My Alleged Husband

Chapter 431 - 410: Once Upon a Time_1

"Must we meet in the future only to act as we did today, as strangers, because of the love we once shared? Do you think this is not too cruel for me? You know full well I can’t let go, yet why do you insist on subjecting me to such pain? You really leave me no choice!"

"I can tell that the two of you must have had a deep connection. So why choose to give up now? You have such a wonderful wife struggling inside for the sake of your daughter, yet you remain restless on the outside. Don’t you realize how difficult you’re making it for your wife? She only wants to bring a healthy, happy baby into the world. Sometimes things happen unexpectedly, catching you off guard, because life’s journey is about growing up. You always have to be on your guard, otherwise, someday you might find yourself trampled underfoot by others—a most bitter taste!"

Xia Jing knew these words were meant for him, but there was no evidence. He couldn’t allow such words to be recorded.

We used to be so deeply in love, but how could our relationship deteriorate to what it has become today as we age? It’s an ending I never imagined in my whole life. I just wish none of this had ever happened. Why won’t the heavens grant me another chance? Is it really so hard to return to the past and make amends to my wife? My hopes are thoroughly dashed now; she will never come back to me. Yet, I find myself perpetually stuck in a corner of the past, unable to extricate myself...

"People are like this: when they have something, they never appreciate what they’ve got. But once lost, only then do they realize how important those things were. To bring them back at any cost becomes the goal, but can you really find what’s been lost? Do you truly have the ability to bring it back? Time has passed; can you rewind it? Impossible, but why the obsession? Maybe it’s the thread of hope needed to keep on living!"

"True, we have no connection anymore. She’s been living well abroad for years without me, as happy as if I were there. Why keep entangling ourselves? Why can’t I let her have a way out? Is it just because of that bit of vanity in my heart that I want to hurt so many? Is it worth making many others suffer for my mistakes, all because of my vanity? I shouldn’t be so selfish. One day, you realize you can’t keep secrets forever. Even if I can’t erase this person from my heart right now, one day, I’ll be able to let go of this love because it was never mine to begin with. A marriage that doesn’t belong to you, even if you stay together, can never bring happiness..."

"Do you think it was appropriate for us to be together? In the beginning, we defied everything to be with each other, even disobeying my father. Looking back now, I was so unreasonable. How could I have spoken to my father like that, when he loved me so much? But as time goes on, attitudes change, and clear thinking emerges. Yet, some people are trapped in a dead end for a lifetime, never finding their way out..."

"Some people survive on nothing but a fragment of a memory, an obsession that gives them the strength to live many more years in this world. Without that conviction, how could they continue to live? They don’t want their world to fall apart. They think, as long as they can happily watch the people they care about live safely, and see the birth of the children they wish to see, that’s enough for anybody. People shouldn’t be too greedy, right? Greed doesn’t bear good fruit!"

"Am I greedy? Actually, I’m not greedy in my actions. All I want is to see my loved one happily grow. Is it so wrong to wish to be with the one I love for a lifetime? Sometimes I truly don’t understand why I have to ruin the marriage I’ve worked so hard for, a marriage that could have lasted forever, by playing the villain and shattering it to pieces!"

...

Zhang Zhentian argued with himself for a long time, but in the end, he didn’t want his wife to leave him. Yet now, he feels that seeing her happier and more fulfilled in the posts she shares is what he wishes to see. He doesn’t ask for much in life; he just wants the people he cares about to be happy. Even if he’s not by their side, if they can be happy, that’s enough for him. Yet Xia Jing has managed this, living carefree abroad for the past five years without Zhang Zhentian. She once almost took her own life during the divorce for the sake of her husband. Looking back, it seems so naive and laughable. Why give up one’s precious life for a man? People often say: "Life is precious, love is more so. If for freedom both can go."

Zhang Zhentian was conflicted for a long time, but he finally realized that whether he did right or wrong, he shouldn’t punish himself in this way. He should sincerely wish the best for his dearest wife, that even without him, she can still live freely. Isn’t that the greatest gift? He loved Xia Jing so deeply, but because of him, her heart was shattered. Now that Xia Jing can live happily without him, perhaps that’s the best he can wish for her.