Chapter 4 — After Forgetting Your Husband

There's also a photo of me sitting slumped at the entrance, holding a men's tie, my face pale and scary. Tue Tue's finger stopped at a video.

“Mom, don't be scared if you look at this.”

She pressed the Play button. The image shook violently, probably due to a hidden camera hidden behind the door. In the video, I stood in the middle of the living room, my voice very light: "Today is Tue Tue's birthday, I promised to come home for dinner." Tham Duat Hanh stood at the door changing shoes, bowed his head and looked at the phone: "Something happened in Ha Tuyen." I asked: "Does this happen to her every year on this exact day?" He finally looked up: "Diep Tri Chi, don't you think it's unreasonable? She's alone, her stomach pain is recurring, how about I come over and take a look?" I said: "Tue Tue has been waiting for you all evening." He coldly said: "Does he owe me a meal?" In the video, the sound of a child crying can be heard. I heard my voice trembling: "It's missing." Tham Duat Hanh was silent for a few seconds, then said: "Don't use the child to tie me down. If you are not satisfied with this marriage, you can leave at any time." The video ends here. My fingers are cold. Tue Tue bowed her head: "Then mom cut the cake, saying dad was busy. But mom herself didn't eat a single piece." I looked at the woman in the video. She wore my face, her eyes were tired but her back was still straight, as if she was afraid that if she sagged down, she would never be able to get up again. I don't remember her. But I feel pain for her. There were footsteps outside the door again, this time more intense. Tue Tue immediately hid the tablet in the blanket. Tham Duat Hanh pushed the door open and walked in, followed by his mother-in-law and a woman wearing a beige coat. That woman had a very small face, pale lips, one hand holding her stomach, the other hand holding Tham Duat Hanh's sleeve. As soon as she saw me, her eyes turned red.

"Miss Tri Chi, I heard that you had an accident. I really didn't feel secure, so I asked Duat Hanh to bring me to visit. Don't misunderstand."

Before I could speak, Tue Tue stood up from the bed.

"You lied, obviously you called your dad, saying you had a stomachache."

The tears on Ha Tuyen's face stopped. The mother-in-law immediately frowned: "Tham Tue An, why are you so impolite? Aunt Ha cares about your mother." Tue Tue's small face tensed up: "She cares about your mother, so why does she always call dad away?" Ha Tuyen shed tears: "You're not, you're just in poor health, Duat Hanh finds you pitiful." Tham Duat Hanh said in a low voice: "Tue Tue, apologize." Tue Tue bit her lip. I pulled the tablet out from under the blanket and pressed Play. The sound of an old video in the living room echoed throughout the hospital room. *"Don't drag the child down to tie me down. If you're not satisfied with this marriage, you can leave at any time."* Tham Duat Hanh's face suddenly changed. Ha Tuyen's hand holding his shirt was also stiff. Mother-in-law was angry: "Diep Tri Chi, why are you recording these things? The husband and wife quarreled but still kept the evidence, why are your intentions so sinister?" I didn't even look at her, just looked at Tham Duat Hanh.

“You told me I could leave at any time.”

I put the tablet on the nightstand, without raising my voice: "Now, I'm leaving." Tham Duat Hanh stared at the screen, his throat rolling.

“She encouraged children to secretly film video?"

Tue Tue walked out: "It's me that turned it myself." He looked at his daughter, his eyes filled with oppression: "Who allowed you to spin?" Tue Tue's fingers grabbed the seam of his pants tightly, his voice trembled, but he did not retreat:

“No one protected me, so I turned away.”

At that moment, Tham Duat Hanh's face looked like someone had drained the blood. I threw off the blanket, my feet touched the floor, the coldness rushed straight up from the soles of my feet. I held onto the edge of the bed and stood firmly, telling him: