The 99th Divorce

“Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?”

A vaguely distant yet familiar phrase.

Shen Manting opened her eyes and stared at him.

It’s a form of psychological disorder.

The syndrome is characterized by the abused victim developing distorted feelings of emotional attachment, dependence, and even romantic love for the abuser.

Shen Manting used to think of it as an extremely perverted mentality.

She still thought the same now.

But the thought had only struck her when Shen Luo’an mentioned it.

She was astounded for a moment and gave a dry laugh. “Your propensity for daydreaming is so impressive that it exceeded my expectations.”

Shen Luo’an wasn’t angered by her words.

He quickly rose to his feet, holding the infant in his arms.

The infant was awake. He did not cry; he merely blinked at him.

He handed the baby over to Shen Manting and said, “I’ll ask Aunt Lin to deliver some food.”

“Don’t bother.” Shen Manting took the baby from him. “Let’s settle this once and for all.”

“Forget it.” Shen Luo’an’s expression turned dark. “Aunt Lin’s daughter is about to give birth soon. She won’t be by our side forever to take care of us. Ideally, we’ll return to the capital in a few days and collect our certificate from the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

“You want to marry me?” Her pale face appeared shocked. This had never crossed Shen Manting’s mind.

Marry him?

Hmph.

She wouldn’t even have dreamed of it!

“My child needs a mother.”

Shen Manting was close to bellowing, “He’s my child!”

Shen Luo’an studied her face for a long time. Then he uttered slowly, word by word, “He needs a father, too.”

He was unexpectedly calm.

She thought he would be furious.

Shen Manting laughed bitterly. She asserted her stand, spitting out every word through gritted teeth with a determined gaze. “There’s no way I’m going to marry you, Shen Luo’an.”

Shen Luo’an didn’t answer her and turned around to make a phone call.

He requested Aunt Lin to deliver food to them and hung up.

Shen Manting was cradling the infant. She remained silent for a while, then lifted her blouse to feed the infant.

Nobody spoke another word.

The air was still for a moment.

Shen Luo’an didn’t lose his temper. She wasn’t in the mood to make a fuss.

But the uneasy silence made her feel even more miserable.

The situation shouldn’t have ended up like this.

She felt the urge to make Shen Luo’an lose his temper. Then she would have a reason to leave with the baby and never see him ever again.

She wanted the child. This man, however, was not a good match for her.

The infant soon fell asleep after the feeding.

“The drip solution has been used up.” Shen Luo’an looked up at the bag hanging over her head and rang the call bell.

The nurse came and removed the needle. Shen Manting rested for a while and said, “Tell Aunt Lin not to come.”

“It’s not over yet.”

Shen Luo’an looked at her. “Haven’t you realized your mood has become very unstable? I suspect you’ve fallen into postpartum depression. We’ll consult a psychiatrist.”

“Is this some new tactic?” Shen Manting looked at him with her baby in her arms. “You want the doctor to declare me mentally ill and unfit to care for the child so that you can take him away, am I right?”

Shen Manting felt that her suspicions were logically sound.

Shen Luo’an’s expression darkened. He scoffed, “Looks like you’re not only depressed, you’re also becoming delusional!”

Shen Manting didn’t speak. She simply glared at him with her cold gaze.

Shen Luo’an suppressed his anger and said, “If I had really wanted to snatch the baby away back then, I could’ve done it right after you gave birth. At that time, you were at your weakest. You wouldn’t have had the strength to resist if I carried out the deed.”

“I would have died…”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t do that.” Shen Luo’an interrupted her impatiently in a harsh tone. “I’d have a better chance later. When you’re asleep, I’ll take the baby away quietly. Would you even notice?”

Shen Manting felt a chill coursing through her. The thought of the deed terrified her!