SGEIRS -Chapter 258 Turning Against Each Other

Meng Dongyuan, furious and humiliated, took a few steps forward and slapped Madam Sun hard across the face. The sound of the slap made the room fall instantly silent.

Madam Sun was stunned by the blow, her ears ringing, slightly buzzing from the impact.

Meng Chengxing and Meng Jinyu were also shocked. When had they ever seen such a scene?

In their memory, their parents had always been loving and had never quarreled. It was only in recent months that their father had been spending every day in the quarters of his concubines—but he had never argued with their mother.

Yet today, their parents were fighting bitterly, and their father had slapped their mother twice.

Meng Dongyuan glanced at the two children. In front of the children, he still had to maintain some dignity; otherwise, what would be left of his authority as their father? Immediately, he struck back verbally, his voice deep and stern: “You poisonous woman, don’t talk nonsense! The dowry for Madam Zhou was arranged by you. When A-Yao came to claim the dowry after her marriage, I didn’t even know about it at first. I was protecting you at that time—and both A-Yu and Chengxing were there to witness it.”

Hearing this, Madam Sun felt both angry and wronged. She had no proof that this had been orchestrated by Meng Dongyuan and his mother, but at this point, some words could not be left unsaid. Her situation had become so miserable that she now hated Meng Dongyuan to her core.

She immediately brought up another matter, striking at Meng Dongyuan’s sore spot: “Meng Dongyuan, I regret it. I regret marrying you, you useless wretch. You’ve ruined my entire life! I was foolish back then—turning down the newly appointed second-ranked scholar to marry a useless cushion like you, who is neither talented in civil nor military matters. If your father hadn’t helped you manage things while he was alive, you wouldn’t even have a worthless minor post to your name!”

As she spoke, tears of regret streamed down her face. If she could turn back time, she would never have chosen Meng Dongyuan.

Hearing these words, Meng Dongyuan thought of that other man—the one who had liked Madam Sun. But in her eyes, he had always been second to that man. She had claimed that Meng Dongyuan was far better than him, yet now she was degrading him to nothing for that other man. Furious, he shouted: “You shameless woman! You marry me and still think of another man? Today, I’ll give you your freedom so you can go to him. But before you leave, look in the mirror. Look at yourself! Even as a concubine, no one would want you!”

When his words fell, Madam Sun instinctively reached up to touch her face, and then completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

In the past few months, she had aged considerably from the torment—wrinkles had deepened, her complexion had darkened, her eyes had dark circles, and she had lost weight. At less than thirty-two years old, she now looked like a woman in her forties.

Had her face not aged so drastically—had she looked as she did a few months ago—even if she remarried to a place where no one knew her, there would still have been suitors. But now, in this state, who would want her?

Meng Jinyu and Meng Chengxing watched their mother cry like this and, without a word, glanced at their father. Seeing his face as pale and dark as iron, their hearts froze—they didn’t dare breathe.

Seeing Madam Sun cry, Meng Dongyuan also felt irritated. He was about to leave when he noticed the two children standing there, terrified. Thinking of how they had seen his worst side, his anger flared again. He shouted: “You two! Aren’t you going to your own courtyards? From now on, you are forbidden to associate with this poisonous woman!”

Meng Jinyu and Meng Chengxing paled at the command and did not dare linger. They quickly obeyed and left.

As soon as they stepped outside, a thunderclap rang in the sky. Looking up, they saw dark clouds gathering—the weather was changing, and soon there would be a heavy rain.

The siblings’ hearts sank. It wasn’t just the sky above that was changing—Meng family’s world was changing too.

Their parents had turned against each other. Their mother had been discarded. Their father’s gaze earlier had been terrifying, and he had ordered them never to see their mother again. Were they being rejected simply because they were her children?

Meng Chengxing looked bewildered. “Second Sister, what should we do?”

“What else can we do? Obey Father and never see Mother again.”

Meng Jinyu felt panic and helplessness, mixed with frustration. She silently blamed her mother—if she hadn’t been so picky when arranging her marriage, her engagement would have been settled by now. Now, without a betrothal, if their father remarried, their stepmother would handle her marriage. Could she pick a good match then?

Meng Chengxing stayed silent.

Meng Jinyu said again, “Let’s go. If Father sees us here later, he’ll get angry.”

Meng Chengxing nodded, and the two left without lingering.

Inside the house: Meng Dongyuan had not yet left. Watching Madam Sun sobbing uncontrollably, he lost the desire to argue with her. He took a step to leave, about to instruct the servants to escort her out of the Meng residence.

Madam Sun, seeing him about to leave, suddenly called out: “Wait!”

Meng Dongyuan’s face darkened, his tone impatient: “I’ve already given you the divorce papers. What more do you want?”

Wiping her tears, she pleaded: “I covered up Madam Zhou’s death for you, made sure you stayed clean. I hope you will consider this and treat A-Yu and Chengxing kindly.”

Hearing this, Meng Dongyuan snapped: “A-Yu and Chengxing are my children. Of course I will treat them well. But don’t see them again. Having you as their mother is a disgrace, a stain. If you meet them again, it will ruin their reputation.”

Naturally, Madam Sun could not agree—but he was not wrong. She nodded silently, thinking to herself: if we can’t meet openly, can we at least meet secretly? How can a mother and child, so connected at heart, never see each other again?

Meng Dongyuan’s voice was cold: “Before it gets dark, leave quickly.”

He said no more, turning away and leaving without looking back, leaving only a cold, distant figure.

Madam Sun watched her ex-husband’s back and broke into tears again. In her life, the one thing she should never have done was marry Meng Dongyuan—but she realized it too late. Her life had already been destroyed.

Meng Dongyuan left the room and ordered several coarse servant women to escort Madam Sun out of the Meng household. She was not allowed to take any of the Meng family’s clothes or jewelry.

The servant women immediately went in, dragged Madam Sun from the bed, dressed her in coarse homespun clothing, put simple servant shoes on her feet, tied her hair up roughly, and fixed it with a half-used peachwood hairpin. Apart from the divorce papers, she was not allowed to take anything from the Meng household.

Madam Sun had never been treated like this before. She immediately cursed, but one of the servant women stuffed a rag into her mouth. Dressed and ready, she was then escorted by two servants—one on each side—toward the front gate.

Once a high-ranking, respected Marquess, she now walked in faded, coarse clothes, gagged, humiliated, and pitiful, escorted by two servants. Other household staff who saw her shook their heads in sympathy.

Madam Sun had never experienced such disgrace in her life. Her heart collapsed, and tears fell uncontrollably.

Years ago, she had married into the Meng family with grandeur and glory. Now, after enduring endless humiliation, she left with only a divorce paper, returning to her status as a woman of the Sun family.