On our seventh wedding anniversary, Liang Shao gave me a big gift.
A divorce agreement.
He seemed unable to wait any longer, calmly saying, "I've got the household registration book, just sign here. I've already made an appointment; we'll go get the certificate later."
I took the agreement and remained silent for a long time.
Actually, I had anticipated this day would come; Liang Shao's indifference had been a premonition.
He started coming home later and later, and going on business trips more and more frequently.
Our conversations gradually dwindled. At first, I still tried to find topics to talk to him about, but he always showed impatience, either giving perfunctory answers or pretending not to hear.
Until finally, when we faced each other over a meal, there was only silence left.
I knew very well that his heart was no longer with me.
"Is it Secretary Lin?" I asked softly.
Liang Shao's fingers unconsciously tapped the steering wheel, but he still patiently replied, "Yes, haven't you known for a long time?"
Indeed, I had known for a long time. From the first time she brought Liang Shao home when he was drunk, I understood that their relationship was not normal.
Back then, she was supporting a disoriented Liang Shao, his whole body leaning heavily on her, and she flashed a provocative smile at me.
"Sister Shen, remember to take good care of Brother Liang tonight." She glanced at Liang Shao and then smiled, saying, "He needs to hold someone's hand to sleep at night, otherwise he won't sleep well."
This was a secret only Liang Shao and I knew, yet it was uttered by another woman.
I knew she did it on purpose.
My fingers trembled unconsciously: "Why does it have to be today?"
He couldn't possibly not know that today was our seventh wedding anniversary. And at home, the meal I had prepared had already grown cold.
Liang Shao said, "She's pregnant, I want to divorce as soon as possible."
"Look at the agreement. This house, the villa in the east, and the one in the suburbs will be yours; the company will be mine. But I'll give you fifty million in cash, isn't that enough?"
He spoke very naturally, as if he wasn't discussing a divorce but a business deal.
My heart ached, but I showed no trace of it on my face. Debasing myself in front of someone who didn't love me would only bring more humiliation.
I gave a cold laugh and said, "You cheated, you're the one at fault, and you still dare to demand so much? You should leave with nothing!"
Liang Shao glanced at me, his tone sarcastic: "Shen Ye, don't push your luck. In the past few years, have you earned a single penny? I've provided you with good food and beautiful clothes; how much more do you want?"
I was stunned, and an unnamed fire suddenly flared up in my heart: "What have I eaten, what have I worn? Damn it, I've been home every day serving you meals; even a nanny would get paid, wouldn't she?"
"Didn't I give you money to spend? Look at yourself now. You never bother to groom yourself; anyone else would find it hard to stomach!"
I yelled angrily, "So that's why you cheated? Just because that Lin woman knows how to dress better than me, knows how to seduce men better than me?"
"Yes!" Liang Shao also flared up, shouting, "Lin Lang is capable, she's independent; what right do you have to compare yourself to her?"
"Look at yourself now, every day you just revolve around the kitchen. Anyone else would choose her!"
His words completely shattered my reason. I crumbled and said, "In the beginning, who told me to stay home and take care of the family? Liang Shao, you and I graduated from the same university. Fuck, I'm not inferior to you at all! Back then, *you* were the one who said that if both of us were busy with our careers, it would affect our relationship, and you demanded I stay home and be a housewife. Now you're saying this? Did a dog eat your conscience? Fuck, *you're* the smug villain, you son of a bitch!"
We hurled the most venomous words at each other, like sworn enemies trying to push each other to their deaths.
Liang Shao choked, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Stop talking nonsense. Are you going to sign or not?"
I gritted my teeth and said, "Never. You'll leave with nothing."
Liang Shao refused to back down: "Dream on!"
"Then we'll go to court!" I leaned back in my chair: "I'm in no hurry."
Liang Shao's brows furrowed tightly: "Lin Liang is pregnant. I don't have time to argue with you!"
This divorce threatened to drag on due to the asset division. By then, the child might not be able to register their household.
I shrugged: "What does that have to do with me? It's not my child."
Liang Shao suddenly spun around, glaring at me ferociously: "Shen Ye, damn it, why are you so cruel? Just because you can't have children yourself, you don't want anyone else to?"
"I can't have children?"
I suddenly exploded: "Liang Shao, *you* were the one who said you were too busy to have children in the first place! After that, you started coming home later and later. Damn it, the last time we slept together was last year. How the hell am I supposed to get pregnant?"
"Fuck, is that my fault? Look at yourself now – no makeup, no new clothes. Who could get aroused by that? I'd rather masturbate than be with you!"
The more we spoke, the more agitated we became, oblivious to everything else, as if we only wanted to instantly kill each other with words.
A wave of sorrow suddenly washed over my heart.
How did we end up like this? We clearly used to love each other truly.
I still remembered the evening Liang Shao proposed to me. He was just starting his career then, too poor to afford a ring. He learned how to forge a silver ring, spending days polishing it until his hands were covered in blisters.
"Bear with me for a bit! Once I have money, I'll get you a much grander one." He said cautiously, his face flushed.
At that moment, I was overflowing with happiness as I accepted the ring. He was overjoyed, lifting me up and spinning me around.
I patted his shoulder: "Put me down, it's so embarrassing!"
"I don't want to!" Back then, Liang Shao was still a young man, incredibly excited: "Shen Ye, we're getting married! You're going to be my wife!"
Later, he had money, but the original ring seemed to have been forgotten, and he never replaced it with another for me.
"Shen Ye, damn it, are you going to sign or not?"
Liang Shao's voice pulled me back to reality. Just as I was about to speak, I glimpsed a large truck speeding straight towards us not far away!
In that instant, my mind went blank.
Forgetting everything, I instinctively lunged at Liang Shao.
"CRASH!"
Before losing consciousness, I seemed to see Liang Shao's panicked face. He frantically called my name, his face drained of all color.
My consciousness slowly sank into a dark void.
The good news is that although the car accident caused a severe impact to my head, it didn't result in any serious injuries; it was just a concussion, so I still had to be hospitalized for further observation.
The bad news is, due to the severe concussion, I lost my memory.
The doctor couldn't be sure when I would recover. He said, "Brain issues are very complex. You might remember everything the next second, or you might not remember for the rest of your life."
I felt it was no big deal. It's good enough to be alive; memories aren't important.
Lương Thiệu said he was my husband, but I had no impression of him whatsoever. To me, he was no different from a stranger.
"Why did I lose my memory?" I asked him.
Lương Thiệu sat by the bed, his clothes stained with dust and blood, his hair a tangled mess. He recounted the whole story to me, his eyes filled with a complex expression.
"So, what you're saying is you cheated on me and want to divorce me, and I even took the car accident for you?"
Lương Thiệu remained silent.
I frowned: "Was I really that stupid?"
I appraised him from head to toe: "But you don't seem like my type. You're not lying to me, are you?"
Lương Thiệu's physique was indeed quite good: sharp features, tall and well-built, with an ascetic, refined yet decadent aura. Especially when he wore gold-rimmed glasses, he was truly a beast.
But I didn't like this type; I preferred simple-minded, athletic guys with well-developed muscles.
Lương Thiệu looked at me, seemingly about to say something, but then stopped.
"Let me see the agreement." I held out my hand towards him.
I had no interest in getting entangled with a… rotten cucumber who had cheated. Wouldn't it be better to take the divorce money and go find some younger, hotter guys?
Lương Thiệu said in a low voice: "Let's forget about it for now. Given your current condition, we can discuss that later."
I saw a corner of a paper sticking out of a tattered folder next to him, so I conveniently pulled it out.
It was indeed the divorce agreement.
I was very satisfied with the amount of money in the agreement; I never expected to suddenly become filthy rich one day.
To be able to divorce a man who didn't uphold his marital duties and also get a large sum of money – could there be anything better in the world?
I didn't want to argue with him anymore, so I decisively pressed the call button for the nurse.
"Excuse me, could I borrow a pen? Thank you."
"Wait a minute..." Lương Thiệu frowned: "You don't have to be so hasty. We can go home and negotiate again."
I raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you want to divorce me urgently? Your mistress is about to give birth; you need to hurry up to register the child's household registration, don't you?"
The other people in the ward heard this and immediately turned to look at Lương Thiệu with disdain, then started whispering amongst themselves.
"He looks decent, but who knew he'd cheat."
"His mistress is about to give birth, so he's forcing his wife to divorce him. Tsk tsk, what kind of person is that?"
He gritted his teeth: "There's no rush."
I scoffed, scribbled my signature, and then threw the divorce papers at him: "You're not in a hurry, but I am. A man who doesn't love you is no different from rotten cabbage, and I don't want anything to do with rotten cabbage. Once I'm discharged, we'll go get the certificate. Get lost!"
He held the divorce agreement, staring blankly at the signature on it, as if he hadn't had time to react. A moment later, he repeatedly shook his head.
"No." Lương Thiệu adamantly refused: "I'm not leaving. I have to stay and take care of you."
I frowned: "Just hire a nurse for me. I don't want to see you."
For some reason, even though he hadn't made any particular impression on me, I subconsciously detested this man. The sight of him invariably irritated me.
Lương Thiệu was stunned, sitting there dumbfounded, still clutching the agreement.
I turned away, no longer looking at him.
That evening, I suddenly needed to use the restroom. I didn't want to call Lương Thiệu, so I resolutely leaned on the wall, slowly stood up, and made my way out.
Just as I reached the door, I overheard Lương Thiệu asking the doctor on rounds: "Doctor, her amnesia... what's the chance of her memory returning?"
The doctor pondered for a moment before replying: "It's very difficult to determine. There are many causes of amnesia. When the human brain experiences shock, it activates a self-preservation mechanism, sealing away the most painful memories. Whether she can recall them or not depends on her subconscious's willingness; it's very hard to predict."
The doctor quickly left, leaving only Lương Thiệu standing there.
The chilly corridor was illuminated by an incandescent bulb. A long shadow stretched behind him, his back looking somewhat lonely at first glance.
He stood there stunned, motionless for a long time.