“What, can’t understand plain words?” Jiang Manyue swept a glance at him.

“Jiang Manyue, do you even know what you’re saying? You want to divorce Xiangyang?”

Bai Wanrou looked surprised, but her heart was secretly thrilled. This woman had finally come to her senses.

Jiang Manyue caught the excitement in her eyes. “Bai Wanrou, if you like trash so much, I’ll give it to you.”

“Now you won’t have to sneak kisses—you can be together openly.”

“You—what are you saying?” Bai Wanrou’s face flushed. She was embarrassed and humiliated.

Liu Cuihua pointed at Jiang Manyue in anger. “A woman like you will never step foot into the Ma family again.”

“You hit your mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Even if there’s going to be a divorce, it’s our family who’ll dump you.”

She still wanted to come up and hit her, but she didn’t dare now that Jiang Manyue wasn’t someone to mess with.

Seeing her only dare to bark, Jiang Manyue found it ridiculous. “Good. Don’t forget what you just said.”

Bai Wanrou was overjoyed. This time, Jiang Manyue had taken the initiative to break off the engagement.

Now she could openly marry Ma Xiangyang. No more sneaking around. No more shame.

“No!” Ma Xiangyang frowned. “I don’t agree.”

“Jiang Manyue, you’ve got your money back, you sold your job. And now you want a divorce too?”

His low voice sounded displeased. It was hard to figure him out now.

The joy on Bai Wanrou’s face froze. Didn’t he hate Jiang Manyue? Why didn’t he want a divorce?

Ma Xiangyang’s face was tense. “Marriage isn’t a joke. We’re already husband and wife. We can’t just divorce on a whim.”

“Besides, we already have the marriage certificate. Stop making trouble.”

“Jiang Manyue, you’re not thinking straight right now. We’ll talk again once you’ve calmed down.”

He thought the certificate had already gone through, so he spoke with confidence.

In truth, it wasn’t that he didn’t want a divorce—he just didn’t want to lose his free servant.

Jiang Manyue didn’t want to raise suspicion. She planned to wait until the marriage registration was rejected before saying more.

If he found out too soon, who knew what unpredictable things he might do?

To avoid complications, Jiang Manyue answered coolly, “Think what you want. This marriage is over.”

She didn’t bother arguing further and turned to leave.

“Xiangyang!” Liu Cuihua shouted, annoyed. “What are you thinking? Why won’t you divorce her?”

“I told you from the start you should’ve married Wanrou. Everyone would’ve been happy.”

“Enough, Mom. I said no divorce, and I meant it.”

There’s no such thing as a man marrying his widowed sister-in-law. And Ma Xiangyang cared too much about his reputation.

He was determined. If there was going to be a breakup, it would be him who left Jiang Manyue, not the other way around.

She’d worked like a mule for him for seven years. Now that his face was scarred, she wanted out? Dream on.

“Relax. She won’t really leave me.” He quickly regained his smug confidence.

“It’s just a trick to get my attention. Don’t worry about her. I bet she’ll come crawling back within a day.”

His arrogant grin returned. After all, she’d done this before.

“You’ll see. She’ll bring every penny back herself and beg for forgiveness.”

That’s right. Jiang Manyue was just being petty and jealous. Give her a few days to cool down and she’d come running back like always.

But after leaving the hospital, Jiang Manyue didn’t go home.

Instead, she stood hesitantly in front of the chemical fertilizer factory’s staff housing.

In the courtyard on the ground floor, a man in his fifties was sweeping. He had only one arm. The right sleeve of his shirt hung empty by his side.

“Uncle!” Jiang Manyue’s eyes turned red the moment she saw him.

Wang Mingshan froze for a second. Seeing her, he was shocked. “Oh, Yueyue, you’re here?”

He hurried to open the gate. Seeing how pale she looked, he asked, “What happened to you?”

That concerned look triggered a flood of memories from her past life.

Her uncle, Wang Mingshan, had always treated her well. After her parents died, he even offered to raise her.

But Ma Xiangyang claimed he was after her parents’ compensation money, and she’d been foolish enough to believe it.

From then on, she distanced herself from them and insisted on marrying into the Ma family.

Her uncle had warned her repeatedly that the Ma family wasn’t good.

And what had she said back then? That she’d cut ties with them just to marry Ma Xiangyang.

Years ago, her uncle lost an arm in a machinery accident at the chemical plant. Her aunt worked alone to support the family.

They were her last family in this world, and she had pushed them away.

Later, when news broke that she’d killed her widowed sister-in-law, her uncle rushed out late at night to look for her, worried sick.

He was hit by a car and died before he even reached the hospital.

“Uncle!” The memory brought tears down her face.

Her uncle was startled by her crying. Inside the house, her aunt, Wang Cuifen, also rushed out.

“Oh dear, Yueyue, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you? Tell Aunt everything.”

“Wuwuwu!” Jiang Manyue clung to the two of them and cried her heart out.

The confused couple gently comforted her, letting her cry for as long as she needed.

After a long while, she finally calmed down, the images from her past life still fading from her mind.

“Uncle, Aunt, I’ve already broken off the engagement with Ma Xiangyang.”

What?

The couple exchanged a glance, clearly shocked.

Back then, Wang Mingshan had tried to stop her from marrying, but she had been so determined.

They had a big argument. She’d even threatened to cut ties with him.

It had crushed him. He didn’t even attend the wedding, but he had quietly sent her a red envelope with 50 yuan inside.

And now she said the engagement was off?

Jiang Manyue pulled out the money and the IOU and explained everything that had happened.

Wang Mingshan saw the money and note, and fury welled up inside him. He grabbed his broom, ready to storm over and beat Ma Xiangyang.

“That whole family is full of wolves. I’ll kill that bastard myself.”

“Uncle!” Jiang Manyue quickly held him back. “It’s fine. I’ll get the money back. The engagement is already over.”

“That Ma Xiangyang is scum. You’re right to leave him.”

Her aunt was fuming too. “Yueyue, what are you going to do now?”

Sure, the engagement was over, but she had lived with the Ma family for years. Finding someone new wouldn’t be easy. And now she’d also lost her job.

But Jiang Manyue wasn’t worried. She will be starting college in September.

As for the Ma family living in her house, she would make sure to take back everything she’d given them.

“Dad, Mom, I’m home.”

Just as they were talking, a young girl walked in carrying a travel bag.

She looked about eighteen or nineteen, wearing dark blue pants and a white blouse.

Her hair was braided into two thick plaits. The moment she saw Jiang Manyue, she frowned.

Wang Baozhu’s eyes narrowed with anger. “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you cut ties with us? Why are you showing up now?”

“Baozhu!” Jiang Manyue rushed over and hugged her. “I never said I wanted to cut ties with you.”

“You, what are you doing!” Wang Baozhu blushed and pushed her away. “Let go. You’re being gross.”

Wang Baozhu was her uncle’s daughter. They had grown up together and had always been close.

But once Jiang Manyue became obsessed with Ma Xiangyang, she had pushed Baozhu aside too.

Later, after news broke about the widowed sister-in-law’s death, Baozhu went to confront Ma Xiangyang at his workplace.

The next day, her body was found by the riverbank.

They said she had seduced some man and been assaulted before being dumped in the river.

She was found with no clothes on. Her aunt had a heart attack and died on the spot when she saw the body.

Thinking of the tragedies that unfolded in her past life, Jiang Manyue swore that this time, she would never let it happen again.