The nightmare of being forced into an arranged marriage came rushing back.
Shen Nanyue’s expression darkened instantly.
Zhou Yu seemed to understand what she was thinking and quickly explained, “I’m absolutely not forcing you into a marriage alliance. These men were carefully selected by me. They have good character and ambition. Yes, they all come from wealthy families, but you have to understand how important it is for two families to be well-matched in a marriage.”
“I’m not getting married.”
Shen Nanyue replied coldly.
She shut her laptop and was about to head upstairs when Zhou Yu stopped her.
“Yueyue, listen to me first. I’m really not forcing you.”
Shen Nanyue glanced at Zhou Yu.
Seeing the worry and pleading in her eyes, with none of the harshness she once had, her heart softened, and she sat back down.
“Forcing you into an arranged marriage back then was wrong. I apologize.”
Zhou Yu apologized first.
Shen Nanyue pressed her lips into a thin line and remained silent.
Forgiveness was not something that came so easily.
Seeing her reaction, Zhou Yu felt even more heartbroken.
“Yueyue, because of what happened between your father and me, I know you have an instinctive fear of and distrust toward marriage. That was our fault. Do you know why your father and I went from loving each other to becoming worse than enemies?”
It was also something Shen Nanyue had never been able to understand.
In her memories, her family existed in two distinct phases.
One was sweet, as if soaked in a jar of honey.
The other was foul, as if submerged in formaldehyde.
Those two extremes tore at her childhood.
It had begun like heaven, only to suddenly fall into hell.
Only she knew how painful that contrast had been.
She wanted to know the reason.
“Why?” she asked.
Zhou Yu answered calmly,
“Your father cheated on me.”
“That’s impossible!”
Almost instinctively, Shen Nanyue defended her father.
How could he have cheated?
He had loved Zhou Yu so much, loved her so much, loved their family so much!
Zhou Yu said nothing.
She merely looked at Shen Nanyue with her slightly weathered eyes, calm and steady.
Shen Nanyue’s lips moved, but it felt as though cotton had been stuffed down her throat.
She couldn’t force out a single word.
Zhou Yu unconsciously clenched her hands resting on her lap and slowly continued,
“I discovered their affair on your fifth birthday. I caught them together in a hotel. Your father cried and apologized to me, insisting that he didn’t want a divorce. I had no family to support me, and your father held me back. I couldn’t even win a divorce lawsuit.”
“He kept telling me that you were still too young and that a divorce would affect you. But I simply couldn’t tolerate betrayal. Every time I thought of what I saw in that hotel, I felt sick.”
As though she had returned to that moment, a trace of disgust appeared in Zhou Yu’s eyes.
But it vanished almost immediately.
“Your father cut off contact with that woman and tried to talk things through with me. He said that after you were born, all of my attention was on you and that I neglected him. That’s what led him to seek comfort elsewhere.”
Listening to those words, Shen Nanyue felt terrible.
In her heart, her father had always been a steady, responsible, and dependable man.
She never imagined…
Zhou Yu moved closer and took Shen Nanyue’s hand.
“Yueyue, after my marriage fell apart, I treated you as an outlet for my frustration. That was my fault. Your father may have been wrong, but his love for you never changed. I had intended to protect your image of him for the rest of my life, but I don’t want you to keep living in fear of marriage.”
“There are countless families in this world. Your father and I are a failed example, but there are good examples too. Look at An’an’s biological parents—their marriage is still loving and happy.”
Looking at Shen Nanyue’s pale face, Zhou Yu felt deeply distressed.
Yet she knew she had to do this.
For years, Shen Nanyue had never understood why her parents’ relationship had suddenly become so bitter.
That unanswered question had become a stain on her expectations of marriage.
As time passed, the stain grew larger and larger until it completely blocked her pursuit of a beautiful future.
Back then, Zhou Yu had neglected Shen Nanyue, which was why Shen Nanyue had become so stubborn and awkward when it came to love.
Perhaps now, by finally telling her the reason for the divorce, Shen Nanyue could resolve the confusion in her heart and learn how to build a healthy and loving relationship.
Even if love was not always perfect, it could not be avoided forever.
For a moment, Shen Nanyue could not process the revelation.
Her mind buzzed endlessly.
Meeting Zhou Yu’s worried gaze, she fled upstairs with her laptop as though trying to escape.
This time, Zhou Yu did not stop her.
She rushed straight into her bedroom.
Without realizing it, tears had already spread across her face.
They slid down her cheeks and disappeared into the soft carpet.
How could it be…
How could it have been an affair…?
When she was little, every time Zhou Yu punished her, it was her father who protected her.
How could he suddenly become the kind of person she despised most?
Shen Nanyue buried her face in the blankets as tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.
…..
The next morning.
She came downstairs with swollen, bloodshot eyes, startling both Zhou Yu and Shen An’an.
Zhou Yu hurried over.
“How did they get this swollen? Wait here, I’ll get a couple of eggs and roll them over your eyes.”
She rushed into the kitchen.
Shen An’an moved closer to Shen Nanyue and studied her carefully.
Dark circles under her eyes, exhaustion written all over her face—it was obvious she had cried all night.
“Sis, who bullied you? Tell me, and I’ll beat them up for you!”
Rolling up her sleeves, Shen An’an struck a fighting pose.
Shen Nanyue wanted to laugh, but couldn’t.
She patted Shen An’an on the shoulder.
“No one. I was just thinking about something from a TV show. I’m fine now.”
Shen An’an looked at her suspiciously.
By then, Zhou Yu had returned with the eggs and was about to treat her eyes when Shen Nanyue took them from her hand.
“I’ll do it myself.”
Zhou Yu awkwardly withdrew her hand, her attitude noticeably more cautious than before.
Pretending not to notice, Shen Nanyue turned and walked toward the dining table.
Shen An’an watched the interaction between the two women with growing suspicion.
After breakfast, Shen Nanyue was about to leave for the company when Zhou Yu stopped her.
“You look like this and you’re still going to work? I’ll go in your place.”
Shen Nanyue frowned.
“You?”
Zhou Yu flashed her a confident smile.
“Don’t underestimate your mother. Back then, your father would consult me before making major decisions at the company. Stay home and get some rest. I’ll brief you on everything afterward.”
Patting Shen Nanyue on the shoulder, Zhou Yu firmly insisted that she stay home.
Shen Nanyue felt somewhat at a loss.
Shen An’an was even more shocked.
Hearing the words “your father” come out of Zhou Yu’s mouth felt incredibly strange.
“Sis, what exactly happened?”
Shen Nanyue wanted to tell Shen An’an.
But she didn’t want to damage her father’s image in Shen An’an’s eyes, so she remained silent.
“Maybe… she really has changed.”
Shen Nanyue let out a quiet sigh and turned to head upstairs.
Still uneasy about letting Zhou Yu go to the company alone, she contacted Assistant Xu in advance and asked him to move all important tasks online so she could work from home.
Assistant Xu was highly efficient.
In less than ten minutes, he had sent over all of the day’s work files.
She opened one of them.
It was a contract concerning a proposed partnership with Wansheng Investment Bank in the capital city.
— The end of the Chapter–
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