My Alleged Husband

Chapter 1993 - 1787: Shared Worries

Although true empathy doesn’t exist in this world, when two people are together and can share and understand each other’s sorrows, isn’t that a form of happiness?

Old Master Zhang felt that what Xia Jing said made a lot of sense. Although he was extremely reluctant to help his daughter-in-law, he still had to do it. After all, harmony in a family relies on mutual maintenance: "Alright, I will try to persuade him, but I can’t promise what the outcome will be..."

Upon hearing that her father was willing to intervene and persuade her husband, Xia Jing was overjoyed and didn’t care about the result. She happily agreed with her father: "No matter, just stepping in and advising will be enough!"

After Xia Jing and Old Master Zhang hung up the phone, Old Master Zhang immediately called his son, Zhang Zhentian. He told Zhang Zhentian to hurry back home because he had something very important to tell him. When Zhang Zhentian heard his father say there was something important to convey, he put down his work and rushed home, eager to hear whether the news from his father was good or bad.

"Dad, I’m back. Just tell me straight; you called me home so urgently, it must be something very pressing, right?" Zhang Zhentian said.

Old Master Zhang looked at his son who rushed back excitedly. He knew his son was anticipating something, but he couldn’t say what his son wished to hear.

"You haven’t worked for so many years, so why are you so busy today? Can you tell me what exactly you are busy with today?"

Zhang Zhentian didn’t expect his father to start with such a question. He truly didn’t know how to answer it. Frankly, he hadn’t held any job over the years; he also didn’t know how to work, and without any work experience, he was never welcomed anywhere. Besides, he wasn’t busy with work; he was drafting divorce papers. He didn’t want to treat his wife poorly after more than a decade together, so he planned to give her all his assets. He wanted his wife, even if she left him, to live comfortably and without worry.

Seeing his son remain silent, Old Master Zhang sensed that his son was hiding something from him. He said to his son, "Is there something you can’t tell me? Are you hiding something from me?"

When Zhang Zhentian heard his father speak these words, he realized the matter wasn’t simple—it must have been his wife who informed his father. However, how should he handle this now?

"Indeed, I’m not busy with work. I’m preparing the divorce agreements. I want to give all my assets to my wife. She told me that after more than ten years of marriage, I shouldn’t treat her poorly. I want her to live the rest of her life with financial security even after leaving me. I can’t let her feel any grievance!" Zhang Zhentian finally confessed to his father what he was truly busy with.

"Have you really thought it through? After all these years, is the relationship between husband and wife truly so fragile in your eyes? I don’t understand what she did, but I really want to know what kind of issue made you so angry that you could give up on the wife you fought hard to be with. Perhaps old folks like me don’t understand young people’s emotions, but I still hope you can grasp that marriage is not easy to come by; two people staying together for over ten years is even rarer. You should understand that ten years earn you the chance to cross paths together, but a hundred years are needed for a shared intimate life. The marital bond you’ve had over the years is a fate accumulated across many lifetimes; why give up on it over minor issues?" Regardless, Old Master Zhang still wanted his son to continue to live a happy life. No matter what his son did to him, he hoped his son’s marriage wouldn’t end in unhappiness. Maybe that’s what being an elder is like.

Listening to his father’s persistent attempts to persuade him, Zhang Zhentian grew increasingly guilty. Over the past decade, he had not fulfilled any filial responsibilities, nor had he fulfilled the duties of a father. Because of his return, his son and father had suffered numerous harms that he felt incapable of preventing. Without even the most basic ability to protect them, he felt deeply inadequate.

"Please don’t intervene in this matter. This time, she lied to me so extensively that I truly can’t endure it. Do you know how much I fear her being hurt even a little? But to deceive Xiao Wei, she used her own body as collateral for lies. How could I continue to live with such a deceiving wife? Over the years, she has told countless lies, all of which I endured. But today, I can’t endure anymore. Regardless of the lies used to deceive me or others, I could feign ignorance; however, I can’t accept her using her health as part of her deception!"

"So you’re going to abandon your wife of over ten years over this minor matter? Is this the kind of decision a man should make? A man needs a constantly clear head, but can you say you didn’t act impulsively in making this decision? Is there not a hint of regret after deciding this? When you push her away, severing all ties, won’t you miss her? A marital bond is hard-earned—you can tell she genuinely cares. Even if she hasn’t fulfilled her duties to me as a father, I still hope you can live happily together. I’ve raised your child for you, and he no longer needs you to bear any responsibility now. You can continue living the life you desire; why let minor issues ruin your happiness? I shouldn’t intervene in this, but since Xia Jing came to me, I have no choice. Her seeking me out means her heart truly holds you dear—she genuinely doesn’t want the marriage to end. How could you harm such a girl, despite the mistakes she made hurting your son’s fiancée? Your son and daughter-in-law can overlook it; why do you need to dwell on it? Lying is her issue; her unwillingness to be honest is her lack of integrity. People can’t be blamed for the differences in their personalities and experiences. Sometimes a person’s drastic changes might be linked to their experiences, and many times you need to empathize with her perspective. Breaking up with her this way—is there truly no emotional pain inside you? She has been your wife for over ten years, the woman you once pursued wholeheartedly. If you abandon her now, everyone will disrespect you—they’ll think you’re a man who easily discards his wife, a useless coward..."

Happiness is always so simple; don’t expect too much. Happiness always descends from the sky, above your head. You need to use your own actions to create your own happiness.