"Jiang Tian, please, please let me go..."
Zhao Mingyao wept bitterly. The thought of her husband leaving her made her lose all desire to maintain her dignity. She only wanted to beg Jiang Tian to let her go. She finally knew fear.
She had a premonition that none of this would have happened without Jiang Tian's instigation.
She did make many mistakes—for example, she always treated Jiang Tian as a hypothetical "control group", constantly causing trouble for her, seeking a sense of superiority from her, and even deliberately plotting to frame her, causing her husband to develop a prejudice against her.
She acknowledges all of these past transgressions, which are too numerous to recount.
But she still longed to hold onto the happiness in her hands, and that happiness was Shen Dingkun.
She really can't live without this man.
Why? Why did you do this to her?
Jiang Tian looked at her with pity: "Don't you understand yet? The root of the problem has never been with others, but with yourself. Your husband said long ago that the key to all the problems is that the wrong ideas you instilled in the child crossed his bottom line—he was afraid that you would corrupt the child. He came to me for the sake of the child, hoping that the child could have a positive role model and not follow your old path. You should have realized long ago that when he tacitly allowed you to consolidate your position by having children, you should have understood your own position."
“I know I’ve been bad to the child, and I know my views are flawed. I really know I’ve changed… but he still doesn’t believe me and won’t even answer my calls. Can you help me contact him? Right now, I can only communicate with his lawyer. He doesn’t reply to my messages, and he doesn’t come home anymore. I have no idea where he is…”
Zhao Mingyao revealed her helpless side; she was ultimately not a strong woman—she was just an ordinary woman who met true love, married into a wealthy family, and was envied by others.
She thought marriage and children would be the perfect ending, but life is never perfect. Everyone has their hardships, and she was no exception.
She wasn't unaware of the realities Jiang Tian pointed out.
She was willing to have children for the Shen family because she sacrificed herself.
Zhao Mingyao never wanted to be a useless person, but now, Shen Dingkun is divorcing her because she is not "outstanding" in educating her children.
It's simply unbelievable.
Is she going to lose everything just because her child's education went wrong?
It's too absurd.
Zhao Mingyao became increasingly upset: "Just because my parenting didn't meet his standards, does all this goodness have to be overturned? We're husband and wife."
Sometimes Zhao Mingyao felt quite pitiful—she had no friends, and her only focus in life was her husband and children.
Now, if she wants to talk to someone, she can only turn to her old "friend" Jiang Tian. After all, she has long since excluded everyone else from her social circle, and no one would want to bother coming up to her.
If no one contacts anyone else, those people will have long since lost contact.
Only Jiang Tian is still in the same circle as Zhao Mingyao.
Zhao Mingyao felt that the other person could understand her and analyze things for her.
After all, they used to be best friends, and Jiang Tian has always been magnanimous.
As expected, Jiang Tian didn't push her away or say anything demeaning. She simply asked, "Do you know the secret to a lasting marriage?"
Zhao Mingyao paused for a moment, then shook her head.
But she quickly realized she could give the "correct answer": "It's about loving each other, loving each other forever, loving each other for a lifetime..."
Her answer might have been a little naive, and Jiang Tian couldn't help but laugh: "You've been with Shen Dingkun for so many years, haven't you figured it out yet? You don't even understand the secret to a long-lasting marriage, so what are you talking about now? Even if you manage to salvage it temporarily, your marriage will still collapse sooner or later."
Zhao Mingyao became anxious: "Don't misunderstand, I'm not asking you to curse us... It's just that it's our business, don't treat it like this. I don't want you to talk about me and Shen Dingkun like that—since you think you know it, then tell me, what is the secret to a long-lasting marriage?"
Zhao Mingyao was perhaps too hasty, and her words became somewhat incoherent—she sincerely hoped to find the secret to a lasting marriage and win back her beloved husband.
She doesn't really understand how couples should get along.
Over the years, she had been pampered like a princess by Shen Dingkun. The sudden loss of this affection left her feeling lost and directionless in life.
Jiang Tian said, "Let me tell you, this world is about the exchange of value. Do you understand 'value'? Two people can stay together for a long time because of the balance of their values. Value in marriage includes many things: such as age, appearance, work ability, family background, whether parents are helpful, and even the age difference between you, the number of children you have, and the emotional value you provide, etc. We have all learned the law of conservation of energy. If you want to stay with Shen Dingkun for a long time, your 'energy' must at least be equal. Look at him—outstanding appearance, rich, strong family background, strong work ability, high education, almost no shortcomings. It is precisely because he is so outstanding that your marriage to him caused such a sensation back then."
"But look at it from another angle, is your value balanced? It has always been Shen Dingkun who has been outputting energy, and now he wants to take half of your property. You should be content and stop asking for more."
"What nonsense are you talking about..." Zhao Mingyao wanted to retort, but after uttering half a sentence, she was speechless.
She knew in her heart that Jiang Tian was telling the truth—once the balance of values between husband and wife tilts, it is indeed difficult to maintain.
This is probably why people always emphasize "marrying someone of equal social standing".
Zhao Mingyao suddenly realized that feelings are never simply about loving or not loving, but rather a hidden value judgment.
"If this marriage was able to last in the first place, there must have been a reason for it to last. Is it really going to fall apart just because my parenting philosophy is wrong? Is our marriage that fragile? Since it lasted for several years, it at least means that our values were equal during those years!"
“That’s because your husband has been putting up with it all along, and now he’s had enough,” Jiang Tian said bluntly. “The value you can offer is clearly far less than his, so one of us must be the one enduring it—”
"Stop talking!" Zhao Mingyao's voice trembled slightly.
"Why are you so agitated? You're the one who's forcing me to spell things out. You were the one who came to me first, and I wanted to analyze things with you properly, but if you keep avoiding reality, no one can save you..."
"Shut up!" Zhao Mingyao suddenly exploded. "What do you know? You have no idea about our relationship!"
Jiang Tian remained unmoved: "Whether I understand or not is no longer important—because he doesn't love you anymore. The balance of power has long been tilted, and the children's education is just the trigger. He's not even willing to offer you the emotional value of patience now, so divorce is inevitable. Do you understand now?"
Zhao Mingyao trembled all over. She wanted to cover her ears, but she couldn't deny that Jiang Tian's words were like a sharp knife, cutting open the truth she dared not face.
The core of their marriage's collapse was never a difference in educational philosophies, but rather that Shen Dingkun no longer needed her and no longer loved her.
Without the most crucial love, her entire existence became meaningless.
"Has he fallen in love with you?" Zhao Mingyao suddenly asked Jiang Tian.
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