Chapter 5 — 26 Days My Husband Lived In The Attic

“But the lock is only hanging on the outside.”

He explained hoarsely.

“From the inside you can still push the latch out.”

“The lock is just hung up to look like it's locked, but it's not really locked.”

I suddenly remembered the time I checked. The lock was covered in dust and looked like it had never been touched.

“Every time I go out, I'm covered in dust again.”

Tran Dien looked at me.

“I knew you would check sooner or later.”

I leaned back in the chair, looking at the man in front of me. He hid in his attic for twenty-six days. And I don't know at all.

“The person who video calls me every day…”

“Not you.”

Tran Dien repeated again.

“It was created by them.”

“Who are they?”

He was silent.

“Tran Dien.”

I clenched my fingers.

“Who are they?”

“An organization.”

After a long time, he opened his mouth.

“It has something to do with your previous job.”

Previously, Tran Dien worked as a researcher at a biopharmaceutical company named Tu Nac Khang. The scale is not large, but it is said that some very advanced gene therapy projects are being developed. Three years ago he jumped job there, the salary was very high, and I never asked in depth about the specifics of the company.

“Tu Nac Khang?”

He nodded.

“What did you find out?”

“I can't…”

“Tran Dien.”

I interrupted.

“If you say no one more time…”

“I will call the police now.”

He looked at me for a long time. Finally, he said in a low voice:

“I discovered a clinical trial data set.”

“It's the data of the third phase of testing.”

"There is a new drug coded GR-17, preparing to apply for a marketing license by the end of this year."

“While arranging the documents, I discovered that in the second phase of testing…”

“Six people developed serious neurological reactions.”

“Two of them died after three months.”

I was cold all over.

“But those data…”

Tran Dien's voice trembled.

“Removed from report.”

“How do you know they were deleted?”

“Because you see the original data.”

“A colleague accidentally saved an unedited file to a shared drive that he had access to.”

“After comparison…”

He raised his head to look at me.

"I discovered that the version sent to the inspection agency and the original data were completely different."

“You told the company?”

“You look for your immediate superior first.”

Tran Dien closed his eyes.

"He was silent for a long time and then said this matter was not within his scope of management."

“And tell me not to make a fuss.”

“The next day… he was sent somewhere else.”

“What happens after that?”

He clasped the cup in his hand.

“You made a mistake.”

“I copied all the original data.”

“Where to save?”

“Still in the attic now.”

I gradually understand.

“The company found out?”

Tran Dien shook his head.

“The person behind the company.”

“Tu Nac Khang's largest shareholder is an investment fund called Quan Hop Capital.”

“The person in power is actually named Bui Chinh Tac.”

“If GR-17 is successfully licensed…”

He smiled faintly.

“Each year's revenue is expected to exceed eighty billion.”

“Eighty billion…”

The kitchen was silent. I finally understand... My husband is being chased by something.

"That's right."

Tran Dien's voice was hoarse.

“That deleted data set… is worth eighty billion.”

“And you keep the copy.”

“But how do they know you copied the data?”

“I don't know.”

He bowed his head, his fingers tightening around the cup.

“The day you applied quit work, there were two people waiting in the company parking lot."

“They didn't do anything.”

“Just stand and look at me.”

“Looked for a long time.”

“That night, my car was locked.”

“The inside was ransacked.”

“You didn't call the police?”

“How is the report?”

He smiled bitterly.

“You said someone wants to kill you because you found out that the pharmaceutical company falsified data?”

"I'm not even sure who the opponent is yet."

“Calling the police will only expose you faster.”

“So I chose to disappear.”

“I contacted a friend.”

“Previously worked in the security industry.”

“He helped me with the whole plan.”

“Pretend to go abroad.”

“Change phone number.”

“Living on cash.”

“Do not use bank cards.”

“What about the cover to go to Germany?”

“He helped me find someone with a very similar voice.”

“Then use more technical processing.”

“Photos are created by AI.”

“The background is all taken from online documents.”

“Video calls also use technology on behalf.”

I was silent for a long time.

“Four months.”

I looked at him.

“For four months of video calling and texting…”

“But I didn't realize that person wasn't you.”