Chapter 1 — After the Divorce, Please Get Out of My House

On the day of divorce proceedings, my mother-in-law was afraid that I would steal her belongings and leave, so she stood next to me and watched me unpack from start to finish.

"Hey hey hey! That watch belongs to my son! Don't touch it!"

“That four-piece bedding set is the wedding item I brought with me back then, are you planning on taking it too?”

I was too lazy to argue with her, so I just continued to fold the clothes one item at a time, neatly placing them in the suitcase. Suddenly, her face changed completely and her high-pitched voice burst out:

"Wait! Why are the things you're packing all my and my children's things?!"

I slowly took out the red book from my pocket and placed it "clack" down in front of her.

“Because this is my home.”

I curled my lips and smiled faintly.

“I'm sorry you and your mother... get out immediately.”

The red paper in his hand changed to blue. Stepping out of the civil affairs department, the sky was suffocatingly gray. My ex-husband, Tran Hao, quietly walked behind his mother Truong Lan, not saying a word from beginning to end. I opened the car door and sat in the back seat. Truong Lan immediately jostled to sit next to me, her eyes moving back and forth like searchlights illuminating prohibited goods, scanning my body from top to bottom. Tran Hao sat silently in the passenger seat. All the way no one said anything. The air in the car was thick and the smell of cheap perfume on Truong Lan's body made my stomach roll with nausea. When I got home, I pulled out the suitcase I had prepared in advance.

"Oh, it seems like you've been looking forward to this day for a long time, huh? Did you even prepare your suitcase?"

Truong Lan's sour tone rang out from behind. I ignored her, opened the closet, and started packing things. I didn't have many clothes, so I quickly finished folding a neat pile. I reached for the box placed on top of the cabinet. Truong Lan rushed forward like an arrow and grabbed my wrist tightly.

"That's the watch I bought for Hao Hao! Are you planning on stealing it away?"

Her rough fingers squeezed so hard that my wrist ached. I didn't say anything, just looked at her. Perhaps she felt guilty because of my gaze, but she still didn't let go, but instead squeezed harder.

"What are you looking at? This is something from the Tran family! An outsider like you shouldn't take anything away!"

I pulled my hand out and opened the box. Inside is a men's watch. I held the box towards her. Truong Lan grabbed it and hugged it tightly as if afraid I would steal it. I turned around and continued packing. The bedding set on the bed was something my mother prepared for me when I got married, real silk is extremely expensive. I just pulled the pillowcase off—

“What are you doing?!”

Truong Lan shouted again.

"I bought this bedding set for my wedding! What are you planning to do?!"

I stopped and turned my head to look at her. Her face was red with excitement, her eyes were as wide as bronze bells.

“You bought it when you got married?”

"Yes! I remember! It's the set I bought back then! Don't you dare try it!"

She pointed straight at me. Tran Hao stood outside the door, bowed his head and scrolled through his phone, as if everything that happened here had nothing to do with him. I'm too lazy to argue further. Turning around to open the closet, I took Tran Hao's coats and threw them into the suitcase. Then his pants. His shirt. At first, Truong Lan did not have time to react, still proud of "protecting" her bedding. She held a watch box, leaned against the wall and stood looking at me like a prison guard. I gathered Tran Hao's razor, electric toothbrush, and some everyday items and put them all in personal bag. Then, I walked in front of Truong Lan, bent down and picked up a pair of men's leather shoes, placing them next to her feet, preparing to stuff them into the suitcase. Only then did she realize something was wrong.

"Wait!"

Her voice suddenly shrilled.

“Why are the things you clean up… are all my son's things and mine?!”

From doubt, to panic, and finally to incomprehensible anger. I ignored the screams and slowly closed the suitcase. Then he stood up straight and took something out of his bag. A red book. Not a marriage certificate. I placed it on the tea table in front of her. The three gilded words on the cover reflect under the light, so clearly it's blinding. Certificate of housing ownership. The owner clearly states my name.

“Because this is my home.”

I looked at her pale face, pressing each word.

“I'm sorry you and your mother... get out immediately.”

Truong Lan's mouth opened wide, her hand holding the watch box trembled. She suddenly turned her head to look at Tran Hao, who remained silent from beginning to end.

"Hao Hao! What does he say?! This house... isn't mine?"

Finally, Tran Hao put his phone away and raised his head. His face was equally unsightly, his lips moved for a long time without making any sound. Truong Lan seemed to have been drained of all her strength and fell to the floor. She did not cry, nor did she make a scene. Just sitting there, looking at me with creepy, resentful eyes. I thought she was going to throw a tantrum. But no. She put her hands on the tea table, staggered to her feet, and pointed at me. His voice was hoarse like a leaking bellows.

“You… you are really evil…”

I looked at her.

“I thought you would say thank you for letting you and your mother stay at the temple for three years for free.”

She was so angry that she was shaking all over. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she immediately grabbed Tran Hao's arm.

"Son! Say something quickly! Tell him not to be so cruel! We are family!"

Finally, Tran Hao moved. He slowly walked towards me, his eyes were so complicated that it was hard to put into words. His lips were slightly open, his voice was hoarse.

“Trieu Nguyet… do you have to go to this extent?”

I silently waited for the next sentence. He took a deep breath and looked straight at me. But the words that popped out caught me completely by surprise.

“Have you forgotten how you begged me to marry you back then?”