On New Year’s Eve, H City Central Hospital was quiet and deserted, with very few patients. Aside from those in critical condition or whose homes were far away, almost everyone had gone home to celebrate the New Year.
The cardiology ward was nearly empty as well. Mu Yuting’s room was a triple, but tonight she was the only one there.
She wasn’t a critical patient, her home was in the city, and she chose not to go back for the holidays—because there was no one at home.
Her parents had long passed away, and her daughter was spending the New Year with Mu Yuting’s deadbeat ex-husband.
Recently, she had been admitted to the hospital due to intermittent angina and chest tightness. With medical staff on duty and a cafeteria on-site, staying in the hospital was actually convenient.
**"Thank you for raising our daughter so well. Now, she’s mine."** That was the message her ex-husband had sent.
When she received it, Mu Yuting was sitting beside her hospital bed, eating her New Year’s Eve dinner. The hospital had made pork and cabbage dumplings—hot and fragrant—but she had no appetite.
Forcing herself to finish the dumplings, she washed up quickly and lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She was getting old. Lying alone in a hospital bed with so much time to think, she realized that her entire life had turned into a joke.
Her ex-husband had risen to success in middle age, drained every last bit of value from her family, then eagerly cast off his aging wife and unwanted daughter—who couldn’t inherit his “legacy”—to pursue the pleasures of the world.
The year they divorced, she had just turned 35. After giving birth, she’d worked a few jobs, but was constantly held back by household and childcare duties, so none of the jobs lasted. Eventually, she had to return to being a stay-at-home mom. At the time of the divorce, she had only been back at work for less than a year.
When she asked for the reason behind the divorce, the scumbag bluntly told her, **"You’re no longer of any use to me."**
He laid out the divorce agreement: “The house and car are mine. Our personal bank accounts and debts will remain separate. If you accept these conditions, I won’t fight you for custody. The daughter will be yours. I’ll even pay a few hundred yuan a month in child support.”
She questioned it: “The house was bought by my mom with her own money. Why should it go to you? All these years, you kept your salary for yourself and never contributed a cent to the household. I used all my dowry and wages for this family. How do I even have any ‘personal assets’ left?”
The scumbag sneered and cut her off, “I’m trying to settle this amicably. If you don’t agree, we can go to court. A divorce case could drag on for two or three years. If I’m not satisfied with the outcome, I just won’t agree to divorce.”
“Whether we divorce or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I still won’t pay living expenses or take care of the home or the kid. When I come home, you’ll still have to serve me.” He emphasized the word *serve*, its implications unmistakable.
Then he added, “If we drag it out, your daughter’s school registration will be delayed. You figure it out.”
He was right. Her daughter was about to start elementary school, and her school registration needed to be settled soon—either stay in prosperous J City or move back to her hometown in H City. Delays weren’t an option.
In the end, she accepted the harsh divorce agreement. Other than custody of her daughter, she was left with nothing. The scumbag became her ex-husband.
When she returned to her hometown with her daughter, she had just over a thousand yuan left in her account—the final half-month’s salary from her last job.
She never remarried. She lived with her mother, worked multiple jobs, and raised her daughter with great hardship, eventually getting her into a prestigious university. Not long after, she also arranged her elderly mother’s funeral.
After graduating, her daughter worked in another city. It was a modest job with an average salary. She only came home once a year for New Year’s, staying just three to five days each time. Her salary wasn’t enough, so Mu Yuting still had to supplement her daughter’s living expenses every month.
In recent years, her ex-husband began using affection and money to win over their daughter. He had remarried years ago but had never been able to have more children—he truly had no “heir.”
He hoped their daughter would marry early and give birth to a son with his surname, to inherit his so-called legacy.
Before long, their daughter fell for the scumbag’s sweet talk and financial bait. She began spending New Year’s with him and stopped coming home.
Now, after a lifetime of toil and illness, Mu Yuting lay alone in her hospital room and finally understood something:
People come into this world alone and leave it the same way. Parents, partners, children—none can accompany you forever. So do women *really* need marriage? What’s the point of raising children? If no companionship lasts until the end, what difference does it make whether you marry or have kids?
She had lived for her parents, for her daughter—but never once for herself. What was the point of her life?
On that cold winter night, a sudden bout of angina struck. Mu Yuting clutched her chest, her hand pressed hard against her heart. She glanced one last time at the call button beside her bed.
If there were a next life, she swore—she would never marry or have children. She would live only for herself.
On New Year’s Eve, at around 3 a.m., Mu Yuting suffered a sudden acute myocardial infarction and passed away in the hospital’s cardiology ward at the age of 55.
When she opened her eyes, Mu Yuting found herself sitting on the old sofa in her home, wearing a pink down jacket.
Outside the window, the sun was setting. In front of her was her mother’s angry face.
“Tingting, do you even know what you’re saying? Your mom bought this house for you, furnished the new place, even set the wedding date—and now you want to cancel the wedding? Absolutely not! I don’t agree!
“All the relatives already know about the wedding. If you cancel now, you’ll disgrace the entire family!
“Even if you back out now, everyone will think that *he* dumped *you*. How will you find another man in the future? How will you hold your head up in front of the relatives and neighbors?
“I’m doing this for your own good!”
Mu Yuting clenched her fists, her fingertips digging into her palm. The pain woke her up—she had been reborn! Back to before the wedding!
She was determined to change her fate. In this life, she wouldn’t marry, wouldn’t have children—she would live for *herself*.
“Mom, the wedding must be canceled,” she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
She had always been a good, obedient girl. Her parents were strong-willed, and she was used to following their arrangements.
In her previous life, she had already noticed before the wedding that the man was unsuitable. She had wanted to call it off, but her strong, traditional mother had talked her into going through with it.
This time, no one could sway her. From today onward, whatever happened in her life—good or bad—she would take responsibility.
“You’re not canceling the wedding! You two are getting the marriage certificate next week and holding the ceremony in a month.” Her mother was as domineering as ever.
“Absolutely not.” Mu Yuting stood up, her stance firm.
“What man doesn’t have some flaws? As long as he doesn’t smoke, drink, or hit women, he’s a good man. Women shouldn’t be too picky. So what if he’s poor? We can help him out. He’ll make it eventually, and he’ll treat you well forever.”
“Is that really the standard for a good man?” Mu Yuting retorted. “Men who climb up using their wife’s family wealth—how many *don’t* trade in their wives once they succeed? Divorce is common; murder isn’t rare.”
Her mother choked on her words.
“If your dad were still alive, he would never—”
Mu Yuting interrupted, “If my dad were still alive, he would *never* let me marry a man like that!”
Her mother was stunned. The daughter in front of her seemed like a completely different person. The always-obedient girl—why was she suddenly so determined? Could there be something else going on that she didn’t know?
“He refused to do the premarital medical exam,” Mu Yuting said, dropping a bombshell.
“Tingting… are you saying… he has some kind of disease he’s trying to hide?”
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