Chapter 956: The Abusive Husband

“Haha, Mr. Wang, you’re too kind… Alright, I’ll meet you at Yan Garden tonight…”

A man sat on the vanity counter, talking on the phone. His socked foot was pressing down on a woman’s head, grinding it like a ball.

The floor was a mess.

After hanging up the phone, he squatted down, grabbed the woman’s hair, and said menacingly, “Clean this up before I get back!”

The woman, bruised and battered, nodded frantically.

“Say ‘Yes, I understand!'” He slapped her across the face.

“Yes, I understand…”

“Remember, I’m your husband. You need to respect me to have a good life. If you don’t, I’ll make your life a living hell. Try this again, and I’ll kill you!”

The woman nodded again, tears streaming from her eyes.

The man, now in a better mood, left the house, got into his car, and checked his teeth in the rearview mirror. He had to look his best for his clients.

A man in black appeared in the rearview mirror and asked, “Are you Mr. Li?”

“What is it? Trying to sell me car fresheners? I don’t need any. Get lost!” the man snapped.

“The Mr. Li who looks all classy outside but beats his wife at home?” The stranger continued, ignoring him.

Sensing something wrong, Li said, “Are you crazy?”

“No, you are…”

Suddenly, the stranger plunged a syringe into Li’s neck, swiftly injecting its contents into his bloodstream before quietly walking away.

Li felt a burning sensation like molten lava coursing through his veins. He scratched his neck frantically, started to vomit, and his heart stopped. He died in agony in his car.

An hour later, Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue, and other officers arrived after the neighbors called the police. Chen Shi saw scratch marks on the man’s neck, blood and skin under his fingernails, and purple-red veins on his neck. His mouth was open, and vomit filled his throat.

The most obvious sign was a needle mark on the back of his neck.

“Poisoned?” Chen Shi looked around. “No cameras nearby?”

From the crowd, a disheveled woman with injuries on her face ran out crying. Seeing her husband dead in the car, she covered her mouth and sobbed, “Why did this happen!”

“Ma’am, please stay back!” Chen Shi stopped her. “What was your relationship with the deceased?”

“He was my husband, Li Qin.”

Chen Shi examined her curiously, “What happened to your face?”

The woman instinctively brushed her hair, “I… I fell at home.”

“You can’t get those injuries from a fall. Tell the truth.”

She glanced at the body in the car and shivered, “My husband and I had a fight. He got violent.”

Chen Shi asked, “Can we take a look inside your home?”

“It’s a bit messy…”

“That’s alright. We just want to take a look.”

The woman sighed and led them upstairs. Opening the door, they found not just a mess but what looked like the aftermath of a robbery. Broken ceramics littered the floor, and a wad of tissues sat on the coffee table, suggesting she had been crying there recently.

Despite her husband’s sudden death, she had only shed a few tears and was now completely calm, indicating little affection between them.

“Ma’am, does domestic violence often occur in your home?” Lin Dongxue asked.

The woman sighed, sitting on the couch, “Maybe he was under too much pressure outside, or maybe it was because he was raised strictly. The first incident happened two weeks after our wedding. We had just had dinner and were watching TV on the couch. I picked a variety show he didn’t like. He grabbed the remote and changed the channel. I switched it back, and he changed it again. I switched it back, and suddenly, he hit me in the face with the remote, saying he couldn’t even watch his favorite show after a hard day. He stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door.

“I was furious. How could he do that? We fought, and he impatiently said I could watch whatever I wanted. He thought he was compromising, but I wanted an apology for hitting me. After days of silent treatment, he knelt and apologized, and I forgave him.

“I thought it was a one-time outburst. But every argument since then ended in violence. Each time, he apologized, and each time I forgave him.” She paused. “Forgiveness only made the violence worse. Whenever he was annoyed, he’d slap me or pull my hair. Eventually, he stopped apologizing, taking it as normal. I tried seeking help, but my family said couples need to adjust and endure some bumps. But I felt something was wrong. I walked on eggshells, fearing every move or look might set him off.”

Tears streamed down her face. “Our relationship became absurd. Do you know why he beat me today? I added garlic to the noodles at lunch. He said he had a client meeting and couldn’t eat garlic. I told him to pick it out. He smashed the bowl and started hitting me.”

Listening, Lin Dongxue felt the woman’s pain and despair. Chen Shi asked, “After the domestic violence, did you stay home?”

“You don’t think I killed him, do you? I was terrified of my husband, too scared to even resist. How could I kill him? Besides, why would I kill him in front of our home?”

Lin Dongxue said, “Captain, the deceased was poisoned through an injection. The method was very professional, indicating premeditation.”

Chen Shi agreed that the woman seemed unlikely to be a suspect and asked, “Did your husband have a bad temper outside? Any enemies?”

“To others, he was a nice guy, easy to talk to and get along with. He never made enemies…”

After finishing their questions, the two officers left. Lin Dongxue said, “Poor woman. Her husband’s sudden death might be a blessing. She’s young, childless, and can start a new life.”

“Yeah, she inherits all his assets. The deceased was a small manager with a house and car. Could it be a hired killing?”

“Captain, I don’t think she has the nerve or capability to hire a killer.”

“Until we completely rule her out, she remains a suspect.”