Chapter 11 — Fireworks Don't Light the Way Back

He seemed to be stabbed by that sentence and remained silent for a long time. When it was his turn to present, he stood there, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible. He said, he used to take my patience for granted. He said, he used to think every time I asked for help I was just making trouble, forcing him to bow his head. He said, he had entrusted my humiliation to Tong Tinh Van to judge, considering my sister's life as an expense that needed to be considered. At the end, his eyes turned red.

“Khuong Yen, I know it's too late to say these words now.”

I lowered my eyes and did not respond. It's too late. My sister won't come back. The baby that hasn't even been born yet will not come back. When I needed him the most, what I received was not the hand of a husband, but an application for money. Therefore, his regret no longer had any meaning. When I signed, my hand was very steady. When the last stroke of the pen stopped on the paper, I suddenly felt extremely relieved. It was like the rock that had been weighing heavily on my chest for so many years had finally moved. Stepping out of the courthouse, the sunlight shined brightly on the steps. Chu Kinh Ngoc chased after me and stood behind me.

“Khuong Yen.”

I don't turn around. His voice trembled: "In the future, if you need any help, you can find me." I stopped for a moment and just said: "No need." Then keep walking. This time, I didn't cry. Don't turn back either. The footsteps behind never followed. I know, Chu Kinh Ngoc is still standing there, watching my back leave. Perhaps it wasn't until this moment that he truly understood that some people weren't just unable to wait, but that once they were personally pushed away by him, they would never come back again. In the afternoon, I went to the cemetery. In front of her very clean grave, I put down the bouquet of flowers I brought and used a tissue to wipe the photo on the tombstone. The girl in the photo is still very young. When she smiles, her eyes are curved and gentle, just like when she took my hand home when I was a child. I squatted in front of her and said softly:

“Sister, I'm divorced.”

The wind blew through the tree tops, the leaves rustled. I touched the tombstone, the corners of my eyes slowly heated up, but I didn't let the tears fall.

“From now on, no one will force me to kneel and beg for my life.”

"No one will use me to threaten you anymore."

“I am finally free.”

I sat for a long time, telling her many stories. Tell me that the small room I live in has a lot of sunlight, tell me that I know how to cook for myself, tell me that I can live well on my own. Before leaving, I gently touched her photo.

“Sister, from now on, I will live well.”

END