Chapter 2 — 58 Lakhs And His True Face

In the air-conditioned showroom, it was so cold that goosebumps appeared on my bare arms. Tan Dieu's eyes glowed, his hand stroked back and forth on the hood, his movements were gentle as if he was touching a treasure.

“I've been eyeing it for three years, my dream car.”

“Latest version, full options, staff said there was only one car available in the whole of Hangzhou.”

“I bargained for two days and finally forced the price down to the lowest.”

He spoke very quickly, pulling me around the car, his mouth constantly spitting out all kinds of parameters. What is the acceleration from 0 to 100 in just over 5 seconds, what is the sporty chassis, and what is this is the machine a man should have. I didn't hear a word. There was only ringing in my ears, repeating the words "I noticed for three years", "I bargained for two days". So, his so-called "overtime" weekend is here negotiating to buy a car? So the "surprise", the "big surprise related to our future" that he talked about, was a car he had wanted for a long time, the price was not low? My father just transferred 580,000 yuan to my account on Friday afternoon. Today is Monday, 10:23 am. The car has been selected and the price has been negotiated. Only me is missing. My hands and feet were cold, looking at his excited profile, I felt strange for the first time. The man I knew for two years, discussed the future with me and met both families. At this moment, it's like a predator has set up a trap, just waiting for the prey to crawl into the net.

“Tan Dieu,” I interrupted his endless introduction, my throat dry.

“How much is this car?”

“Ah, that's right.”

He slapped his forehead, as if he had just remembered the main story, took out a folded piece of paper from his vest pocket, and spread it out with a "pop". It's a car purchase contract. He pointed to the total price section, behind which was a row of zeros. I looked intently. 57.8 thousand yuan. My breathing stopped. My stomach rolled, nausea rising straight into my throat.

"How is it, good? The car costs 580,000 yuan, you can squeeze it down to 2,000 yuan."

He appeared proud and stuffed the contract and a pen into my hand.

“Come on, Hieu Ninh, sign here, in the buyer section, write your name.”

"From now on, the car will belong to both of us, in my name."

I held the heavy contract, the edge of the paper pinched my hand, causing pain. I stared at that number, then looked up at the shiny "dream car" in front of me. Looking at Tan Dieu again with a face full of urging and waiting. On that face was an unconcealed impatience, wishing he couldn't drive away immediately. There was not the slightest respect for the money my parents worked so hard to accumulate. There was also not the slightest calculation for our future real life. I suddenly felt the pen in my hand like a hot needle. In his eyes there was only a naked desire to spend, and a natural demand for money. The salesperson holding the POS machine approached, a professional smile hanging on his face.

"Miss Lam, Mr. Tan chose a car very well. This model is extremely suitable for successful young couples like you two."

“Pay by card or bank transfer?”

The green light on the POS machine flashes, as if waiting to swallow the card. Tan Dieu stood next to him and nodded repeatedly, his eyes urging me to hurry.

“Sign quickly, you can drive home today.”

He lowered his voice, mixed with coaxing. In my head, my father's words suddenly rang out when he called: "The money is in your card, it is your support." Remembering my mother's advice: "Spend what you should, don't always waste money unreasonably." What's making me choke in my chest right now is not the car purchase contract in front of me. It's the man standing in front of me, the one who treats my parents' hard-earned money like his own ATM, eager to change it into a tool for his own enjoyment. I put the pen and contract on the hood of the car. The feeling of cold metal passed through my fingertips. I told the staff first, then turned to look at Tan Dieu.

“I don't buy this car.”

The smile on his face immediately disappeared, like a mask suddenly falling. The salesperson was stunned, his eyes glanced back and forth between the two of us, the atmosphere suddenly froze.

“Hieu Ninh, what are you talking about?”

Tan Dieu frowned, his voice clearly impatient.

"Don't make trouble anymore, the procedures have already been completed to this step."

“I'm not causing trouble.”

I looked straight at him, every word clear.

“Tan Dieu, this is the money your father gave you as a dowry.”

“How and when to spend this money is up to you to decide.”

"It's not for me to decide on my own and make that 'dream car' that I've been looking at for three years."

His face was red, mostly from anger.

“Lin Xiaoning, what do you mean by that?”

"We are about to register our marriage, what about the division between you and me?"

"Isn't this money for our little family? How about I buy a car? It's just for the family's convenience!"

“For us?”

I laughed coldly, my volume unconsciously rising.

"When I was choosing a car and negotiating the price, did I ask you a question?"

“Do you know what I plan to use this money for?”

“Don't you want to buy a house?”

He waved his arms impatiently, as if chasing away a noisy bird.

“House prices are like that now, what can 580,000 yuan do?”

“After making a deposit, I still have to bear decades of debt!”

“It's not as good as buying a car first, at least you can use it right away!”

“Why are you so stubborn, don't you know how to calculate?”

The two words "enjoyment" almost slipped out of his mouth. At some point, the background music in the store changed to a fast-paced melody, making people even more frustrated. I looked at his face distorted with excitement, the last bit of warmth in my heart was extinguished. A little warmth once made me think he was worth confiding in. Now only a pile of cold ash remains.

"Whether you know how to calculate or not is up to you."

I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

“If you like this car, you can pay for it yourself.”

“My money, no one is allowed to look at it.”

Having finished speaking, I turned around and walked towards the door. The sensor glass door recognizes people and slowly slides to both sides. The hot air from outside rushed in, colliding with the cold air inside the store.

"Lin Xiaoning! Stop for me!"

Tan Dieu called after him, his voice full of anger. I don't turn around. Stepping out of the showroom, the early summer sunlight was so bright that I couldn't open my eyes. I stood on the side of the road, took a deep breath, but my chest was still heavy. It was like a rock was pressing down on me, so heavy it was suffocating. The phone in my pocket began to vibrate. The three words "Tan Dieu" appeared on the screen. Before, it seemed familiar to me, but now it was dazzling. Those three words were like needles, piercing my vision until it hurt. I turned off the ringer and put the phone back in my pocket. One An empty taxi arrived, I raised my hand to call. Sitting in the back seat, I reported the company address. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror, perhaps intimidated by my face, so he didn't ask anything. He just turned down the radio, and a light song played in the car. Outside the window, the buildings gradually recede, and the rose bushes along the roadside bloom brilliantly. My head is confused. Anger, disappointment, self-pity, and the absurd feeling of being spun around... all intertwined, stretching every nerve. More than seven hundred days. Yet I was the same person, planning for the future for two years. I even began to doubt, in his previous gentleness, how much was real and how much was calculated. Is it true that every time you say "I've had a hard time lately", "I'll make it up to you later", is it paving the way for today? The phone vibrated non-stop again. It's still him. I closed my eyes, leaned back in the chair, my whole body seemed to be hollowed out. Don't want to hear. I don't dare listen either. I'm afraid that just by hearing his voice, what's waiting for me is not an apology... but more unreasonable requests, more difficult words. I'm afraid that the little bit of toughness I've just built up inside of me will collapse immediately. At that moment, I suddenly understood. The 580,000 yuan my father transferred to me... is a mirror. And what appeared the first time… was ugly enough. In the mirror, Tan Dieu is greedy, selfish, and full of calculations. Nearing the company building, the phone finally went silent. I took it out to see, it was the WeChat message he sent. A few short sentences, with a commanding tone.

“Stop acting like a child.”

"I'll come pick you up after dark. This matter must be explained clearly."

"I've already placed a deposit on the car, I can't cancel it."

“I'll prepare the money.”

I looked at those lines for a long time. Sunlight shines on the screen, reflecting dazzlingly. Those words were like hot iron, burning until my eyes hurt. I turn off the screen. The car compartment immediately became a little darker. Something in my heart made a "crack" sound... it broke completely. Cannot reconnect anymore.