Catherine collapsed onto the ground, her face devoid of expression. She knew all too well what she was about to face.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she repeated incessantly.
But her apologies were utterly useless now. No one would listen to her meaningless words.
Cai looked at Catherine, her hatred undiminished. In fact, she felt that what she was doing was far from enough.
The more Catherine put on a pitiable act, the more it reminded Cai of his past, how he had been deceived by Catherine's appearance time and again.
"Cai, I truly know I was wrong. Please, don't be like this," Catherine pleaded. "We can start over. I promise I'll treat you with sincerity this time."
She nodded solemnly, her eyes full of earnestness as she looked at Cai.
"Linlin, we can't go back. We were together once, and now we're in a mutually destructive relationship. Do you really think you can pretend nothing happened?"
To Cai's surprise, Catherine nodded. "I can. Just take those things back."
"Take them back?" Cai scoffed. "Do you think things that have already been seen can be made to disappear just by retracting them? Just like our past, can a simple apology make everything start anew?"
Cai gave Catherine one last look and finally turned to leave, believing he would never be a part of Catherine's life again.
Watching Cai's receding back, Catherine knew she was truly finished this time. The last time something had blown up so dramatically, she had been lucky enough to have Zhan Yang help her suppress everything.
Now, there was no one left to help her.
At that moment, it began to rain, a light drizzle that soon left Catherine drenched. Yet, she didn't leave. She no longer knew where else she could go.
Wei Yumeng had obtained the most damning evidence against Catherine, evidence that Cai had already made public. Even if she hadn't intended to come forward and identify Catherine, the latter was already trapped.
However, Wei Yumeng was now resolute. It was time for the past to end.
After discussions with Zhan Mohan, they went to the police station and formally filed a lawsuit against Catherine.
As they approached the police station, they unexpectedly encountered Song Lijun.
"Yumeng, I finally found you," Song Lijun said, her face looking utterly distraught.
Wei Yumeng and Zhan Mohan exchanged a glance, then Wei Yumeng calmly replied, "Mrs. Feng, our minds are made up. Catherine has gone this far, and it's time she took responsibility for her actions."
But tears were already streaming down Song Lijun's face. "Linlin... Linlin committed suicide."
Wei Yumeng's brow furrowed. She couldn't be sure if this was another one of Catherine's schemes or if it was genuine, considering how often she resorted to such tricks.
Sensing their hesitation, Song Lijun explained, "When we got home, she had already slit her wrists with a knife. Although she's been taken to the hospital... the doctors don't know if she'll wake up."
Zhan Mohan, seeing Wei Yumeng's wavering resolve, said gently, "Perhaps we should go to the hospital to see her first."
Wei Yumeng nodded. "Alright. We have all the evidence anyway, so there's no fear of her running away."
When they followed Song Lijun to the hospital, the doctor was just coming out of the operating room.
"Doctor, how is my daughter?" Song Lijun asked anxiously.
The doctor shook his head. "We did our best. While we managed to save her, when she will wake up is entirely up to her now."
Hearing this, Song Lijun stumbled back several steps, almost collapsing.
Feng Zhenhua stood by silently, merely sighing.
Wei Yumeng watched as the doctor wheeled Catherine out of the emergency room and into a ward, her heart filled with a mix of emotions.
Everything had come to this because Catherine had brought it upon herself. If Catherine didn't wake up, would she still need to hand over the evidence to the police?
For a moment, Wei Yumeng had no answer. Perhaps Catherine's current fate was her just deserts.
They stayed with the Feng couple for a while longer, and after confirming Catherine's condition, they left.
On the way, Wei Yumeng finally spoke to Zhan Mohan. "Since Catherine is like this now, do we still need to sue her?"
Zhan Mohan stopped and looked at her. "Speaking rationally, these two events cannot be considered the same. She might have attempted suicide out of regret for her past actions, or perhaps she simply felt she could no longer live after her deeds were exposed. But none of this negates what she did to us, does it?"
Wei Yumeng nodded. She had to admit Zhan Mohan had a point. If Catherine's suicide wasn't a sign of remorse for her past mistakes, then it would be equivalent to them forfeiting the opportunity to punish her.
"I understand what needs to be done."
She still needed to provide closure for her past. At the very least, the suffering she endured before should not be in vain.
The next day, Wei Yumeng still submitted the evidence to the police. Even without her involvement, the police had already planned to reopen the investigation.
Unexpectedly, when Song Lijun and Feng Zhenhua learned of Wei Yumeng's decision, they didn't blame her.
"Child, I know none of this is your fault. It's all our fault. If we had realized what was happening with Linlin from the beginning, perhaps everything would have been different," Song Lijun expressed her deep regret.
Feng Zhenhua remained silent, but his deliberately stern expression showed a hint of discomfort.
Wei Yumeng knew that despite Feng Zhenhua's stoic demeanor, he must have been deeply affected.
Wei Yumeng took a deep breath and looked at them. "Actually, even without Catherine by your side in the future, you still have me. I will step up and take on the responsibility of your daughter, and I hope you won't find me bothersome."
Hearing this, Song Lijun turned and embraced Wei Yumeng tightly. "Good child, why would we find you bothersome? Perhaps in the future, you'll be all we have."
Wei Yumeng gently stroked Song Lijun's back in comfort and silently resolved to take good care of the Feng couple from now on.