Chapter 3 — Electricity Bill 380 Numbers, Revealing a Marriage

The date listed below is April 2023. April 2023. Tran Wei and I got married in October 2021, meaning that after only a year and a half after marriage, he was with her. Not only that. I suddenly remembered, at the end of 2022 when Lam Duyet quit her job, that day she invited me to dinner, saying that she had recently met someone who treated her very well. I asked who it was, she just pursed her lips and smiled, saying she wouldn't tell me. At that time, I still found her adorable. Now that I think about it, the person who "treated her very well" was my husband. I stood in the living room for ten minutes, not moving. Then, I entered the bedroom. The one meter eight bed has pink sheets, on the bedside table there are two cups, one says "you" and one says "you". Opening the wardrobe, on the left is Tran Vi's shirt and trousers, on the right is a woman's dress and jacket. In the bathroom there are two brushes, one bottle of facial cleanser for men, one bottle for women, and next to the mirror is a selfie photo. In the photo, Tran Vi kissed her cheek, and she smiled until her eyes widened. This is not a “stop by once in a while” kind of thing. This is living together. Living in a house worth 5,000,000 yuan that I bought, using the furniture I chose, the tiles I chose, the refrigerator I bought. Living in an old apartment of forty square meters, every night I sit next to the bed and work overtime. He said the house was still ventilated. He said wait a little longer. He said he should rent it out. But he doesn't rent. He took his woman in. I took out my phone and took pictures of each one. A photo, a note, a pair of slippers, a wardrobe, a toothbrush. Each image is undeniably clear. Then I put everything back in place. Leave the room. Leave the compound. I don't cry. I also did not call to question Tran Vi. Because I know— this is just the first layer. Behind, there's more I haven't seen yet. That night, I returned to my old house of forty square meters as usual. Tran Vi sat on the sofa playing games. As soon as he heard the door open, he raised his head and asked a very familiar question.

“You're back, why so early today?”

“Temporarily cancel the meeting.”

"Yeah. Have you eaten yet?"

He nodded, continuing to look down at the screen, as if I were just a background part of his life. I sat down on the edge of the bed, opened my laptop, not to work overtime, but to check. First is the bank account. I had the password for Tran Vi's salary card a long time ago. I didn't secretly look at it. He himself said in an indifferent tone that he doesn't have any money anyway. If I want to see it, I can see it. He really has no money. The monthly salary is eight thousand, but the account never exceeds ten thousand, because as soon as the money comes in, it is withdrawn. I started watching it in the last three years. On the eighth day of every month, the salary is transferred, 8,000 yuan. Day ten, transfer 5,000 yuan. Recipient: Lam Duyet. Note: blank. Thirty-six months. 5,000 × 36 = 180,000 yuan. He had a salary of eight thousand, gave me three thousand living expenses, and gave Lam Duyet five thousand, meaning the portion for himself... was nothing. Even worse. He gave me three thousand and kept saying that if it wasn't enough, I would make up for it myself, because his money had gone to Lam Duyet. I continued scrolling down. In September 2023, a large transfer appeared. 200,000 yuan. Recipient: Lam Duyet. Note: start-up. Two hundred thousand? Tran Vi's account has never had more than ten thousand. So where does this money... come from? My hand stopped in mid-air. In August 2023, I transferred Chen Wei 200,000 yuan, because he said he needed to renovate the storage room and add more cabinets, which cost about two hundred thousand. I didn't doubt it, transferred the money to him, and heard him say he would go and supervise. But that money... not a single penny went to the construction company. All flows into Lam Duyet's account. My two hundred thousand. Lam Duyet's milk tea shop. On the opening day, I even came to support, holding a cup of milk tea that she made herself, hearing her smile and say thank you for always supporting me. I even smiled at that time, wishing her every effort. Now that I think about it, that cup of milk tea... was opened with my money. I looked at the screen and smiled slightly. Not because it's funny, but because it's so wild. I kept checking. Pull back further. In March 2022, the first time a 5,000 yuan transfer to Lam Duyet appeared. March 2022. Tran Wei and I got married in October 2021. Just five months after marriage, he started supporting her. Meanwhile, Lam Duyet will not quit his job until the end of 2022. That means… when she worked under me, she was with my husband. During those days, she still called me "Ms. To" every day, still smiled in front of me, and still used the official transfer opportunity that I helped her get to work in peace. Then after work... went to see my husband. I closed my laptop. There is a crack in the ceiling. I've been looking at that crack for four years. Because Tran Vi said the new house is still ventilated. Because he said he had to wait more. Now I understand. The house I've been waiting for... has been lived in for a long time. That person's name is Lam Duyet. She lives in the house I bought, uses my house renovation money to open a shop, and receives 5,000 yuan every month from my husband. Pay 18,000 yuan of loan every month. Living in an old apartment of forty square meters. Being criticized by her mother-in-law for not knowing how to cook. Tran Vi blamed him for coming home too late. I closed my eyes. No tears. Tears... should have been shed three years ago. it's too late. It's so late that I don't want to cry anymore. I just want to do one thing. I picked up my phone and looked for a contact number. My college roommate, is now a partner at a law firm. I pressed call. Three bells.

"Hello? Van Van? What's wrong with calling so late?"

My voice was very calm.

“Help me investigate someone.”