My Alleged Husband

Chapter 370: Chapter 350: The Front (Part 1)

Zhang Yichen, who was far away overseas, heard his cellphone start to ring. He picked it up and saw that it was a message from his wife. He felt a pang of sadness when he saw what his wife had written—something so simple had become so complicated. Issues that could have been easily resolved with just a few words had escalated to this extent. He didn’t know how to reply to his wife; maybe not replying was the best response.

Zhentian knew that his son had left home after quarreling with his daughter-in-law, and he felt a bit upset. Could it be that the family conflict started just after they got married? What on earth was going on between the two of them? The more Zhentian thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, so he called Xia Jing.

”Didn’t I tell you already? We shouldn’t contact each other anymore; if we meet, we should act like strangers. Why are you still calling me? What exactly do you want?”

”Don’t start yelling at me, okay? I want to ask you something. Our son and daughter-in-law had a fight, and then our son left home. Did you know about this?”

”Are you kidding me? Do you think I would know if my son and daughter-in-law were fighting and my son ran away from home? I haven’t even seen my son, how am I supposed to know all this? You’re the one who’s always at home, going round and round—don’t you know?”

”I really don’t understand. Why start fighting right after getting married? If that’s the case, why did they get married in the first place? Are they married just to argue with each other? If that’s what marriage is like, they might as well have stayed single and enjoyed life,” Zhentian continued, blaming, ”This is your fine son, this is the good daughter-in-law you picked out, now my son has run away from home, leaving me to wander around the house alone, unable to find anyone. What kind of mother are you, anyway?”

When Xia Jing heard what Zhentian said, it struck a nerve. What did he mean by ”the good son she bore for the family”? Was it wrong for her to bear an heir for the Zhang family?

”Zhentian, make yourself clear, what do you mean by ’the good son I bore’? I found a good daughter-in-law for our son. What are you trying to imply with these words? Did I make a mistake by bearing you a son after ten months of pregnancy, providing an heir for your house? Aren’t you the least bit grateful to me? Are you pushing all the blame onto me? The girl is so kind; even after our previous issues hurt her so many times, she’s been able to forgive us with such generosity. Can’t you support them being together? Are you still trying to stir up trouble and want me to take the fall for you? What have I done to hurt you? Is this how you repay me? After so many years since our divorce, what am I to you?”

”I didn’t call to argue about us. I want to know if you have any idea where our son might have gone. He’s nowhere to be found in the whole world. What are we supposed to do? As a mother, do you only know how to enjoy your easy life abroad without a care? Don’t you ever worry about your son’s safety?”

”For the last time, I don’t know where our son is. It’s been a while since he contacted me, and I haven’t contacted him. What do you mean I don’t care about my son? Do you care? After all the things you’ve done, have you thought about what your son has gone through over these years?” Xia Jing shot back in frustration, accusing him of abandoning her and now facing retribution. ”Why are you trying to pin everything on me, making me bear the blame and the guilt? How can you be so selfish? After all, we were husband and wife for many years; doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

”When did I make you take the fall? Can’t you speak without lashing out? Do you not have to be responsible for your words?” Zhentian replied angrily. ”How can you deny the things you’ve done? Why are you shifting all the blame onto me? You have to own up to your actions. Can you even call yourself an upright person? I don’t know what I saw in you back then—must have been blind.”

”You’re right, you were blind. If not, I wouldn’t have gotten together with you,” Xia Jing retorted bitterly. ”It was when I was blind I followed you, a nobody who never finishes what he starts. You never know what’s important. Do you have the audacity to argue with me now? You’re here arguing with me while our son is missing; shouldn’t you be looking for him instead? Or did you just use that as an excuse to quarrel with me? You don’t need to. If the son is truly missing, you should be out looking for him instead of wasting time here. All this back and forth will get us nowhere.”

”Forget it, a good man doesn’t quarrel with a woman. I don’t even know what to say to a woman like you. It’s unbelievable how I treasured you like a gem back then, and you turned out to be so ungrateful, almost causing my family line to end,” Zhentian lamented bitterly.

”Sorry, Mr. Zhang, I have nothing to say to you. From today on, we are strangers, each on our own path. You need not bother us with any of this; it’s unnecessary. I once genuinely cherished you as the man I loved most, but your betrayal has taught me you’re unreliable. Also, thank you for kicking me out of your life; it has allowed me to lead such a peaceful life now. I’m not worried anymore about how to deal with you because living with you was a daily ordeal. Your abandonment taught me a lot, made me stronger, and showed me that I, Xia Jing, can live without you, Zhang Zhentian,” Xia Jing said with a mixture of bitterness and resolve.

And with that, Xia Jing hung up the phone.