The Secret of Second Marriage

My mother yanked her hand back, frowned, and said with disgust in her eyes, "Tian Hongxia, stop pretending, okay?"

If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. Don't think I don't know about the human trafficking you and the nanny planned back then.

Actually, I already suspected you back when we were recognizing our relatives.

When I was in postpartum confinement, you clearly came to see me and saw what my daughter looked like when she was little. How could it be such a coincidence that after my daughter was lost by the nanny, you found her and pretended to be your biological daughter and raised her for so many years?

Why didn't you return my Meimei sooner so we could recognize each other? Why did you have to separate us, mother and daughter, for so many years? Are you even human?

"I used to consider you my best friend! And this is how you betrayed me..."

"This is a misunderstanding."

Tian Hongxia said with evasive eyes, "Children all look the same. How was I supposed to know she was your daughter? I took her in out of kindness. How was I supposed to know it would turn out like this?"

"I should have known better than to pick her up. I meant well but ended up doing something wrong. Nobody praised me; everyone's complaining."

"Then tell me, under what circumstances did you find my daughter?"

My dad, Mr. Xia, suddenly asked a very insightful question.

Upon hearing this, Tian Hongxia immediately panicked.

She stammered, "How could I remember something that happened more than 20 years ago? I remember it was a foggy morning in August when I saw her wrapped up tightly and placed... placed... on the road... I took her home because I felt sorry for her."

"You're lying!"

My dad abruptly interrupted her, saying, "My daughter was almost two years old when she went missing. She went missing in the summer. How is that possible? She was just a baby in her swaddle in the fall when you found her. Your story is full of holes."

"Fine, if you don't believe me, I just remembered it wrong."

Tian Hongxia became increasingly guilty as she spoke, letting out an awkward laugh, and she didn't even dare to look my parents in the eye.

My mother isn't stupid at all, and her thinking is remarkably clear: "Tian Hongxia, I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person. Now you have to give me an explanation!"

"No matter what happened back then, I raised her with great difficulty for over 20 years, supported her through university, and later she married Xue Fan. When she gave birth to her daughter, I even gave them a pair of silver bracelets. I've done a pretty meaningful job as her adoptive mother."

Bai Jie, the past is the past, why are you still dwelling on something that happened 29 years ago?

Now that you've found your daughter and your husband treats you well, and you're a wealthy wife in the city, what more could you possibly want?

Do you know what kind of life I've lived all these years? To buy a house for my son's wedding, to pay off a mortgage, I've scrimped and saved, and I'm still working hard at my age. When I go out, I'm reluctant to take the bus to save a dollar or two.

I'm not doing well either, so please stop being so petty, okay?

Tian Hongxia said with great confidence.

My mother was so angry that she almost fainted. She never expected that after so many years, the culprit in front of her would not show any remorse and would be so shameless in front of her.

"Make yourself clear. Why are you treating me like this? We've grown up together. I'd share my good food with you. Your mother favors boys over girls and wouldn't even take you to the hospital when you were sick with a fever."

I asked my dad to go to the village to get fever reducers, and then I brought you to my house to sleep. I took care of you all night... When you were little, your dad often beat you and punished you by not letting you eat dinner.

I would secretly take steamed buns and meat from home to give to you... That year you failed your college entrance exam, and your parents wanted to sell you as a dowry to help your brother get married.

You came to me in the middle of the night. I gave you all my pocket money, my mom even cooked you tea eggs, and sent you off on the provincial bus before dawn so you could go to school to repeat your studies... What have I ever done to wrong you? Why are you doing this to me!

"For so many years, you've always called me 'sister,' have you been lying about it all?"

My mother, with red eyes, was emotional and said angrily.

Since I returned from the family reunion, my mother has always been gentle and kind. I have never seen her so angry before. This is the biggest temper I have ever seen her lose.

Tian Hongxia stood there, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes. She seemed to have given up pretending and her attitude turned unfriendly. She spoke again, "Why? Because I'm jealous of you. Why are you so lucky? Your dad is the village chief, you have good resources, and you made a fortune by opening a factory in the city."

Your whole family moved to the city, and you became the young lady.

And what about me? I'm just like everyone else, nobody cares about me, nobody loves me. Even after studying hard for a year, I only got into a second-rate university, while you had excellent grades since you were a child and got into a 985 university.

I've worked hard my whole life, but I still have to come back to get married. I can't leave this rural area.

Bai Jie, you're so lucky! It makes me envious and it makes me miserable! Why do I have to live this kind of life while you get to live the life of a rich wife?

We both grew up in the same village. After you got married, did you do any housework? Your husband is rich, you have a housekeeper, and your parents-in-law are very open-minded.

What about me? Even if I risked my life for three lifetimes, I still couldn't afford a house in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou.

You witnessed all my misery. I was sold by my family as part of the bride price. When I got married, my parents only gave me a few quilts as part of my dowry. When I gave birth to my son, my in-laws were busy harvesting wheat in the countryside and had no time to take care of me... Do you know how much I hate you?

"But all your hardships and misfortunes weren't caused by me. Just because I'm doing better than you, you went crazy and stole my daughter? Tian Hongxia, you don't even deserve to be called a human being!!!"

My mother was utterly shocked. She had never imagined such a result before. Her life had been smooth sailing, and she had never encountered such a setback. Hearing these words made her extremely upset.

She had always felt sorry for her best friend since they were little, and would always share half of any good food she had with her...

They went to school together, came home together, and played house together.

The sisterhood that lasted for so many years has now become unrecognizable.

"Tian Hongxia, people like you will get your comeuppance."

Bai Jie softly uttered the first vicious curse she had ever uttered in her life.

My dad, Mr. Xia, looked at Tian Hongxia and told my mom a secret: "Wife, there's something I never intended for you to know."

"What is it?"

Bai Jie glanced at her husband and then at her best friend, afraid that she would hear another bombshell news.

My dad said calmly, "Do you remember when we were in college, when we were dating, Tian Hongxia always insisted on going on dates with us?"

She repeated a year of high school and was admitted to Wuhan University.

Her school wasn't far from ours, so the three of us often went to the movies together, went back to our dorms together, and went ice skating and skiing together in the winter.

On the night of our graduation, a summer night, after dinner and a few drinks, I took you back to your dorm first.

Tian Hongxia was not far from your dormitory building when she hugged me, kissed me, and confessed that she liked me and wanted to be my girlfriend.

I was shocked. I never expected that your usually quiet and shy best friend would be so passionate and unrestrained in a secluded corner, trying to seduce me.

I pushed her away, and right in front of me, she took off her coat, leaving only a sexy tank top, and beckoned my hand with her little finger, saying that she was lonely at night and wanted me to stay with her, just for one night, and that she would never let you know.

She said she loved me, that it was her initiative, and that she was afraid that after graduation, everyone would go their separate ways and it would be difficult to see me again... She said it was her own choice and that she would never make me responsible.

"Did you two actually have sex that night?"

My mother, Bai Jie, is having difficulty breathing.

She never expected that the legendary melodramatic plot would actually happen to her: her most trusted best friend, with her back to her, was actually sexually seducing her boyfriend.

What young, hot-blooded man could resist a 20-something girl throwing herself into his arms!

When Tian Hongxia heard several middle-aged women eavesdropping and chattering outside the village committee, her face immediately turned red. She screamed, "Xia Feng, you said you would always keep this a secret and never tell anyone. Why did you have to tell everyone today? Why did you even come to my hometown? Do you know how fast gossip travels in the countryside?"

You want to destroy me! Don't you?

"It's because I care about your reputation. A girl's reputation is more important than her face that I haven't exposed your true colors to my wife all these years."

Without any hesitation, Mr. Xia said, "But I didn't expect to be so soft-hearted and let you, this viper, go. Today, in front of everyone, I can swear to God that that night, I did feel hot all over, my mouth was dry, and I had an indescribable desire."

But at the crucial moment, my reason stopped me. I told you, a man, an upright man, will always be responsible for his wife.

I love my wife, and I will only ever love Bai Jie, the only woman I love in my life.

That night, I pushed you away and warned you not to do such a shameless thing again. I will never betray my girlfriend. She is the love of my life, now my girlfriend, and will be my wife, the woman who will grow old with me and walk through life with me…

Don't assume that every man in the world is so shallow and lustful.

The animalistic instincts within a person are full of desire, but love can overcome desire. I like Bai Jie, I like her smile, I like the scent of her hair.

She is the best woman in the world to me. She will trim my nails, and when I was sad, and when my business failed frequently in the first few years, she would hug me from behind and comfort me, saying that it's okay, honey, you still have me... This is the meaning of having a lover!

You'll never understand.

"Xia Feng, I hate you! What do I lack compared to her? I'm more hardworking, more ambitious, and more eager to succeed. If you marry me, I will definitely give you a son."

Unlike her, who was unworthy of you, only giving birth to two good-for-nothing girls!

Tian Hongxia said, both angry and ashamed.