su Xiaowan worked hard every day, seeking part-time jobs, looking for work, earning money. Any part-time jobs available, be they waitressing, handing out flyers, or tutoring, she would strive to secure.
After graduating from college, with her rich working experience and steady demeanor, she found a job she was quite satisfied with. She saved up the money over the years to buy a car and a house and got married.
Just as life was getting better, and she thought things would gradually improve, she received a dreadful shock.
How ridiculous it was. She always believed that the man who had been with her for ten years loved her, but what did she hear?
Heh, because she was capable of earning money? So that's why he'd been reluctantly with her all these years?
Indeed, Yuan Kai didn't love her at all, Su Xiaowan had just been deceiving herself.
From college onwards, it had always been Su Xiaowan earning money and him spending it. There was a time when her colleagues and friends hinted to Su Xiaowan that Yuan Kai might be seeing someone else.
How had she responded then? Oh! She had just smiled and said, "Don't joke around, how could that be? Yuan Kai is not that type of person; we have been together for so many years, I know him."
Heh, sometimes Su Xiaowan didn't understand herself. After so many years of working, she had seen all sorts of people and experienced all kinds of things. Her emotional intelligence wasn't low, or she wouldn't have been promoted to the position of a director. However, she was especially blind when it came to Yuan Kai.
Looking back now, had she truly not noticed anything at the time? Of course, she had, how could she not have? She just didn't want to admit it to herself.
She didn't want to investigate it any further and buried her head in the sand all this while. Was it because she was clinging on to that fleeting warmth? Heh, she could no longer deceive herself!
That man truly did not love her at all!
If he loved her, how could he disregard her hard work? She had not only worked but also took care of the house chores all by herself, with Yuan Kai never lifting a finger to help.
She, Su Xiaowan, was the one who purchased everything for their home. She bought the car, the house, took care of the renovations, and Yuan Kai never played a part in it. He would always tell Su Xiaowan, "You handle it; I trust you."
Because of Yuan Kai's trust, she, Su Xiaowan, spent countless days and nights working endlessly, returning home only to cook for him, playing the role of a virtuous wife and great mother. She was as busy as a spinning top every day, and Yuan Kai never showed a shred of concern for her.
If he loved Su Xiaowan, how could he bring another woman into their home and do something so shameless on their marriage bed?
Moreover, this woman he brought home had another identity, his sister-in-law.
A pair of shameless dogs! He knew better than anyone else the suffering Su Xiaowan had endured in her uncle's home, and how her younger sister, Su Xiaoyun, had been the worst of her tormentors.
She had snatched away all of her beautiful clothes, her doll, her piano, her bag, watch, fountain pen, and even ripped apart and burned her favourite books. She had bullied Su Xiaowan into washing her clothes and denied her meals.
From a young age, her parents had spoiled and loved her. Su Xiaowan, who never had to do any housework, was once an innocent and lively girl who was always spirited, obedient, and well-behaved.
Her parents wanted to mold Su Xiaowan into a young lady, a task she found challenging, but as long as she studied hard and got good grades, excelled in her dance and music classes, she would win her parents' approval. Everything seemed perfect.
However, moving into her uncle's house felt like descending from heaven into hell. An originally innocent and lively girl was left bereft of care and comfort after losing her parents, forced to face her aunt's scolding, accusations, and even physical punishment. This caused Su Xiaowan to become increasingly silent.
After enduring three years of torment, a lively and cute girl became shy, timid and hypersensitive.
It was only after she worked hard and consistently that she received recognition from her supervisors and colleagues that she began to regain her confidence.
Only, her cheerfulness and liveliness had disappeared, replaced by a quiet and introverted demeanor. She had embodied her parents' expectations and become a true lady.
It was precisely this character of hers that made her seem steady and responsible in her leaders' eyes, leading them to value her even more. Hence, she proceeded further down the path of taciturn and focused hard work.
Two years ago, Su Xiaoyun came seeking her help. Due to her poor academic performance, she graduated from a third-tier college.
Su Xiaoyun, her younger sister by two years, not studying diligently, skipping school, and repeating a year, in the end, could only enter a vocational school.
She never held down a stable job even years after graduation, and now found it difficult to secure a job.
Unable to bear the verbal lashes from her aunt any longer, she had no choice but to turn to Su Xiaowan, who found her a position in the sales department under Yuan Kai. It was unexpected that she would find this very cousin in her bed today.
How could there be such shameless people in this world, such ungrateful people, such cliched stories existed only in TV dramas? She never thought she would be a part of one.
Her chest felt like it was about to explode, inhaling gulps of air. Why did it have to be like this?
How could the world be so unjust? Her parents were gone, her warm home was no more, everything that should have belonged to her was seized by her uncle's family, and now even her man was taken away from her.
Why? Why is it like this? Is it because she's timid, weak, and easy to bully?
Come bully her! All come and bully her! Was it wrong for her to have a kind heart? Was it wrong for her to work hard to earn money?
What was wrong with being a virtuous wife and a good mother? Why didn't those who did wrong get struck by lightning, and instead live such luxurious lives? Why did she, who was kind-hearted, live such a wretched life?
Why? Why? Suddenly, the plane started to descend rapidly. An announcement came over the intercom, "Dear passengers, the plane is experiencing turbulence due to strong air currents, please..." The announcement was intermittent, and the sudden drop made it difficult for anyone to hear clearly.
It was during that moment before she lost consciousness that Su Xiaowan thought, "If there's a next life, I will not live so pathetically. I'll love myself, and make everyone who has ever bullied me, pay heavily. Even if it means becoming a villain, I would rather live a carefree and liberated life.".