Chapter 2 — Father Wants to Divide His Estate, But the Whole Group Is in My Name

There is guilt. Yes please. There's also a bit of... self-righteousness mixed in.

"Tri Du is back."

He stood up.

"Come here, let me introduce you..."

"No need."

I went straight to sit next to my mother, took the cold cup of tea from her hand, placed it on the table, and then poured her another cup of hot tea.

"Tham Hao Vu, twenty-four years old. Mother is Chu Uyen. Currently working as an executive at a small advertising company, monthly salary is 8 thousand yuan."

I raised my head to look at the young man in front of me, his voice calm.

"Three years ago, I got into a fight at school and was disciplined. Last year, driving drunk got 12 points deducted from my license. Last month, I broke up with my girlfriend because I secretly used her credit card to buy a game account."

The whole living room immediately fell silent. The polite smile on Tham Hao Vu's face stiffened, then his face gradually turned pale. Tham Quoc Luong's face also darkened.

"Tham Tri Du! What do you mean?"

"No meaning."

I leaned back on the sofa, crossing my legs.

"It's just that since we've held a family meeting, everyone should get to know each other a little better, right?"

I smiled.

"Anyway, I understand him very well. And what does he... understand about me?"

Tham Hao Vu's throat moved slightly. Obviously he didn't expect things to turn out like this. Perhaps before coming here, he imagined a warm reception. My biological father took me home. Even though her half-sister was unhappy, she could only accept it. Then everyone sat down to negotiate, gave him a few shares, a sum of money, and from there life turned to a new page. But the reality is... The first sentence his sister said when he walked in stripped him of all his layers.

"You... you investigated me?"

Tham Hao Vu's voice trembled.

"Not an investigation."

I took a sip of tea.

"Just doing a little investigation. If there is a real investigation, the whole team of lawyers must be involved."

Tham Quoc Luong slammed on the tea table.

"Tham Tri Du! Hao Vu is my younger brother!"

I looked straight at him.

"When did you accept it? Why isn't his name in the household registration book?"

Tham Quoc Luong immediately choked. He opened his mouth, his face was red but he couldn't say a word. I continue:

"Dad said there will be a family meeting tonight to divide the estate. So let me ask you a few questions."

I raised a finger.

"First, whose name is the certificate of ownership of this house?"

Tham Quoc Luong was silent. I answered myself. Raise a second finger.

"Second, whose name is all the shares of Tham Thi Group in?"

Tham Quoc Luong's eyes began to avoid.

"It's my name."

I raised a third finger.

"Third, the property is in Dad's personal name. Besides the activity card Mom gave Dad, what else is there?"

"There's nothing left."

I lowered my hand, my smile still unchanged.

"So I'm really curious... what do you plan to share?"

The living room was so quiet that only the hum of the air conditioner could be heard. Tham Hao Vu's face turned from pale to red. He bowed his head and stared at the tips of his shoes, not daring to look at anyone. As for Tham Quoc Luong... The expression on his face changed extremely dramatically. First is surprise. It seems that until now, he has never seriously thought about this issue. In his perception, he is the man of the Tham family, the head of the family, the father. He takes it for granted that everything This inherently belongs to me. What happened next was unbelievable. His eyes looked at me as if he were witnessing something extremely wild. Just like today, he realized that the daughter who was obedient and obedient no longer existed. In the end... Too much shame turned into anger.

"Tham Tri Du!"

He slammed the tea table hard, causing the cups on the table to bounce.

"I am your father! This house belongs to me! The old Tham Group was also built by me!"

"Building up?"

Finally, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Dad, the predecessor of Tham Thi Group was my grandfather's construction materials factory. Back then, I was just the son-in-law of the Tong family."

That statement is like a knife. Stabbing straight into the deepest wound in Tham Quoc Luong's heart. Tham Quoc Luong immediately turned pale. At that moment, my mother finally spoke. Her voice was very light and very calm.

"Quoc Luong, that's enough."

Tong Tung slowly stood up and looked straight at Tham Quoc Luong.

"Every brick, every tile of this house is the property my father left to Tri Du. All the shares of the corporation are because she used her strength to win back every vote from the board of directors three years ago. As for that living card, because of the relationship between husband and wife for more than twenty years, I left you a little dignity."

Her voice was calm as if reading the weather report. But every sentence and every word were like slaps straight to Tham Quoc Luong's face.

"You used that little bit of dignity to support a woman outside and your own son, and now you're bringing him back here to demand a share of the estate."

Tong Tung tilted his head slightly.

"Tell me... what qualifications do you have to divide the estate?"

Tham Quoc Luong seemed to have been drained of all his strength and fell down on the sofa. His lips trembled but for a long time he could not utter a word. Tham Hao Vu is even more miserable. He stood rooted to the middle of the living room, unable to move forward or backward. In front were two women he couldn't offend, and behind him were his biological father who couldn't even take care of himself. The air froze for nearly ten seconds. After that, Tham Hao Vu gently placed the cup of tea in his hand on the table and turned around to leave.

"Stop."

I spoke up. His whole body immediately stiffened.

"Leave the car keys behind."

I calmly held out my hand.

"That Cayenne was bought with my mother's card, not yours."

Tham Hao Vu stood still and did not move. His eyes secretly looked at Tham Quoc Luong as if asking for help. But Tham Quoc Luong just sat motionless on the sofa, from beginning to end not saying a word, not even bothering to look at him. Ten seconds later, Tham Hao Vu quietly took the car key out of his pocket, placed it on the tea table, then turned around and left, never looking back. The living room door closed. The whole villa immediately fell silent. My mother sat down again, picked up the cup of tea I had just poured and took a sip.

"It's a bit cold."

She said softly.

"Let me refill it."

When I got up to get hot water, I just passed Tham Quoc Luong. He still sat still, not looking at me. But I still clearly see his hand shaking slightly. Is it because of anger... Or because of fear? I don't care. After pouring hot water, I gave it to my mother. Tong Tung took the cup of tea and looked up I. In her eyes there was pain, pride, and a bit of self-mockery. I said softly.

"Tomorrow I will tell the legal department to cancel that supplementary card."

Her hand holding the cup of tea clenched slightly, then slowly relaxed. Only then did Tham Quoc Luong speak.

"You guys..."

His voice was hoarse like a seventy year old man.

"You can't treat me like that."

I turned to look at him. There was a time when I honestly called this man my father. He used to carry me, took me to amusement parks, and smiled proudly at parent-teacher conferences. But all of that... All before he discovered that my mother's maternal family was not as easy to manipulate as he thought. After that, he came home less and less. After that, he didn't even remember my birthday. One day before the university entrance exam, I called him. On the other end of the line, he was laughing and coaxing another woman.