Dong Runfang was quick with her words. “What do you mean we are stirring up trouble between you and your wife? We are not the ones who sent the mistress to your bed. Have you no shame?”
Boss Pang, of course, had no shame.
He had sent so many people to relay messages, yet his wife had not withdrawn the suit before the hearing. Boss Pang thought she had not felt his sincerity. He shouted repeatedly, “Liqun, I truly know I was wrong. I have already driven that woman away. From now on, it will just be the three of us living well together!”
Mrs Pang did not stop walking. Pang Jinglong clenched his fists, wanting to hit someone.
“Forget it. The hearing is about to start. Do not bother with him.”
Wen Ying reminded him softly. Pang Jinglong took two deep breaths. “Watching him act makes me sick, but you are right. Winning the lawsuit is what matters now.”
He Zhen was surprised.
Pang Jinglong actually listened to Wen Ying so much. Was this still his impulsive childhood friend who had hurt someone?
Wen Ying’s group walked away. Boss Pang stayed in place, grinding his teeth as he asked his lawyer what to do.
The lawyer felt it was hard to salvage, but to earn money from Boss Pang, he could not tell the truth. He told Boss Pang that the first hearing would not grant divorce, so Boss Pang should insist there were still feelings with his wife.
“Repent in front of the judge.”
The lawyer reminded Boss Pang, “She has evidence of your infidelity. Denying it in court is useless. Better to admit it frankly. Of course, admitting the mistake is just the first step. Admit it, face it, then you can correct it.”
Why was Mrs Pang insisting on divorce?
The lawyer believed it was not just the infidelity.
If it were only infidelity, Mrs Pang would have divorced long ago. She would not have endured for years.
It was Boss Pang’s rush to remarry the mistress that became the final straw, truly trampling a woman’s dignity.
To win back Mrs Pang, Boss Pang had to correct these mistakes. The court would not grant divorce today. Before the next hearing, Boss Pang had time to repair the relationship.
“Women collapse over a certain point and also soften over a certain point. We cannot find that ‘point’, so we try them all.”
Boss Pang kept thinking about the “point” the lawyer mentioned that would soften his wife Zhang Liqun.
Was driving away the mistress and illegitimate sons not enough?
Boss Pang thought hard and vaguely recalled his wife Zhang Liqun mentioning several times conflicts with his parents.
Saying his parents were too harsh, always using old societal rules on the daughter-in-law, treating her not as family but as a servant.
Zhang Liqun did not mind housework or caring for in-laws, but she wanted some respect.
She had said this several times, only to be impatiently interrupted by Boss Pang.
“You do not work. Asking you to care for my parents. Is that a grievance?”
Boss Pang still did not see it as a grievance, but since the lawyer suggested it, he had to try. Before the hearing, Boss Pang put great effort into persuading his parents to apologise to his wife in court.
The Pang elders were used to lording over others and unwilling to bow to the daughter-in-law. Boss Pang said if divorced, he would send them back to the countryside.
Only then did the Pang elders reluctantly agree.
Besides his parents, Boss Pang had one trump card, saved for the hearing.
Thinking this, Boss Pang entered the court with his back straight.
On the other side, Wen Ying sat in the public gallery, full of anticipation.
Zhu Xiao glanced at her sideways and whispered, “You are so nosy?”
Wen Ying smiled and shook her head. “Auntie Zhu, you do not understand.”
Wen Ying came to observe not only to see Mrs Pang regain freedom but more to watch her mentor’s live teaching.
Zhu Xiao hummed softly: Little girl, thinking she knows more than adults? Probably has not even figured out romance!
But seeing Wen Ying in good spirits, Zhu Xiao guessed Xie Qian was probably fine.
Looking forward to the hearing, besides Wen Ying, was Pang Jinglong.
To celebrate his mother soon regaining freedom, Pang Jinglong had even cut his hair two days ago. Today he was new from head to toe.
“He Zhen, I am really happy.”
Pang Jinglong kept repeating this. He Zhen nodded understandingly. “I am happy for you too.”
He Zhen had rushed back but had not helped much. Yet he did not regret the ticket or time. This lawsuit not only freed Mrs Pang but would let Pang Jinglong fully embrace a new life.
From now on, Pang Jinglong would completely escape those rotten people, right?
He Zhen missed his once vibrant childhood friend Pang Jinglong.
Mrs Pang’s support group all awaited the hearing, hoping for immediate divorce.
Lawyer Liao, with years of experience, had prepared evidence thoroughly.
From the female secretary and Boss Pang living as husband and wife long-term, to the two illegitimate sons’ birth certificates listing the father, the elder son’s overseas admission letter, even Boss Pang attending parent-teacher meetings for the illegitimate sons… Every detail was evidence of Boss Pang’s “bigamy”.
Deep economic, lifestyle, and emotional ties. Lawyer Liao would give Boss Pang’s lawyer no room to argue.
Boss Pang’s representing lawyer indeed broke into a cold sweat on the back of his neck.
Boss Pang was legally illiterate, but the lawyer was not. He knew Lawyer Liao Shiyan’s reputation and status in the field.
Fortunately, today they had no plan to confront head-on.
Boss Pang’s bigamy was irrefutable. Struggling was useless. Better to admit frankly. When a woman is angry, the more a man denies, the fiercer her anger!
Boss Pang admitted in court to cheating with the female secretary, living together for years, and fathering two sons.
So straightforward that even Mrs Pang was surprised.
The judge was surprised too.
If every defendant was this candid, court hearings could save so much time!
Zhu Xiao and Dong Runfang were surprised. Pang Jinglong stared at his scumbag father from head to toe.
He was not even struggling?
This was going too smoothly.
Wen Ying remained vigilant.
Boss Pang was no good man. Other scumbags might reform. Boss Pang absolutely could not!
As the saying goes, even a tiger does not eat its cubs. In the previous life, after Pang Jinglong killed, Boss Pang agitated everywhere for a death sentence… A scumbag with no paternal love for his own son. How could he suddenly truly repent!
Boss Pang admitted infidelity. Lawyer Liao proceeded to the next step.
Under the Marriage Law, Mrs Pang had the right to divorce and legally divide marital property.
Lawyer Liao did not overlook even properties Boss Pang bought abroad. Besides Boss Pang himself, now Lawyer Liao knew exactly how much money he had.
Boss Pang truly hated Lawyer Liao.
Wen Ying’s eyes sparkled: Mentor is amazing!
When Lawyer Liao proposed property division, Boss Pang’s sensitive nerves were triggered. He began his performance.
Tearful remorse.
Admitting infidelity to seek his wife’s forgiveness.
He had already cut ties with the mistress. For the illegitimate sons, he would no longer secretly support them. The elder was already eighteen and he would not interfere. For the younger, he would only pay living expenses until eighteen.
Boss Pang said he could hand money management to his wife Zhang Liqun, so she had no worries.
Mrs Pang was dazed.
Was this still the man she knew?
Once, to save money for their son Pang Jinglong, she had to find excuses to trick it. Now he was willing to let her manage money. How ironic!
Boss Pang said his feelings with wife Zhang Liqun were not completely broken. They had just hit a marital bottleneck. Overcoming it would start a new chapter.
“Marriages have problems, like using the same wok for cooking. Over time, the wok inevitably wears out. In the past, we would mend a damaged wok. Now, now we cannot just throw it away…”
With Boss Pang’s education, he could not say such words. Must have been memorised from his lawyer.
Wen Ying glanced at the lawyer more.
Hmm, not familiar. Do not know him.
In over a decade, either he stopped practising in Shanghai or never made it big.
Boss Pang admitting his own mistakes was not enough. He called his parents to court.
The once superior in-laws actually humbled themselves to apologise to her.
Even knowing why the in-laws apologised, Mrs Pang still felt a deep inner satisfaction.
Pang Jinglong’s smile vanished.
Pang Jinglong gripped his hands tightly, fearing his mother would be deceived and soften.
Apologies worth how much!
Could years of oppression and hurt be compensated with apologies?
If apologies solved everything, Pang Jinglong thought he could kill the female secretary now, then say “sorry”. Would he avoid prison?
He Zhen patted Pang Jinglong’s back, calming his friend.
Dong Runfang was nervous too.
Especially when Boss Pang played his trump card.
To prove marital feelings not completely broken, Boss Pang had witnesses.
The witnesses were none other than the Zhang elders.
The old couple had been well cared for by Boss Pang recently. New clothes, neat appearance, looking respectable.
Seeing her parents sit in the witness seats, Mrs Pang burst into tears.
Boss Pang apologised, in-laws apologised. Mrs Pang was unmoved, because she no longer saw the Pang family as family.
The Pang family was no longer family, but her own parents still were. The shackles of parental affection weighed heavily on Mrs Pang.
If her parents threatened death to stop the divorce… Now, not only Dong Runfang was tense, even Zhu Xiao’s heart was in suspense.
As the saying goes, do one’s best and leave the rest to fate. They had done their best. Could they really not overcome fate?
Mrs Pang’s freedom was just one kick away.
Now guarding the door were none other than Mrs Pang’s parents.
Pang Jinglong tried to stand several times, pulled back by Wen Ying’s quick hand. “Hold it!”
Hold what?
If he held more, his mother would waver!
In this critical moment, Wen Ying remained calm. He Zhen also held Pang Jinglong.
Two friends, two portions of friendship.
Pang Jinglong slowly calmed, slumping down.
It was over. Everything was over!
On the witness stand, the newly clothed old Zhang was very nervous.
Old Zhang glanced at his tearful son-in-law Boss Pang, then at his silently weeping daughter Zhang Liqun.
Both were crying, but for different reasons.
Finally, old Zhang looked at Wen Ying, leaned close to the microphone. “Pang Zhigang treated my daughter Zhang Liqun poorly. I support my daughter Zhang Liqun divorcing him.”
Boss Pang and his lawyer were stunned.
Before court, they had rehearsed lines with old Zhang. He had said he would persuade his daughter not to divorce.
What was going on?!
Boss Pang felt his recent sea cucumbers and abalone had been fed to a dog.
Mrs Pang still had tears on her face, equally shocked. She never expected her old father to support her divorce in court.
Old Zhang straightened his back.
Little Wen was sitting below.
Little Wen had said not to believe anything the Pang family said.
These days, the more son-in-law Pang Zhigang treated him and his wife well, the more afraid old Zhang became.
With Pang Zhigang’s character, every kindness now would likely be recouped doubly from daughter Liqun later. If not letting Liqun divorce, would it not push Liqun back into the fire pit?
Lawyer Liao smiled. “Ms Zhang Liqun has suffered torment in her long marriage. Feelings with defendant Pang Zhigang are completely broken, with no possibility of repair.”
