Chapter 7 — By the time he regretted it, I had stopped looking back

And there was an emotion I had never seen on his face before. Like... Someone just punched him really hard in the stomach. Suffocating pain. But words cannot be said.

"Sit down, General Manager Tham."

I repeat a second time. This time he sat down. The movements were very slow, as if the knees were filled with lead. He sat across from me, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees. But those hands... If you don't look closely, they're almost unrecognizable. He spoke up. The voice regained its calmness. The general manager's mask was put on again. I lifted the teacup and gently blew the foam floating on the water's surface.

"What are we talking about? You go first."

"Conditions for Chinh Hang to withdraw capital."

"The conditions have been clearly stated in the lawyer's letter. Divest immediately, do not accept negotiations."

"The withdrawal clause in the contract requires 30 days' notice."

"Article 7, Clause 3."

I looked straight into his eyes, slowly emphasizing each word.

"When the legitimate rights and interests of major shareholders are physically violated by the actual controller of the invested company, the right to divestment can be immediately exercised."

His pupils shrank slightly. The room fell silent for three seconds. The legal officer standing behind him immediately opened the contract, quickly scrolling to Article 7. Right after that... The person's expression changed. He tilted his head, leaned close to Tham Yen Bach's ear and whispered something. Tham Yen Bach did not react. He just looked at me. Looked for a long time. Then he spoke up. The voice was very quiet.

"I knew from the beginning."

"Know what?"

"I know the contract has this clause."

"You know as long as I do to you... anything too extreme..."

"You will have the right to immediately divest your capital."

I put down the tea cup.

"Shen Yen Bach."

I called him by both his first and last name. I've never called it that before. In the past, I called "Yen Bach", called "husband", called "brother". But not today.

"This clause was written into the contract three years ago, right when Chinh Hang invested in Tham Thi."

"I was still with you then."

"I cook porridge for you every day."

"I never thought I would one day have to use it."

"You forced me."

His lips pressed tightly into a straight line. Teeth clenched tightly. Don't say a word. I stood up. The sound of high heels clicking on the floor rang out clearly. I walked to the ground-level window, turning my back to him.

"The negotiation is over, General Director Tham. Chinh Hang's decision will not change. You can go home now."

The back was completely silent. A long time later... Maybe a minute. Well maybe five minutes. I just heard the sofa move slightly. He stood up. Footsteps slowly approached the door. When walking to the door... The footsteps suddenly stopped.

"Khuong Duong."

I don't turn around.

"What's your last name?"

On the lake, a boat passed by, dragging a long trail of white waves. I looked at that wave, the corners of my lips curled up slightly.

"I guess."

The door closed. The sound of footsteps also gradually disappeared in the hallway. I stood in front of the window for a long time. The fingers tightened the hem of the dress. To the point where my knuckles turned white. Not because of stress. It's because... The way he looked at me just now. It was like really getting to know me for the first time. It's been four years. Finally... He actually looked at me. It's too late. The next day, after Tham Yen Bach left. Tham Thi's stock price continued to fall to the floor. Day three. Still reduced to the floor. After three consecutive sessions of falling to the floor, the capitalization value of Tham Thi Group evaporated by more than 4 billion yuan. Investment organizations began to simultaneously sell and reduce their holdings. Cooperative banks send official documents requesting additional collateral. There were so many calls from suppliers demanding payment to the finance department that the desk line was almost paralyzed. After just one night... Tham Thi Group, once powerful, flashy and unmatched... Has begun to shake. Every day on time, Uncle Tien sent me a summary of the situation. Its content is as cold as a war news report. 【D+3: Tham Thi's credit rating is downgraded. Two partner banks froze their credit limits.】 【D+4: Hua Nhuoc Tinh's father's company intended to invest capital to save the market but was rejected by the board of directors. Reason: The scale of the Hua family is too small, that amount of capital is like a grain of salt.】 【D+5: Tham Yen Bach has not appeared at the company for two consecutive days. Someone saw him still sitting in the office until 3 am.】 【Additional D+5: Newlywed wife Hua Nhuoc Tinh posted a post on WeChat Moments, saying: "The husband is so busy that the honeymoon has to be postponed." Accompanied by a self-pitying expression.】 Reading the last message, I was sitting in a cafe in Zurich's old town. It's drizzling outside. The paved road was wet, passersby holding umbrellas hurriedly walked away. Honeymoon postponed. I put down my phone and gently stirred the latte in my hand. Lawyer Lieu sat opposite, eating a croissant and processing documents on his laptop.