Chapter 2 — Eight Stolen Years

That night, I didn't sleep. I cleaned out the small room that had been covered in dust for many years. On the desk there is still a photo of me and Tham Nguyet together in twelfth grade. In the photo, the two girls smile brightly and lean their heads close together. I stared at Tham Nguyet's face in the photo for a long time. Then tuck it down into the deepest drawer. I need a plan. A perfect plan with no loopholes. I don't have direct evidence, but there will definitely be indirect clues. A person who does evil cannot leave behind any traces. Enough for her to relax her guard. I had two breaking points. First, it is Tham Nguyet. She is the type of person who is extremely narcissistic and enjoys the feeling of playing the role of "holy mother" saving others. I will take advantage of this point. Second, is Luc Xuyen. He is the center of Tham Nguyet's happy life, and is also the source of her greatest sense of security. As long as this foundation shakes, her fortress will collapse from within. I opened my computer and logged into my social network account, almost forgetting my password. Then began like an archaeologist, little by little digging up Tham Nguyet's life over the past eight years. Friend circle, Weibo, Douyin... All the places she uses to show off her life. Her life is as perfect as a carefully edited glass cabinet. Graduated from Capital University, joined a big company, went from school uniform to wedding dress with Luc Xuyen, traveled everywhere, peaceful years. In every photo, she smiles perfectly without a flaw. Especially posts related to me. Every once in a while, she posts a nostalgic post about our friendship, lamenting how unfortunate my fate is. In 2019, my leg was hit by a car while delivering food. Tham Nguyet posted:

"Today I came to visit my best friend, my heart hurts so much. A good person like him, why does God treat him like that."

The attached photo is of her holding my hand, her eyes full of pity, and me lying on the hospital bed, my face pale. In 2022, my father fell ill. She immediately transferred me twenty thousand yuan, then posted on Weibo:

"Friendship is not just talk. When needed, I will always be here. Hope you get well soon."

That post has over a thousand likes. Everyone praises her as a "fairy best friend". But now, all those words and images have become the most disgusting sarcasm. She doesn't care about me at all. She was just enjoying her work. A life ruined by her own hands. My existence is the perfect backdrop for her "kindness" and "success". I save each screenshot. All of these are knives she personally gave me. Next, I started researching Luc Xuyen. His social media is very simple. Outside of work, there are only photos taken with Tham Nguyet. It can be seen that he really loves her. But I discovered one detail. On their third wedding anniversary, Luc Xuyen posted a photo with the status line:

“Happy third anniversary, my moon.”

Photo was taken on the university campus. Tham Nguyet wore a white dress and smiled extremely sweetly. And that dress... I recognize it. It was a tenth birthday gift When I was eight years old, my mother bought it for me. After the university entrance exam, Tham Nguyet said she really liked it so she borrowed it to wear. Then never return it. I never thought... She would wear my dress on a date with Luc Xuyen. Take photos to prove their love. It turns out that since then, she has gradually taken away everything that belongs to me. My university. The person I love. Even my clothes. I turned off the computer and it was just dawn. The fire in my heart burned even more intensely, but my mind was clearer than ever. I pulled out my oldest clothes to change into, my hair tied loosely, intentionally making myself look shabby. After that, I looked up the address of Tham Nguyet's house. It is the most expensive luxury apartment complex in the city. I didn't go inside, just sat at the cafe right in front of the residential area gate. I know Tham Nguyet's habits. Every Wednesday morning, she comes here to drink a cup of coffee and then go to yoga. Today is just Wednesday. I'm waiting for her. Waiting for her to walk into the trap I have set. At ten o'clock in the morning, a red Porsche stopped in front of the door. Tham Nguyet got out of the car. She wore a delicate tight-fitting yoga outfit, showing off her perfect body, with light makeup on her face. She looks like a carefree rich lady. She pushed the door open and entered the shop. She glanced at me. The smile on his face stiffened for exactly one second, then immediately changed into an exaggerated look of surprise mixed with heartache. She walked quickly, her voice just loud enough for everyone around her to hear.

"Oh my god, why are you here? Why are you dressed like this? What happened?"

She grabbed my hand. Those delicate manicure hands are a complete contrast to my rough hands. I raised my head and smiled weakly and tiredly.

“Nguyet Nguyet, I…”

Before I could finish speaking, my eyes were already red.

“I… I got fired from the restaurant.”

A few guests around immediately looked at us with sympathetic eyes. Tham Nguyet's desire to perform exploded almost immediately. She immediately sat down, hugged my shoulders, her voice choked up as if she was about to cry:

"How can that be? Don't be afraid, I still have you. Do you have enough money to spend? If not, I'll give it to you."

She took out her phone, her movements were terrifyingly skillful. I held her hand.

“No need, Nguyet Nguyet, I didn't come to borrow money.”

I took a small item from my cloth bag and pushed it in front of her. It was a very old bottle of lucky stars, filled with colorful paper stars.

“Do you remember this?”

Tham Nguyet looked at the bottle and was stunned.