章)The buzzing in her ears was overwhelming, filled with the sounds of an argument that filled her head with noise. Jane Yi felt a splitting headache.
Especially that voice鈥攊t sounded eerily like her grandmother, who had passed away years ago. It was utterly annoying.
And then there was an even more irritating voice鈥攈er aunt, Linda, sharp and cutting.
"I saw it clearly! You came out of that alley disheveled, with your buttons undone! And then a man came out with his pants half up!" Linda sneered. "You expect us to believe nothing happened?!"
"Ill kill you, you shameless vixen!" an elderly womans voice shouted back. "My son hasnt been home for years, and you couldnt resist, could you?! You went out to find a man! You disgrace our family! Just wait until I get my hands on you!"
The sounds of slapping and kicking followed.
Jane Yi wanted to move, to open her eyes and tell the woman who sounded like her aunt to get out, but she felt paralyzed, unable to move at all.
Suddenly, a womans voice shouted, "I didnt! Youre framing me! Youre slandering me!"
Jane felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her body jolting awake as she suddenly opened her eyes.
That voice belonged to her late mother!
In front of her, her young mother was being held by two women, one on each arm, while an old woman beat her.
The two women holding her mother were her aunt and her second aunt, while the one doing the hitting was her grandmother.
This scene felt hauntingly familiar.
It was something she had buried deep in her heart for decades, something she never wanted to remember. Every time she thought of it, it felt like a knife cutting through her heart.
Her mother had ultimately died because of so many reasons and enemies, but it all began with this moment!
How she hated it! Why was she dreaming of this scene?
Even more frustrating was that in this dream, she couldnt move!
She wanted to rush over and tear apart her enemies!
Even though she had avenged her mother in her past life, she wouldnt mind doing it again! Even if it was just in a dream!
But her body remained immobile, and she could only watch her mother being beaten.
"Li Yumei, you are a disgrace! You went out to find a man while my son was away for years! You shamelessly bring shame to our family! Look what youve done!"
Li Yumei, her mother, was being scolded mercilessly, yet she only focused on the figure of her daughter, crying out, "Jane! You have to believe me! I didnt do anything! That day, I was just attacked by a thug! He grabbed me and tore my clothes, and I managed to escape!"
"I am innocent! Jane!"
The last cry of "Jane" was filled with so much emotion鈥攈ope, longing, sadness, and pleading鈥攖hat it broke Janes heart.
Tears streamed down Janes face as she noticed a figure standing in the dark corner of the room.
It was her father, John Yi.
The dim light cast shadows on his face, hiding his age and making him appear like a handsome young man in his twenties, charming and elegant, yet he bore the weight of a forty-year-olds maturity, making him all the more attractive.
Li Yumeis eyes flashed with a hint of infatuation, but more than that, there was insecurity and pleading. "John, you have to believe me! I would never do anything to betray you!"
Johns face contorted with pain, as if he couldnt bear to face the current situation. He turned his head away and said softly, "Lets get a divorce."
"No!" Li Yumei let out a heart-wrenching wail.
The onlookers in the courtyard were stunned by her scream, feeling a pang of sympathy.
"Honestly, Li Yumei is such an honest person; she wouldnt do something like that," a neighbor murmured.
"Thats not certain. A barking dog doesnt bite; she might have someone on the side and wouldnt tell you," a plump woman said while munching on seeds, her tone dripping with malice.
After all, Li Yumei was in her thirties and still had a curvy figure! She had caught the attention of many men!
The neighbor shot a glare at the plump woman and moved away from her.
The conversation continued in the house, with Li Yumei explaining and pleading for John to believe her.
John remained silent.
Li Yumei, in despair, finally shouted, "Then Ill report it! I鈥檒l ask them to catch the bad guy and clear my name!"
Johns brows furrowed slightly, his gaze deepening.
He finally looked at Li Yumei and said with a bitter expression, "Dont do this. Even if not for me, think about our child. If you report it and make a scene, how will Jane live?"
Li Yumeis expression instantly turned bitter, and the last bit of her momentum faded away, leaving her weakly slumped against the wall, despair and guilt washing over her as she looked at Jane lying on the bed.
Her daughter had fallen ill because of her troubles...
If this escalated, even if the police found the truth鈥攖hat she was not with someone else but had been assaulted...
How could her daughter hold her head high at school?!
Li Yumei was filled with despair.
Seeing her mothers despair and love finally pierced Janes heart. She jolted up from the bed and rushed over to hug her mother.
"Mom!" She cried, holding her mother tightly.
To see her mother again was such a blessing! She was the warmest presence in her life! And she had died for her...
She owed her mother so much.
"Shut up! Im not dead yet! Why are you crying? Its bad luck!" Grandma shouted from the side.
Jane looked up sharply, glaring at her grandmother.
Although she had avenged her mother, she didnt mind doing it again! Even if it was just in a dream!
Jane coldly surveyed everyone in the room, a cold smile creeping onto her lips.
Her greatest dream in life was to return to this day, the day her mother鈥檚 misfortunes began. She never expected that today would be realized in a dream.
Thats fine.
Let her finally say all the words she had buried in her heart for decades.
Jane stood up, looking at her father, who was two meters away, and smiled, "Dad, you came back so quickly. You must have rushed back after receiving Aunts call, right?"
John looked at his daughter, who had grown into a graceful and elegant young woman, and his emotions were complex for a moment.
But he quickly suppressed that insignificant feeling and nodded gently, "I heard your mother had an accident, so I came back immediately."
"Hehe." Jane smiled, her voice laced with faint sarcasm.
"Its been ten years since your mother was scalded by Aunts boiling water and hospitalized. The hospital issued a critical illness notice, and you didnt come back. But now you return so quickly... and your first words are about divorce..."
Jane looked at John, her eyes filled with mockery.
Johns heart skipped a beat, and he avoided her gaze.