Her hand twitched like she might slap him, but she held herself back, her eyes blazing with the kind of rage that made people reckless. "You think you're so righteous. You think you're better than me? You're the one who stayed, Weiqing. You're the one who let me in. You could've left me years ago—but you didn't. And now? Now you're just as trapped as I am."
He stared at her for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Not anymore."
The words were quiet, but they cut like a blade. Bai Shi froze, her anger faltering for the first time, as if she'd heard something in his tone she didn't like.
Weiqing stepped past her, his movements slow, deliberate, as if every muscle in his body was fighting the weight of years spent bending to this woman's will. "The children are grown. They have a chance at a better life now. And you—" he glanced over his shoulder, his voice low and raw "—you'll never see me beg again."
