Chapter 2: Clean out the house

“Mom, the photos have been taken.” Lu Yajing [Lu Qingya (?)] said triumphantly while holding her phone.

“Cheng Li-yue, Yaqing [Qingya(?)]’s mobile phone already has evidence of your adultery. Be sensible and quickly give my Junxuan a divorce. If you’re not willing to, I will send the photos to the lawyers to carry out the divorce proceedings.”

~

Lu Junxuan opened the door to his Porsche SUV. An alluring figure was seated on the passenger seat. Seeing him entered, her ruby-red lips lifted into a smile. “Junxuan ge[1], was the plan successful?”

Lu Junxuan reached out and pulled her into his embrace. With one hand clasped behind her head, he kissed her wildly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and swiftly responded to his kisses.

After a long, hot kiss, Lu Junxuan smiled against her delicate forehead.

“Yaoyao, it won’t be long till I can marry you.”

“En[2], I’ve been waiting for these words for a long time.”

After saying that, Shen Junyao held his handsome face and actively kissed him on his thin lips.

~

Cheng Liyue sat on the bed with a pale face, eyes brimming with tears. The hickeys on her body and the unbearable pain at the slightest pull of her lower body caused a panic feeling to well up in her. She had no recollection of the incident last night.

Picking up the clothes on the floor, she rushed into the bathroom, weeping miserably and washing herself vigorously trying to rid her body of the man’s scent.

In the afternoon, Cheng Li-yue distractedly returned to her matrimonial home. In the well-lit living room, Lu Junxuan sat there like the devil himself, an angry glower on his face, looking as if he would strangle her to death in the next second.

What happened this morning dealt a fatal and heavy blow to Cheng Liyue. She knew that no explanation could possibly save her.

Cheng Liyue looked at her husband seated on the sofa and took a deep breath. “Junxuan, I agree to a divorce, but I want you to return me 10% of my father’s shares. The other 5% take it as my compensation to you.”

As soon as Lu Junxuan heard what she said, his countenance darkened. He had just secured his position as president of the Lu Group. If she were to withdraw 10% of the shares, it would not only jeopardize his prestige and status, but also threaten his position as president.

He scoffed. “Cheng Liyue, what qualifications do you have to demand things from me? You betrayed me and put a green hat on me. Can this simply be dismissed with just 5% of the shares?”

“5% of the shares if converted into cash would amount to more than 500 million dollars. Is this not enough to compensate you?” Cheng Li-yue argued. Her father owned those shares in Lu Group during his lifetime. She could not hand those shares over to the Lu family just like that.

With a glint in his eyes, Lu Junxuan went up to her and grabbed her by the neck. “Cheng Li-yue, listen closely, put the notion that the shares will be returned to you away. Even if you don’t want to leave this marriage, you have no choice but to do so. If you want to make a fuss of this in court, let me tell you, you will only die of mortification.”

Eyes wide open, she struggled to breathe. What hurt even more was the face in front of her. The tender and loving face he had formerly used to gaze at her had disappeared. What remained was the hideousness of a self-serving egomaniac.

However, her father’s shares…

“Lu Junxuan… Those were my father’s… Return them back to me.” She cried hoarsely.

“Now they’re mine. Don’t even think of taking them out of my hands. Cheng Liyue, wise up. Sign the papers and scram, or… I will let you disappear from the face of this earth.” Lu Junxuan released her onto the floor, her face ghastly pale, and threw down a draft divorce agreement. “Sign it!”

“I will not sign it… ” Cheng Liyue bit her lips, refusing to be forced out of the house.

“If you don’t sign it, you won’t just be losing 15% of the shares but also your reputation, or even your life.”

Cheng Liyue trembled, looking up at the man who had sworn to love her. At this moment, there was nothing but ruthlessness, indifference and cruelty.

She felt suffocated.

Cheng Liyue’s heart sank into the pit of despair. She looked at the image of this diabolical man driven by self-interests. She knew that it would cost her, her life, if she were to insist on the return of her father’s shares.

“Alright, I’ll sign it.” She clenched her teeth and put down her signature.

[1] 哥 = gē = elder brother; or used when addressing an older male whom one has a close relationship with

[2] 嗯 = en = interjection indicating approval, appreciation or agreement.