"What?" Qiao Shu was the first to jump up. "Divorce? What kind of divorce! Have you lost your mind, Fang Tong? That is Xu Yizhi, the sole heir to the Xu family! Do you even have any concept of what Chuangsheng Group represents? The fact that you were even able to marry into his family is a blessing our Fang family has been building up for generations!"
Fang Huahua was equally astonished and shrieked, "Fang Tong, are you sick in the head? A little bit of drama is fine, but this is going too far. Look at you—you didn’t even finish college. What could you possibly do if you left Xu Yizhi? What, do you expect Mom and Dad to support you for the rest of your life?"
The word "divorce" had made the entire Fang family uneasy; they erupted in a flurry of voices, all of them pointing fingers and accusing Fang Tong.
Fang Tong tried to explain, "Xu Yizhi likes Sun Qing. They..."
Before she could finish, Qiao Shu slammed a hand across Fang Tong's face.
"How can you be so narrow-minded? Just because Sun Qing isn't blood-related, you can't tolerate her? If Xu Yizhi really liked Sun Qing, they would have been together long ago—would there even be a place for you? Stop acting out and get back there to apologize!"
Fang Tong was already weak; the force of the slap made her lose her balance, and she collapsed to the floor.
That was it. They had never cared about her well-being. Her family only cared about whether she could keep a tight grip on Xu Yizhi and bring more benefits to the family.
The moment Fang Tong fell, Fang Huahua jumped aside, clutching her stomach, terrified that Fang Tong might bump into her.
Qiao Shu started screaming again, "Fang Tong, what are you doing? You little wretch, are you trying to scare us? We criticize you a little and you start throwing a tantrum on purpose? No wonder your mother-in-law looks down on you..."
It was Fang Xu who realized things were going south. He stepped forward to help Fang Tong up, saying impatiently, "Enough. In this state, even if Tongtong went back to the Xu family, it would only make Yizhi angrier. Just rest at home for a few days, and go back once you're feeling better."
He wanted to help Fang Tong to a chair, but it was covered in a layer of dust. He thought of the bed, but that was also covered in dust.
Fang Xu grew even more agitated and shouted toward the hallway, "Xiao Chen, what’s going on? Tongtong is back—don't you know how to tidy up her room?"
The nanny came upstairs, looking displeased, and muttered, "Whenever Xiao Tong came back before, she always cleaned it herself..."
But Fang Xu was the employer; she couldn't argue, so she reluctantly cleaned the room.
Fang Tong finally steadied herself and tried to rest, but Qiao Shu’s voice never ceased.
"If you dare to get a divorce, Fang Tong, then don't ever call me your mother again! You’ve grown wings now, is that it?"
"I think your skin is itching for a beating. I haven't laid a finger on you in years, so you think you’re something special now?"
"Being so ungrateful—for someone like you, marrying into a high-status family is the greatest blessing you could have earned in ten lifetimes, yet you don't even know how to cherish it! I raised you for nothing!"
...
Fang Tong’s head was buzzing with pain. She forced herself to ignore her mother's voice, took out her spare phone, inserted her SIM card, and transferred five thousand yuan via WeChat.
The costs at the public hospital weren't high; three days of hospitalization and various tests had totaled nearly three thousand yuan, all of which had been covered by the hotel staffer.
After paying the money and having the bed made, Auntie Chen rolled her eyes and left, grumbling.
Once Qiao Shu had finally grown tired of scolding and left in a huff, Fang Tong managed to steady her nerves and crawled onto the bed.
She was exhausted, but she couldn't fall asleep. She kept thinking about the future.
Divorce? She still had some lingering feelings for Xu Yizhi, but if he couldn't be kept, there was really no point in clinging to him.
But what would happen after the divorce? Not to mention the opposition she would face from her parents, she couldn't bear to listen to their abuse every single day.
As for money...
Fang Tong felt helpless. Every cent she had earned from acting and commercials had gone straight to her parents.
After she married Xu Yizhi, he gave her a monthly allowance of one million yuan, which she had transferred to her parents every time it hit her account; she hadn't kept a single penny for herself.
Xu Yizhi had also given her a black card for her expenses. She rarely went shopping, but she had used that card a few times to buy things for her parents, her sister, and her brother.
Since she was getting a divorce, she certainly couldn't keep using that card.
Sometimes Grandma Xu would transfer money to her, but most of that had gone to her parents as well.
The amount she could scrounge together right now was less than ten thousand yuan.
Without money, and unable to return to the Fang family, how would she survive?
Just as she was spiraling into anxious thoughts, her phone rang.
"Is this Ms. Fang Tong? The results from the tests you took the day before yesterday are in. There are some things we need to discuss with you in person."
Fang Tong suddenly remembered—after she had arrived at the hospital, she had been vomiting uncontrollably, and the doctor had ordered separate tests that were only supposed to be ready today.
"Ms. Fang Tong, please come to the hospital before five o'clock this afternoon. It would be best if you could bring a family member with you."
A family member? Was her condition that serious?
Fang Tong went to the hospital alone.
But as she was about to go upstairs, she realized she had gone to the wrong hospital.
Whenever she felt unwell in the past, she would either call a private doctor or go directly to the private hospital owned by Chuangsheng Group—the Xu family’s conglomerate. She had forgotten that these tests were being done at a public hospital.
Seeing that time was running out, she had to hurry. Fang Tong turned to leave, but as she looked up, she saw several people in the elevator lobby.
It was Xu Yizhi and Sun Qing, accompanied by a doctor.
Xu Yizhi was standing to the side, speaking with the doctor, while Sun Qing was clinging to his arm like a delicate bird.
She had seen this scene countless times over the years, yet seeing it again still sent a sharp sting through Fang Tong’s heart.
She had always believed what her mother told her: if there had been anything between Xu Yizhi and Sun Qing, it would have happened long ago, so what place would there be for her?
But now she realized that her previous thinking had just been self-deception. Perhaps the truth was even more laughable—she was just a pawn in their game.
Was she really just a little sister? But Xu Yizhi treated Sun Qing, that "little sister," far better than he ever treated her.
Fang Tong shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
She had already decided to give up anyway. Whether Xu Yizhi only saw Sun Qing as a sister, or whether he loved her deeply, it had nothing to do with her anymore.
Sun Qing had already spotted Fang Tong. She glanced at Xu Yizhi, who was still asking the doctor for details, let go of his arm, and quickly approached Fang Tong.
With a look of triumph, she leaned in and whispered, "You still dare to show your face? Fang Tong, remember this: my brother belongs to me. He will always be mine in this life, so give up already!"
With that, she let out a sharp cry of "Ah!" and collapsed onto the floor.
Sun Qing clutched her arm and looked up at Fang Tong with an expression of disbelief. "Xiao Tong, didn't you come here to apologize to me? Why are you bullying me?"
Fang Tong suddenly started to laugh.
In the past, she would have panicked and started defending herself.
But this time, she did nothing. She didn't even look up to see the expression on Xu Yizhi's face; she simply turned around, ready to leave.
"Stop right there!" Xu Yizhi strode toward her and demanded, "What are you doing here?"