Chapter 12 — Don't Touch My Limits

She cried as she spoke.

"La Mai, I beg you, help Trung Dan, don't sue anymore. I will ask Hieu Quyen to transfer the name of the apartment building to Trung Dan. The other fifty thousand... can we pay it in installments? Pay a little each month, we will definitely pay it off..."

I laughed coldly.

"Truong Nguyet Cam, do you think I still trust you? You lied to Trung Dan for five years, taking our things over and over again, touching my limits over and over again. Do you think I'll even give you a chance to 'pay it off'?"

"This time it's real! I swear!"

She quickly raised her hand.

“If you still lie to your children, mother… mother…”

“Don't swear.”

I interrupted.

“I don't believe in those things.”

I looked straight at her, my voice not wavering at all:

"Trung Dan and I have agreed. Give you three days. Within three days, the collective house must be renamed, the fifty thousand must be transferred to Trung Dan's account. If we can do it, we stop here. If we can't do it, we will file and sue. What will be the result, the lawyer has made it clear, you understand."

She looked at me, her eyes desperate. Know... there is no turning back. You can only leave quietly. As soon as she left, Cao Trung Dan came out of the bedroom. Everything we said… he heard everything. He walked up to me, his voice low:

"La Mai, you're right. I can't be soft-hearted anymore. This time, we have to let them remember, otherwise they will still encroach in the future."

I nodded. Say nothing. Three days… passed very quickly. During those three days, Truong Nguyet Cam called Cao Trung Dan continuously, crying and asking for more time because he had not collected enough money. Cao Hieu Quyen also called, sometimes crying and begging, sometimes denying, saying that even if she sued... she wouldn't have the money to pay. This time, Cao Trung Dan was no longer soft-hearted, nor did he have the kind of compromise like before, his attitude was coldly determined, clearly stating that three days is three days, not to prolong it even a little longer, or pay money to transfer money, or go to court. By the afternoon of the third day, the deadline, Truong Nguyet Cam and Cao Hieu Quyen still did not transfer money, nor did they mention the matter of changing the house's name. Cao Trung Dan looked at me and said very softly but firmly:

“La Mai, let's sue.”

I nodded, took out my phone, and called lawyer Vuong:

“Lawyer Vuong, please submit the documents for me and we will officially sue.”

“Okay, I'll submit it now.”

Less than two hours later, the lawyer called back, saying that the court had accepted the application to preserve assets before filing a lawsuit, had issued a preservation decision, and within 48 hours would complete the procedures to seal the three real estate properties and stores, and send the decision and a copy of the lawsuit to Truong Nguyet Cam and Cao Hieu Quyen. I told this story again to Cao Trung Dan. He just nodded, without expression, saying exactly one sentence:

“It's their own choice.”

The next morning, Truong Nguyet Cam frantically knocked on our door. As soon as she entered, she screamed:

"La Mai! Trung Dan! Are you two really having an affair? Has the court really sealed the house? How can you be so unfaithful?!"

It turned out that early in the morning she received a notice from the court, knowing that her house and shop were sealed, she immediately collapsed and ran straight here. I looked at her, my voice cold:

"Truong Nguyet Cam, I gave you a chance, three days. It's you who didn't appreciate it. It's too late to say anything now."

Truong Nguyet Cam fell down on the sofa, crying until she was exhausted The person seemed to have been drained of all his strength, overnight... aged ten years. She didn't expect us to actually do it. Really sue. Truly seals assets. Crying for a long time, she raised her head to look at Cao Trung Dan, her voice choked:

"Trung Dan... I beg you... can you withdraw the application? I know it's wrong, I really know it's wrong. Tell the court to release the house, I will immediately ask Hieu Quyen to transfer the other house's name to you, fifty thousand... even if I sell it all, I will pay you in full, okay?"

Cao Trung Dan looked at her, his face expressionless:

"It's late. I gave you a chance, but you didn't need it. Now the court has accepted the case, the preservation has been done, anything you say is useless."

"It's not late! It's not late!"

She quickly stood up and grabbed his hand.

"Trung Dan, call a lawyer and tell him to withdraw the application! Let's go do the paperwork right away! Go collect the money right away! Trust me this time, I will absolutely not cheat you again!"

“I won't trust you anymore.”

Cao Trung Dan pushed her hand away.

"You lied to me for five years. I gave you countless chances. Every time you did it. This time, whatever the court decides, I will do it. What belongs to me, I won't give up a penny. If it doesn't belong to me, I won't take another penny."

Truong Nguyet Cam looked at his cold face, knowing that this time he really couldn't be shaken. He turned to me and suddenly knelt down with a "thud" sound.

"La Mai! I kneel before you! I beg you! Please advise Trung Dan to withdraw his application!"

She knelt on the ground, repeatedly bowed her head, cried and said:

"I was wrong before! I shouldn't have bullied you, shouldn't have taken your things, shouldn't have favored Hieu Quyen! I'm sorry! From now on, I will treat you as my own child! Whatever you say, I will listen! I won't interfere in your lives anymore! Don't take your things anymore! The house key... I'll give it back right away! In the future, I won't come arbitrarily anymore! I beg you... tell Trung Dan to withdraw the application!"

I looked at her kneeling on the ground. There is no mercy in my heart. There was just a cold feeling to the bone. What are you doing early? If from the beginning she knew when to stop, knew how to keep the limit, didn't step on my boundaries over and over again, didn't secretly transfer my inheritance, didn't secretly take my delivery flowers... Then how would there be today? Now I know I'm afraid. I just learned to ask. I just realized I was wrong.