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

Mei Yusheng loves flowers. In her early years, when her family was struggling financially, she would sometimes pick wildflowers from the wild or by the roadside and put them in a vase.

Later, when her financial situation allowed, she would buy a bouquet of flowers every few days, depending on her mood. The most common flowers she bought were calla lilies and violets.

She only chooses flowers of this bright color when she is particularly happy.

Yue Jiangting never sent her flowers, not even after her son grew up and started celebrating her birthday every year, she never received any flowers.

Yue Jiangting's gifts were all bought by Yue Guangzhi, who only bought practical things like clothes, shoes, and sweaters. Perhaps in his eyes, his mother was unromantic and thought that buying flowers would only get him a scolding.

Mei Yusheng always felt a little excited before receiving a gift, but after receiving it, she felt bored and uninterested. At that time, she didn't know what she was looking forward to.

Holding a large bouquet of carnations in her arms, she suddenly realized that what she was hoping for was a youthful illusion, a dream of turning back time.

No matter how old a woman is, the heart of a young girl beats in her chest.

There was no vase to hold the flowers, so Chen Qianqian said she would bring one from home that evening.

The patient in the next bed handed me a round storage container, which I managed to fit inside.

Cheng Peng and Chen Qianqian, the two young people, had already become acquainted and exchanged contact information. Mei Yusheng looked at the two young faces, her eyes filled with fervent envy.

Xie Mingqi urged Chen Qianqian to go to work quickly. Chen Qianqian was reluctant, and Cheng Peng also took the opportunity to say goodbye. The two of them walked out together.

Mei Yu watched them disappear through the doorway, her gaze lingering there for a long time.

"What, are you envious?" Xie Mingqi teased. "We were young once too, everyone's been young, right?"

Mei Yusheng gave a bitter laugh and remained silent. Indeed, she had been young once, but what did her youth leave behind?

Xie Mingqi weighed the water in the thermos and, seeing it was still full, sat down. "You've always been so sentimental since you were young. Don't make things difficult for yourself. Who brought you lunch?"

"Daughter-in-law." Mei Yusheng's gaze fell on the bunch of bright yellow carnations on the table, and she couldn't take her eyes off them for a long time.

“Yingying is pretty good. You treat her like your own daughter. As long as she’s on your side, Xiaozhi won’t be too biased towards Lao Yue.” Xie Mingqi glanced at the flowers and clicked her tongue twice. “Looks like Cheng Peng’s gift has hit the mark with you.”

Mei Yusheng withdrew her gaze and slowly told Xie Mingqi what Shen Yingying had said. After finishing, she sighed, "A daughter-in-law is ultimately not a daughter."

"Xiao Zhi must have made her say that," Xie Mingqi said angrily. "What an ingrate! If you ask me, he's just trying to please his dad so he can take over the company sooner. People always have selfish motives when they grow up, and children are no exception. They say that if children's love for their parents is even one-tenth of what parents love for their children, then they're considered filial. Try to think positively, get a divorce, take the money, and live your own carefree life. Don't worry about your children and grandchildren anymore."

Mei Yusheng nodded indifferently, then couldn't help but take a deep breath.

“I told you long ago that you should learn from me and think more about yourself in everything you do.” Xie Mingqi casually peeled an orange, took out a few segments and handed them to Mei Yusheng. “Xuanxuan too, I understand that you love your grandson, but what will you get in the end? You can’t even rely on your son, let alone your grandson.”

Mei Yusheng popped a segment of orange into her mouth, the sweet juice filling her mouth. Surprisingly, she didn't argue with her best friend, but instead frowned thoughtfully.

The older woman in the hospital bed by the window chimed in, "That's right. Once we women get married, we're tied down to our families and children. We lose all sense of self. What do we end up with? We're always being looked down upon. Even if our husbands don't cheat on us physically, they're probably still having affairs in their hearts."

Xie Mingqi disagreed with this statement: "Not all men are like that. My husband, Lao Chen, has only ever had me in his heart and eyes his whole life. He would never dare to dream of having another woman!"

She unconsciously raised her chin, a hint of smugness in her expression.

The older woman gave her a meaningful look, and her lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Mei Yusheng's thoughts were in turmoil. She thought of Xuanxuan's chubby little face, which looked just like Yue Guangzhi when he was a child, and a wave of tenderness washed over her.

But when she thought of Yue Guangzhi now, her heart turned cold and desolate.

These past few days have felt like years to her. What has dealt her a fatal blow, besides her husband's betrayal, is her son's indifference.

My best friend is right. She gave everything to her children and grandchildren, but what did she get in return?

I forget which book said it, but people are ultimately alone, and no amount of parenting, marriage, or children can change that.

She suddenly felt relieved. She realized that no matter what choices one makes, loneliness is inescapable. So she decided to live the rest of her life according to her own heart.

Attorney Qin Zhan was very efficient. The next afternoon, he sent a message to Mei Yusheng, saying that he had found out that in addition to his company, Yue Jiangting had established a foundation three years ago, with Yue Guangzhi as the manager.

He had no authority to investigate Yuejiangting Company's financial situation, but he suspected that the company's profits had likely been transferred to the foundation, and that the company had become an empty shell.

Mei Yusheng frowned in confusion. Could it be that Yue Jiangting had already prepared for divorce three years ago?

But why won't he admit it now, and why is he still threatening her? She doesn't believe he has any feelings for her at all; he hasn't even called her once during the days she's been hospitalized.

"Is he delaying the divorce because he hasn't finished transferring his assets?"

On the phone, lawyer Qin Zhan paused for a moment and said, "It's possible, but it's very small. In three years, how many assets can't be transferred? Or maybe he set up a foundation just to evade taxes, and it's not targeting you."

Mei Yusheng suddenly realized, "Yes, she doesn't have that much power. How could a divorce cause Yue Jiangting to make such a long fuss?"

Since that was the case, she lost interest in exploring further: "Attorney Qin, how can I get a divorce smoothly without being burdened with debt?"

"If you can't peacefully negotiate the division of property in a divorce, you can only resort to blackmail." Qin Zhan's voice was unusually calm and indifferent; he had seen this kind of thing many times before.

"What should I do?" Mei Yusheng was somewhat lost, with no direction in her mind.

"Get as much dirt on him as possible, not just on infidelity, but preferably on his tax evasion," Qin Zhan tried to inspire her. "I can also help you continue the investigation."

"Okay, Attorney Qin, please continue to help me," Mei Yusheng said gratefully.

When Xie Mingqi arrived, Mei Yusheng told her all of this.

Xie Mingqi's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the same path she had taken, albeit differently?

She brought up the matter of continuing to install cameras in her home: "It's such a pity that we installed them earlier last time."