Chapter 16 — 58 Lakhs And His True Face

The director looked at me.

“The company has begun an investigation.”

“I am the person in charge of the project, responsible for coordinating and clarifying.”

“Tell me, do you have any clues?”

I clasped my hands under the table and took a deep breath.

“First of all, I affirm that I did not proactively disclose documents to any outside party.”

“All files I send out are only sent to customers as directed and to the management.”

“And it's all encrypted.”

“However, while I was on a business trip, I once lent my computer to a colleague in the department to check email.”

“But I do not allow any operations to send files out.”

I intentionally used the words “once” and “temporarily.” The director's eyes moved slightly.

“Which colleague?”

“Giang Phuong.”

"She sits across from me. She usually cooperates a lot."

The lawyer next to him took notes and nodded. The director continued to ask a series of details: whether the computer password was shared, whether the file was ever sent to personal email, the route of the document... I answered each question one by one, without avoiding it. The questioning session lasted nearly forty minutes. Finally, the director leaned back in his chair and looked at me.

“I'll go out first.”

“The company will continue to investigate this matter.”

“During this time, do not speak casually or discuss privately with anyone.”

I nodded and stood up. When I opened the meeting room door, I saw Tieu Phuong sitting at the end of the hallway. She bowed her head, her hands clasped together. The ceiling light shined down, making her face pale. At that moment, I suddenly realized— There were choices, right from the start… There was no turning back. She clutched her bag, her back straight, her face pale. We looked straight at each other, the air seemed to freeze for a second. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, then tried to swallow. I just glanced once, then turned and walked back to the work area. At that moment, I suddenly realized something very clear. We… stood on two completely different sides. A few days later, the company issued an internal announcement. The content is not long, just saying "an employee violated confidentiality regulations, arbitrarily revealing project documents, and has now been fired and retains the right to pursue legal liability." No name listed, but anyone can guess who it is. Tieu Phuong's seat was empty. The desk was cleared, leaving only a blue cup placed alone in the corner. It was a birthday gift I gave her last year. There was a small text printed on it.

“Hope you will always be treated gently.”

I stood in front of her desk for a while, then finally reached out and picked up the cup. There's a ring of coffee stains at the bottom that can't be cleaned after wiping. It's like there are things... once dirty, they can't be returned to their original state. In the afternoon, the department group discussed a few words, then quickly returned to their usual work. People are always only curious for a moment, very few people really put themselves into other people's stories. Everyone is busy living their lives. That night, I lay in bed for a long time without being able to sleep. In my mind, the white paint of the car in the showroom that day appeared. Sometimes it's Tieu Phuong's red eyes in the coffee shop. I suddenly wanted to send her a message. Then again... it doesn't make any sense, it's even a bit fake. Lifetime Whatever happens to her in the future, I am no longer involved. And the mark she left in my life... won't change because of a text message. The phone screen lights up. It's a message from my cousin.

“The company's handling is also quite neat.”

“This time, it seems like I escaped a lifetime.”

"In the future, when working on important documents, there must be boundaries."

“The thing called the human heart… cannot rely on trust alone.”

I looked at the sentence "can't rely on trust alone" and laughed softly.

“Love is the same?”

I texted back. A moment later, he sent a smiley emoji, then added another message.

“Emotions are even more so.”

“But don't lose faith because of these two things.”

“The world is not full of bad people.”

"It's just that I've been a bit unlucky lately, it's just that I keep seeing each other."

“Open your eyes a little later.”

After reading it, the heavy feeling in my heart because of Tieu Phuong's story gradually eased. It's true that I'm a bit unlucky. Before, I met my lover and asked for fifty-eight thousand dollars. My father had just moved. Then I met with my colleagues to focus on the plan I stayed up all night to work on. The world suddenly became ugly. But not everyone is calculating with me. I remember that day at the showroom, my father stood in front of me and said, "This money belongs to my daughter." I remember my cousin who worked late at night and still answered my phone calls, analyzing me step by step. I remember my mother standing at the kitchen door, muttering, "Why hasn't this girl come home to eat?", while bringing each dish I liked to the table. Those images gradually filled the void in my heart. I turned around and sent a message to the family group.

"I've already dealt with the previous matter."

“Don't worry, Mom and Dad.”

Very quickly, my mother called back. She used to talk a lot, but this time she spoke very briefly.

“Don't think too much.”

"The money is with you so my parents can rest assured."

"Your father is busy at the shop these days. He doesn't say anything out loud, but he still worries about you."

"If anything happens, don't hold it all to yourself."

“My parents are old, any help would be nice.”

“Don't be afraid to bother us.”

I listened with my nose running.

“Mom, I'm okay.”

“Actually, I feel lucky.”

“If I didn't have this money, I still wouldn't be able to see some people clearly.”

The other side was silent for a while.

“Human beings are both good and bad.”

Mom sighed.