UM CH 18

Chapter 18

After all this chaos, I was completely exhausted, body and soul. All I could hope for was to get divorced as soon as possible, to get far away from that disgusting family.

On the way home, Tang Li quietly followed behind me.

I wasn’t unaware of it—I just didn’t want to look back.

I was afraid that if I did, all my courage would vanish.

Tang Li walked behind me, stopping and going, until he saw me enter the house, and only then did he leave.

I slid down against the door and collapsed onto the floor, completely drained of energy.

Tears slipped uncontrollably from the corners of my eyes. No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop them.

Meng Yanshuang, what are you still hoping for? You no longer have the right to be disappointed.

I sat there in the dark all night. At dawn, there was a loud banging on the door.

The sound was so loud that the floor seemed to shake.

Along with the knocking came my mother-in-law’s booming voice: “Meng Yanshuang! I know you’re home! Open the door right now!”

I trembled but pushed myself up against the wall and took a deep breath.

You can’t avoid the things you must face forever.

I opened the door, and before I could even speak, my parents-in-law pushed their way into the room.

My mother-in-law asked coldly, “I heard you want a divorce from Yu Jin?”

I clenched my fists and nodded, saying firmly, “Yes! I want a divorce from him!”

She raised her hand and slapped me. I couldn’t dodge it in time and was hit squarely, my head buzzing.

Her shrill curses pierced my head along with the ringing: “What sin did our Yu family commit to marry such an unclean woman? And now you even dare to ask for a divorce from Yu Jin!”

I shook my head, trying to steady myself, and smiled coldly. “Why can’t I ask for a divorce? Weren’t you unhappy that I wasn’t a virgin? Isn’t this divorce exactly what you wanted?”

When I said that, only heaven knew how much it hurt—like my heart was splitting apart.

She raised her hand again, about to slap me, and said, “Our Yu family spent so much money to buy you! How dare you ask for a divorce whenever you like!”

“You little tramp, you even dared to have someone hit Yu Jin. You’ve never known how precious my son is.”

“I couldn’t bear to hit him myself. How dare you!”

I was forced to step back, but after being slapped once, there was no way I would be hit a second time.

The word “buy” stung me even more. I glared at her fiercely, grabbed her wrist, and pushed her back a few steps. “I am human! Not an animal! You keep opening your mouth with ‘buy this, buy that’—you’re truly disgusting!”

“What’s wrong with hitting him? Didn’t he hit me first? Who isn’t a treasure to their parents? He is, and so am I!”

My mother-in-law widened her eyes, seemingly not expecting me to fight back. “Meng Yanshuang, have you grown wings now? You dare to strike back?”

“I’m telling you, if we’re getting a divorce, fine. But the hundred ‘bride price’ that the Yu family paid, you will return every single cent to me!”

I felt a bitter irony. Surely she knew she didn’t have the ability to return the bride price, right?

After all, the bride price wasn’t in her hands to begin with.

But just the thought of being able to leave this disgusting family without hesitation made me immediately agree, “Fine! I’ll return it!”

However, unreasonable people remain unreasonable, even when things go their way.

My mother-in-law’s voice grew louder. “Meng Yanshuang, have you been planning all along to divorce our Yu Jin? Is that why you’re causing such a scene?”

My father-in-law, cold-faced, added, “Maybe you’re just trying to scam the Yu family’s bride price. Shameless!”

I felt that these two were utterly irrational. “I’ve already said I’ll return the bride price. What more do you want?”

She got even angrier. “Old man, hold her down! This little tramp really has no good intentions!”

At that, I saw a slap coming straight at me.

It hit my face heavily, making my head spin and my vision blur.

Before I could recover, my mother-in-law used brute force to throw me to the ground.

She punched and kicked me.

My father-in-law wasn’t holding back either, pressing down on me with all his strength, making it impossible for me to move.