"She knew one thing for sure," Heena continued, her dark eyes flashing. "Today, her family might support a divorce. But tomorrow, the moment the money ran tight, they would start blaming her. No matter how much she earned on her own, they would never truly support a disgraced daughter. And it wasn't like she didn't try to leave, Madam Gu. She tried to be financially independent. She tried to work. But her own family bound her. Her own parents, her own brothers, shackled her so tightly to their 'reputation' that she couldn't take a single step forward."
Heena picked up her teacup, holding the warm porcelain between her cold hands.
"So, she chose a path that no one else had the endurance for. She chose to become something her husband eventually didn't even dare to touch," Heena murmured. "And the absolute relief finally came when her children turned six."
Madam Gu blinked, completely stunned. "Six? They were just infants."
