The 99th Divorce

Tears poured down Shen Manting’s cheeks as soon as she stepped out of the house.

Shen Luo’an’s every word pierced her heart like a blade.

She had to admit that she had abandoned her child.

She had the heart to leave her baby behind in her bid to escape the clutches of Shen Luo’an.

Meanwhile, Shen Luo’an had evidently cared well for the infant.

He looked healthy and well-fed. If she had kept him by her side, he might not have turned out as well as he did now.

She had to fend for herself and survive.

Hence, she had to work hard and earn a living for herself first.

Shen Manting’s resolve was swayed when Shen Luo’an asked her to stay and take care of the infant.

But she instinctively rejected him, as though out of habit.

Back then, she would have convinced herself that she behaved so because she feared Shen Luo’an’s cruel ways.

But after spending time with him during her confinement and meeting up with him later on, Shen Manting had calmed down significantly in his presence.

She no longer tensed up in fear when meeting Shen Luo’an.

It was because…

Shen Manting couldn’t even identify the reason.

She seemed to have lapsed into the habit of avoiding Shen Luo’an and turning down his requests.

Upon realizing this, Shen Manting chuckled to herself and uttered, “This is an unhealthy habit.”

It was so unhealthy that she was led to abandon her child.

She returned to her rented room in Tongzhou. The room was dim.

Shen Manting didn’t bother turning on the light. She walked to the mirror and gazed at her reflection. Suddenly, Shen Manting felt oddly uncomfortable with her own image in the mirror.

She looked beautiful.

She was too beautiful to be Shen Manting.

Her phone pinged.

It’s a WeChat notification.

She looked down and retrieved her phone from her bag. It was a message from Xixixi who offered her a job the last time.

Xi Xi Xi: Hello, have you arrived at the capital yet?

Mopy [heart emoji]: Yes, I’m in Tongzhou.

Xi Xi Xi: Good. Please come to No. 89, XX North Road, XX District for an interview tomorrow morning.

Mopy [heart emoji]: OK.

–

When Ye Qianqian saw the message sent by Shen Zhilie, she felt uneasy. “Is it really acceptable to lie to her this way? I think Shen Manting is already downcast enough. If she finds out that all of this amounts to nothing but a scam, will she lose her mind?”

Shen Zhilie shoved the phone back to her and said nonchalantly, “Maybe, but I wasn’t lying when I asked her to come for an interview.”

“You promised her a job in the book marketing department, but look at what you’ve done!” Ye Qianqian spat. “Besides, not only the job offer is different from the one you promised, even the salary and employment benefits are different. If she discovers that we’ve been tricking her, won’t she be furious?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of the salary. But the job is fairly demanding. I don’t know if Sister Manting will be able to cope.”

“How demanding is it?”

“She has to go to work early and leave work quite late.”

“How early and how late?”

“Let’s see… If she lives in Tongzhou, she may have to leave home an hour and a half in advance to catch the subway to work every day.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Ye Qianqian exclaimed in disbelief. “Didn’t you mention that accommodation will be provided for employees in a dormitory? You promised her earlier!”

“Yes, so I’ve rented a dormitory for Yang Ye’s female employees. All of them should have moved in by now.”

“That’s good.” Ye Qianqian felt relieved.

–

The interview went well. Although Shen Manting had some doubts about the job, the salary and employment benefits aligned with those proposed through the WeChat exchanges, so she had few questions.

Shen Manting carried with her only one large backpack when she moved from Tongzhou.

The probation period lasted only three days, during which Shen Manting was kept on her toes with errands that drained her. Nevertheless, she felt a satisfying sense of fulfillment.

However, she received some bad news when she went to work on the fourth day.

It was about her son.