Chapter 1 — Five Years After the Truth

Five years after the university entrance exam. I received a phone call from Hoac Ky. His voice was hoarse: "Le Toc, something happened to Sam Yeu, now she only wants to see you." I was stunned for a few seconds, almost laughing out loud. Sam Yeu. The person who was my best friend. After the university entrance exam, she cried and said that my first wish had been changed by someone else. She told me not to be sad and that she would study for the exam again with me. After that, she took my slot to go to Kinh City. And I became the laughing stock of the whole school. Everyone said I was jealous of her and intentionally spread rumors to ruin her reputation. My father was so angry that he had to be hospitalized. My mother's hair turned white overnight. I was forced to leave the old city. Five years later, she finally fell from her peak. Her family members, her classmates, her fiance, all begged me to forgive her. But when Hoc Ky sent a recording to my phone. I just realized that the person who erased my wish that year was not only Sam Yeu. When Hoc Ky called, I was sitting on the floor of the law office, eating rice balls from a convenience store. His name appeared on the screen. I stared for three seconds. Don't answer the phone. Call disconnected. The next second, he called again. I turned on the speakerphone.
"What is up?"
The other side is very noisy. Looks like a hospital hallway. Hoc Ky's breathing was very heavy.
“Le Toc, can you go to City Hospital Number Two?”
I took a bite of the rice ball.
"Cannot."
“She's so young…”
“Is she dead?”
The other side was silent. After a long time, Hooc Ky said in a low voice: "No."
“Then don't look for me.”
I'm about to hang up. Hoc Ky panicked.
“She took medicine, just finished gastric lavage.”
My hand stopped. Not because of heartache. But because it feels too wild. Five years ago, she almost jumped off the rooftop. At that time, no one came to ask me a question to see if I was in pain or not. Now that she just swallowed a few pills, does the whole world have to revolve around her? Hoc Ky's voice became even lower.
“After she woke up, she kept crying, saying she wanted to see you.”
“So I told her, dreaming will be faster.”
“Le Toc.”
He called me back.
“There may have been a misunderstanding about that year.”
I laughed.
“Hoo Ky, are you telling me it was a misunderstanding now?”
"That year, I stood in front of the staff room door begging you to help me check the camera. What did you say?"
He was silent. I speak for you.
"I said, Le Toc, stop causing trouble, Sam Yeu is not that type of person."
"You also said, my results are better than hers, even if I can't get into Beijing University, there is still another way."
“Your memory is not good, let me remember for you.”
Hooc Ky said hoarsely: "I didn't know at that time."
“Of course I don't know.”
I threw the rice ball into the trash.
“I only know that Sam Yeu cries very beautifully.”
A high-pitched female voice rang out on the phone.
“Is it Le Toc?”
“Tell him to come here!”
“What is the reason why it doesn't come!”
I recognize that voice. Sam Yeu's mother, Tan Man. Before, she always patted my head and said: "Toc Toc, you and Yeu Yeu are as close as sisters." Later, she stood in front of my house and scolded me: "You don't have the courage, do you still want to drag my daughter into the water?" I asked in a cold voice: “Hoo Ky, please turn on the speaker out?” Hoc Ky said nothing. Tan Man grabbed the phone.
"Le Toc, no matter how you live now, if Yeu Yeu becomes like this, you are responsible."
"In charge of?"
"Today he was suspended from work by the unit, his engagement was canceled, and now he doesn't even want to live anymore."
“If it wasn't five years ago you kept biting and not letting go, why would it have a psychological ghost?”
I almost burst out laughing because I was angry.
“Miss Qin, your daughter's psychological shadow is so deep that you can still hold back my wish to go to college for four years?”
Tan Man's voice was high-pitched.
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“The school already said that the system was malfunctioning that year!”
“You filled out your own application incorrectly, who can blame you?”
I leaned against the back of the chair.
“Then you should call the police.”
Tan Man was speechless. I continued: "Didn't you say I spread rumors?"
“Didn't you say I harmed your daughter?”
“Now I give you a chance, call the police and arrest me.”
On the other side, Sam Yeu's cry suddenly rang out.
“Mom, don't say anymore…”
She cried very softly. Exactly like five years ago. As if he had to suffer great injustice.
“Toc Toc, I know you still hate me.”
“But I really don't know what to do anymore.”
“You come see me once, okay?”
I said nothing. She choked up and said: "We were so close before."
“Have you forgotten?”
Forgot? Of course I didn't forget. I don't forget that in twelfth grade, she borrowed my notebook every day. I don't forget that she said she didn't have money to buy a tablet, so I gave her the one my dad gave her to use. I didn't forget my wish. She sat next to me, hugged my arm and said: "Toc Toc, you must go to Kinh Thanh University."
“If you can get in there, it's like I can get in.”
After that, my request was deleted. And she relied on a score twenty points lower than mine to be accepted into the special nursing admission program of Jingcheng University. I asked her why. She cried and said: "I don't know why the system recruited me."
“Toc Toc, don't look at me like that, I'm scared.”
Starting from that day, everyone said I was crazy. I said she once stole my password. They say I'm petty. I said she used to use my computer. They say I'm jealous. I said I wouldn't change my wishes. They say: “Is it so difficult to admit that you made a mistake?” On the phone, Sam Yeu was still crying.
“Toc Toc, I really can't stand it anymore.”
“I just want to personally apologize to you.”
I closed my eyes.
“Address.”
Hoc Ky immediately said: "Sixteenth floor of the inpatient area of City Second Hospital." I stood up.
“I will come.”
The other side clearly breathed a sigh of relief. Tan Man snorted coldly: "You should have come a long time ago." I laugh.
“Don't misunderstand.”
“I didn't come to save her.”
"I came to see what the person that year stepped on my body and climbed up, what he would look like when he fell."
2
When I arrived at the hospital, there were many people waiting in the hallway. Sam Yeo's parents. Hoac Ky. There were also a few of my high school friends. After five years of not seeing each other, the way they looked at me was very complicated. Some people are confused. Some people avoid it. Some people also seemed impatient. Sam Yeu lies on the hospital bed. Face white as paper. Wrist wrapped in bandage gauze. As soon as she saw me, tears immediately fell from her eyes.
“Toc Toc.”
I stood at the door.
“Don't call me that, disgusting.”
Sam Yeu stiffened. Tan Man immediately became angry.
“Le Toc, do you have a conscience?”
“Yeu Yeu has become like this and you still provoke him?”
I looked towards the hospital bed.
“Sam Yeu, why did you call me here?”
Sam Yeu bit his lip.
“I want to say sorry to you.”
The hospital room immediately fell silent. Hooc Ky looked at her, his eyes darkened. Sam Yeu continued: "About that year's wish, I know you always blame me."
“But I really don't erase your wish.”
I laugh.
“So what are you sorry about?”
Her tears fell even faster.
“I'm sorry for not being with you that year.”
“When you were misunderstood by everyone, I was so scared.”
“I'm afraid everyone will scold me, so I don't dare stand up.”
A female high school classmate standing next to her immediately blushed.
“Yeu Yeu, don't say that.”
“At that time, Le Toc made such a fuss, who dared to help her?”
Another male student also spoke up: "Yes, Le Toc, you were really too extreme that year."
“The school has already investigated, there is no evidence that Sam Yeu did it.”
“You insisted on scolding her in the graduation group, causing her to have a bad reputation throughout her four years of college.”
I looked at them.
“So you called me here today to open a denunciation?”
Tan Man crossed his arms.
“We just need you to apologize.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Who apologizes to whom?”
Tan Man said every word: "I'm sorry Yeu Yeu." I almost laughed out loud. Sam Yeu quickly said: "Mom, don't be like that." She sat up on her hands and knees, looking at me with teary eyes.
“Toc Toc, I don't blame you.”
“Really.”
“At that time, your wishes were gone, your emotions were depressed, I could understand whatever you said.”
“But now I really can't stand it anymore.”
“The unit suspended me from work because of old posts online.”
"Hoo Ky's parents also don't agree to let us get engaged anymore."
She looked towards Hoc Ky. Hoc Ky turned away. Sam Yeu cried even harder.
“Can you post a correction?”
“Just say you misunderstood me that year.”
“Just say I won't change your wishes.”
I finally understood. She doesn't want to apologize. She wanted me to explain for her. I asked: “Old posts online?” Hooc Ky said in a low voice: "Someone dug up something from five years ago."
"It was also discovered that in her college application there was a fake poverty certificate."
Tan Man immediately interrupted.
“That's not fake!”
“It's just that the neighborhood's stamping process is problematic!”
I'm too lazy to pay attention to her.
“So what?”
Hoc Ky looked at me.
“Her unit is investigating right now.”
“If you would stand up and say that what happened that year was just a misunderstanding, public opinion would soften a lot.”
I looked at him.
“Hoo Ky, do you also want me to correct you?”
His hand tightened.
“I just want to get this over with.”
I nodded.
“Deal with me or deal with her?”
His face was pale. Sam Yeon on the hospital bed suddenly hugged his chest.
“Toc Toc, I know you hate me.”
“But I really have no choice.”
“My parents were scolded by people to the point that they didn't dare go out because of me.”
“My mother's heart is not good.”
“Yesterday my dad was almost stopped by someone at the gate of the apartment complex.”
Tan Man immediately wiped away her tears.
“Le Toc, our family What do I owe you?
“You are a lawyer now, honor and glory.”
“What about our Yeu Yeu?”
“It was very difficult to get to this day, just one sentence from you can ruin it.”
I looked at her coldly.
“A sentence from me?”
“Your daughter used fake documents to get a special admission slot, am I forcing her?”
“She falsified her job application, was I forced?”
“She packaged herself as a victim, was it also me who forced her?”
Tan Man rushed forward and tried to grab me.
“Shut up!”
Hoc Ky stopped her.
3
“You!”
Tan Man cried: "Look at it!"
“It wants to force Yeu Yeu to die!”
Outside the hospital room, more and more people gathered to watch. Someone raised the phone to dial. Sam Yeu suddenly lifted the blanket and got out of bed. Her legs were weak and she knelt directly in front of me. Everyone was surprised.
“Toc Toc.”
She raised her head to look at me.
“I kneel down and beg you.”
“You help me.”
“Just once.”
She cried so much that her whole body shook.
“We grew up together since childhood.”
“You said before that you would protect me for the rest of your life.”
I lowered my head to look at her. There was no wavering in my heart. I actually said that before. At that time, her classmates laughed at her because of her old shoes. I stood in front of her. At that time, she could not pay the document fee. I acted for her. At that time, she said she admired my parents for treating me well.