The year of my divorce marked the darkest period of my life. I was alone, raising my young daughter who had just started elementary school, and struggling financially—our entire possessions barely amounted to five thousand yuan. With no other option, I rented a dilapidated room in an old house just to have a place to stay.
The landlord, noticing I was a single mother, eyed me with suspicion and warned me that if any man came to visit, she would call the police. Desperate to save even a hundred yuan a month on rent, I pleaded with her, breaking down in tears in front of my daughter. As the landlord uttered her harsh words, my daughter cried uncontrollably in my arms. In that moment, I swore to myself that I would work relentlessly, earn enough money, and ensure that no one would ever again look down on my daughter and me.
In the following years, I became like a machine, working day and night without rest. After work, I would rush to take on part-time jobs, pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion. My legs would tremble, and my heart would race, but I dared not stop. Late at night, I would return to our cramped rental, gaze at my daughter's peaceful face as she slept, and remind myself time and again that I could never afford to stop.
Perhaps, as they say, after enduring hardship comes relief. I met a benefactor in my life—Qin Yao. She was a new employee at our company, hired on a labor contract. Yet, the way she dressed, it was clear her attire alone was worth several years of my salary. Rumor had it she either came from a wealthy family or had married well.
I first encountered her in the company's water dispenser area. I was filling my cup when she walked over and bluntly asked, "You're the one who got divorced, right?" I was taken aback. My ex-husband and I worked at the same company, and after the divorce, he had left. It was something everyone knew, yet I barely knew her, so her direct question made me uncomfortable.
She seemed oblivious to my reaction, standing there with her chin resting on her hand, continuing without pause, "I heard it was your ex-husband who initiated the divorce. Rumor has it he's been seeing someone else, but you couldn't even find out who she was. He did a good job keeping that secret. And as for the divorce, you didn't ask for anything except custody. What were you thinking?" She paused and added, "I see you're having a tough time. You ate so much at lunch—saving money for dinner, I suppose?"
Her words were like salt rubbed into an open wound. I was both humiliated and furious, shouting at her, "Are you done yet?"
As I turned to leave in anger, she called out from behind, "Do you want to make money? I can help you, to make sure you and your daughter live a better life.