The Villainous Sister-in-law Mistakenly Marked as the Heroine (Transmigration) - Chapter 44.2

Locking the door would be illegal confinement, and Rong Jing hadn’t gone that far yet.

But a nagging unease lingered. Today, it was just a trick to keep her from leaving but would there come a day when the door really was locked?

No point dwelling on it.

If it came to that, she’d just have to act the part convincingly. Rong Jing was busy during the day and sometimes worked late, she could easily use the time difference to her advantage.

Thus, Lin Qile began her battle of wits with Rong Jing. During the day, she went out to visit hospitals, and at night, she pretended she hadn’t stepped out all day, idling around at home with nothing to do.

Rong Jing didn’t notice, and so the two of them lived peacefully for several days.

Until one noon, while she was reading in the study, Wu Xue called her. “Are you looking for a hospital residency?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want me to help? My uncle—”

“No!”

She rejected Wu Xue without a second thought. “I want to rely on my own ability. I know my reputation hasn’t been great, and many hospitals won’t accept me, but I still want to do this on my own. I’ve visited several hospitals these past few days, and some of them are actually quite good. Once my results come out, they might take me.”

“But this is really hard on you.”

“It’s fine. I have an interview scheduled at a hospital today. Thanks, Wu Xue. I should get going.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, she was about to leave when she saw Rong Jing standing at the study door.

“R-Rong Jing?! Why are you back?”

She looked at Rong Jing with guilt written all over her face.

Rong Jing’s expression was extremely grim, clutching a document in her hand emblazoned with her university’s emblem.

“You’ve been visiting hospitals these past few days? You’ve been going out? And behind my back, you’ve been secretly contacting hospitals for a residency?!”

“I… Rong Jing, let me explain.”

She quickly walked to the door, intending to calm Rong Jing down and explain, but was shoved aside.

Rong Jing threw the document to the ground.

She crouched down to pick it up and opened it, it was her transcript. Ranked seventeenth in her year, with the evaluation: Excellent!

Her eyes lit up. With this, she’d have the confidence for her hospital interview!

“Rong Jing, you saw my grades, right? I aced all my—”

“Are you proud of yourself?”

Rong Jing looked at her, her eyes filled with coldness and mockery.

Her smile froze.

“Lin Qile, do you think just because you did well on your final exams, you can be a good doctor? Why must you overestimate yourself and insist on becoming a doctor? Are other people’s lives so worthless? I can handle the mess that is Lin Corporation, but if you kill someone with your incompetence, do you expect me to clean that up too?”

“Enough!”

Clutching the transcript, she slowly stood up. “I don’t need you to clean up after me! I may be useless, I may not know how to manage a company, and yes, you’ve had to shoulder the burden of Lin Corporation’s mess for me. But if I make a mistake as a doctor, if someone dies because of me, that’s on me. I’ll take responsibility. If I can’t compensate, I’ll go to prison myself. I won’t make you bear that!”

The last few words were practically roared out, her voice trembling.

She had her pride too, and Rong Jing had just trampled all over what little dignity she had left.

“I know you’ve always looked down on me. From the very first day we met, you’ve despised me. But people can change. Why can’t you see how hard I’ve been trying to improve myself?”

Rong Jing’s lips pressed into a thin line.

She took a few deep breaths. “Rong Jing, I know you’re exhausted. Running between two companies none of this should have been your burden, but you’ve carried it anyway. But… but…”

Her voice cracked. “I’m a person too. I’m trying my best. You can’t just keep treating me like some useless pet you’re raising. You want to lock me up at home? The most I can do is pretend I really am locked up, just to make you feel better. Isn’t that enough? Why do we have to keep torturing each other?”

She wanted to make things work with Rong Jing, but this hopeless, constantly battered affection was something she truly couldn’t endure any longer. Especially Rong Jing’s final words they had crushed the last shred of her courage.

“Say that again?”

Rong Jing’s voice trembled slightly as she glared at her in anger.

Lin Qile’s lips quivered. She forced out one last smile. “I’m sorry, Rong Jing. I really tried my best, but it seems like I can never meet your expectations. Maybe people really are just different. You and I… we were never meant to be in the same world, ”

“Enough!”

How could she not understand? It was nothing more than an attempt to sever ties. Rong Jing staggered back a step, pointing at her with uncharacteristic agitation. “Get out!”

Lin Qile silently clutched her report card and walked past Rong Jing.

The sound of the door closing echoed in the room.

Rong Jing’s mind buzzed. She wanted to turn around and stop Lin Qile, but her body refused to obey. A chill spread through her limbs, and Lin Qile’s retreating figure flashed repeatedly before her eyes.

Perhaps due to the emotional turmoil, a dull ache suddenly flared in her lower abdomen. She immediately contacted He Yan.

Hospital.

He Yan looked at her friend lying on the hospital bed, receiving an IV drip. “Luckily, it’s just a little spotting. I told you not to run back and forth between two companies. If you keep pushing yourself like this, forget the baby, you’ll burn yourself out sooner or later.”

Rong Jing said nothing, staring blankly at the ceiling, her eyes dark and unreadable.

He Yan sat beside the bed, watching her with concern. “What’s wrong? I’m really worried about you. The baby’s already four months along, don’t you plan on telling Lin Qile? You’re married, and honestly, she seems pretty reliable. Why won’t you tell her?”

“He Yan.”

Rong Jing turned to her friend, lips trembling. It took a long moment before she finally spoke. “I drove her away.”

“What? Away? Where could she possibly go in your condition?”

“I didn’t want Lin Qile to leave the house.”

“Then she shouldn’t. Isn’t it right for her to stay and keep you company?”

“I wanted her to never leave. To stay at home forever. To only talk to me, only see me, only listen to me…”

He Yan stared at her in shock.

Rong Jing met her gaze. “Is that wrong?”

“You… you must have prenatal anxiety, right? Keeping the pregnancy a secret from everyone, bottling it all up, it’s normal for your emotions to be more intense than others. Let me find you a therapist. You should talk to a professional.”

“Okay.”

He Yan quickly arranged an appointment with a psychologist.

Therapist’s Office.

“Miss Rong, you can express all your emotions, what you dislike, what you like. Only then can I help you.”

“Where should I start?”

The therapist smiled gently. “Anywhere. Say whatever comes to mind. Treat me like a sounding board that responds. I won’t share your secrets with anyone, so feel free to confide in me about anything. You can lie on the couch, close your eyes, and take your time.”

Rong Jing obediently lay down on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the cream-colored curtains.

“I…”

The therapist waited patiently. “What was the last thing that made you really angry?”

“She hid it from me and tried to get a job.”

“You didn’t want her to work?”

“No. If she works, she’ll meet a lot of people, deal with a lot of things. Those things will take up her time, and those people will take up her heart. I don’t like her caring about others. I want her to only see me. No one else matters.”

After two hours of conversation, the psychologist set down her pen and notes. “Miss Rong, I’ve found that you have severe prenatal depression, accompanied by mild paranoia. You fear loss and lack a sense of security. You’re deeply insecure about the relationship you’re in, which is why you feel the need to assert dominance in it to prove that you possess it. This has led to extreme possessiveness that is already threatening your partner.”

“I haven’t hurt her!”

“But you’ve entertained the thought of confining her. That in itself is a restriction of personal freedom, it is harm.”

Rong Jing sat up, her gaze flickering to the floor as she bit her lip hard.

“Through our discussion, I’ve also noticed that you’re very reluctant to communicate. You don’t share your thoughts with her. You could actually try talking to her.”

“No!”

She refused loudly, forcing the psychologist to change tactics. “You’re currently pregnant, so I can’t prescribe medication. Your current state is also somewhat related to your pregnancy hormones. If you can maintain a happy mood during this period, your condition could improve significantly.”

Rong Jing looked up at her. “If I continue to get worse, will I end up causing her even more harm? Would I… hit her?”

“I can’t guarantee anything, but based on your current behavior, you don’t show signs of violence. Everything stems from your insecurity. If your family can meet your need for security, your situation could improve a lot.”

“I see.”

After the session, she walked out the door.

He Yan came over to support her. “How did it go?”

She gave a bitter smile. “It’s the first time I’ve realized how terrifying I am.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Everyone adores you.”

“I’m going home first.”

“Let me drive you.”

“No.”

She declined He Yan’s offer. “I’ll drive myself back. I also need some time alone to think things through.”

Rong Jing drove to the seaside.

She didn’t get out of the car, just sat inside, staring at the distant ocean.

“So this is the kind of terrible person I am. No wonder you hate me, Lin Qile. I’m starting to hate myself too.”

She curled up in the car seat.

After who knows how long.

She took out her phone and dialed a number.

The call connected, but there was silence on the other end.

Remembering the psychologist’s words about restricting personal freedom, she took a deep breath. “Lin Qile, come home tonight and make me a meal.”

“Huh?”

Lin Qile’s heart had been pounding since she picked up the call.

Anyone could talk tough, but the person she’d been tough with was the story’s ultimate villain and the woman she secretly loved.

Truth be told, she’d regretted it the moment she walked out the door.

Thinking about the pressure Rong Jing was under, the environment she’d grown up in her mother obsessed with work, her other mother obsessed with affairs, she probably never learned how to communicate or interact with people properly.

But Rong Jing’s words had genuinely hurt her too.

“I have something to discuss with you. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“I, I’m not afraid. What would you like to eat?”

Rong Jing gazed at the sea. “Just make me the lunchbox you brought me that day. I didn’t get to eat it then.”

“Alright, I’ll head back now.”

She didn’t even realize how much lighter her voice sounded when she said she was coming home.

“Mm.”

After hanging up, she rushed downstairs.

Lin Xinrou saw her daughter descending and asked, “Where are you off to?”

“Going home. Rong Jing wants a meal. I’m going to cook.”

“Go on, then.”

Seeing her daughter beaming with joy, Lin Xinrou also felt happy. Yesterday, when her daughter came home looking as if the sky had fallen, she knew the two youngsters had quarreled. But no matter how much she asked, her daughter refused to say anything.

Now, everything was finally resolved.

That meant she could continue preparing the surprise for her daughter.

When Lin Qile returned home, Rong Jing hadn’t arrived yet. She cheerfully headed into the kitchen to cook.

Just as she finished preparing the meal, she heard the sound of the door opening. She peeked out, “You’re right on time, I just finished cooking.”

“Mm.”

Rong Jing walked in and saw the smile on Lin Qile’s face. Compared to the sorrowful expression she wore yesterday, Rong Jing realized just how much unintentional pain she had caused. A dull ache tightened in her chest.

“Let’s eat.”

Lin Qile set the table, noticing Rong Jing still standing in the living room, and felt a pang of nervousness.

“Okay.”

They sat down to eat, but Lin Qile remained uneasy throughout the meal.

“Lin Qile.”

“Yes!”

She straightened up and looked at Rong Jing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Rong Jing placed a phone on the table. “This has the video of you entering your heat cycle at the hotel.”

Lin Qile’s expression turned strange, unsure of what Rong Jing was trying to do.

“Password: 542365. You can delete it yourself. I didn’t make any backups.”

She grabbed the phone, unlocked it, and sure enough, saw the video. Just as she was about to press delete, she hesitated and looked up at Rong Jing. “Rong Jing, what’s going on with you?”

“Nothing. I just realized threatening you with such underhanded methods was unnecessary.”

Lin Qile gave her a puzzled look before deleting the video, then went into the trash folder to delete it a second time, just to be sure.

Watching the relieved smile spread across Lin Qile’s face, Rong Jing froze for a few seconds before lowering her head, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. So, even a small action of hers had cast such a long shadow over Lin Qile.

“I’m sorry.”

Hearing Rong Jing apologize, Lin Qile clutched the phone, stunned, unable to believe her ears.

But the next sentence left her mind completely blank.

“I agree to divorce you.”

She wanted to say something, but no sound came out. The phone in her hand, once so light, now felt unbearably heavy.

“Let’s eat. Tonight is the last night of our marriage. We’ll go to the civil affairs office tomorrow.”

With that, Rong Jing lowered her head and began eating.

“Okay.”

Lin Qile slowly regained her composure, set the phone aside, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of food, only to find it tasteless as wax.

Neither spoke another word, both silently focusing on their meal.

Three dishes and a soup.

They finished every last bite.

When it was time to sleep that night, Rong Jing said, “It’s our last night. Let’s sleep together, just sleep.”

“Okay.”

Each wrapped in their own blanket, they lay side by side.

Lin Qile told herself inwardly that she had been longing for this divorce, and now it was finally happening. She should be happy, no more threats from Rong Jing, no more pretending to be submissive.

Yes, exactly!

She turned over, cocooning herself in the blanket, forcing herself to fall asleep.

On the other side, the moment Lin Qile turned away, Rong Jing opened her eyes and stole a glance, seeing only a bundled-up figure.

She smiled faintly before her expression dimmed with sorrow.

Her hands clenched tightly beneath the covers.

This was for the best.

Rong Jing never needed anyone’s pity.

Morning came.

Lin Qile was the first to wake, only to freeze in shock. The person in her arms slowly opened their eyes, and the two stared at each other in stunned silence.

Three seconds later,

The two quickly separated, each getting up, washing, and heading out the door.

Sitting in the car, Lin Qile kept wondering to herself: last night, they had clearly slept under separate blankets, so how did they end up hugging each other again in the morning? Who had made the first move?

When they arrived at the civil affairs bureau, she realized that while their marriage had been simple, their divorce with Rong Jing present was just as effortless.

The divorce registrar asked, “What is the reason for the divorce?”

She thought for a long time. Was she supposed to say it was because Rong Jing wanted to keep her locked up at home and she refused?

Rong Jing answered calmly, “Irreconcilable differences.”

She silently scoffed: Did they even have feelings to begin with? How could they “break down”?

“What about asset division?”

She lowered her head in silence.

Rong Jing said, “Follow the terms outlined in the agreement.”

The registrar looked at her. “Miss Lin, do you agree?”

“I agree.”

“Do you have any children?”

Rong Jing paused for a moment. “No.”

After a series of questions, two stamps were swiftly pressed down.

The red marriage certificates turned into green divorce papers. As Lin Qile walked out of the civil affairs bureau holding her divorce decree, she still couldn’t quite believe she had actually divorced Rong Jing.

“Lin Qile.”

Rong Jing called out to her from the bottom of the steps.

“Hmm?”

“Lin Qile, I believe you’ll become a great doctor.”

Rong Jing smiled at her, then turned and walked away.

She stood frozen on the steps, blankly watching as Rong Jing drove off.

Her nose suddenly stung with unshed tears.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”