Chapter Three: Losing Consciousness

Li Ran had always despised betrayal above all else, and now, having witnessed the two of them alone together with her own eyes, her pride and self-respect simply would not allow such a thing to happen.

Zhang Nan, standing nearby, exploded at the mere mention of divorce. She grabbed Li Ran and shouted, “How dare you talk about divorcing my son?”

“He was the one who cheated first. I saw it with my own eyes. Why shouldn’t I dare?” Li Ran retorted.

Zhang Nan snorted, her face full of disdain. “You’ve been married into our family for three years, and your belly hasn’t even shown any sign of life. No wonder my son cheated! It’s clearly because you can’t have children!”

“I can’t have children? Perhaps you should ask your son whose problem that really is!” Li Ran was furious. In the three years of their marriage, she and Zhang Fan had only been together a few times, and not at all in recent months.

Who could possibly understand the bitterness festering in her heart?

“Li Ran, when it comes to the child, you really have no right to say anything. You know very well what you have or haven’t done!” Zhang Fan’s voice was cold.

“What do you mean by that?” Li Ran was confused and angry. “You were the one caught cheating, and now you blame me? Today, we’re going to the registry office for a divorce—no more discussion!”

She grabbed Zhang Fan’s hand and headed for the door.

“You let go of my son, you shameless woman! What right do you have to ask for a divorce first? If you want to leave, you’ll leave with nothing!” Zhang Nan declared, utterly brazen.

Li Ran stopped in disbelief and turned to look at her. For three years, she had treated Zhang Nan like her own mother, providing her with good food and drink, enduring her temper. And now, Zhang Nan had the nerve to tell her to leave with nothing.

“This house was left to me by my father before he died. I paid for almost everything when we got married, and every month since, I’ve given you money for living expenses. Now your son cheats and you want me to leave with nothing? Is this what you call fair?”

“What fairness do you deserve? You haven’t given the Zhang family an heir, and that alone is an unforgivable sin!”

Li Ran was about to speak when Zhang Fan suddenly shook off her hand and shoved her hard. She crashed into the corner of the sofa and collapsed to the floor.

Zhang Fan looked down at her with a cold, unfamiliar gaze. “You have no right to speak to my mother that way,” he said icily.

“Zhang Fan, you—”

A sudden, stabbing pain radiated through her lower abdomen. Cold sweat broke out all over her body, and she curled up on the floor in agony.

“Ranran…” Zhang Fan was startled and moved to check on her, but Zhang Nan caught his arm and held him back.

“Don’t go! Who knows what tricks that woman is playing now. If you’re getting divorced, don’t bring more trouble on yourself!” Zhang Nan’s eyes brimmed with disgust.

Li Ran was nearly speechless from the pain, but she heard every word clearly. The mother-in-law she had lived with for three years was now saying such things… The physical pain was now joined by a cold, aching heartbreak.

“No! I can’t just let Ranran suffer!” Ignoring his mother’s obstruction, Zhang Fan scooped Li Ran into his arms and rushed outside, instructing Zhang Nan to call an ambulance.

“No children, and now she wants a divorce and pretends to be pitiful. Do ambulances come free?” Zhang Nan grumbled as she pulled out her phone to call for help, her tone full of irritation.

“Mom, if something happens to Ranran, we really won’t have a single penny left!”

That was the last sentence Li Ran heard before she lost consciousness…