Chapter 10 — Dad's Wishes

I don't look at her. Lawyer Van put the necklace in the evidence bag, first registered it, then asked me to sign and take it back. When Hoang My Lan was taken away, she scolded Tham Niem Tu: "It's all a disaster caused by your mother's family! If something happens to Trieu Khai, I won't leave you alone!" Tham Niem Tu stood in the hallway holding her child, her face pale. She looked at me, her voice trembling: "Thanh Hoa, can you not sue Trieu Khai? He really can't have a criminal record." I asked her back: "When he came to my unit and held up the sign, do you think I can still work?" Tham Niem Tu's lips trembled. “You can tell him to apologize.” "It's late." The elevator door closed, blocking her cries. One month later, everything came to fruition one after another. Trieu Khai had enough evidence to fake loan documents, used the method of spreading private stories, went to the door to harass him to demand money, was detained administratively, the part related to blackmail was transferred for further processing. Tham Kien Quoc participated in intimidation at home, pushed Mr. Chu, and destroyed the phone. After compensating and apologizing, he was still notified by the unit community, and the security job that was rehired after retirement could not be kept. Luu Xao Tran stole the ID card, the circumstances were not too serious, but was educated by the police station, the commitment letter was posted in the community reconciliation file. Because of the chain issue, Hoang My Lan returned the property and wanted to counterattack demanding preservation fees, but was threatened to shut up by a sentence from lawyer Van, "Then sue to reclaim the ownership benefits for twenty years." Grandma is the most dissatisfied person. Every day she called Tham Van So, scolded her for being ungrateful and treacherous, and scolded her for harming the Tham family. One day, she stopped me downstairs. I came home from work and saw her sitting next to a flower bed, with a snakeskin bag next to her. As soon as she saw me, she cried: "Thanh Hoa, grandmother was wrong. Now your uncle has no job, your aunt's small shop has collapsed, your brother-in-law is detained, life at home is no longer possible." People passing by slow down. She wiped her tears, her voice no longer shrill. "You have more than seven million, use 200 thousand to save your uncle. She used to be a confused grandmother, but it wasn't easy for your mother to raise you." I stopped in front of her. “Do you remember when I was seven years old?” Dieu Que Phan was stunned. "What?" "She came to the house to demand money, but when she couldn't get it, she locked me on the balcony and forced my mother to go back to my grandmother's house and kneel down and beg her for forgiveness." Her face changed. “Children misremembered.” “I don't remember wrong.” I looked at her. "That day I had a fever, my father ran home from school and carried me to the hospital. She stood downstairs and scolded me, saying you're destined to be stubborn." People around frowned. Dieu Que Phan panicked. “Those were words said in anger!” “In this whole life, she has said too many words when angry, and done too many real things.” Her cries were choked. I went around her. She rushed over and grabbed my bag. The security guard immediately stepped forward to block it. Dieu Que Phan sat on the ground, finally unable to scold him anymore. Only dry screams remained. At the window upstairs, Tham Van So looked at this scene. That evening, she knocked on my door. In his hand he held a stack of papers. "Thanh Hoa, this is the amount of money I gave to my mother's family over the years. Everything I can remember has been written down." The paper is covered with words. From my uncle buying a car to my little aunt opening a shop, from my cousin's tuition to my grandmother's hospital bill envelope. After each account, write the source of money. Some of it is my father's salary. Some of it is my scholarship. Some are relics of Ta Tri Vi. On the last page, she wrote a few words: I voluntarily give up my inheritance rights and request to divide the required portion of Hua Truong Bach's inheritance. I raised my head to look at her. Her eyes were very red. “Lawyer Van said my mother has the right to compete for a portion.” “But I don't have the face to fight anymore.” After saying this, she seemed to be waiting for my forgiveness. I put the paper away. “Signed, notarized.” She nodded, tears falling on the back of her hand. “Thanh Hoa, can I still call you mom?” The room was so quiet that you could hear the clock ticking. A long time later, I said: "Aunt Tham, let's finish the procedure first." Her body is frail

I had to hold on to the door frame to keep from falling. On the notarization day, Tham Van So wore a gray jacket. It was a birthday present my father bought for her last year. Before, she criticized the old color and had never worn it once. When signing, her hand holding the pen shook violently. The notary confirms each item one by one. “Ms. Tham Van So, do you confirm that you voluntarily give up your claim on related assets?” She looked at me. "Confirm." “Not under duress?” She smiled bitterly. "Are not." The pen nib lowered and her name was written crookedly. Lawyer Van stored the documents. "Miss Hua, later the estate account will be released according to the process, and the residence rights of the house will also be handled according to Mr. Hua's will." I nodded. The house is an asset my father bought before marriage. In his will, he clearly stated that Tham Van So could stay until he remarried or voluntarily moved away, but could not sell, rent, mortgage, or allow members of the Tham family to stay long term.