Chapter 16 — 19 Lakhs 2, Buying Out a Family

His voice was hoarse, tired and exhausted.

“My portion of the house… I give it all to you.”

“I don't need anything else.”

“I just ask you one thing.”

His gaze... has never been so low.

“Can you… return the promissory note?”

Chu Hao knelt on the ground and looked up at me. Ly Mai stood beside her, her eyes complicated. Truong Tu Mai looked at me... pleadingly. All... waiting for my decision. The fragile debt paper... has now become a sword hanging over their heads. It's proof of guilt. It's also a bomb... it can explode at any time. I looked at them. Look at this house... distorted by a secret. I suddenly felt... tired. I came back here… not to judge. Not to dig up the past. I just want… my money back. That's all. But now... Money has turned into a meaningless number. Can't get it back. Staying here... what's the point? I slowly took out the debt paper. Chu Hao and Truong Tu Mai... held their breath. I opened the paper. The handwriting is shaky. Bright red handprints. Cold signature. This is the only thing I won. It's 19 thousand 2 from me. Is the ultimate control over this family. I looked at them. Speak slowly.

“House… I don't need it.”

All three people were stunned.

“That's what dad left behind.”

“I won't use it… to pay for your mistakes.”

Chu Hao slightly moved his lips... as if he wanted to say something. I didn't give him a chance to continue speaking. My eyes turned to Truong Tu Mai, her voice was calm and cold.

"That person, that person named Truong Vong, is my fault, not yours."

"From now on, his affairs have nothing to do with you, nor with Chu Hao."

"How you want to handle it is your business. You can continue to let him exploit you, you can also report to the police and end it all."

"Whatever path to take, mom chooses herself."

Truong Tu Mai looked at me, her eyes empty as if she had lost her soul, but I withdrew my gaze and slowly looked down at the debt paper in my hand. Under their tense eyes, I calmly tore the piece of paper in half. The "swoosh" sound was very small but felt like a thunderbolt striking my ears. Chu Hao's eyes widened, Truong Tu Mai trembled, Ly Mai covered her mouth, everyone couldn't believe what was happening. But I didn't stop, two pieces of paper continued to be torn, four pieces, eight pieces, sixteen pieces, until the debt note turned into countless pieces. I let go, the pieces of paper fell like white snow, silently covering the cold floor.

“Sister…” Chu Hao choked, his voice trembling, but I interrupted him before he could say anything else.

“I tore it up not because of forgiveness, but because I don't want to be involved with you guys any longer.”

"Nineteen thousand two, I use it to buy off more than twenty years of friendship. From now on, we will no longer have anything to do with it."

"I'm no longer your sister, you're no longer my younger brother, and I... am no longer your mother."

Those words fell, cold and decisive, like a knife that completely severed the relationship between us. Truong Tu Mai collapsed on the sofa and cried without a sound, Chu Hao knelt on the ground and cried, and Ly Mai stood still, completely unaware of what to do. I didn't look at them again, just turned back to the room, pulling the suitcase that was almost never opened. I walked through the living room, stepped over the pile of scraps of paper at my feet, walked straight to the door, and put my hand on the handle. Behind the sound Truong Tu Mai cried out in despair, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Tieu Tinh! Where are you going? Don't you need me anymore?"

I stopped, but didn't turn my head, just looked out at the bright light in front of me.

“I'm not going anywhere, I'm just… going home.”

The door opened and closed, the crying was trapped behind, and I dragged my suitcase step by step down the stairs. As I stepped out of the building, the sunlight shone on me, I took a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief. Nineteen thousand two, is the price for more than twenty years I spent with this family, very expensive, but worth it. I took out my phone, opened the ticket booking app, and bought the earliest flight back to my city, this time a one-way ticket. From now on, there is no turning back to my homeland, there is only my own path ahead, brilliant and free.