Chapter 1 — Eighteen People, One Meal, One Divorce

My husband arbitrarily invited 18 people from my father's family to have a reunion dinner, even patting his chest to ensure that I was not needed in the kitchen. As soon as he stepped out the door, I immediately turned the car straight back to my mother's house. The mother-in-law frantically called, her voice grumpy: "If you don't come home to cook, will you let me do it?"

“Vu Ninh, I'll tell you this, don't get excited first.”

Tham Trac put on a dark blue sweater and bowed his head as he spoke, his voice light as if casually mentioning that the weather was warmer today. He turned his back to me, stood in front of the closet mirror, leisurely adjusting his collar. That casual look. It's so arbitrary that it makes my heart sink. As long as he starts like this, what follows will almost certainly be nothing. I was still holding the shovel, in the pan two eggs rolled back and forth in the oil, making a sizzling sound. The range hood roared in the kitchen early in the morning, annoyingly loud.

“What?”

I lowered the heat and tilted my head to look at him. Tham Trac turned around, a suspiciously familiar smile hanging on his lips. Every time he wants to ask for help, or is about to cover up something, he smiles like that. There was a bit of ingratiation in the smile, but also a hint of guilt.

"So... my parents, my two brothers and their families, and my aunts and uncles... all came to our house today for a reunion dinner."

He said it all at once, as if he just wanted to throw this sentence out and get it over with.

“Probably… about eighteen people.”

He paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on my face. The shovel in my hand stopped in mid-air, the two eggs in the pan began to burn and crackle.

“Can you say that again?”

I heard my voice sound a bit unsteady, as if echoing through a wall.

"Today? Eighteen people?"

“Yes, today is New Year's Eve.”

Tham Trac stepped forward, hugged my waist from behind, and gently rubbed his chin on my shoulder. His body smelled faintly of aftershave, slightly cold, with a hint of mint.

"I told them everything, mom said she wanted to come see our new house."

“It's been a year since you moved here, you haven't officially come here yet.”

I turned around to face him, ignoring the two eggs in the pan that were charred black.

“Can't you give me a little warning?”

My voice trembled but I still tried to keep it down.

“Can't you give me a little warning?”

“Didn't you want to give me a surprise?”

Tham Trac let go of me and raised his hand to swear.

"Besides, I promise, you really don't need to work hard, I've already taken care of everything."

His eyes lit up, looking very sincere. If I didn't know him so well, I might have believed him.

“How did you finish it?”

I asked, turning off the gas stove completely. Two eggs lay still in the pan, charred black, making me feel nauseous just looking at them.

“I ordered semi-finished products from the hotel.”

Tham Trac spoke quickly as if he had rehearsed the script.

“From the riverside hotel, you know, the food brought back from there just needs to be reheated and it will be on the table, the taste is very good.”

"I also buy disposable dishes, throw them away after eating, no one has to wash them."

"I've already included the alcohol, beer, and soft drinks. I'll stop by the supermarket later and buy a few boxes."

He spoke and counted on his fingers, acting like everything was under control.

“You just need to sit and talk with them, watch the year-end Gala, bite melon seeds, and be a leisurely young lady.”

“Why, is your husband too unstable? Are not?"

He leaned forward and kissed my face again, his lips were cold.

“My wife is the best.”

He said this sentence many times. When I help him iron his suit, when I choose a gift for his mother, when I go to his brother's house to babysit on weekends. Every time it's the same sentence. Your wife is the best. As if just saying those words, I would do everything willingly. I stared at the face before my eyes. I have been looking at this face for more than two years. When I fell in love, I found him beautiful and charismatic. Now it just feels strange.

“Eighteen people.”

I repeat that number again.

“Our dining table can only fit six people at most.”

“The sofa in the living room doesn't have enough seating either.”

“Also, the semi-finished products from the riverside hotel, when did you order them?”

“They don't sell on New Year's Eve, I just called last night to ask.”

The smile on Tham Trac's face stopped for a moment. Just a very quick moment. Then he acted like it was nothing and waved his hand.

"Oh, I remembered wrongly, it's not that hotel, it's somewhere else. In general, I already booked it, don't worry."

He glanced at the wall clock. Seven-fifteen in the morning.

“I have to go first, go to the station to pick up my parents.”

“They took the early train, eight thirty to East station.”

He grabbed a black life jacket from the sofa and put it on.

"Then I'll go get some food. I'll probably be back around eleven o'clock."

"I'll clean up the living room a bit, move the tea table aside to make more room."

"You really don't need to worry about the rest, just leave it to me."

He unzipped his shirt and went to the door to change his shoes. Next to the shoe cabinet sits my twenty-four inch, dark pink suitcase. That's the one I bought last year, saying it was for travel. But never used it. Tham Trac finished changing his shoes, put his hand on the door handle, and turned to look at me.

“Oh right, my eldest son is allergic to peanuts, my second brother's wife doesn't eat beef, and my pregnant sister-in-law eats bland food.”

“If you go to the kitchen, remember to pay attention.”

His voice is very natural. As if by default I will shoulder this meal. As if the words I just said never existed.

“I told you, I won't go to the kitchen.”

I heard my voice very calm. So calm that even I felt strange.

“Yeah yeah, you don't need me to cook.”

Tham Trac smiled and unlocked the door.

"I'm just reminding you, in case you want to help warm up something."

"I'll go, be good wife."

The door closes.

A "click" sound, not loud, but in the quiet morning, it sounded strangely clear.

I stood in the kitchen, not moving. The hood has been turned off but the burning smell still hangs in the air, making people uncomfortable. I lowered my head and looked into the pan. The two eggs were burned and stuck together in one piece, there was no way to eat them anymore. I turned off the stove, lifted the pan and placed it in the sink, then turned on the faucet. The stream of cold water poured straight into the bottom of the hot pan, emitting a harsh sound like metal being tortured. Thick white steam rose and hit my face, causing my skin to burn. But I didn't dodge, just stood still and let the water pour into the bottom of the pan as if venting my anger on my behalf. I let the water run for a long time, so long that it felt like time was stretching out. Until the pan cools completely, the charred layer on the bottom still stubbornly refuses to go away. I turned off the water, and on the kitchen glass a thin, hazy film of steam had remained. Outside it was still gray and light It hasn't spread yet. Downstairs, the sound of children setting off firecrackers was heard, a dry "bang" followed by loud bursts of laughter. The new year is here, that's right, today is New Year's Eve. I dried my hands and walked out to the living room. On the tea table, there was still a plate of fruit I bought last night, a few oranges and apples lying quietly. The sofa was a bit messy, the pillows were tilted, and the TV remote fell and got stuck in the slot of the chair. Everything was so normal that it was scary, exactly like every day that had passed over the past two years. But my heart felt as heavy as a rock, slowly falling. Falling forever, falling into a cold and deep place, with no bottom in sight. I suddenly remembered last New Year's Eve. That morning was also like this, it was also Tham Trac's tone.

"Vu Ninh, this year's New Year's Eve party is at my house. My parents and brother both came over."

"Don't worry, I've already called someone to clean up on time, it'll be done in two hours, you don't need to move a hand."

At that time we had just registered our marriage, everything was still new and easy to believe. I truly believe it, so much so that I have no doubts. From two o'clock in the afternoon I started preparing, picking vegetables, chopping things, stewing soup, making each dish one by one. I counted the meal very carefully for twelve people, there was exactly twelve people, no shortage or excess. His parents, two brothers, his wife and children, and a pair of uncles and aunts were also present. I stood in the kitchen from two o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock at night, hardly sitting down for a minute. Halfway through, Tham Trac went into the kitchen once, just to get a bottle of cola and then turned away. He said lightly, "My wife has worked hard, try a little more", then disappeared as if he had never appeared. At eight o'clock in the evening, all dishes were neatly presented on the table. Everyone started eating without anyone calling me. I'm still in the kitchen, cooking the last pot of soup to fill the tray. When I brought out the soup, more than half had been eaten on the table. My mother-in-law, Ly Tu Cam, just glanced at me and then spoke lightly.

“Vu Ninh, don't be busy, come in and eat quickly.”