Chapter 1 — A Diary, A Fallen City

My husband secretly withdrew 380,000 yuan (about 1.33 billion) from the house and gave it to his sister to pay off the loan online, I didn't manage it. Ten days later, when he wanted the money again... he went crazy. My husband secretly withdrew 380,000 yuan from our shared savings and used it to pay off his sister's online loan. But don't cry, don't make a fuss, don't even ask a single question. He thought I was weak and easy to bully. Ten days later, his sister punctured another hole of 450,000 yuan (about 1.58 billion). He stood in front of me, his tone as natural as it should be:

"Withdraw all the money from your card and save my sister. At best, I'll take care of you in the future!"

I laughed, a smile so cold that even I felt strange. Then threw the card right in his face.

"Go away. The password is your sister's birthday."

Five minutes later. The door of the house was kicked open. He rushed in like crazy, his eyes were bloodshot, his hands tightened around my neck:

"Where's the money?! Where's the two million on the card?!"

I was pressed against the wall, my breath choked, but the corners of my lips still curled up. I leaned close to his ear, my voice as light as a breeze:

“I… withdrew it all.”

One sentence. But it was like a knife cutting straight into the heart. His body stiffened. Hands let go. The whole body... collapsed as if its bones had been stripped clean. And I, standing there. Calmly as if he had never loved him a single day. The phone vibrated while I was cleaning the house, and a message from the bank appeared, coldly concise: 【Your savings account ending with 6755 at 15:32 completed a transfer transaction of 380,000 yuan.】 I stared at that series of numbers for a long time, so long that my mind went blank, leaving only cold numbers repeating in my head. The floor was already clean, but I still wiped it over and over again, until my knees were numb and the water stains were dried by the air-conditioned air. When my husband, Chu Minh Khai, came home and I was cooking, he whistled as he walked in, in such a good mood that it dazzled others. I didn't cry, I didn't make a fuss, I didn't even ask a question, it was as if that never happened in this house. He thought I didn't know, and for ten consecutive days he treated me with special care, took the initiative to wash the dishes, and even bought new strawberries to place in front of me. His eyes looked at me with a bit of pity and guilt, like he was comforting an unaware pet... about to be taken to the operating table. I still eat, still sleep, still go to work as usual, I just talk less and less, so silent that I even feel strange. He thought that I was inherently like that, soft, quiet, and easy to bully, so he felt even more secure with what he did. On the tenth day, his sister, Zhou Xiaoxiao, incurred another debt of 450,000 yuan, and a debt collection call came directly into the house, shattering the artificial tranquility. Chu Minh Khai's patience finally ran out, he snatched the remote from my hand, and the TV screen immediately went black.

“Hua Tinh,” he held out his hand to me, his tone so matter-of-fact that it was laughable, “take out all the money on your card, save Hieu Hieu.”

I looked at him, not saying a word.

“This time the amount of money is too big, only we can help it,” he continued, his voice firm and not allowing refusal.

“Don't worry,” he patted his chest, throwing out a cheap promise, “later on I raised you!”

The living room was so silent that I could clearly hear my breathing. I suddenly burst out laughing, a smile so cold that even I felt strange. Chu Minh Khai paused, clearly not understanding why I reacted like that. I took out the bank card he was familiar with from my pocket and threw it straight at his face. The plastic card was light but felt like a slap.

“Go away,” I said, my voice calm.

“The password is my sister's birthday.”

Chu Minh Khai's face flashed with joy. He thought I had bowed my head, and didn't even realize the sarcasm in my voice.

“It's good that you've been so good since early on!”

He grabbed the card like it was a lifeline, turned around and rushed out of the house, never looking back. I watched the door slam behind him, slowly picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

“Let's get started.”

Just five minutes. The door was kicked open by a powerful force, Chu Minh Khai rushed in like a crazy person, his eyes were bloodshot, like a cornered animal. The smell of sweat and despair followed him into the room. He rushed straight forward, grabbed my neck, forcing me to fall onto the sofa.

“Where is the money?!”

His voice was hoarse, every word seemed to be choked in his throat.

“Where is the two million on the card?! Hua Tinh, where did you hide the money?!”

The air was tight, I could barely breathe, my face was red from lack of oxygen. But I didn't struggle. Even... laughing. In his stunned eyes, I raised my hand and gently patted his cheek, signaling him to lean closer. He unconsciously loosened his grip. I leaned close to his ear, my voice was as light as the wind, only enough for two people to hear, every word was clear:

“I pulled it all out.”

His face immediately turned white, and the hand that was strangling me let go as if all his strength had been drained from him. His whole body stiffened for a second, then fell to the ground. It was as if in that moment, his entire world… had collapsed. Chu Minh Khai lay on the floor, his whole body as limp as a puddle of mud, his eyes empty, his mouth open, unconsciously repeating the words I had just said over and over again. I adjusted my collar that was wrinkled by him, stood up straight, looked down from above at the man in front of me, the person I had loved for five years. For him, I quit my job, returned to the kitchen, and took care of the food every day. For him, I cut off unnecessary relationships and committed myself to being a "good wife" as he said. He once told me: "Hua Tinh, you are so good, you really make people feel secure." That's right, rest assured. So assured that he could without any hesitation take our collective savings, over and over again, and throw them into the bottomless pit named after his sister. The first time was 50,000 yuan, he said Hieu Hieu had just graduated, girls had to dress properly. The second time was 100,000 yuan, he said Hieu Hieu wanted to start a business, try doing a small business. I had doubts, but remained silent. This time it was 380,000 yuan. The down payment for our newlywed house was only 380,000 yuan short of payment, but without blinking an eye, he transferred it all to Zhou Xiaoxiao to pay off the online loan. I gave him ten days. Ten days to wait for an explanation, a straightforward sentence, even... just a lie. But I can't wait. Can only wait once He raised his hand demandingly, even more calmly than before. My heart, at that moment… was completely numb. The doorbell rang, suddenly and violently, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room. I don't move, Chu Minh Khai doesn't move either. The people outside were clearly impatient and started banging on the door loudly.

"Minh Khai! Open the door! What are you doing in there with that woman?!"

It's my mother-in-law, Trieu Xuan Mai. I walked over and opened the door. She rushed straight in like the wind, and as soon as she saw her son lying on the ground, she screamed loudly.

"Minh Khai! My son! What's wrong with you?!"

She rushed to hug him, crying and screaming, then suddenly turned her head, her slanted eyes glaring fiercely at me.