How Could This Happen?

She had never let him do housework before, but at some point, all the chores had fallen to her.

He always used filming as an excuse. She had never questioned it back then; she had simply thought that since she had free time, she might as well do a little more.

But she had forgotten that most people were never satisfied with what they had. Once some things began, there was no undoing them.

That included domestic violence. Jiang Jing remembered exactly when and where it had first happened.

It was at night. Ke Lai had come home drunk, and their child was already asleep.

She had thought it would be just another uneventful day, but for some reason, Ke Lai had snapped and beaten her savagely.

Because the child was sleeping, she had not made a sound.

The next day, when Ke Lai sobered up, he apologized. She forgave him.

At the time, she had done it more for herself. She still loved Ke Lai. It had taken so much to hold on to even that tiny bit of love, and she was determined not to let go.

But some things did not happen only once, especially domestic violence. After that came an endless cycle of beatings. Ke Lai eventually stopped even pretending.

By then, she had long since given up on that elusive love. Perhaps she would never be loved in this life, she thought. But she still had her child, her only hope.

Perhaps she had been too fixated. Perhaps even she could not explain why.

But she had endured it for far too long. All she had wanted was for her child to live a peaceful, happy life.

Jiang Jing took a sip of wine, tears running down her face. "Has my whole life been a