In divorce proceedings, if one party is determined to divorce while the other firmly opposes it, the court rarely grants the divorce on the first hearing.
Even if the marriage involves ordinary instances of arguments and fights, adultery, or even visiting prostitutes, it is not guaranteed that the marital relationship will be fully dissolved in the initial divorce litigation. Unless the party being divorced has committed major faults, such as abuse, abandonment, severe domestic violence, cohabitation with another person, or bigamy…
Boss Pang thought he held the trump card with his in-laws. He confidently admitted in court to his infidelity and long-term cohabitation with his mistress. Unexpectedly, the elderly Zhang couple turned against him on the spot, clearly and firmly supporting their daughter Zhang Liqun’s divorce!
Not only was Boss Pang stunned, but his proxy lawyer was also dumbfounded.
The proxy lawyer looked at Boss Pang with a worried expression. “These are the in-laws you swore would absolutely support you?!”
In the public gallery, Pang Jinglong was utterly surprised.
His maternal grandparents were actually not stopping his mother from divorcing?!
Recalling how Wen Ying had told him earlier to be patient, Pang Jinglong’s eyes were filled with confusion. Could Wen Ying have done something?
Dong Runfang remembered that day at the entrance to Pang Jinglong’s residential compound, when Wen Ying disappeared for half an hour claiming she was thirsty and going to buy water… Buying water was clearly an excuse. The real purpose was to pour out the water in the elderly Zhang couple’s minds.
If it were anyone else, they might not have succeeded, but Wen Ying certainly could. Dong Runfang had witnessed Wen Ying’s growth along the way and had complete faith in her abilities.
Pang Jinglong and Dong Runfang turned to look. He Zhen could not help turning his head as well. Three pairs of eyes fixed on Wen Ying simultaneously. Wen Ying wore an innocent expression.
Boss Pang was first stunned, then furious.
These past few days, had he not treated the two old folks well enough?
He bought them several new sets of clothes.
He served them abalone and sea cucumber every day.
He set aside business matters to run errands for them, even personally handing them cups of water.
To speak an unfilial word, Boss Pang had never been this devoted even to his own parents!
“I refuse to divorce!”
Boss Pang shouted. “You only see how I treated Zhang Liqun badly. Why do you not see the times I treated her well? Yes, I kept another woman outside, but I never shortchanged the family at home.”
The lawyer coughed lightly, restraining the emotionally agitated Boss Pang, and presented evidence that the couple’s affection had not completely broken down.
Boss Pang had not purchased property for his illegitimate child, yet he bought a house worth 3 million for his legitimate son, Pang Jinglong.
This house was purchased four years ago.
Four years ago, Pang Jinglong was only eighteen. If Boss Pang did not love this son, why would he buy such an expensive house for him?
Mrs Pang trembled with anger.
The house under her son Pang Jinglong’s name was not worth 3 million four years ago. The 3 million was its current value.
Moreover, the reason they bought the house for Pang Jinglong back then was because an elder from their hometown could not stand Boss Pang’s “favouring the concubine and neglecting the wife”. That elder stood up for justice and secured this protection for Pang Jinglong!
Now, this man surnamed Pang had the audacity to claim he bought the house out of love for his son. It was truly disgusting.
Lawyer Liao remained calm and composed, signalling with his eyes for Mrs Pang to stay cool.
“What we are fighting today is a divorce case, not a custody case. Pang Jinglong is the only child of Pang Zhigang and Zhang Liqun. Mr Pang Zhigang buying a house for Pang Jinglong does not prove he is a qualified husband. As everyone knows, in our country’s general environment, there is a custom of purchasing a marital home for sons. Pang Jinglong is 22 this year. In a couple of years, he might start discussing marriage.”
Hmph.
A father who is a big boss buying a marital home for his son is perfectly normal, is it not?
They even had to bring this up specially.
The judge simply asked if Boss Pang’s side had any new evidence.
Boss Pang’s proxy lawyer continued, stating that since marriage, Mrs Pang had not worked outside the home. Boss Pang provided at least several hundred thousand in living expenses annually for household expenditures. In recent years, he additionally gave several hundred thousand each year for clothing and personal spending!
“Annual membership at high-end beauty salons costs tens of thousands in fees alone.”
“Designer handbags, any one costs over ten thousand.”
“Jewellery and accessories, the cheaper ones a few thousand, the most expensive watch priced at over a hundred thousand!”
The lawyer requested to present physical evidence.
The judge permitted it.
Several small trolleys were used as display racks, each packed full with Mrs Pang’s personal items that she had not had time to take when moving out of the villa.
Boss Pang had originally instructed these items to be thrown away. The lawyer insisted Boss Pang must retrieve them. Boss Pang found them at his mistress’s lackey’s place. The lackey Aunt Tang had not yet disposed of them. Boss Pang personally drove and hauled them back.
According to the lawyer, bringing Mrs Pang’s luxury goods into court would have greater visual impact.
Like a nouveau riche such as Boss Pang, he had no habit of bank transfers for household allowances. Over the years, it was all cash.
Cash leaves no records and cannot prove Mrs Pang lived a life of “spending money like water”.
But Mrs Pang’s personal items could.
Every designer bag, every piece of jewellery, bore witness to Mrs Pang’s affluent material life over the years.
The lawyer spoke earnestly. The judge listened attentively. Including Wen Ying, Mrs Pang’s circle of relatives and friends felt both speechless and amused.
Spending money like water?!
This was absolutely hilarious.
Not to mention Zhu Xiao and Dong Runfang who had always been by Mrs Pang’s side, even He Zhen who had just returned from abroad knew the story behind this pile of luxury goods.
How to put it.
Mrs Pang herself had complicated feelings.
The judge asked Mrs Pang whether these were her personal items.
Lawyer Liao told Mrs Pang to answer truthfully.
Mrs Pang recognised her own belongings. Each bag bore traces of her use. After checking them one by one, she replied to the judge, “They are my personal items.”
The lawyer and Boss Pang both smiled.
Even Mrs Pang’s in-laws were smiling.
That spendthrift woman, wasting so much money on useless designer brands! First coax her back home, then deal with her slowly later!
The judge then asked if it was true that she spent several hundred thousand annually on luxury goods. Mrs Pang shook her head vigorously. “I did not buy them. These bags and jewellery are all fakes. As a housewife who suffers grievances at home, how could I afford luxury goods? I cannot even command the family driver.”
“All fakes?”
This answer surprised the judge.
Lawyer Liao had applied for property preservation. The judge was of course aware of how much assets the Pang family had.
With such wealth at home, Mrs Pang used nothing but fake designer brands?
The judge’s gaze towards Boss Pang even carried disdain.
Boss Pang was stunned for the second time.
“Impossible! I gave her so much money. These luxury items are all genuine!”
Lawyer Liao said calmly, “Whether genuine or fake, a professional institution can appraise them. The real cannot be faked, and the fake cannot pass for real.”
Involving the division of assets worth hundreds of millions, Lawyer Liao had not expected to settle it in one hearing anyway.
Appraising this pile of Mrs Pang’s items would take time. Today’s hearing concluded.
As soon as the judge left, Boss Pang vented his anger at the lawyer.
The lawyer remained expressionless. “Mr Pang, these exhibits were personally provided by you.”
Boss Pang wanted to ask where Mrs Pang had spent the money. Lawyer Liao told Mrs Pang to leave first.
A crowd of relatives and friends surrounded Mrs Pang and left, leaving Boss Pang fuming helplessly in place.
“Zhigang, are you really divorcing?”
The elderly Pang couple looked worried.
These two old folks were not reluctant to lose their daughter-in-law. They were reluctant to see half the family fortune divided to Mrs Pang.
Boss Pang’s face darkened. He stepped aside to call his mistress. “Did you tamper with things? All the items Zhang Liqun left at home turned into fakes!”
“All fakes?!”
The female secretary was even more surprised than Boss Pang. “I never touched that pile of things. You said to throw them away, so throw them. You said to get them back, so I hurried to retrieve them. Old Pang, are you suspecting I swapped Zhang Liqun’s items? I am truly wronged!”
The female secretary cried pitifully over the phone. Boss Pang hung up impatiently.
If the mistress had not swapped them, then what went wrong?
Did Zhang Liqun originally buy a pile of fake designer brands?
He had clearly given Zhang Liqun money for luxury goods. Where had Zhang Liqun spent the money?
Boss Pang asked the lawyer, “She can check how much money is in my accounts. I should certainly be able to check hers!”
“In theory, yes.”
The lawyer continued expressionlessly, “I am just afraid your wife does not have the habit of depositing money in the bank…”
Boss Pang flew into a rage. “If she does not deposit it in the bank, where does she keep it?”
The lawyer actually wanted to ask Boss Pang why he gave household allowances in cash. Bank transfers would be so much better. One check of the transaction records would provide evidence.
Alas, this was probably the habit of the nouveau riche.
The lawyer was truly exhausted.
…
The support group cheered Mrs Pang’s victory.
As long as Mrs Pang insisted on divorce, even if the court did not grant it this hearing, it did not matter. Boss Pang’s side was already on the decline. No matter how he struggled, turning the tide would be difficult.
Mrs Pang… no, although no verdict was announced today, Zhang Liqun already felt in her heart that her ties with Pang Zhigang were severed. She no longer wished to be called “Mrs Pang” by anyone. She only wanted to be Zhang Liqun.
Zhang Liqun embraced her parents and wept bitterly.
Old Zhang wiped his tears while cursing Pang Zhigang for being no good.
Pang Zhigang thought bringing his in-laws to live in the villa would make them side with him.
His fawning and flattery backfired. The stark contrast frightened the elderly Zhang couple greatly.
Pang Jinglong hugged the two elders tightly. “Thank you for supporting my mum’s divorce. Even if you disagreed, my mum would still divorce. But with your support, it means a lot to her!”
Wen Ying stepped aside and quietly asked Lawyer Liao, “When Pang Zhigang wanted to use Aunt Zhang’s personal items as evidence, did you anticipate this?”
Lawyer Liao nodded lightly. “Of course I could not rule out this possibility. Divorce cases consider both evidence and emotion. If Pang Zhigang insisted the couple’s affection had not completely broken down, the case could drag on for one or two years.”
Zhang Liqun buying fake designer brands was truly a masterstroke.
Pang Zhigang never imagined Zhang Liqun would buy fakes. He thought he had found crucial evidence. Now the judge’s impression of Pang Zhigang as a person was thoroughly negative.
Wen Ying’s eyes twinkled with cunning and curiosity. “But it is still strange. Why did Pang Zhigang’s lawyer not think to appraise the items first before presenting them?”
Lawyer Liao smiled. “How do you know they did not appraise them?”
Wen Ying felt she had guessed correctly.
“Someone is helping Aunt Zhang, right?”
This time, Lawyer Liao smiled without speaking, not revealing the answer to Wen Ying.
Many things a lawyer can do but cannot openly discuss, such as how Lawyer Liao secured court approval for property preservation or how the hearing was scheduled so quickly.
…
In a certain hotel in Shanghai.
After being scolded by Pang Zhigang, the female secretary hung up the phone. Far from feeling wronged, she smiled triumphantly. Pang Zhigang wanted to dump her and reconcile with Zhang Liqun? No chance!
The lackey Aunt Tang was puzzled. “All of Zhang Liqun’s items are fakes. Why did you not tell Boss Pang?”
Aunt Tang had taken all of Zhang Liqun’s personal items that day, thinking she could resell the luxury goods and make a fortune.
She excitedly took them to a second-hand shop, only to be told they were all fakes.
Aunt Tang was stunned at the time.
All fakes?
Zhang Liqun, the official wife, had not a single genuine item in her pile?
Aunt Tang immediately complained to the female secretary. The female secretary also mocked Zhang Liqun for being stingy.
Unexpectedly, two days later, Pang Zhigang wanted those items back. The female secretary forbade Aunt Tang from revealing the truth.
Pang Zhigang took the pile to court. Aunt Tang felt Pang Zhigang was doomed.
But why would the female secretary sabotage Pang Zhigang?
Aunt Tang could not understand.
The female secretary sneered. “Of course I have my own plans. Over the years, I have treated you well. In the future, when I become ‘Mrs Pang’, you will benefit even more. The prerequisite is that you keep your mouth shut!”
Aunt Tang smiled obsequiously. “Oh dear, when have I not listened to you? Rest assured, my mouth is sealed tight.”
