Chapter 2 — Being Falsely Accused of 680,000 Yuan, I Overthrew My Husband's Family

"Through inspection, 680,000 yuan was transferred to the bank account in Truong Kien Quoc's name in the last three months."

Hearing this, Truong Kien Quoc's eyes flashed with hope. But the next sentence... directly pulled him down into the abyss.

“However, this amount was divided into 137 transactions, conducted by Truong Kien Quoc himself via electronic banking, transferred to many online game accounts and betting platforms.”

Boom. The whole crowd exploded. The truth is like the sharpest blade, tearing off Truong Kien Quoc's mask of lies, revealing the filth inside that cannot be hidden. Everyone looked at him with eyes that were both enlightened and contemptuous. Truong Hao stood still, not daring to believe his ears. He looked at his father, his lips moved but he couldn't say a word. As for my mother-in-law, Vuong Tu Anh, who was still standing silently under the porch... her whole body was shaking. She bit her lips so hard that they turned white, her chest heaving violently. Suddenly, like an angry lion, she turned around and rushed into the kitchen. When I walked out, I was holding a rolling pin in my hand.

"Truong Kien Quoc! You beast!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, she raised the rolling pin high, and used all her strength to hit him hard. Each blow came down hard, bringing with it resentment and despair that had accumulated for half a lifetime.

"I let you gamble! I let you slander Van Van! I let you destroy this house!"

Truong Kien Quoc was beaten so much that he held his head and ran away, screaming like a pissed off pig. The villagers stood frozen, no one dared to step on the can. Vuong Tu Anh chased him, fought from the yard to the gate, and finally used all his strength to kick him out.

"Go away! This house doesn't have you! I don't have a husband like you!"

She stood at the door, leaning on the rolling pin to the ground, breathing heavily, tears flowing uncontrollably. I look at it all. There are no waves in my heart. There's only a desolate, cold, empty space left. This… is just the beginning. The night was as thick as ink, swallowing the entire village. The house was eerily quiet. There was only the sound of the clock ticking on the wall, steadily tapping on each person's tense nerves. No one touched dinner. Mother-in-law, Vuong Tu Anh, locked herself in her room and did not come out. I sat on the living room sofa, looking out at the dark sky outside the window. Feeling like an island lost in the night sea. Truong Hao sat down next to me, bringing with him the cold air from outside. He was silent for a long time, then finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

“Van Van… my father…”

“You went to look for him?” I didn't turn my head, my voice was calm as if I was talking about the weather.

“Yes, he is at my third uncle's house.” His voice was tired. "My third uncle also advised me. Telling my father that he knew he was wrong was just a moment of confusion."

Momentarily confused. Those four light words... want to erase everything that happened today. Erase the fact that he trampled on my honor. Erasing the eyes of the whole village. Erase the deep wound in my heart.

"Go pick him up. If you stay out at night, mom will probably be worried." Truong Hao tried asking, carefully observing my reaction.

Finally I turned my head to look at him. Under the light, that face was both tired... and strange.

"I'm going to pick him up? Based on what?"

My voice was cold as stone.

"After all, he's my dad... he's also my dad. We're one family, can we really let him go? wandering around outside? He still tried to persuade, bringing up the familiar "filial piety" argument.

“Your father?” I let out a short laugh, a laugh full of sarcasm. “Did he ever consider me his daughter-in-law? When I stood in the middle of the village, like an executioner, cutting my honor one by one... did he think we were one family?

“I know you feel sorry for yourself, but…”

“I don't have to feel sorry for myself.” I interrupted. “I feel disgusted.”

I said those two words very lightly. But it was like a poisoned nail, stuck straight into his ear. Truong Hao's face immediately became ugly.

“Lam Van, what are you talking about? After all, you are the superior!”

“Can superiors be shameless? Can the superior say white becomes black? Can a superior trample the daughter-in-law's dignity under his feet? I asked each question, my voice not loud, but each word was like a knife cutting.

“Truong Hao, after three years of marriage, I wonder if I have ever mistreated you or this house. His parents argued, I came to mediate. Big and small things, I take care of them all. I consider him my husband, consider his mother as my biological mother, and even wanted to consider that man as my father to respect."

“But what about the results? He gambled away all his money and turned it all on me! And you, my husband, when the whole village criticized me... you told me to apologize!"

Emotions that had been pent up all day finally burst out.

“I have to apologize to a gambler? A slanderer? Someone who destroys my honor? Truong Hao, where is your conscience?

I asked him until he was speechless, his face was sometimes red and sometimes white. Lips moved for a long time, finally only squeezing out a weak sentence.

“I… I just want the best for this house.”

“If you want to be good for this house... you have to sacrifice me?” I looked at him, the last bit of warmth in my eyes gone. “In your heart, what am I? Can a person be sacrificed at any time?

“I didn't mean that!” He frantically explained.

“So what do you mean?” I looked straight at him.

We quarreled. The most intense ever. All the disappointment, all the patience... pent up for three years, in this moment exploded. Finally, he knocked on the door and left. Maybe he'll go back to his third uncle's house and continue being his filial son. I fell down on the sofa. My whole body felt like it was drained of strength. The next day... The wind direction in the village changed again. Truong Kien Quoc... started spreading new rumors. He started spreading rumors everywhere that I was a cruel, unfilial daughter-in-law, forcing him to the end, having a home but not daring to return. Distant relatives whose origins are unknown also took turns calling me and my mother-in-law, Vuong Tu Anh. The content is not much different, they all advise us to be generous, family harmony is important, and not to be accepting of the elderly. The mother-in-law heard two calls and immediately pulled out the phone cord. She walked in front of me, her eyes determined.

“Van Van, don't listen to them. I did this right. We must not retreat. If you take a step back, everything will be lost.”

I looked at her blood-filled eyes, a warmth welling up in my heart. In this cold house... only you are on my side. I nodded.

“Mom, I understand.”

That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The scene of the argument with Truong Hao, the phone calls of advice... swirled in my head like a torchlight. Just as I was about to fall asleep, the bedroom door opened jog. A figure sneaked in. It's Truong Hao. I closed my eyes and didn't move, wanting to see what he was going to do. He didn't turn on the light, relied on the weak moonlight outside the window, and crawled to my nightstand. The target… is the handbag. The sound of a zipper being pulled softly sounded. The sound of rummaging was soft. My heart... fell straight to the bottom. What is he looking for? The next second, I understood. He's looking for... my ID. He wants to steal my documents, for what? To help that father "prove his innocence"? A cold mixed with anger erupted from my feet, rushing straight to my brain. I jumped up.

“Truong Hao, what are you doing!”

My voice ripped through the quiet night. He was startled, the things in his hand falling to the ground. It's my wallet. The ID card slid out and lay on the floor, reflecting the cold moonlight. He stood frozen like a thief caught red-handed, his face pale, unable to say a word. I looked at him. Then look at the ID card on the ground. It just feels... ridiculous to the extreme. This is my husband. A grown man, in order to protect his scoundrel father, is willing to secretly steal his wife's papers in the middle of the night.