novelraw Chapter 1050 - 1039: An Unkind Stepmother
Chapter 1050 - 1039: An Unkind Stepmother
That’s right, this is a marriage where a woman chases a man. Everyone believes their identities are mismatched, everyone thinks they’re incompatible, and even the original self felt that way.
But unlike everyone who believed Fang Bingwen didn’t deserve her, she thought she didn’t deserve Fang Bingwen.
Even though Fang Bingwen was divorced with a child, he was tall, handsome, well-educated, and had become an associate professor at the university at a young age.
And how about her? She was just a spoiled daughter with some stinking money, poor in studies and average-looking. She truly believed she didn’t deserve him.
Their encounter stemmed from a life-saving incident. At that time, she was busy playing with her phone and didn’t pay attention to the staircase beneath her feet, and it was Fang Bingwen who pulled her up when she was about to fall.
Because the encounter was too beautiful, she fell in love at first sight and then started days of chasing him to repay his kindness, chasing him for his contact information.
Everyone thought it was just the Eldest Lady’s whim, but she actually proposed, which shocked Ye Qiu’s eldest sister and second brother, followed by even fiercer arguments.
Rejected once, she became braver each time, and finally, seeing her sincere treatment of his son, Fang Bingwen accepted her proposal. Today is their wedding day.
Because Fang Bingwen said he was a teacher and shouldn’t make it too extravagant, only Ye Qiu’s siblings’ families, a few friends, and several of his colleagues attended the wedding.
No one was invited, let alone the dreamlike wedding Ye Qiu once wished for as a child. They registered in the morning, had a simple ceremony at noon, followed by a meal and toasting; consider this marriage complete.
Although somewhat aggrieved, the original self felt sweetness, increasingly believing that Fang Bingwen accepted her genuinely and not for her money.
From the beginning, she knew Fang Bingwen still loved his ex-wife deeply despite the divorce, but she didn’t care. She believed she at least touched him a little and trusted that her sincerity would make him accept her.
A well-educated person like Fang Bingwen must value life-shaping events; if he hadn’t been moved at all, how could he have accepted her proposal?
However, Fang Bingwen wasn’t moved at all; he agreed to the proposal only out of impulse. Having heard his ex-wife had happily remarried abroad, he accepted as if in revenge, thinking she betrayed him, so he’d betray her through Ye Qiu, the foolishly deceived woman.
But after the wedding, Fang Bingwen regretted it, yet didn’t dare to speak of divorce. Perhaps he felt guilt towards Ye Qiu and buried his feelings within.
However, he truly didn’t love Ye Qiu; he even feared she might mistreat his son born to his ex-wife after having her child, so he secretly underwent vasectomy, causing the original self to always believe it was her own fault for not conceiving, thus feeling guilty and increasingly kind to her stepson.
The original self genuinely liked Fang Bingwen, treating him well and pouring heart and soul into the stepson, yet influenced by her father, perhaps also by rumors, stepson Fang Xu remained wary of her consistently.
At a young age, he learned to lie, acting frightened in front of Fang Bingwen while telling others she mistreated him.
Being the stepmother and once a headstrong daughter with a bad temper, almost no one believed her, thus she became the evil stepmother in others’ eyes.
Later, perhaps Fang Bingwen discovered something; before she became utterly disappointed, he suddenly began treating her well again, and the original self fell into the trap once more.
However, Fang Bingwen harbored other intentions towards her; he started eyeing her fortune at that time.
He coaxed her into investing in his lab, coaxed her into setting up a company for him, and when he achieved success, he decisively proposed divorce.
Unwilling, she recalled past accounts with him, complained of her bad temper, lack of maternal compassion, lack of understanding, failing to take interest in him, saying they shared no common topics, among others.
Later, Ye Qiu learned his sudden change of attitude was because his ex-wife divorced and returned home, and it turned out all he did was under her ex-wife’s instruction.
His feelings towards his ex-wife mirrored her feelings for him; knowing full well the other didn’t have the slightest affection yet still gave all in vain.
Fang Bingwen knew clearly that his ex-wife left him for money and the same abandonment caused her return because he now had a wealthy wife.
Yet he still didn’t care, believing that with a son and success, she would no longer leave; caring not whether she loved him as a person or for money.
But had he clarified the divorce intention, perhaps the original self wouldn’t have been so deeply hurt.
Yet he also wanted his clean reputation, creating an image of her secretly harming stepson, being irritable disobeying advice, using money over people, and being shallow prior to divorce, leaving her destitute and discredited.
In a new life, Ye Qiu was destined to reveal his hypocritical side; since he accused her of lacking maternal compassion, she’d show him; since stepson Fang Xu claimed mistreatment, she’d mistreat him.
Want to enjoy her wealth while slandering her reputation? Want to love his ex-wife as biological mom? Let’s see if they’ve that ability!
As for her older sister and second brother, she misunderstood them; in her last days of destitution, they supported her. This life, she’d never make enemies out of them, rather than pouring money into that heartless father-son, she’d spoil her nieces and nephews more.
"Knock, knock..."
The knocking on the door interrupted Ye Qiu’s thoughts. She adjusted her expression, smiled lightly, saying, "Come in."
The one knocking was Fang Bingwen. Though married, he remained courteous as ever, whether at the hotel or at home.
Previously, Ye Qiu thought it was his upbringing and demeanor; now she saw it was because he didn’t love her.
"Darling, have all your colleagues left?" She blinked her sparkling eyes at him.
Faced with such adoring eyes, Fang Bingwen felt a jolt of shame for his deception, even unable to meet Ye Qiu’s gaze.
He sighed inwardly, ultimately feeling guilty for her, having accepted the proposal impulsively despite no love; he swore that even without love, he’d treat her well hereafter.
In this life, Ye Qiu’s looks were average, yet her eyes were especially expressive; even one as heartless as Fang Bingwen occasionally found it hard to resist her.
His voice was gentle, carrying a smile as he said, "Yes, they’ve all left. Let’s go home too; Xiao Xu should take his nap."