Chapter 14: Shen Zhichu Kneels

Shen Zhichu felt like she'd been struck by lightning. Her whole body was shaking, and it felt like there was a thorn stuck in her throat that she couldn't swallow or spit out. It was like a chokehold.

The courtroom was packed. All the relatives, who usually couldn't be bothered to show up, were there. Their faces were a mix of expressions, but all Shen Zhichu could see was mockery.

Her brother, Shen Xiuli, who was sitting up front, glared at her with a look of pure hatred. The moment he saw her, he jumped up and slapped her across the face.

The slap was so hard that Shen Zhichu's head snapped to the side, her ear ringing. She felt like her mind had left her body.

"Where the hell have you been these past four days, Shen Zhichu? How dare you show your face here? You ruined our dad! Wasn't it enough that you killed our mom? Now you have to take down dad too?" he yelled.

The slap had drawn everyone's attention. Dozens of eyes were now fixed on Shen Zhichu, making her feel like she was being skinned alive.

Shen Xiuli's eyes were bloodshot, and he screamed, "You worthless piece of trash! You're a curse on this family! Mom should've never had you. If she did, I should've made dad drown you! You took everything from me, Shen Zhichu!"

His words were like poison, and Shen Zhichu felt like she was being stabbed repeatedly. Her vision blurred, and all she could see was her brother's twisted face.

Just as he was about to slap her again, Li Jingshen, with a firm grip on Shen Zhichu's waist, pulled her back and said, "You break it, you buy it!"

Li Jingshen had a smile on his face, but it looked sinister.

Shen Xiuli was a bully, but he didn't dare mess with Li Jingshen.

He glared at Shen Zhichu as if she was his mortal enemy, not his sister.

Li Jingshen dragged the dazed Shen Zhichu to the front row. Her hands were clenched so tight that her nails were digging into her flesh. She knew this was just the beginning.

The judge took his seat, and Shen Changnan, her father, was brought in. When he saw Shen Zhichu, his eyes lit up with hope. He shouted desperately, "Zhichu, my daughter, you have to save me! I'm innocent! I've been set up…"

The judge banged his gavel, "Order in the court!"

The room went silent, except for the sound of the judge shuffling papers.

Shen Zhichu didn't know what was happening. She felt like her soul had left her body as she stared blankly at her father.

Is this really my dad?

Why does he seem like a stranger?

She noticed his shaved head, the white hair, and the deep wrinkles. It hit her that the man she had known for 24 years was truly old.

When the verdict was announced, Shen Changnan broke down crying. Shen Zhichu, in a daze, tugged at Li Jingshen's sleeve and asked, "What was the verdict?"

"Didn't you hear?" Li Jingshen whispered in her ear, "Your dad's screwed. He's not just gonna lose money, he's gonna lose his life."

No… It can't be. She didn't want to believe Li Jingshen, but why was her dad crying?

"Why?" she whispered.

"Why?" she whispered. In the four years she'd been married to Li Jingshen, she'd asked herself 'why' countless times. Why didn't he love her? Why didn't he come home for dinner? Why did he forget about her?

"There's no point in asking why," Li Jingshen leaned back in his chair with a smug look on his face, as if he'd just watched a blockbuster movie and was thoroughly entertained.

"Did you have something to do with this?" she asked.

He smirked, "Do you think I forced him to sign those papers? Or told him to invest those three million? Your dad got what he deserved. The real victims are the seven people who died because of him. He's getting off easy."

"By the way, if you hadn't given him that money, he wouldn't have been able to make that deal in the first place. So, in a way, you're the one who screwed him over. Your brother was right."

His words were like ice, chilling her to the bone. Shen Zhichu's eyes welled up with tears.

Her hands were clenched on her lap, but she felt so cold, her whole body shivering.

Li Jingshen, seemingly oblivious to her pain, casually draped his arm around her shoulders and said, "Listen, Shen Zhichu, you could beg me. I have a little bit of evidence that might not change much, but it could make your dad's life in prison a bit easier. He won't have to face the firing squad in a week. What do you say?"

He was cornering her.

Shen Zhichu bit her lip, looking pale as a ghost. She had fantasized about Li Jingshen being kind to her, even if it was fake. But now that it was happening, it made her sick to her stomach.

She couldn't believe that this had nothing to do with him. The documents her father had given her were about real estate investments. How did it turn into a coal mine?

And Li Jingshen bringing her to court today was clearly to humiliate her!

She didn't understand why he hated her so much.

Even if she had forced him into marriage, she had paid the price too. She was willing to let him go and even give him the Shen family fortune. But he kept using her love and patience against her, pushing her further into hell.

But Shen Zhichu was still the stubborn girl she always was. Her pride wouldn't be shattered by his words.

Li Jingshen's expression darkened, "Guess you don't want to take this chance."

As her father was led away, and the courtroom emptied, Shen Zhichu felt like she was going deaf. She couldn't hear the commotion around her.

The Shen family was ruined. They had to pay for seven lives, which would leave them broke. The employees and shareholders were furious.

They blamed Shen Zhichu, calling her useless and a curse that brought down the Shen family. They accused her of abandoning her father to chase after men.

Her brother's words hurt the most. They felt like a noose around her heart. She clutched her chest and leaned forward.

Li Jingshen didn't notice her pain. As they left the courtroom, they were swarmed by reporters.

Li Jingshen made a call to get some help to deal with the reporters.

After hanging up, he glanced at Shen Zhichu, who was staring blankly in one direction.

He followed her gaze and saw her father being put into a police car. His back was hunched, and he looked like a beaten old dog.

"See? Just two days and your dad's aged a lifetime. Can you really let him die like this?" Li Jingshen taunted.

Shen Zhichu's eyes were wet with tears. She blinked and whispered, "What do you want me to do?" She knew she couldn't just say a word and have Li Jingshen spare her father. She knew her own worth.

Li Jingshen looked at the swarm of reporters and seemed to have an idea. A cold smile crossed his face as he pointed at the reporters and said, "Kneel in front of them for half an hour, and I'll make sure your dad doesn't get the death penalty."

"Just half an hour of kneeling and you'll save my dad?" Shen Zhichu asked, her face expressionless.

Li Jingshen was taken aback. He had expected her to throw a fit. The Shen family's princess held her pride above all else.

He composed himself and said, "Yes."

"Alright, I'll kneel," she said firmly.

As Shen Zhichu started to move, Li Jingshen grabbed her arm. His eyes were half-closed, hiding his emotions.

"Shen Zhichu, your dad sees you as nothing more than a tool for making money, yet he calls you worthless. He even said he should have killed you at birth. Even if you save him, he won't give a damn about you. Are you really willing to throw away your pride and kneel for him?" he hissed.

Shen Zhichu looked at his hand gripping her arm and murmured, "What choice do I have? He's my dad, my family. He held me when I was little…"

With that, Shen Zhichu pushed him away and walked towards the crowd with her back straight.

Once a dazzling heiress in designer dresses, Shen Zhichu now seemed to fade into the background, her frail figure almost transparent under the camera flashes.

What was her pride worth if it couldn't save a life?

Her eyes were lifeless, as if all hope had been extinguished, her soul ripped out, and the very essence of her being destroyed.