Chapter 3 — After Divorce, I Take Everything Back

Three days later. A parcel was sent to Liu Guilan. Brown paper envelope, very thick. She opened it. Inside is a lawyer's letter. Black text on white background— Representing Ms. Lam Niem Senh, requesting Ms. Liu Guilan to refund the illegally appropriated salary: 715,300 yuan. Attached: 47 pages of bank statements. Each transfer, amount, date, direction... are clearly marked. Luu Que Lan's hand loosened. The letter fell to the ground. Tran Vu picked it up and flipped it over, his face turned pale.

“Mom… more than seven hundred thousand?”

"It's made up! There aren't that many!"

Liu Que Lan snatched it back, intending to tear it. But as soon as he glanced at the red seal of the lawyer's office in the right corner, his hand stiffened.

“What to do now?” Tran Vu walked back and forth in the living room. “It really did it!”

"What are you afraid of? He's an outsider, do you still want to sue your mother?"

Mouth is hard. But her hand holding the phone was shaking non-stop. She called Tran Hao.

“You go home now, something big has happened—”

When Tran Hao arrived home, Luu Que Lan was sitting on the sofa wiping tears, Tran Vu walking back and forth beside him. Liu Guilan stuffed the lawyer's letter into his hand.

"Look! Lam Niem Senh wants to sue her mother!"

Tran Hao turned each page. On the statement, each unusual expense is marked with a blue marker. The more I watched, the darker my face became.

“These… are truly her money.”

"What about hers! She married into the Tran family, is a member of the Tran family! Hers also belongs to the Tran family!"

Liu Guilan slapped his thigh.

"I don't spend it carelessly! Isn't it all for Tieu Vu? He's your younger brother! As an older brother, don't you help?"

Tran Hao said nothing. He stared at an amount— Last February, transferred 250,000 yuan, noted “buying a house”. At that time, he only knew that his mother had gathered money for Tran Vu to deposit, not knowing that all of that money... was my salary.

“Now he asks for more than seven hundred thousand, where will you get it?”

Luu Que Lan's voice trembled and became more and more choked. Tran Vu came closer.

"Brother, you should go talk to your sister-in-law. A day between husband and wife still lasts a hundred days, she probably won't be that cruel."

Tran Hao glanced at his younger brother. The younger brother he pampered from childhood to adulthood. Twenty-six years old, he still speaks in the same matter-of-fact way. He put on his coat and walked out. That afternoon, I arranged to meet the partner of the new company at a coffee shop. After the divorce, I changed jobs. The new company is three levels larger, the position is higher, and the salary increases sixty percent. My new boss saw some project plans I had worked on and directly assigned me to be in charge of a city-level bidding package. Today's guest is the representative of Party A. The conversation went very smoothly. They were satisfied with the plan and signed the contract the following week. After seeing the guests off, I returned to my seat. Raising his head— Tran Hao stood at the door. I frowned slightly. But don't avoid it. There are some things that cannot be avoided. He walked over and sat down across from me.

“Nien Senh.”

His voice was hoarse as if it had been sandblasted.

“If you have something, say it directly.”

I bowed my head and rearranged the contract, not looking at him.

“The lawyer's letter… was sent by you?”

“Do we have to go to this extent?”

I raised my head and looked straight into his eyes.

"What if not? Are you Tran family going to take the initiative to pay?"

He choked on his words.

“Mom told me… that money is all for Tieu Vu, he's my brother-in-law, wouldn't a little help be—”

“Isn't that right?”

I turned on laugh.

"Tran Hao, I married you to be your wife. Not to be an ATM for your whole family."

"Tran Vu has all his arms and legs and has grown up a long time ago. Why did he force me to raise him?"

"Your mother said we're a family, so my money is common property. Okay, now that we're divorced, we're no longer a family—should my money be returned to me?"

Tran Hao couldn't say anything. I took out a hardcover notebook from my pocket and pushed it in front of him.

“Open it and see.”

He turned the first page. Dense handwriting. Date, amount, place of transfer. Each account, each account.

"Your mother said she would give me 3,000 yuan for living expenses every month. In fact, from the second year onwards, there was only 2,500 left. She said to keep the remaining 500 for me."

"Keep it where? Keep it in Tran Vu's pocket."

"Tran Vu bought a house, deposit 420,000. Of which 320,000 is my money."

"Tran Vu buys a car, pays 150,000 in one go. I pay."

"Bags, cosmetics, Phuong Tinh Tinh's birthday gifts, plane tickets to Sanya for the holidays... I paid for them all."

I turned the pages for him to see.

“Do you need me to continue flipping?”

Tran Hao stared at those words. Hands started shaking.

“When did you… start recording?”

“Since the day your mother took my salary card.”

I closed the book and collected it.

"Tran Hao, I'm not stupid. I'm just giving you a chance. Giving your whole family a chance."

“But for eight years, you guys have never taken it.”

Tran Hao was silent for a long time. Finally asked a question: "Is there really no way back?" I looked at him. The man I thought I would rely on for the rest of my life.

“Tran Hao, do you know what I can't stand the most?”

He shook his head.

“It's not like your mother took my money.”

“It's that you clearly know... but you pretend not to know.”

"Every time you tell me, it's not easy for mom, Tieu Vu is not stable yet."

“But you never asked me— whether I wanted it or not.”

"You never said a word for me. Not even a word."

I speak very slowly. Every word, like crushing through the heart. Crush him. Also crushed myself.

"Now that I'm divorced, I just came to ask if there's still a way back."

“Tran Hao, it's late.”

I stood up.

"I have to take the money. If I don't pay within fifteen days, I'll sue. At that point it's not just about paying anymore."

“Nien Senh—”

He called me back.

“If… if you pay me all the money, we can—”

“Impossible.”

I didn't let him finish.

"Some things, once they're over, they're gone. There are some people, once they're cold, they're cold."

I walked out of the cafe. The cold wind blew, but the sun was just enough. Drops on face, warms slightly. I took out my phone and texted lawyer Chu.

"Tran Hao found me. The plan remains the same."

Then I hailed a taxi.

“Uncle, go to Hua Cheng law office.”

The car rolled away. The buildings outside the window gradually recede. Like those eight years of my life. Finally… backing away. When Tran Hao returned home, it was completely dark. The living room has no lights on. The TV was bright, illuminating two uneasy faces.

“What's wrong?” Liu Guilan jumped up first.

Tran Hao took off his jacket, threw it on the sofa, and sat down.

“Are you willing to give in?” Tran Vu also approached.

“She insisted on asking for that money.”

His voice was dry.

"How much?"

“715,300 yuan.”

Liu Que Lan took a sharp breath.

“Is it crazy!”

"Mom." Tran Hao looked at her. "That money is indeed hers. There are statements, there are records. Every item matches."

"What's the match! If she marries into the Tran family, then she's from the Tran family! Her property is also from the Tran family!"

Tran Hao's voice suddenly grew louder.