Divorced at fifty, I embarked on my path to success.

After loudly reprimanding Han Caiyu, Mei Yusheng walked out of the coffee shop with her head held high.

She could feel countless eyes staring at her from behind, an unbearable discomfort, the first time in her life she had spoken so loudly in front of so many people.

She tried her best to keep her steps steady, not wanting to show any panic or let Han Caiyu see that she was in a state of turmoil.

The late summer sun was scorching, baking the exposed skin, but Mei Yusheng's heart was filled with icy coldness.

Yue Jiangting cheated on his wife!

My husband of thirty years cheated on me!

She will turn fifty-three in a few days. She is already past the halfway mark of her life, and she can clearly see the rest of her life ahead of her.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will continue to spin like a top around her family every day from now on, until the moment her life ends.

She had imagined that perhaps she would first see Yue Jiangting off, meticulously handling every detail of his funeral, as the last thing she would do for him as his wife. Then, she estimated that it wouldn't be long before she went to find him.

They will be buried in the same grave, with both of their names engraved on the tombstone. This is a testament to their lifelong companionship and mutual support.

She never imagined that she would divorce him when her hair was already gray. It was such an absurd thing, something she would never even dream of.

They had a smooth life when they were young, so why would they get divorced when they were practically on their deathbeds?

In Mei Yusheng's heart, Yue Jiangting was a good husband. They had a hard time in the years after their marriage, but later, when they became more well-off, Yue Jiangting never caused any gossip or rumors.

Mei Yusheng trusted him completely, although it had been a long time since then, probably after she turned thirty—she couldn't remember exactly—that she found Yue Jiangting and she had less and less to say to each other.

She thought it was because she was too busy and tired at work and didn't have enough energy or time to communicate.

Later, his disdain for her became more and more obvious. He said she was a housewife who spent all her time around the stove, uncultured and not presentable.

He never took her with him to his business engagements, because he thought she was unsophisticated and embarrassed him.

Her husband's disdain made her very uncomfortable, but she didn't argue. Over the years, she had indeed been busy with three meals a day, eating, drinking, and taking care of her daily needs, just as he said. Especially after she resigned at the age of thirty-two, her world consisted almost entirely of cooking, housework, and taking care of her in-laws, husband, and children; she had almost no time for herself.

Occasionally, when I go out shopping or have coffee with my best friend, if I come back and cook a little late, I have to endure my mother-in-law's glares and sarcastic nagging.

Her husband got annoyed and scolded her for being idle all day, saying that she was too old to be going out for coffee like a young person, and that she was being pretentious!

She didn't dare to talk back to her mother-in-law, so she lashed out at him, only to be met with his sharp retort: ​​"You don't earn a single penny, can't you even fulfill the most basic duties of a daughter-in-law and wife?"

She made excuses for him, saying that he was probably too tired, or that he had encountered something difficult at work, which was why he vented his emotions at home.

While feeling sorry for him, she also felt extremely frustrated. Was it that she didn't want to work?

Thinking back to the early days when Yue Jiangting was laid off and her business failed, in addition to taking care of her two-year-old son, she also had to work three jobs every day, so tired that her back ached and she could fall asleep while feeding her child.

At that time, her father-in-law was still alive and would occasionally come over to help her. Her mother-in-law complained of back pain all day long and would go out to play mahjong all day but would never cook a meal for her.

Later, they faced demolition and relocation, and received a fairly substantial compensation payment. They bought a 100-square-meter three-bedroom apartment in the city, and used the remaining money to smooth things over and secure a municipal sewage treatment project. Dealing with the government is always profitable, and there's no risk of delayed payments, so their family's life began to improve.

My in-laws sold their house in their hometown and moved to the city with me. But less than six months after they moved in, my father-in-law suffered a stroke and became paralyzed on one side of his body.

Yue Jiangting wanted Mei Yusheng to resign, saying that he didn't need her salary anymore.

To allow her husband to focus on his work, she quit her job without hesitation and stayed home to take care of the elderly and children.

My father-in-law's condition is getting worse and worse. Logically, my mother-in-law should take care of him, but she is always dizzy or has leg pains and finds all sorts of ways to be lazy.

Mei Yusheng was grateful for her father-in-law's past help, and disregarding the inconvenience between men and women, she personally took care of his bodily functions, fed him, and gave him water until he passed away.

For over twenty years, although it's been tough, she never complains and believes that apart from being a bit sharp-tongued, her husband has been very good to her. She's seen many men who achieve success in their careers turn around and abandon their wives who have shared their hardships.

Yue Jiangting, however, did not. Although he also disliked her, he always gave her enough money for household expenses on time.

Mei Yusheng felt that this was a normal division of labor between husband and wife: he was responsible for earning money, and she was responsible for taking care of him and the family.

She kept the house in perfect order, ironing his clothes neatly every day and polishing his shoes until they shone, placing them by the door so he could easily put them on as soon as he stepped into the entryway.

She never let him worry about trivial matters, believing that this was her duty as a wife.

Before today, or more precisely, before Han Caiyu ordered her to divorce, she thought their lives would continue smoothly and uneventfully.

But Han Caiyu's words were like a hurricane, stirring up a huge wave!

Mei Yusheng's mind was blank for a long time. How long would it take for her to accept the reality of Yue Jiangting's infidelity? After all, it had been going on for twenty years!

She suddenly realized that he probably started to dislike her from the moment he got together with Han Caiyu.

Whenever Yue Jiangting hurt her self-esteem with sharp words, she never suspected anything else, thinking that he was just under too much work pressure and emotionally unstable.

"Look at you! You don't even know how to take care of yourself. Your hair looks like a bird's nest, and you don't even wash your face. When I walk down the street with you, I think you're my mom!"

"What are you wearing? Huh? Didn't I give you money? Even a ragpicker is dressed better than you!"

She bought new clothes and put them on, which drew another round of disdain from him: "Tsk, you really have no taste. What kind of junk did you buy? What a waste of money!"

"Look at Teacher Li at Xiaozhi's school. She's about your age, and she dresses so elegantly! If you don't know how to shop, learn from her!"

"You're so vulgar! You're becoming more and more like a haggard housewife who only knows how to fend for herself around the stove! Don't tell anyone you're my wife, I'd be too ashamed to face you like that!"

Instead of dissuading her, the mother-in-law added fuel to the fire, implying that Mei Yusheng was no longer good enough for her son.

I endured the sound of the plum rains again and again, and it slowly became a habit.

Over time, she developed a habit of ignoring everything, automatically filtering out the sarcasm from Yue Jiangting and her mother-in-law. Later, Yue Jiangting got too lazy to scold her and simply treated her like a live-in maid.

She only realized this today; before that, she thought the family couldn't do without her.

She didn't know how she got home. She thought a neighbor greeted her on the way, but for the first time, she rudely walked past them with a sullen face.

As soon as I walked in, my mother-in-law, who was lounging on the sofa eating sunflower seeds and watching TV, raised her voice and said, "You're out for a stroll before you've even finished cleaning! Look at all the housework, and you still have time to go out! Don't let those idle women corrupt you!"

Mei Yusheng was lost in her own thoughts, ignoring her mother-in-law's words.

He rushed into the kitchen with his head down, habitually picked up the dishcloth he had thrown on the stove before leaving, and mechanically wiped it a few times.

The mother-in-law rolled her eyes and snorted through her nose.

Mei Yusheng seemed to have all her strength suddenly drained away. She slumped to the ground, staring blankly at the patterns on the tiles.

Yue Jiangting cheated on his wife!

What should she do?

This question mark struck her like a bolt of lightning, instantly illuminating her mind.

Yes, what should she do?

Did he instigate the mistress to brazenly come to his door?

Does he want a divorce?

No, that's not the point!

The key question is, what should she do?

Agree to a divorce?

If it wasn't at his behest, should she pretend not to care, as if nothing had happened, and let life go on?

It shouldn't be him who sent his mistress!

Mei Yusheng suddenly became certain. If that were the case, he should have spoken to him directly instead of having Han Caiyu come forward.

It must be that Han Caiyu couldn't wait any longer and forced Yue Jiangting to divorce her without her knowledge.

Yes, that must be the case!

But so what? Can it erase the fact that Yue Jiangting cheated on her?

How could he betray her?

Mei Yusheng's heart suddenly ached. She had given birth to his son and lived with him through thick and thin for thirty years, taking care of the family without complaint. How could he betray her?

And it’s been twenty years!

Twenty years!

This indicates that ten years after their marriage, he began having an affair with Han Caiyu.

Why? If they rekindled their old flame, why hide it from her?

If he had told her twenty years ago, although she would have been heartbroken, she would have been young and would have readily divorced him to let them be together!

Why did it take twenty years, when she was already in her fifties and her hair was gray, to reveal this cruel truth to her?

Why waste her precious twenty years!

What should she do now?

What can she do?