Chapter 1 — Electricity Bill 380 Numbers, Revealing a Marriage

The wedding house's electricity bill... something is very wrong. I logged into the residential management app to check this month's expenses and discovered that the house had never been lived in - and consumed 380 kWh of electricity. House value: 5,000,000 yuan. The deposit was paid by me. I also pay the loan every month. On the red book, clearly write my name - To Van. But the person living in it... is not me. I open the history of the smart door lock. During the past month, every day someone opened the door. Two sets of fingerprints. One is from my husband — Tran Vi. The other set… Not mine. My name is To Van, thirty-two years old, product manager of an internet company, annual income of 600,000 yuan, sounds like it's very good. But my daily life is like this: leave home at seven in the morning, return at ten at night, crowded into an old forty-square-meter apartment in the east of the city. This house was rented by Tran Vi before he got married. It has one bedroom, one living room, the kitchen only has enough room for one person to stand, and the toilet is difficult to turn around. Tran Vi and I have been married for four years. During those four years, we have always lived here and have never changed. Not without other options, two years ago, I bought a house. Cam Vien area, one hundred and twenty square meters, three bedrooms and two living rooms, total price 5,080,000 yuan, that's where I thought I would live all my life. The deposit is 2,800,000 yuan, of which 2,300,000 yuan is all my savings after eight years of working, and 500,000 yuan is the old age pension my parents gave me. When her mother gave her the savings book, her hands shook and her voice choked: "Van Van, this is all we can give you." I took it, my eyes were red, I tried to smile: "Mom, I will give it back to my parents." The rest was borrowed from the bank, paid 18,000 yuan each month, and automatically deducted directly from my salary account. How much does Tran Vi contribute? Are not. Not even a penny. His monthly salary is eight thousand, not because he can't pay it, but because he doesn't want to pay it. The day he bought the house, he said something that I still remember clearly: "It's okay to write your name, I trust you." At that time I thought it was trust, now thinking back, it was just because he knew that only by putting my name in would the bank approve the loan. His credit history has long been in tatters. After buying a house, I always wanted to move in, but Tran Vi always had a reason.

"The furniture isn't finished yet, what's the hurry?"

“The formaldehyde hasn't gone away yet. Living here is not good for your health.”

“Just leave the ventilation empty for half a year.”

Half a year passed, and he said again: "Let's rent it out first. It's four thousand per month. Anyway, I'm okay here now." Forty square meters, no office, no balcony, the walls are peeling off in pieces. Every night I work overtime until ten o'clock before returning, standing in the kitchen that only has enough room for one person, reheating leftovers, then sitting on the edge of the bed with my laptop open to continue working. What about Tran Vi? After work at six o'clock, I go home to play games, sometimes order food from outside, and after eating, I put the box next to the trash can, and I'm too lazy to even throw it in. I said many times that I wanted to move house, and each time he replied "almost soon". I never spent a day in that house. But every month, I still pay the 18,000 yuan loan on time. Today, looking at the number 380 kWh of electricity on the management app, a clear thought gradually appeared in my heart. more than ever. After all, who is living in my house? Below the app there is a small line: if you want to see detailed access history, please go to the management service center. I glanced at the clock. Two o'clock in the afternoon, there's still time. I picked up my bag, told the group that I had something to do, and then left the company. Today, I must go see if my wedding house, worth 5,000,000 yuan, is actually living there. On the way to Cam Vien area, many old stories came back to my mind one after another. The day I bought the house was a Saturday, I dragged Tran Vi to sign the contract with me. The salesperson asked: "How to pay the deposit?" I answered: “Swipe the card.” Tran Vi stood next to him, playing with his phone, without raising his head from beginning to end. After signing the contract, he walked out and said: "It's been hard, wife." Immediately afterwards asked: "What to eat tonight?" When it came time to repair the house, it was even more outrageous. I was busy with work so I asked him to help me take care of it. He said "no problem". What about the results? The construction company called him more than a dozen times, but he didn't answer once. The worker asked what type of brick to choose, he replied "you guys decide for yourself". In the end, I had to take three days off and go to the scene to see everything myself. Choosing tiles, choosing kitchen cabinets, choosing lights, choosing curtains, every single thing is my choice. The only time Tran Vi participated was when it was about to be completed, when he came to take a look around. Standing in the middle of the living room, looking around and saying: "Okay, it's quite spacious." After speaking, he left. The cost of repairing the house was 200,000 yuan, this amount was also spent by me. To be more precise, I gave Chen Wei 200,000 yuan so he could pay the rest. He said: “I have already paid.” I believe him. After completing the house renovation, I personally bought a sofa, bed, dining table, refrigerator, washing machine, TV, all of which I paid for, a total of more than 80,000 yuan. All in all, I have invested more than 3,000,000 yuan in this house before and after. As for Tran Vi, it's still an incomplete number. It's not like I never reminded him to share, once I told him he would contribute half of the loan every month, just 9,000 yuan, and his expression immediately changed.

“I have eight thousand a month, you make me pay nine thousand?”

“So five thousand?”

“Five thousand is not a lot. Isn't it natural that you earn more and carry more burden?”

Of course. He said those two words as lightly as if they were nothing, even with an annoyingly obvious look. After that I didn't mention it again. Every month he gives me 3,000 yuan for living expenses, money to buy food, electricity, water, appliances, and his cigarette money is all in there. If anything is missing, I make up for it myself. The mother-in-law comes once a week, not to help, but to "check in". She opened the refrigerator to see if there was any food, looked at the table to see if there was dust, checked whether Tran Vi's clothes had been washed, and would say anything unsatisfactory.

"Tieu To, Vi Vi has been working hard all day, you have to take care of things when you get home."

One time I worked overtime until eleven o'clock, but she still hadn't left. As soon as she saw me walking in the door, she said something that made me stand still.

"What time is it? What time is Vi Vi eating tonight because I cooked it? What kind of wife is this?"

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but I saw Tran Vi sitting on the sofa with his head bowed, playing a game, not saying a word. He doesn't defend me. I swallowed all those words down. That night, me lying on the one and a half meter bed, listening to his snores, telling myself that just moving into a new house would be fine. The new house has a large bedroom, a separate office, and a balcony, which is a true home. I'll be patient a little longer, just a little more. But today, the number 380 kWh of electricity on the management app was like a thorn, sticking straight into my heart, a dull pain but impossible to ignore. The taxi stopped in front of the gate of Cam Vien area, I took a deep breath, opened the door and got out.