Chapter 18 — After Divorce, We Learn to Love Again

Looking intently at the tall, strange man in front of him. Very seriously observed him for three seconds. I held out my little hand. Hold one of his fingers. Don't let go. Co Tram Chu paused. I saw a crack appear on his face. All calm. Every restraint. The cover of a cold businessman. It seemed like they were all following that crack... He slowly squatted down. So An An can see her face more clearly. He softly called his child's name. An An looked at him. Suddenly he grinned. I'm still feverish. Her cheeks were red. I'm still smiling. Right after that. I extended both arms towards you. Make a gesture of asking to be carried. From then until now. An An has never let strangers carry her. Aunt Chu always says I'm very picky about people. Personality identical to his father. But today... I actively wanted this man I had only met a few times to hug me. Co Tram Chu turned to look at me. I said nothing. He gently raised his hand. Welcome An An from my heart. An An obediently lay on his shoulder. The soft little cheek rubbed gently against his shirt. Gently hummed. Then close your eyes. I stood next to it. Quietly looking at father and son. At that time, Lac Lac also crawled from the carpet to my feet. I hold on to my pants leg. I bent down. Hug Lac Lac in your arms. In the living room. A man. A woman. Each person holds a child. That scene... Just like a normal afternoon of a normal family. I'm just sorry... We're no longer a family.

"Have you taken your child to the hospital yet?"

Co Tram Chu asked softly.

"The doctor said it was just typhus in children."

"The fever will subside in a few days."

"Have you taken your medicine yet?"

"Drink Motrin."

"Calculate the correct dose according to weight."

He nodded slightly. A moment later, he asked again:

"The baby..."

"How much does it weigh now?"

"Seven and a half months."

"What about Lac Lac?"

"Seven and a half kilograms."

"A little lighter than you."

He nodded again. I thought... He would ask again. Ask when they got their first tooth. Know when to say "mom" for the first time. Or when was the first time you grabbed your little foot and stuffed it into your mouth? He didn't ask. He just quietly carried An An, standing still like a towering tree trunk. Don't say another word. An An quickly fell asleep on his shoulder. Even breathing. The small chest gently rose and fell with each beat. After a while, he spoke softly:

"It's time for you to go."

He carefully placed An An back in the crib. The movements were so light that it was like cradling a priceless treasure. When he withdrew his hand, An An's small hand still held his index finger tightly. He patiently removed each tiny finger. Little by little. Strangely slow. At the last finger... He suddenly stopped. Then gently put your child's hand down.

"Khuong Niem."

I replied softly: He looked at An An who was sleeping soundly, his voice was very soft.

"Thank you..."

"For giving birth to you."

Having finished speaking, he turned and left. The door closed. I walked over to the crib. That's when I discovered there was a small water stain on the edge of the crib. It's not An An's drool. Another thing. I reached out and gently touched it. One year later. Niem An Logistics' annual revenue officially exceeded the twenty million yuan mark. I rented a third warehouse at Tinh city port. Staffing from the original two people increased to twenty-eight people. Customers are spread across five Southeast Asian countries. During that year... Already a lot of things happened. But the most important thing... It's not the company's growth. I received a summons from the court of city A. Plaintiff: Trieu Ngoc Lan. Lawsuit request: Request to change custody of two minor children, from mother Khuong Niem to grandmother Trieu Ngoc Lan. Khuong Niem lived abroad for a long time, unable to provide a stable adult environment for her children. Meanwhile, Trieu Ngoc Lan has superior economic conditions and educational resources. The moment I saw the summons... The coffee cup in my hand almost fell to the ground.

"She still hasn't given up."

Thanh Hoa's face darkened. I immediately called lawyer Tran.

"This request..."

"Is it likely to be accepted by the court?"

Lawyer Tran was silent for a few seconds then replied:

"It's not completely impossible."

"City A's courthouse is not the same as Tinh City."

"The influence of the Co family in City A..."

"I believe you understand too."

"If she finds a suitable judge..."

"Let's prepare some more 'evidence'..."

I frowned.

"What evidence?"

"Proves that your economic conditions are worse than the Co family's."

"Prove that your job cannot simultaneously fulfill your nurturing obligations."

"Even..."

Lawyer Tran stopped for a moment.

"If you ever commit any behavior that is detrimental to you."

I shook my head.

"I do not have."

"That's good."

"You have to return to city A to attend the trial."

I was silent for a long time. Then quietly asked:

"Co Tram Chu..."

"Does he know about this?"

Lawyer Tran opened the file to review.

"The plaintiff is individual Trieu Ngoc Lan."

"Co Tram Chu is not a co-plaintiff."

"It is currently unknown whether he knows or not."

That night. For the first time... I proactively called Co Tram Chu. He picked up the phone almost immediately. Just one second.

"Khuong Niem?"

"Your mother sued me."

The other end of the line was silent for three seconds.

"What request?"

"She wants to take custody of An An and Lac Lac."

Another three seconds of silence. His voice lowered.