Chapter 55.2: I say no, but my body is honest…

After a few seconds, Li Mengting finally reacted. With a speed that Cheng Yao couldn’t even process, she charged at Zhang Hao, ignoring her pregnancy and crying with bloodshot eyes as she began tearing into him.

“You trash! You scum! I just walked out and you couldn’t wait to bring someone into our home! May you both die miserable deaths!”

Li Mengting cried out and shouted, completely losing control, and scratched Zhang Hao’s face until blood appeared. The woman inside, hearing the noise, rushed out. She was a mature-looking woman, not overly seductive, with a face that could be described as gentle. Li Mengting later learned her name was Liang Qiongqiong, who, despite being harmless in appearance, had audaciously become the other woman.

Upon seeing Li Mengting attacking Zhang Hao, Liang Qiongqiong screamed and rushed into the fray.

“He doesn’t like you anymore! Why do you still shamelessly cling to him?” Liang Qiongqiong was full of righteousness, using her agility to slap Li Mengting a few times. “Do you know how much pressure he’s under at work? You don’t work and he supports you, but you don’t know how to control your spending. Do you know he was so stressed that he had to see a psychiatrist? He was diagnosed with severe depression! And you? Have you ever cared about him?”

Liang Qiongqiong spoke as if she were in the right, her tone full of authority. The way she looked at Zhang Hao with sympathy and protection, if viewed by an outsider, would make it seem like Li Mengting was the villain in this situation.

“When Zhang Hao needed you the most, what were you doing? During that time, it was me who stayed by his side. What about you? You took advantage of the fact that he once liked you and just kept demanding, kept making trouble, never understanding his difficulties, and drained all his feelings for you. He doesn’t love you anymore! Why are you still forcing it? You two are no longer on the same level, on the same platform for development. What’s the point of holding on?”

This mistress was sharp-tongued, and Li Mengting was so angry she almost lost consciousness. Cheng Yao had to support her to keep her steady.

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It was only now that she realized the regret of handing over her youth and fate, both in her own hands, to a man. It sounded romantic, but it was a gamble that was far too risky.

But regret was no longer useful.

But Li Mengting still couldn’t accept it. She held back her tears and said, “It’s fine if you don’t like me anymore, but how can you do this to your unborn child? When you first found out I was pregnant, didn’t you hug me and say you’d been waiting for this day for so long? And what about me not working? Didn’t you encourage me to stay at home? Now you can’t handle the pressure and you’re shifting all the blame onto me?”

Zhang Hao furrowed his brows, his expression still stiff and emotionless. His tone was dry and unfeeling, but everything had changed. Every word he spoke to Li Mengting now was unbearably cruel. “You’re too selfish. You always stand in your own shoes and criticize others, always thinking you’re right and only seeing other people’s mistakes.”

Zhang Hao took a deep breath. “Actually, it doesn’t matter if you don’t work because I’m the man. I’m the one who told you not to work. I should bear this pressure. But I thought that if I worked hard to give you a better life, you should at least be grateful or at the very least, show me some care. But every day when I come home late after working overtime, the only thing you ask me to do is clear your shopping cart, give you this and that, and do this and that. Did you ever make me a late-night snack? Did you ever ask if I was hungry?”

Zhang Hao was usually an introverted person who struggled to express his feelings. He habitually suppressed his emotions. When faced with problems, he would silently endure unless he felt something was truly too much. People like him often seemed very easygoing because they were good at tolerating others. But once their tolerance reached its limit, their attitude would change suddenly, and their outburst would catch everyone off guard. They would no longer tolerate and the love they had nurtured over time would be exhausted, leaving only coldness behind.

Li Mengting only realized this now, understanding the meaning behind Zhang Hao’s many hesitating expressions, but by then, it was too late.

She never expected that the two of them would finally open up and speak everything out in such an irreversible way.

Zhang Hao had thrown caution to the wind. It was the first time he expressed the frustrations and dissatisfaction he had been holding in for so long: “Li Mengting, when I found out you were pregnant, I was really happy. I really like children. I even read a lot of parenting books. I wanted to treat you well, I wanted to treat our future child well. Back then… I hadn’t made that wrong step yet. If you had treated me better then, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Li Mengting’s tears started to fall uncontrollably as she looked at Zhang Hao. This was once the person she loved, but now he was a stranger, the father of the child in her belly.

“But you think everything I do for you is just because you’re pregnant, that I should do it all. You compare me to those ‘perfect husband and father’ standards online, and if I can’t meet them even a little, you’re dissatisfied.”

Zhang Hao’s emotions began to fluctuate. There was a hint of tears and struggle in his eyes. “But I’m just an ordinary man. I’m not the all-powerful protagonist from a novel. I can’t be perfect. I work hard every day, but sometimes I get scolded by my boss. I feel sad too, I get frustrated, and I need encouragement and your understanding. I can’t give you perfection. I’m tired too. But how do you treat me? Once I can’t meet your demands, you threaten me with the child? You ask me if I don’t want the child? Or tell me that my mood will affect the child?”

Li Mengting bit her lip, saying nothing. She remembered how she had acted when she first got pregnant, feeling the internal turmoil. How did she behave? She really believed those online brainwashing articles, saying pregnant women are queens and that their husbands should unconditionally meet every demand.

She was too young. She had never worked a proper job, and she didn’t understand the gap between reality and ideals. She wasn’t ready for the weight of marriage.

“You only take, you never give. You think it’s natural that I care about you, as if men can’t be fragile. You never see my good qualities, you think it’s lucky for me to have you, and once you’re gone, I’m just meant to live a life of neglect.”

Li Mengting instinctively denied it. “I’ve never said that to you!”

“You never said it, but it’s happened many times. Your body language, your eyes, all revealed your sense of superiority over me.” Zhang Hao’s tone was pained but restrained. “I may be slow, but I’m not stupid. I can feel it. Sometimes you don’t even look at me.”

He took a deep breath. “So, Li Mengting, let’s part ways. I’ve found someone who truly loves and appreciates me. You go find someone better.”

“As for the child, get rid of it. I don’t want to be bossed around by you because of the child anymore. We’ve already come this far, and the child won’t have a happy life even if born. I’ll go with you to the hospital. As for nutrition fees and compensation, I’ll give it to you.” Zhang Hao lowered his head. “Li Mengting, don’t be stubborn now. Be rational.”

With Zhang Hao’s support, Liang Qiongqiong became even more brazen: “Look at it from Zhang Hao’s perspective. If you abort the child and then apologize to me for invading my privacy, I’ll drop the case and let it go.”

If Li Mengting had still been undecided about whether to salvage the relationship, whether it could be repaired, now, her mind was a mix of shock, regret, guilt, anger, and pain, leaving her lost and confused.

At this moment, Cheng Yao held her hand. Then she heard Cheng Yao’s calm and restrained voice:

“You’ve said so much, but all of it is just to absolve yourself. In a relationship like this, both parties are responsible. Li Mengting made mistakes, but when she did something wrong or made you uncomfortable, why couldn’t you communicate directly with her? Without communication, how do you know she wouldn’t change? Why go outside and find a third party? Isn’t this your fault too? Did you truly see her as the woman you wanted to spend your life with? Did you really want this relationship and marriage to last?”

Cheng Yao spoke calmly and rationally. “Whenever there’s a problem, you don’t try to solve it. You don’t want to maintain any relationship that’s facing issues. You don’t want to fix things, you just want to replace it. As if switching to something new will solve everything, and that’s why things turned out this way.”

Cheng Yao gave Liang Qiongqiong a cold look: “As for you, be careful. Don’t think you’ve found a sweet deal. You’d better pray that your relationship with him never faces any problems. Otherwise, the next one Zhang Hao replaces will be you.”

“You’re a man, Zhang Hao. You’ve made mistakes, so take responsibility like a man. Why push the blame onto Li Mengting at a time like this?”

Cheng Yao stared at Zhang Hao, her voice sharp and clear: “You coward.”

It was at this moment that Li Mengting, holding Cheng Yao’s hand, finally regained some clarity from her words. She gripped Cheng Yao’s hand as if drawing strength from her.

Now, she had calmed down, and with cold eyes, she looked at Zhang Hao and Liang Qiongqiong: “Fine, I’ll leave. I’ll pack my things right now. This house, let the two of you, the adulterous couple, stay here. A bitch and a dog, forever together. You’ll definitely grow old together.”

After saying that, she turned to Cheng Yao. “Yao Yao, let’s go!”