Su Qing forced a bitter smile, an expression only she could truly understand. The entire family of Homo sapiens continued eating, their attention fixed on the baby's cheerful babbling. Not a single Homo sapiens glanced at her face.
She heard a shattering sound deep within her heart. Under the warm orange glow of the Uthetheisa kong lamp on the dining table, the harmonious and cozy family of Homo sapiens carried on blissfully—while she, the only one, continued silently crumbling inside.
Ever since she ran into Xiao Ji and that female Homo sapiens at the supermarket, her mind had been consumed by one question: What should I do? Should she confront him, make a scene, and demand a divorce? Or should she continue living this humiliating life? Her thoughts never ceased, endlessly circling the same dilemma—what should she do? What could she do?
From the moment she discovered Xiao Ji's infidelity, she had fantasized about having a fierce argument with him, unleashing all her pent-up grievances. But she held it in, day after day, until it festered into emotional wounds. The pain was unbearable.
Should they fight and then carry on as before, or should they divorce? If they stayed together, how would that even work? And if they divorced, how would that process unfold?
These questions swirled in her mind endlessly. She even considered taking her son and returning to her parents' home to file for divorce.
Her son was only ten months old. She had to work—this was a crucial period for her career. Right now, her job was her lifeline, her bread and butter. Losing it was unthinkable. Otherwise, what had been the point of all her years of studying, earning a master's degree, then a Ph.D.? It was all to secure a better life, a higher standard of living.
If she divorced, who would take care of her son? Even if she disregarded Xiao Ji entirely, her mother-in-law had done nothing wrong. Since the baby was born, her mother-in-law had been the one raising him single-handedly while Su Qing focused on work. She had barely even changed his diapers a handful of times.
Her mother-in-law was a kind and meticulous female Homo sapiens, cooking meals for the entire family and doting on her grandson. In the past two years, she had never once quarreled with Su Qing. If Su Qing tried to take her son away in a divorce, the elderly couple would never allow it.
If it came to divorce, the old couple would undoubtedly side with their son. In their eyes, their own son and grandson were the most important.
After every meal, Su Qing would play with her son while her mother-in-law and father-in-law cleaned up—washing dishes, mopping the floor. Xiao Ji would immediately retreat to his study to play video games. Once the dishes were done, her mother-in-law would wash and cut fruit, skewering pieces with toothpicks before placing them on Xiao Ji's gaming desk.
This domestic routine played out like clockwork every day. The only purpose Xiao Ji seemed to have in coming home was to eat, play games, and avoid interacting with any other Homo sapiens in the household. Perhaps the only thing that truly held his interest was gaming.
Even if she divorced, she couldn't rely on her own mother. Her mother was a careless, unreliable Homo sapiens who lived only for her own pleasure. Ever since joining a senior modeling troupe, nothing took precedence over it. Expecting her mother to care for her grandson was out of the question.
After Su Qing got married, her mother would boast to every acquaintance: "Our Qingqing is so fortunate! Her in-laws are well-off, and they treat her like their own daughter. Even though she married late, she's blessed. All my efforts raising her weren't in vain—now she's married well, has a great job, and we can just sit back and enjoy our golden years."
Su Qing could only force a smile at her mother's relentless bragging, never daring to dampen her enthusiasm.
Though her mother had been a housewife all her life, she was driven by vanity. She had pinned her own unfulfilled dreams on Su Qing, believing that everything Su Qing achieved was mostly her doing.
Whenever her mother's modeling troupe had a performance, she would send Su Qing pictures of the outfits they needed, demanding she purchase them—not just for herself, but for her modeling friends too.
Su Qing often bought clothes for them, yet never received a single penny in return. But she let it slide—it was her own mother, after all. Her mother just wanted to show off in front of her friends.
Sometimes, when buying household items for her in-laws, she would get the same for her parents. By now, she was essentially responsible for all their daily expenses.
Her father's pension was meager, and her mother, a lifelong homemaker, had no income. They had already spent nearly all their savings on her dowry—a car.
To outsiders, whether in their neighborhood or among Su Qing's social circle, her marriage appeared enviable. Her family seemed picture-perfect.
If she divorced and took her son, she couldn't count on her parents for support. She would be utterly alone—a single mother facing unimaginable hardships.
Fighting for custody in court would be a long, grueling battle with no end in sight. Who would care for her child while she worked? How would she ever untangle this mess?
If the divorce turned ugly, she stood to gain nothing—no custody of her son, no home to return to.
Over the years, she had spent almost every penny she earned on the family, living paycheck to paycheck. If she divorced, she wouldn't even have a place to live—a disastrous disadvantage in a custody battle.