Chapter 5 — After Forgetting Your Husband

“Tham Duat Hanh, prepare the divorce agreement, or let me prepare it.”

“The child, I will take it away.”

【Chapter 4】 On the day of discharge from the hospital, Tham Duat Hanh did not come. The mother-in-law arrived, bringing the driver and a cold face. She threw a set of clothes on the bed: "Change, don't wear a hospital gown and go home to embarrass yourself." Tue Tue picked up the clothes and sniffed them, then wrinkled her nose and put them down: "It smells like cigarettes." The mother-in-law glared at her: "At just a young age, you're already picky, it was all taught by your mother." I put on my old shirt, and when I put it on, my back pulled on the wound, causing me so much pain that my face darkened. Tue Tue quickly caught me: "Mom, take it slow." The mother-in-law stood at the door and urged: "Hurry up, there are so many things to do at home, don't procrastinate anymore." I took Tue Tue out. The window at the end of the hallway was wide open, the cold wind rushed in, making my scalp sting. The Tham family's car is parked at the hospital gate. The driver was about to put the luggage in the trunk, but I held the suitcase tightly: "Don't go back to the Tham family." The mother-in-law's face changed: "What are you doing again?"

“I'm going home.”

“Why do you have a house?”

I also want to know that. Before leaving the hospital, the nurse helped me get my phone back, the password was Tue Tue's birthday. I scrolled through the notes app and saw a line: *The red book is in the safe on Ngo Dong street, the password is mother's death anniversary.* At that moment, I knew I wasn't completely out of the way. Even, one night in the past, I left a door for myself. The mother-in-law sneered: "Diep Tri Chi, both of your parents are gone. That dilapidated house has not been lived in for many years. Can anyone live in it?" I looked at her: "I don't care if you can stay or not."

“Tue Tue is a descendant of the Tham family, where are you going to take it?”

Tue Tue held my hand tightly and hid behind me. I replied: "He is also my child." The mother-in-law reached out to pull Tue Tue: "Don't try to threaten Duat Hanh with the child." Tue Tue shouted, hugging my leg tightly: "I'm not going anywhere!" Passersby began to look back. The mother-in-law's hand stopped in mid-air. Feeling embarrassed, she lowered her voice and scolded: "Do you really have to lose face like this on the street?" I took out my phone and turned on the recording interface.

“You keep talking.”

Her pupils shrank: “You…!” I looked at her: "I've lost my memory, my memory is very poor, I have to record it all later, to avoid people saying I'm making it up." Her chest heaved with anger. The driver stepped forward and advised: "Madam, there are many people out here." I pulled my suitcase, took Tue Tue, and hailed a taxi. When the car door closed, Tue Tue's whole body was still shaking. I held her in my arms, caressing her sweaty back.

“Are you scared?”

The girl nodded, then shook her head again.

“I'm afraid my grandmother will take me away.”

I said: "You can't rob it." The girl looked up: "Really?" I looked deeply into my child's eyes: "It's true. I will find a lawyer and take back what needs to be taken back." Actually, in my heart, I have no basis whatsoever. I forgot what I studied, what I did, how much money I had in my bank card, and who around me I could trust. But in front of my children, I cannot show weakness. The taxi rolled out of the hospital, the corn leaves on the side of the road were picked up by the wind, stuck to the window and then thrown back. Tue Tue leaned against me and suddenly said: “Mom, you also said you wanted to go before.” I bowed my head: “What happens next?” The little girl's hands clasped together: "Dad went home to hug mom, said Aunt Ha was just a friend, said he was under too much pressure lately so he didn't mean to yell at mom. Grandma said children can't be without dad. So mom didn't go anymore." My chest is stuffy.

“What happened after that time?”

Tue Tue was silent for a moment: "Dad is gone again." There was a faint smell of leather in the car, but I smelled the cold smell of rice balls that had cooled overnight.