Chapter 94 The Real Coercion and Enticement
The two stood frozen, staring at Shen Shuangyu with wide, almost bloodshot eyes, but they couldn't utter a single word.
The third uncle, still deeply shocked, couldn't believe that of the three brothers, the second brother had left the capital early on, and only the eldest son's branch and the third son's branch supported each other in the main courtyard of the Shen family.
Although they might occasionally have ulterior motives and engage in secret struggles for power, interests, and the future of their children, they would never commit such a vicious act of framing.
Third Uncle couldn't help but say, "Niece Shuangyu, this is still not right. Even if your eldest brother's family favors you and insists on making you their second wife, they should just tell you directly. There's no need to create such a scandal. Isn't this dragging the Shen family down with them? Even the Marquis was framed."
Third Aunt couldn't help but say, "Of course, it's to break off the original engagement. I remember the Yin family was very satisfied with Shuangyu back then, and that Yin boy was even more..."
At this point, the third aunt hesitated, after all, he was already someone's brother-in-law, and saying anything more would be going too far.
"Pshaw, that kind of man doesn't deserve you."
Shen Shuangyu's eyes flickered. She knew that Ye Qing must know everything, which was why she disliked that man.
After three years of trials and tribulations, she had lost all feelings for that person.
I just feel that things have changed and people are no longer the same.
Upon hearing this, Song Zhixian, who was some distance away, suddenly turned cold and stared intently at Shen Shuangyu, as if he were looking at a woman who had not been virtuous.
Shen Ding'an was also taken aback, and couldn't help but wonder if his second sister was making such a fuss because she knew that the Yin family would be returning to the capital soon and that she still had feelings for Yin Lifeng.
No, impossible. My second sister would never do such an immoral thing, not to mention that she has always loved her younger sister very much.
My younger sister and her husband are doing well now, so she definitely won't try to break them up.
At this moment, the third uncle, who had been interrupted by his third aunt, was also unsure, but he still leaned towards his own opinion.
Is...is that so?
In fact, not only Uncle San, but also many relatives believed that Shen Shuangyu's original fiancé was not as good as Song Zhixian.
If ordinary people disregarded morality and made a choice, they would definitely choose Song Zhixian as their second wife.
Wealth, honor, and a promising future—for the sake of her younger siblings and future children, any wise woman should make this choice.
At least when they were planning for their own children, they wished they could break off their engagements and send their children to the Marquis's mansion as his second wives.
Therefore, Uncle San thought that as long as his elder brother and sister-in-law asked directly, Shen Shuangyu would agree.
Even if the young woman has feelings for her fiancé and is reluctant to part with him, she will eventually agree if the elders use their authority to pressure her.
There was absolutely no need to go through all this trouble, which not only ruined Shen Shuangyu's reputation but also almost tarnished the reputation of the other girls in the Shen family.
Although the matter was covered up within the Shen family and the Marquis's mansion, secrets don't stay hidden forever. Judging from Song Zhixian's attitude towards Shen Shuangyu, it was easy to find out that the news had already spread outside. Considering Song Zhixian's status and the fact that Shen Shuangyu later performed without any mistakes, everyone just kept quiet about it.
Therefore, Uncle San could not understand.
“It’s not as simple as just breaking off the engagement,” Shen Shuangyu added.
Her gaze fell coldly on the two men, filled with disdain.
"They made me think I went into the wrong room, which caused everything. They took advantage of my guilt towards Shen Chuchu so they could exploit me and completely control my life, so that the three children could have peace of mind. Am I right, Aunt?"
Hu stared blankly at Shen Shuangyu, her legs trembling.
Shen Shuangyu then looked at Shen Yue, whose expression was almost uncontrollable and somewhat ferocious, "Moreover, at that time, the old lady of the Marquis's mansion was trying to prepare a better second wife for the Marquis. You were afraid that it would be too late, and that once your daughter went there, the other side would be able to reach an agreement. So you took the lead and used the scandal to delay the Marquis's mansion."
Shen Yue was so startled that he almost took a step back, as if no secret could escape the little girl in front of him, which terrified him.
Shen Shuangyu continued, "Of course, there's one last thing, which is to shut everyone up."
In an instant, everyone present was astonished.
Especially the third aunt, whose gaze met Shen Shuangyu's.
Shen Shuangyu said in a deep voice, "Look, it's all my fault. It has nothing to do with the eldest branch of the family. It's not that they don't want your daughter. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
Auntie San had already figured it out by now, but Shen Shuangyu bluntly said it out loud, and a surge of anger really rushed to her head.
The eldest son's actions, which prioritized both appearance and substance, were essentially just playing with their other relatives, and in the end, they even despicably made Shen Shuangyu, a young orphan, bear the brunt of all the elders' anger.
Absolutely despicable and shameless!
No wonder this usually well-behaved girl caused such a huge commotion this time.
Third Aunt's eyes were like knives, slicing sharply towards the eldest son's house, and many of the relatives also glared at her with displeasure.
Even the third uncle, who initially didn't believe the eldest branch of the family would do such a thing, slumped down and stared blankly after Shen Shuangyu listed several reasons.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she turned to her eldest brother and said, "Eldest brother... she is still Second Brother's daughter, after all. How can you do this to the family of Second Brother who died young?"
These words were like the loudest slap in the face to the two members of the main family.
Shen Shuangyu revealed every single one of their inner schemes without leaving a trace.
It made them feel as if they had been stripped naked and humiliated in front of everyone.
Some things may seem insignificant when you think about them, but when they're actually brought into the open, it's truly shameful.
They felt as if countless silver needles were piercing their limbs and bones, making them unable to move.
But at the same time, he was also furious and embarrassed.
Driven to the brink of madness by the pressure, Hu almost blurted out, "What on earth is wrong with you...?"
Before he could utter the word "I know," Shen Yue interrupted him.
[Damn, she almost confessed! The old fox isn't brainless after all; she managed to stay calm even at the last minute!]
Although Shen Yue's face was bloodless and his lips were pale, his sharp gaze swept over everyone present, slightly intimidating them.
"Enough! This is absurd! Absolutely absurd! Shen Shuangyu, stop spouting nonsense if you can't produce evidence! This is all just your imagination. I never thought you were this kind of person. Do you think you can change your life by shifting all the blame onto your deceased cousin? So what if you suffered some injustice in the Marquis's mansion? Do you have to be so heartless as to fabricate all this to ruin our main branch?"
Shen Yue's words flowed more and more smoothly, a desperate measure indeed. He knew he couldn't just go along with Shen Shuangyu's story. As long as he could grasp one point, without evidence, no matter how reasonable Shen Shuangyu's argument was, it would be useless.
“We admit we were a bit harsh on you before, but that was because we didn’t know if what happened back then was an accident or not, so we could only be cautious. It wasn’t our fault! You can’t treat us like this! Even if your parents were here, I would still say the same thing!”
Shen Yue spoke with great emotion, even his eyes reddening, as if he were truly an elder who had been wronged.
[Heh, your uncle's such a good actor, he'd be considered a veteran around here. And he seems so ruthless, he's not even afraid of your parents. Sigh, troublesome. Just as we expected, the result is the same. Shuangyu, it's time to move on to the next step.]
Although not many people in the audience were impressed by the performance, they couldn't really refute Shen Yue's claims, and many were already making their own calculations...
Standing up for Shen Shuangyu seems to offer no benefit whatsoever. Three years ago, they might have been able to put in a good word for her, but now, three years later, the truth is completely irrelevant to them.
Even the third aunt, who was seething with anger, didn't speak up at this moment.
It was as if Shen Shuangyu had returned to a state of isolation and helplessness.
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat suffocating, Shen Shuangyu suddenly spoke up: "Uncle, we know the truth perfectly well. I will always remember everything you have done to me. So, do you still want me to stay as your second wife?"
Shen Shuangyu's voice landed heavily on the ground, causing both of them in the main house to tremble, yet they still held their heads high.
For Shen Shuangyu, telling the whole truth was not about making them believe her.
It was just to make it clear to everyone that she harbored resentment and would never turn back, so there was no need to waste time on her.
This is coercion.
Next, it's time to offer incentives.
"I am the only victim in all of this! And now, all I want is a divorce! Elders, once I leave, this position will be vacated. Whether the marriage between the Shen family and the Marquis's mansion can continue can still be discussed, can't it?"
Why not fight for the interests that can be regained?
When their interests clash, will they still side with the first wife and obstruct her from getting a divorce?
Of course, she knew that Song Zhixian was present and might refute her on the spot, but as long as they had such intentions, it would be to her advantage.
To survive in such a precarious situation, she had to do everything she could and never give up any hope.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com