Chapter 5 — After Divorce, I Counted 10 Years as a Nanny

I carried my suitcase and walked past him. In the living room, Chu Kien Quoc's father-in-law was standing there holding on to the wall, his face unsightly. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only uttered one sentence.

"Don't bring things out at home."

I paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Dad, this isn't about bringing bad things out, it's about you guys treating me like a fool for too long.”

I pulled my suitcase and went out. At the door, the mother-in-law finally exploded, her voice high-pitched.

"Lam Van! If you step out of here today, don't come back in the future! Our Chu family doesn't accept a daughter-in-law like you!"

I turned my head to look at her. Ten years ago, this was the first time I felt her age. It's not because of old age, but because of the aura that oppresses others, in front of me, it no longer works.

“What a coincidence.” I said, “I also don't want to be the daughter-in-law of the Chu family anymore.”

The moment the door closed behind me, I heard chaos inside. Some people cursed, some people intervened, there was the sound of children crying. But those sounds, in the end, no longer belong to me. The day I moved into the dormitory of the nursing center, it was raining. The room is not big, a bed, a table, a small wardrobe, outside the window is the garden. Compared to the big house I lived in for ten years at the Chu family, this place is much simpler. But as I hung up each piece of clothing, I felt a sense of relief like never before. On my first day at work, I was still a bit nervous. Ten years without an official position, a lot of processes have changed, the system is also different. But when I actually entered the nursing area, smelled the antiseptic, heard the call bell ring, my body's instincts immediately returned. There was an old woman who was rioting in the middle of the night and refused to take her medicine. No amount of advice from the nurse was in vain. I went over, sat down by the bed, and gently held her hand.

"Uncle, take the medicine first. Tomorrow I'll take you out to the garden to dry in the sun, okay?"

She looked at me, attentively for a few seconds, then suddenly asked.

“You were a nurse before, right?”

I paused a bit. She nodded and obediently swallowed the medicine.

“You know, my eyes are not like other people.”

At that moment, the bridge of my nose suddenly stung. It turned out that a stranger could see that I was not born just to revolve around a family. Yet the Chu family forced me to live in their shadow. When I gradually got used to the job, I truly understood what it means to be respected. Here, everyone calls me "Miss Lam", "Manager Lam", when handing over work they listen to me, and at meetings they also ask for my opinion. No matter how busy you are, the fatigue is worth it. As for the Chu family, it was indeed becoming more and more chaotic. On the third day, my mother-in-law called me. I just got off night shift and my voice is still hoarse.

"What is up?"

The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then she deliberately lowered her voice.

"Van Van, yesterday I was angry so I said harsh words, don't take it to heart. Last night your father's blood pressure went up again, the house is a mess, can you see when he'll be back?"

She started calling me “Van Van”. In the past, only when she needed help did she call like that. I leaned against the hallway window, looking at the rain-soaked leaves outside, my voice light.

“Your house is in chaos, what does it have to do with me?”

She choked, her voice immediately rising.

"Why is it unrelated? It's dad my husband!”

"Preparing for divorce, no more planning."

“You…” she was so angry that she was panting, “Lam Van, don't be so cruel!”

I smiled softly.

“Is this what you call breaking love? So what do you call it on my birthday when you force me to sign the house's name?"

Perhaps she knew she couldn't pretend anymore, her voice immediately became shrill.

“I tell you, don't think that going out and finding a stupid job is terrible. If a divorced woman is as old as her, who would want to marry her? At that time, you won't be able to cry!"

She hung up. I stood in place, my heart still spasming without any future. Thirty-four years old, divorced, starting work again. These words overlapping each other, if it were before, would be enough to scare me. But now, I am no longer so afraid. Maybe because I knew that continuing to stay in that house would be a real hell with no way out.