How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 94

Ever since hearing about that Omega divorce case, all kinds of troubling thoughts had started popping into Cheng Wan’s mind.

Sui Sui had already been born. Bai Juntang didn’t love her. So why not just get a divorce?

Once that idea surfaced, it was impossible to push it away. It spread like weeds after the rain, growing wildly in her mind. Cheng Wan started researching all kinds of divorce cases involving Omegas. Just like she had overheard, the divorce rate for Omegas was extremely low. In the limited information available, most Omegas chose to walk away with nothing, just to escape the mess.

No matter how grand the wedding had once been, after a divorce, they were left with nothing.

Aside from typical divorce cases, she also came across numerous reports from all over the country. Many Omegas had lost their lives over divorce disputes.

Some were beaten to death just for wanting to see their children. Others were murdered by their Alphas during the divorce process. Even more had taken their own lives by jumping from buildings, all under the vague label of “domestic disputes.”

One bloody story after another filled her screen, making her head spin and her heart ache.

Before this, Cheng Wan had never come into contact with such things. Although news outlets occasionally reported on Omegas suffering abuse or mistreatment, she had always felt those situations were far removed from her own life. In recent years, such news had been censored more and more. Media outlets were silenced. The public barely knew what was happening.

It created the illusion that Alphas and Omegas lived in harmony.

Sometimes, Cheng Wan really wanted to leave. Every time she thought about how Bai Juntang didn’t love her, how the past six months of being together was all because of Sui Sui, she felt an overwhelming tightness in her chest.

But whenever she was truly on the verge of making up her mind, one thought always stopped her—her daughter.

Sui Sui had just turned one month old. She couldn’t even recognize her mother yet. Could she really leave now?

Would she become like her own birth mother, abandoning her child just like that?

No. Cheng Wan told herself she was at least better than that woman she barely remembered. At least Sui Sui would still have another mother to care for her.

The first person to notice Cheng Wan might be thinking about divorce was Bai Weilan, who had been working from home.

Bai Juntang had been swamped at the office, pushing through all the projects that had piled up or been delayed. Bai Weilan, unfamiliar with domestic projects, continued to work remotely with her overseas clients. The study had essentially become her personal workspace.

Since all the home computers were synced under connected accounts, Bai Weilan could see Cheng Wan’s search history when she opened the browser. A long list of queries about divorce applications stared back at her.

At first, Bai Weilan thought the searches belonged to her daughter. But that didn’t make sense—Bai Juntang was far too strong-willed to suddenly consider divorce. That left only one person: Cheng Wan, who had been aimless and emotionally withdrawn for some time.

Seeing the search history made Bai Weilan feel a little unsettled, so she decided to talk to Cheng Wan.

That afternoon, they happened to be home without much going on. Lunch had been prepared by both the confinement nanny and Aunt Pei—nutritious meals designed to help Cheng Wan recover. Since she was still technically in her postpartum period, these meals were part of her daily care.

But Cheng Wan had little appetite lately. Her mood had been poor, and her taste buds had changed since giving birth. Even though Aunt Pei had tried to cook a variety of dishes to figure out what she liked, nothing seemed to work.

Her bowl of rice remained mostly untouched. Though she felt guilty about wasting food, she truly couldn’t eat anymore. She put down her chopsticks and was about to get up.

“Wait a moment.”

Bai Weilan didn’t even look up as she spoke. “Juntang’s at the office. Right now, it’s just the two of us here. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Cheng Wan was confused. What could Bai Weilan possibly want to discuss with her? She didn’t handle finances, didn’t work, and wasn’t involved in anything in the household. Why would her opinion matter?

“What is it?” she asked quietly, lowering her eyes and not daring to leave.

Bai Weilan looked at her briefly, then picked up a slice of seasoned eggplant and chewed it slowly before saying, “Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk a bit about Juntang.”

Her voice was calm. “I don’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll just ask directly. You’ve been distracted lately, and you rarely visit Sui Sui. Are you planning to divorce Juntang?”

Cheng Wan froze. She had no idea how Bai Weilan found out. Embarrassment surged up like a secret being caught by a parent—but more than anything, she felt anxious.

Under the table, she clutched at her coat. It was made of soft cashmere, comfortable to wear, but when gripped tightly, even that softness could feel rough against her skin.

Bai Weilan continued to look straight at Cheng Wan as she said, “Since I’ve been back, Juntang and I have argued quite a bit. Almost every time, it’s been about you.”

Cheng Wan blinked in surprise.

“I’ve never been a good mother,” Bai Weilan admitted, poking at her food. “First, I was busy taking care of her other mom. Then, I threw myself into work. Even now, I don’t know how to interact with my daughter.”

“Juntang always tells me that you don’t have a mother. She asks me to care for you more. But I don’t even know how to talk to my own daughter—how could I possibly know how to comfort you?”

“I’m telling you this because I want you to understand, I don’t object to you and Juntang being together. You already have Sui Sui. To outsiders, you seem like a happy family. Honestly, you’re quite different from the daughter-in-law I’d imagined—but Juntang loves you, and I just want you two to get along.”

“She doesn’t love me,” Cheng Wan said quietly, holding tightly to her clothes, her lashes trembling. “She’s never said she does. She only looks after me and protects me because of Sui Sui.”

Now that the child was born, Cheng Wan felt she had no reason to stay.

Bai Juntang didn’t love her. Bai Weilan didn’t like her either. In the end, nothing had changed.

She wasn’t liked by the Cheng family before, and now, she wasn’t liked by the Bai family either.

Lowering her gaze, Cheng Wan murmured, “Maybe I’m just the kind of person who’s not meant to be liked. Sui Sui would probably be better off with you all.”

This was a line even Bai Weilan couldn’t easily respond to. Her expression darkened, and she looked at Cheng Wan with tight lips.

“I won’t interfere in your relationship with Juntang. That’s between the two of you. If you’ve made up your mind, then you need to talk to her about it properly.”

She watched Cheng Wan’s lowered head and added, “You might not be my ideal daughter-in-law, but I don’t dislike you. If you choose to stay…”

At that point, Bai Weilan paused. She let out a long sigh and didn’t finish the sentence.

Cheng Wan spent the rest of the day feeling unsettled. Even though she had been thinking about divorce, the idea of confronting Bai Juntang head-on made her nervous. She was still afraid of this woman. And she wasn’t good with words, she could never win against Bai Juntang in an argument.

It seemed Bai Weilan truly didn’t plan to interfere anymore. When Bai Juntang came home that evening, she didn’t mention the conversation at all, which made Cheng Wan feel like it had never happened.

After dinner, Bai Weilan went off to soothe Sui Sui, leaving just Cheng Wan and Bai Juntang in the living room.

The weather had been getting colder recently. By evening, there was already a noticeable chill in the air. Thankfully, the villa stayed warm, and wearing an extra layer made things feel just right.

“I heard it’s going to rain tomorrow or the day after,” Aunt Pei said casually while chatting with Bai Juntang and Cheng Wan. “Looks like the cold season is just around the corner. I’ll sort out all the winter clothes and hang them up soon. Otherwise, we’ll be scrambling when the temperature drops.”

Bai Juntang was peeling an apple and nodded. “Good idea. Things have been hectic lately. Once things settle down, we really need to give the house a proper cleaning.”

Aunt Pei agreed. Just thinking about Sui Sui’s full-month celebration coming up in two days made her feel excited. “Let’s hope it doesn’t rain on the day of the celebration. It would be inconvenient for guests if the weather’s bad.”

Bai Juntang nodded again and placed the peeled apple in Cheng Wan’s hand. She said, “This apple is really sweet. A client gave it to us. It tastes great.”

Cheng Wan looked up at her before accepting the apple. She thanked her softly.

Noticing Cheng Wan’s detached mood, Aunt Pei followed Bai Juntang into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind them.

Bai Juntang was washing her hands. She turned around and looked puzzled. “Why are you closing the door? What’s going on?”

“Juntang, don’t you think Wanwan has been acting a little off lately?” Aunt Pei asked quietly, her voice filled with worry. “I’ve read a lot of stories about mothers suffering from postpartum depression, some even jumping from buildings with their babies. Don’t you think Wanwan has been unusually quiet and withdrawn?”

Bai Juntang paused for a moment and forced a small laugh. “I don’t think so. Most women with postpartum depression are the ones caring for the baby alone. Since Sui Sui came home, the nanny and you have been taking care of her. How could Wanwan be depressed?”

“But she hasn’t been eating well, and she always seems lost in thought. She’s lost a lot of weight, too.”

Bai Juntang fell silent. She had noticed these changes. Postpartum depression wasn’t something to ignore. She frowned and asked, “So are you suggesting I bring in a therapist for Cheng Wan?”

Aunt Pei couldn’t say for sure. She simply replied, “Sometimes work isn’t the most important thing. You need to spend more time with her.”

When Bai Juntang returned to the living room, Cheng Wan was already gone. On the coffee table sat the peeled apple, untouched.

Not a single bite had been taken.

Bai Juntang looked at the apple, which had already started to brown from oxidation. She realized that Aunt Pei was probably right. After Sui Sui’s celebration, she would make time to take Cheng Wan to see a psychologist.

As expected, it rained for the next two days. The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was steady and didn’t stop.

The light drizzle lasted for a full day and half of the next. Finally, it stopped the night before Sui Sui’s full-month celebration.

The sky was still cloudy, but at least it wasn’t raining anymore. That was better than the constant drizzle. Before heading out, they checked the weather forecast. It would stay cloudy all day with temperatures around thirteen degrees Celsius.

“Let’s put a pretty little hat on our Sui Sui,” Aunt Pei said cheerfully as she placed a red, hand-knitted cashmere hat on the baby’s head. She dressed her in a bright red dress with matching mittens and socks. Sui Sui was bundled up snugly, with only her soft, fair little face showing.

Sui Sui seemed to be in a good mood. She blew tiny bubbles and looked curiously at Aunt Pei. Her small hands moved restlessly inside the mittens, waving up and down with energy.

“It’s colder today, so we have to dress her warmly,” said Bai Weilan, adjusting her glasses. She looked at the baby’s pale cheeks and smiled. “Our little princess is so beautiful. With a face this lovely, I wonder who will win her heart one day.”

Aunt Pei laughed at that and turned to look toward the stairs. She saw Cheng Wan and Bai Juntang coming down together and called out, “Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

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