Chapter 2 — 47 Days of Betrayal, I Turned the Game Over

By the time the report was finished, it was already dark. The policewoman gave me a piece of paper.

“You need to go to the court to apply for asset preservation measures and temporarily block this transaction.”

I took the paper and took a taxi to the court. The application reception room is about to close. I rushed straight in.

“Comrade, I want to ask for property preservation!”

The judge on duty looked at his watch.

“It's past time to receive applications today.”

"I beg you, my house has been scammed. If we don't block it in time, the money will not be recovered!"

He looked at my red eyes and sighed softly.

“Show me the file.”

I immediately gave my passport, immigration history, and copies of documents from the notary office. He watched very carefully.

"Your situation is truly urgent. I can help handle it urgently, but you need additional video surveillance at the notary office."

“How did that video come about?”

“You come directly to request, they will issue the disc.”

I rushed back to the notary office. After getting the disc, I returned to the courthouse and it was already 8pm. He's still waiting for me.

"The documents are complete. I will make a decision immediately. Effective tomorrow morning."

“Thank you… thank you.”

My tears fell. That night, I went to my parents' house. As soon as my mother saw me, her eyes turned red.

“Nien An, what exactly happened?”

I tell it from beginning to end. After listening, Mom leaned back on the sofa, her voice trembling.

"This... how is this possible? Tri Vien looks so gentle..."

“Mom, do you still think he's gentle?”

Dad came out of the office, his face cold as ice.

"He dares to sell our house? The deposit of 1,000,000 yuan is ours!"

"I have already reported to the police, I also asked to preserve my property."

"What's the use of reporting? People have already fled to Canada!"

He slammed his hand on the table.

“From the beginning I said this guy is too quiet and has a deep mind, you didn't listen!”

“Dad, what does that mean now?”

“I'm going to find his house!”

He picked up his coat and was about to go out.

"Don't go. They've all turned off their phones."

I pulled him back.

"In the afternoon I stopped by his parents' house, the door was locked, the curtains were closed... they must have gone."

Mom covered her mouth, tears welling up.

“Tieu Hoa… my granddaughter… she is only seven years old…”

I also burst into tears. That night, no one could sleep. The next morning, I went to my daughter's school. The homeroom teacher, surnamed Trieu, saw me and looked a bit confused.

“Sister To, you're here.”

“I want to ask about Tieu Hoa's situation.”

"Tieu Hoa... has already completed the transfer procedure."

“Last week my father came to work and said he would take me abroad to study.”

“Does he have my power of attorney?”

She took out a file.

“Yes, there is your signature and notarization.”

I looked at the signature on it, clenching my teeth. It's fake again.

“Miss Trieu, this signature is not mine.”

She was stunned.

“But… there is a notary stamp on it…”

"Someone impersonated me. I've already reported it to the police."

Her face also changed.

"This is... serious. So where is the baby now?"

“His father took him to Canada.”

"Please keep Tieu Hoa's academic records. This school transfer procedure is invalid."

“Okay, I will report to the principal immediately.”

Leaving school, I received a call from a lawyer. The lawyer I hired is named Tran Ve Dong, a leading expert on marital property disputes.

"Ms. To, the decision to preserve the court's assets has been made. The money from the sale of the house has been frozen."

"But there is a problem. The buyer can object, say They bought in good faith and asked for the blockade to be lifted.”

“So what to do?”

“We need to quickly collect evidence to prove that this is a problematic transaction. Your husband is currently in Canada, right?

“So we can use the name related to illegally sending children abroad, through international cooperation to ask Canada for support. At the same time, you need to provide all information about your husband, including where he may go.”

“I… don't know where he's going.”

“Does he have friends or relatives in Canada?”

I tried to remember carefully, then suddenly I thought of it.

“He has a college friend in Vancouver who apparently opened a restaurant there.”

"It seems like the family name is Ha... I don't remember the specific name."

"Go back and think carefully, tell me any clues."

Hanging up, I opened WeChat and scrolled through Lam Tri Vien's friends. The last post was three days ago. A photo at the airport, with the words: New beginning. Below, a few people asked "what start", but he didn't answer. I scrolled down each post, trying to find traces of that friend. Suddenly, I stopped at a post half a year ago. Photo taken at a gathering, caption: Old friends meet, no drunk, no return. There are seven or eight people in the photo. Lam Tri Vien sat in the middle, smiling happily. Among them was a person wearing a checkered shirt... I was impressed. Maybe it's the one in Vancouver. I took a screenshot and sent it to lawyer Tran.

“Lawyer Tran, look at this person, he might be in Canada.”

“Okay, I'll let someone look into it.”

In the days that followed, I spun like a top. Go to the bank, freeze all accounts that can be frozen. Go to the Immigration Department and request to restrict Lam Tri Vien's exit after he returns home. Go to the police station and add a denunciation file. Every day when I open my eyes, I see paperwork, forms, and running back and forth between agencies. But the thing that breaks me the most... is every night. Lying in bed, I couldn't help but remember every detail of when I was with him. The first day we met, at my friend's wedding, he was wearing a light gray suit, bending down to help me pick up a dropped card, smiling a bit shyly. Two years into our relationship, every day he stood downstairs at the company waiting for me, holding a cup of cinnamon latte that I liked. After getting married, he spoiled me to the moon and back. I stay up late working, he will stand outside the door holding a glass of hot milk. I had a pain in my neck, he patiently applied a warm towel one time at a time. After his daughter was born, he did everything. Changing diapers, mixing milk, comforting the baby in the middle of the night. Those gentleness… Those cares… Are they all fake? Suddenly I remembered a detail. A month ago, he asked me:

“How long will you be gone on this business trip?”

“About a month, about thirty-two days.”

At that time, his expression briefly turned strange, then quickly returned to normal. Now that I think about it... Was it from that moment that he started the countdown? There are also video calls. During those thirty-two days, every day I video called him and talked to my daughter. But the last few times, he has accepted it in his office. In the frame there is only his face and the bookshelf behind him. I once asked why he wasn't in the living room. He said the living room light was broken and hadn't been fixed yet. Now that I think about it... Was the house already starting to be vacated at that time?