Chapter 447: Divorce (1)
Hearing Li Li’s words, Su Beibei’s expression froze.
Li Li also looked at her in surprise. “What were you trying to say just now?”
Su Beibei shook her head in a daze. “N-Nothing.”
Thinking that what Su Beibei was about to say wasn’t anything important, Li Li nodded and explained in detail, “These few years, my mother has been discrediting your image from Third Aunt and my uncle, causing them to have a bad impression of you. A few days ago at my mother’s funeral, Third Aunt and the rest heard some rumors and thought that you caused my mother’s death. She was angry and came to the hospital to denounce you.”
“Beibei, my third aunt was also deceived by my mother, so she did such a foolish thing. But I’ve already explained it to her clearly. She also recognized her mistake and expressed her willingness to personally apologize to you. Beibei, you’ve always been kind and sensible. This is also a misunderstanding. You...”
Li Li probably knew that his request was asking for too much. As a result, he paused momentarily and found it difficult to speak.
Li Li sized up Su Beibei’s reaction.
Seeing that Su Beibei’s expression was calm, Li Li thought that she had stopped talking. He asked softly, “Beibei, can you go to the police station to withdraw the case? Otherwise, if my third aunt is really questioned, she might go to jail. She is my third aunt after all. My mother only has this one sister. If we really force her into prison, how can I face my uncle and the rest in the future?”
“Beibei, do you think we can withdraw the case?”
Once rumors and slander were established, they would also be sentenced. Li Li didn’t want to ruin his relationship with his third aunt. After all, his third aunt did all this for his mother.
Su Beibei listened to Li Li calmly the entire time.
She didn’t speak and just looked at the luggage rack. Su Beibei suddenly asked Li Li, “You specially chose to send me a dress this morning to cheer me up and soften my heart so that I can let your third aunt off?”
Li Li said, “I... Not really. I’ve already decided on this dress. Coincidentally, the brand informed me yesterday that the dress had arrived, so I sent it to you today.”
Su Beibei concluded. “So you have something to ask of me and specially brought it here today.”
“I...”
Li Li wanted to say that he wasn’t, that he didn’t, but he couldn’t say it. Because he felt guilty, that was what he was thinking.
He admitted that he was slightly despicable like this, but he had no choice. If the relatives fell apart, how should they get along in the future? Relatives were not business partners. Business partners valued benefits, but it was not easy to cut ties with relatives.
Su Beibei pushed Li Li away. She endured the pain and walked to the bed to lie down.
Li Li urgently wanted an answer and asked her, “Beibei, can you consider my request?”
Su Beibei leaned against the soft pillow and looked up at Li Li. She said, “If I cancel my lawsuit against her, won’t I be admitting that those rumors are true? Then my reputation for being damaged, the online violence I suffered, my screenwriter’s movie getting ridiculed, who will compensate me?”
Li Li instinctively said, “I will clarify everything and clear your name to make up for the loss this incident caused you.”
Su Beibei said, “Because you have the ability to clarify the truth for me and clear my name, should I forgive your third aunt?”
“Li Li, are you asking me to swallow my anger again?”
Li Li remained silent.
Su Beibei suddenly laughed bitterly.
Li Li saw her smile and felt uneasy. “What are you laughing at?”
“What am I laughing at? I think it’s very funny! My marriage is very funny, and the man I love is also hilarious!”
Su Beibei’s heart was filled with anger as she raised her voice. “Li Li, while I was enduring cyber violence and rumors, my friend Song Ci, the actors and directors I worked with before, and even Yan Jiang, who wasn’t close to me, as well as old friends I haven’t seen in many years, all stood up for me on Weibo!”
She pointed at Li Li with trembling fingers. “And you! My husband, the father of my child, is actually thinking of how to fake peace, how to protect the person who started the rumors, how to curry favor with me successfully and make me give up my lawsuit against the person who started the rumors.”
“Tell me, is this funny?!”
Li Li knew that his request was too much, but after being scolded by Su Beibei, Li Li felt embarra.s.sed. He refused to admit that he was not as good to Su Beibei as outsiders.
He said, “Do you think I don’t care about you? Don’t care about you? Yesterday afternoon, I planned to get someone to delete those revelations and lower the trending topics before clarifying the truth for you. But before I even made a move, you took the liberty of calling the police and reporting the person who started the rumors!”
“You blew this matter up without discussing it. Did you give me a chance?”
Li Li felt that Su Beibei was too rash and ruthless. She didn’t leave any room for others. He felt that lowering the trending topics to delete the news and wait for it to die down, before posting to clarify the truth. It was a better way to make this matter smaller and smaller.
That way, Su Beibei would not be hurt badly and Third Aunt would not be investigated. And after he explained the misunderstanding between his mother and Beibei to Third Aunt and the rest, Third Aunt and the rest would know the truth and apologize to Su Beibei.
As a result, everything was good.
Li Li had considered all aspects except Su Beibei’s feelings after being slandered.
His words made Su Beibei want to laugh.
Su Beibei asked him, “So in your eyes, as long as relatives can get along peacefully, it doesn’t matter if I suffer some grievances, right?”
Li Li said, “No, I love you. Of course I care about your feelings and whether you’ve been wronged. It’s just that this is a misunderstanding. There’s no need to go to the police to sue my third aunt.”
Su Beibei laughed self-deprecatingly. “I was being unreasonable.”
“I’m not saying that you’re being unreasonable.” Li Li saw that Su Beibei’s expression was still hard and not softening. He couldn’t help frowning. “You don’t agree to withdraw the case, right?”
Su Beibei lowered her eyes to hide all her emotions. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s not impossible.”
Li Li was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, “What requests do you have?”
Want an expensive present? A car? Or something else?
Anything is fine!
As long as she could withdraw the case, everything could be discussed.
Su Beibei said, “If you agree to let the child follow me after the divorce, I promise not to pursue your third aunt’s responsibility.”
The joy and antic.i.p.ation on Li Li’s face froze instantly.
“What... did you say?” Li Li clenched his fists and asked her, “Are you going to divorce me?”
Su Beibei didn’t hesitate and nodded vigorously. “Mmm.”
Li Li was instantly enraged. He kicked the stool beside him away.
That movement terrified Su Beibei.
Li Li looked at Su Beibei angrily and heartbrokenly. He growled. “My mother forced me to divorce you before she died. I didn’t agree. She couldn’t die in peace! Now that my mother is dead, the greatest obstacle between us is gone. You still want to divorce me?”
“Su Beibei, do you even have a heart!”
Su Beibei looked at the stool that had been kicked away. She looked up and looked at Li Li coldly. She said, “If we don’t get a divorce, what’s the point of continuing this marriage?”
“Yes, you did disobey your mother’s last-minute wishes, but Li Li, we can’t live anymore! Even if we pretend to forget everything unhappy and barely maintain our seemingly blissful marriage, your mother’s death will forever be a thorn in your heart!”
“Because I mentioned the divorce to you, you were so angry that you were confused and said those rebellious words to your mother, which caused her death! You have no objections to me today, but what about a year later? What about ten years later? As time pa.s.ses, love will fade. One day, you will blame me for angering your mother to death. Before long, we will turn from an immortal couple in love to a resentful couple!”
From the moment she knew that Mother Li had pa.s.sed away, Su Beibei knew that her marriage with Li Li had really come to an end.
Su Beibei had a.n.a.lyzed everything clearly. It wasn’t that Li Li didn’t know, but he just couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want a divorce. He clearly still loved Su Beibei. He couldn’t accept a divorce!
Su Beibei added. “In the past, your mother targeted me and mocked me. You always made me endure it and wanted me to believe you. I believed you, but what happened in the end?”
“This time, I was tarnished by your relatives. I became a vicious woman condemned by everyone. Not only did you not want to prove my innocence and protect my interests, you even begged me to let your aunt off!”
Su Beibei completely broke down. Her eyes were red with anger as she shouted aggrievedly, “If I let her off, who the h.e.l.l will let me off!”
She calmed down and felt the pain from her scar. The pain calmed her down and she pointed out sharply. “Li Li, the real obstacle between us is not your mother! It’s you! You’re the one who can’t settle everything and treats your mother and your relatives too importantly! If your third aunt really goes to jail, you won’t be able to face your relatives! Then how can you face me!”
“It’s not your mother who makes me disappointed. It’s you. Do you understand?”
Li Li was enraged and Su Beibei was also enraged. The two of them looked at each other fiercely, as if they were enemies who had met and wanted to stab each other in the heart.
Li Li took a deep breath and said, “Let’s all calm down first.”
Su Beibei said, “There’s no need to calm down.” She leaned over, opened the drawer, took out a small bag, and took out the divorce agreement under the bag.
Li Li frowned when he saw the agreement.
She printed another copy?
Su Beibei knew what Li Li was puzzled about. She said, “Ever since your mother pa.s.sed away, I guessed that this day would come sooner or later. The agreement is the same as the previous one. The child belongs to me, and the house we live in is my premarital property. Naturally, it belongs to me. All the money I earned from writing novels all these years belongs to me. I don’t want a single cent of your money.”
“But after the divorce, you must pay me for Neil’s custody. He is our child after all. You are still alive and have to fulfill your duty as a father.”
With that, Su Beibei handed the divorce agreement to Li Li.
Li Li didn’t take it.
Su Beibei took out a pen from her small bag and handed it to Li Li along with the divorce agreement. “Li Li, sign it. It’s no use dragging it on. I really want a divorce.”
Li Li took the divorce agreement but didn’t sign it.
He stared into Su Beibei’s eyes, trying to pry out her thoughts from her eyes and expression. He wanted to see if Su Beibei was reluctant to part with this marriage and if she missed him.
But she didn’t. Her eyes were very calm. Not to mention reluctance and nostalgia, she didn’t even look angry.
he was really determined to get a divorce! It was not an impulsive action out of anger.
The doc.u.ment in Li Li’s hand started trembling. It was his hand. He asked Su Beibei, “Don’t you have any feelings for this marriage, or for me?”
Su Beibei fell silent.
Just as Li Li was about to tear up the divorce agreement, Su Beibei spoke.
Su Beibei said, “Just 10 minutes ago, I nearly said to you: Ah Li, let’s not get a divorce.”
Li Li’s pupils quivered slightly and he stopped tearing the doc.u.ment.
Realizing something, Li Li asked fearfully, “Is this what you wanted to say just now?”
Su Beibei nodded. “Yes.”
When Li Li heard the affirmative answer, his heart ached. Just as Beibei was about to tell him that they were not getting a divorce, he begged her to go to the police station to withdraw the case!
Li Li was filled with regret. He looked at Su Beibei in surprise and pain and asked, “Then why did you suddenly change your mind?”
Su Beibei smiled bleakly. She said, “Ah Li, when I found out that you gave me a dress just to please me and make me let your third aunt go, I knew that this marriage should end.”
Hearing this, Li Li’s eyes turned red. He suddenly knelt down, placed his hand on Su Beibei’s legs, and asked in a choked voice, “I take back my words. If you want to defend your rights, then do it. I won’t beg you to let her go.”
“Can we not get divorced?”