Chapter 15 — After Divorce, I Made My Husband's Family Bankrupt

"Then I realized, in their eyes, the recipe is something they are naturally entitled to, the restaurant is theirs. And I... am just a tool brought to the door."

“What do you think now?”

“Think nothing.”

I stood up.

"General Truong, after Dinh Vi's new shipment ships out next week, I want to go to the provinces to survey the market. Family matters can be left to Uncle Tran and Uncle Ngo."

“Are you planning on leaving?”

"It's not leaving. It's expanding."

I looked at the gradually darkening sky outside the window.

"The Diep factory cannot stay stuck in a small corner forever. Dinh Vi's 80,000,000 yuan is just the beginning, Bach Tung Dao's 1,000,000,000 yuan is just a stepping stone. I want to turn this formula into a nationwide brand."

Truong Khai Son looked at me for a moment, then gave me a thumbs up.

“General Manager Diep, you are the toughest woman I have ever met.”

“You are too complimentary.”

I left Tu Huong Cac at seven o'clock in the evening. Open the phone, notifications are pouring in. #Mother-in-law jumped from building# has climbed to the top 2 of local hot searches. I opened the latest video. The firefighters finally persuaded Trieu Le to come down. In the frame, she collapsed into Chu Khai's arms, crying like rain. Chu Khai was handcuffed - due to the disturbance in Bach Thi, he was detained again, and now he is only being brought to coordinate handling. He hugged his mother, looked straight into the camera and said:

"Diep Thanh, just wait. The law will give us justice."

The comments section exploded. People scolded me. People defend me. Someone said: "When you kick people out of the house and are forced to leave empty-handed, why don't you remember that you are the superior?" Someone wrote: "If you don't pay your supplier, you're pretending to be poor. This is called retribution." I turn off the screen. Arriving at the hotel, the receptionist looked at me with slightly different eyes.

“Miss Diep, there is your parcel.”

A brown paper envelope. I brought it up to my room and opened it. Court summons. Plaintiff: Chu Khai. Defendant: Diep Thanh. Reason: dispute over "illegal profits". – Return the "family recipe" – Compensate 3,000,000 yuan – Pay all legal fees I read it all, then burst out laughing. Pick up the phone and text Mr. Ngo:

"Uncle Wu, Zhou Kai sued me. The reason was 'illegitimate profits', demanding the return of the formula and compensation of 3,000,000 yuan."

He replied immediately:

"Myth. Give it to me to deal with. I will tell him what a counterclaim is."

"Prepare more files on the disturbance at Bach Thi, decide on temporary detention, and report on Trieu Le's jump from the building."

I put down the phone. Outside the window, the city glowed like gold. On the nightstand, the 80,000,000 yuan contract lay still. Dinh Vi's gold-plated logo reflects slightly under the light. I suddenly remembered that morning eight months ago. Sitting on a hard chair for sixteen hours, my feet were so swollen that I couldn't even put on shoes. The first time I met General Director Vuong, she looked at me and said:

"Are you the one who made the recipe named Diep? You're really young."

I'm just saying:

“Just try it and you'll know.”

That “trial” lasted eight months. Thirty-nine restaurant chains, each one testing dishes, writing reports, tweaking recipes, improving processes. Sometimes I only sleep five hours for three days. On the day Mrs. Vuong nodded, I cried for the first time on the ground. Not for fun. It's because of exhaustion. But worth it. I put the contract back on the nightstand and turned off the light. In the dark, the phone vibrated again.

"Sister Diep... I beg you... let me go. Today at the station he caused trouble again, and said he wanted to die with you... I beg you, please raise it high and hit gently..."

I turned the screen face down. Images from five years ago suddenly appeared. The morning after the wedding day. I woke up early to cook porridge and brought it to Trieu Le's room. She took a look and said:

“Diep Thanh, this porridge is too thin. The Chu family has rules, the first year a daughter-in-law must serve her parents-in-law. Don't be lazy.”

I just nodded. Thirteenth day. The case of Chu Khai suing me for "illegitimate profits" was tried at the old neighborhood court. When I arrived, Uncle Ngo was already waiting.

“General Director Diep, the documents are enough. The counterclaim has also been filed.”

I entered the courtroom and sat down on the defendant's chair. Chu Khai was on the plaintiff's side, next to him was a middle-aged lawyer with sleek hair, wearing a gray jacket, looking quite awkward. Trieu Le and Chu Dinh sat in the front row of the auditorium seats.