Chapter 14 — Eighteen People, One Meal, One Divorce

“If it's delicious, eat more,” she said, her voice softening.

That meal, no one mentioned the Trieu family again, as if talking about it would taint this warmth. After eating, I tried to wash the dishes, the water was rushing, my heart gradually calmed down and stabilized. One path has closed, but another path appears more clearly. In the afternoon I turned on my phone, more than a dozen missed calls were all from Trieu Khai, the text message was from "Do you really want that?" to “If you don't come back then that's fine,” then “I'll ask a lawyer to draw up an agreement.” After reading it, I didn't answer, threw the phone aside and lay down on the bed. Outside the window, the sound of fireworks continued, and I felt like I was standing behind a thick layer of glass, clearly seeing the turn ahead. At night, Lam Tinh's phone call came.

“I heard my mom say your party blew up,” she said bluntly.

I leaned against the headboard: "Just saying everything that needs to be said."

“Are you really talking straight about divorce?”

“Yes, he also said he wanted a divorce.”

She was silent for a moment and then said: "That's good, it should have been like that a long time ago. Before, I was happy for you, but now thinking about it, I feel stupid." I smiled faintly: "It's not you, it's me who didn't see clearly. I only found out today that he could say that in front of my parents."

“Because before he knew you would give in, he thought you would too, but this time you won't back down,” she said.

I smiled lightly: "I have no more room to retreat." She changed her tone: "After getting married, you have almost no assets in your name, your salary card is with your mother-in-law, your savings are transferred to a joint account, and you invest using Trieu Khai's phone number, right?" I was stunned: "Yes, he said he understands investing."

“Do you remember the investment contract you once sent me? I looked it up, that company had problems, recently it was prosecuted for tricking the elderly into buying high-risk products,” she said slowly.

My heart pounded: "Do you suspect Trieu Khai?"

“Not only that,” she said, “in the photo you sent there is an employee's name, I see him in the activity photo with Trieu Khai standing with him.”

"I know about his salary, but a while ago he bought you a gold necklace and said he wanted to change his car. Don't you think it's strange?"

I remember that necklace and felt touched at that time.

“How did he get involved in that?” I asked.

“No matter why,” she said, her voice very calm, “you must immediately check all assets in your name, bank accounts, investments, credit cards, to see if any documents have been signed instead.”

“Don't go anywhere tomorrow, send me a list, I'll help you think of a way.”

I clenched my fist: "Do you suspect he owes money?"

“It can't be ruled out that he's after your money,” she said bluntly.

“Okay, you should get some sleep, save your strength, this battle won't be easy.”

Hanging up the phone, I stared at the ceiling, thinking that the hardest decision today was to speak frankly about divorce, but I never knew that was just the beginning. The next morning, I briefly told my parents what happened last night, trying to keep calm with every sentence and every word. After hearing that, my mother's face changed and her voice turned cold: "If he dares to touch your money, I will risk it."

"I still don't know the specifics, but the divorce is certain, you two don't stop me."

"What are you stopping me from going back to being a nanny for their family?" my mother snorted, "I just regret not telling you in detail the day before, since I was a child, my savings book was kept and used by me. After the husband finished, he gave it all to other people."

My father stood at the door, holding a cigarette in his hand without lighting it: "For the past two years, your mother has blamed herself, thinking that she pushed you into the fire pit, but now, don't just regret it anymore."

"In the future, any papers that require you to sign, show them to your best friend first, don't sign them haphazardly."

“Dad, if I get divorced and stay home, will it bother you two?”

"What's the matter? You're my daughter. If you're not here, then where are you?" he snorted softly. "In the future, no one will dare to say a word to you because of the divorce. I'm the first person to disagree."

I didn't go anywhere for the next few days. Trieu Khai occasionally texted me asking if I was coming back to pick up my things, or when I was going to check in. I didn't reply. Lam Tinh helped me check my entire account. Luckily, most of the money in my name was still there, only my salary card had more than 100,000 withdrawn, divided into many transfers to a strange account.

“It looks like money used to run sales,” she said, “the type of gray company that often lets acquaintances transfer back and forth to create a flow of fake money. Fortunately, you kept a part of it before, your mother still has money.”

She told me to make a list of assets before and after marriage, prepare full statements and photos of messages, "this is not calculation, but self-protection. They have taught you a lesson, now you have to learn how to keep your way." On the first day of Tet, Trieu Khai finally called.