The Secret of Second Marriage

I was absolutely shocked.

I never imagined that Mr. Jiang, who was so refined and polite in front of me, would finally reveal his cunning and calculating side as a businessman, which made me feel a chill down my spine.

Mr. Jiang seemed to sense my unease, and he gripped my hand tightly, saying, "Jiang Man, you are the woman I deeply love. I can use my shrewdness and worldliness to manipulate everyone, but I have reserved my true heart only for you!"

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, saying, "Who cares about your sincerity? Mr. Jiang, I can break up with Lu Xiao and not get married. But that doesn't mean I can forgive what you did today."

I will definitely keep my promise to you.

I hope you can talk to the police as soon as possible, drop the case, and release Lu Xiao!

"it is good"

President Jiang gave me a deep look. He knew I was a woman who kept her promises, so he promised me, "If you annul the engagement, I'll sign a letter of understanding and release Lu Xiao."

"President Jiang, I hope you can explain to the police that Lu Xiao is innocent."

I made my request.

Mr. Jiang said, "Okay, as long as you call off the engagement."

"it is good"

I gritted my teeth and said, lost in thought.

……

When I got home, I told my parents about it, about the grudges and entanglements between me and President Jiang, and how Lu Xiao went to settle scores with President Jiang because of me, which led to her getting involved in this emotional dispute and going to jail for it.

After hearing this, my mother was shocked and a little angry. She said, "How can this President Jiang be so shameless? My daughter doesn't want his money. Their wealthy family is so dangerous, and their company's equity structure is so complicated."

I don't want my precious daughter to marry into their family. Besides, her father is gone, and her mother is that kind of woman. Wouldn't she just suffer if she married into that family?

He went missing and framed Lu Xiao! I refuse to believe there's such a lawless man in the world! My dear daughter, don't panic, Mom will go to the police and explain everything!

"Don't be so impulsive. President Jiang is indeed a very cunning man. It won't do you any good to vent your anger on him. He has a very clear purpose."

Mr. Xia comforted my mother and whispered in her ear, "Wife, you've been spending these past few days with Lu Xiao's mother. I know you two are best friends, and Lu Xiao is a child you've watched grow up."

He's in jail now, and nobody's happy about that. Since things have come to this, you should go back to your room and rest. I'll talk to my daughter alone!

"Honey, have a good talk with our daughter, don't lose your temper."

My mom, Bai Jie, seems to understand my dad very well. She is a simple woman who takes care of the home while my dad takes care of external affairs.

She left all the business matters to my dad, while she stayed home and decorated the rooms to be very cozy. She grew many flowers in the garden, occasionally played mahjong, and had afternoon tea with her best friends.

She trusted my dad a lot. She glanced at me and said, "Man, Mom still wants you to marry Lu Xiao. Your wedding has already been announced to relatives and friends. I think Lu Xiao has a good temper, is very loyal, and his family is very simple. His parents are also very nice."

Even if Lu Xiao loses his job as a policeman, he can go home and inherit the company; you won't have to worry about your livelihood.

"Mom, I understand."

I nodded and said.

In the study, my father was wearing a light gray knitted sweater. His face looked thin and resolute. He sat down on the sofa in the study and made me a cup of tea. His expression looked a little serious.

The weather outside the window is gloomy and cold. The winter sun always seems listless, like a cat hibernating for the winter.

It seems like my life has reached another turning point, and I need to make a very important decision. What should I do? Should I choose to marry Lu Xiao, or should I break up with Lu Xiao completely, just like I promised President Jiang today?

"Dad, I..."

I held the cup of hot tea in my hand, looking at my dad with a bit of a blank expression.

My father, Mr. Xia, dotes on me. Ever since I was recognized and brought home, he has always been protective and caring towards me, considering that I had suffered on the streets for decades. Whenever Xia Weiwei and I had a disagreement, he would always stand by my side.

My dad is the backbone of my family and the one who protects me the most.

My dad was silent for a moment and then said to me, "Man, in the adult world, when it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes you still need to ask your own heart. Do you really like President Jiang or Lu Xiao?"

I don't know how to resolve this. Lu Xiao trusts me so much, has protected me time and time again, and has made such a firm choice. I believe she wants to build a family with me.

Her mother is my mother's best friend. The two families are so close. If the engagement is called off, I wonder if they will become enemies. Will my mother lose this best friend completely?

If the engagement is called off, how am I supposed to explain this to Lu Xiao when he gets out? Will it even be useful? Will he think I'm a gold digger who abandoned him while he was in jail?

I don't know. I said, "Dad, I can't be so selfish. Lu Xiao's dream is to be a policeman. He has worked so hard to get to where he is today. If I am fired from the police unit, I will never be able to handle cases, solve cases, or protect the people again."

His ideals would be shattered, which would be a devastating blow to him.

Moreover, this will become a knot in my heart between him and me. In the first few years of our marriage, it may not be revealed, but as time goes by, Lu Xiao will still have a knot in his heart.

So, I think Lu Xiao and I should break up.

"Man, you are my daughter, and I want to tell you something from the bottom of my heart. You rarely hear such honest words in the business world, in society, or elsewhere."

Many people won't tell you their true thoughts unless they're acting in their own self-interest.

What Dad wants to tell you is that President Jiang is a very scheming man. His move is destined to create a rift between you and Lu Xiao. Whether he gives up on you or his career, it will not bring happiness to Lu Xiao.

Marriage needs enough love to sustain it; a marriage without love will eventually degenerate into a relationship where the couple becomes strangers with nothing to say to each other.

Such a marriage would be torture for anyone.

Dad still hopes you choose a man who truly loves you, and whom you genuinely like!

"Dad, why did you choose Mom in the first place?"

I asked a very classic question.

My dad said, "Because of love, your mom and I fell in love, wrote love letters, went to the park together, and went through a lot together. I like to see your mom smile. Your mom had a bad temper when she was young."

She can be very fierce when she gets angry.

We hadn't been dating long when we argued over a small thing. We were driving at the time, and she got so angry that she wanted to get out of the car immediately. I thought your mom had a bad temper, so I chose to break up with her.

But less than a month after we broke up, I felt like every day was an eternity. I was emotionally and mentally tormented, and I realized that I couldn't lose this woman at all.

Later I realized that although your mom has a bad temper, she is really gentle when she is not angry. She can be affectionate, she depends on me a lot, and she is sincere towards me.

I can feel your mother's sincerity, so your father treats your mother with sincerity in return.

My dad seemed to be reminiscing about the time he and my mom were dating, a faint smile appearing on his lips. I saw a touch of tenderness in this serious man.

I paused for a moment, and with mixed feelings, I asked the question every woman in the world wants to know: "Dad, you and Mom have been married for so many years, have you ever been attracted to other women? Have you ever even thought about cheating on me?"

"Yes. My father has been in business for so many years, and he's encountered countless beautiful women. He's a man too, and he has normal physical desires. How could he not have been tempted?"

My dad said, "But every time I'm about to give in, reason tells me that I can't do anything to betray my mom, and I can't ruin this family."

When your father married your mother, he swore to God that he would treat her well for the rest of his life. Your father is a man, and he keeps his promises.

Besides, other women might admire Dad's status, position, and money, but they might not be truly sincere towards him, you understand?

"Dad, you've done a great job."

I say.

My dad, Mr. Xia, said, "Man, if you've thought it through, go and talk to Lu Xiao's parents. Dad respects and supports your decision."

"Thank you, Dad."

I was quite touched. My dad didn't say a word of blame. Instead, he stood in my shoes and seemed to understand the emotional choices I was facing. He encouraged me to make up my mind and do what I wanted to do.

I came out of the study and sat alone in the garden for a while. The garden was bare in winter and there wasn't much to see.

I thought of how Lu Xiao had talked to me so confidently about his work, his career, and his police career. I felt like I had made up my mind. I couldn't just watch Lu Xiao fall into the abyss. I couldn't do it and ruin a young man's ideals and future.

I am still the same soft-hearted and kind woman I always was.

I just can't tell anymore. Kindness has an edge, and kindness should be given to the right people.

My ex-husband is an ungrateful scumbag; he doesn't deserve even the slightest bit of kindness from me.

But Lu Xiao is a good person. He saved my life, and I can't let him down.

I picked up the phone and dialed Lu Xiao's mother's number. The thought of breaking off the engagement made my heart clench, and this clenching caused me unbearable pain. Only by making a decision as soon as possible could I get rid of this pain.

I said, "Hello, Auntie, this is Man."

"Man, what did you call Auntie about? Is there any progress in Lu Xiao's matter? Did the other party agree to pay compensation and settle the matter?"

Tell him how much it costs, and we're willing to pay!

Upon hearing my voice, Lu Xiao's mother immediately cheered up from her sadness and spoke gently.

"Auntie, I'm sorry, I want to call off the engagement."

I said apologetically.

"What did you say? Say it again. Is this really what you truly feel? You want to break off your engagement with Lu Xiao. My Lu Xiao likes you so much... If you really break up with him, what will his father and I do to tell him this when he gets out?"

Man, I'm begging you, please don't break up with him. Even if you don't love my son, even if you want to break up, please wait a while, okay? Don't hurt him when he's at his most vulnerable.

I'm afraid he'll never believe in love again.

Lu Xiao's mother looked shocked, as if she could hardly believe that I would make such an excessive request on the other end of the phone.

"Auntie, I've made up my mind. It's better to end it quickly than to suffer for a long time. Our two families are calling off the engagement. I will have the betrothal gifts, the three gold pieces, the wedding ring, and the red envelopes sent over. Also, the wedding date and hotel have been cancelled. I will send messages to our relatives and friends to say that Lu Xiao and I have broken up."

It was my fault; it was the woman's fault.

My voice was low, but for a moment, my mind raced through memories of my time with Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao and I didn't have a dramatic love story, no love at first sight, no passionate and inseparable relationship. We were just two ordinary people who appreciated each other, had feelings for each other, and wanted to build a family together.

But now all of this is coming to an end, because I have no confidence that if I don't want to lose my job because of this, my relationship with him can remain as calm and warm as water after we get married.

I'm afraid that if he loses his job, he'll become irritable, resentful, and blame others. I'll feel that I'm the one who caused all of this.

I dared not gamble on human nature, but at the same time, I cursed President Jiang in my heart again. He was a man so intelligent that I could not even imagine it. If my father was the smartest man I had ever met, then President Jiang was even more intelligent than my father.

Is being entangled with such a shrewd man a blessing or a curse?

Lu Xiao's mother was so angry that she almost had a heart attack. She gasped for breath on the phone and said excitedly, "Jiang Man, your mother and I have been best friends for so many years."

Our two families were about to get engaged. Under these circumstances, have you considered Lu Xiao's feelings about choosing to break off the engagement?

Forget it, I figured it out a long time ago. It was my silly son who had a one-sided crush on me, while you were a woman with a story.

I had hoped that after my son married you, our family would live happily together, but now it seems that you and my family are not meant to be.

"If you want to call off the engagement, then call it off. It's your choice. As an adult, I respect your decision. After all, I can't tie your legs with a rope and stop you from leaving my son, right?"