Chapter 15 — Forced to Peel Shrimps, I Smashed an Entire Family

We walked parallel on the way home, the streetlights lengthened the shadows of the two of us, like a very slow movie.

“I heard you got promoted.” he suddenly said.

“News so fast?” I was a bit surprised.

"The legal department works with my company. I heard them mention it."

He smiled, his eyes a bit proud for me.

“Congratulations, Deputy Director Khuong.”

“I accept this wish.” I laughed.

A year of effort has finally come to fruition, and this time, it's all up to me.

“This weekend, to celebrate, can I invite you to dinner?”

He spoke very naturally, but there was a bit of anticipation in his eyes. I looked at him, my heart trembling slightly. Over the past year, it's not like there weren't any suitors, but I refused, not because I was afraid, but because I didn't feel it was necessary. Alone, I still live very well. But with Tham Muc, I don't want to refuse. Maybe because he is someone I know through my own strength, not through introductions, not through appearance. He saw me at my strongest, also saw me at my most tired, but he never asked about the past, never dug deep into the wounds. He only sees me as an independent person, worthy of respect. That feeling, very pleasant. I thought, maybe I can try. Try opening a new, healthy and equal relationship. I looked at him, a smile in the corners of my eyes.

“But let me invite.”

“You've been my practice partner for free for so long, and I haven't even paid you properly.”

He paused for a second, then burst out laughing, his smile as bright as the wind on an early summer night.

“Okay, listen to me.”

At that moment, deep inside my heart, the part that was once frozen, seemed to have begun to melt. A new chapter, quietly opens. I'm no longer the girl who needs to be protected. No longer a person living in resentment. I am Khuong Hoa. A new version, living for yourself. I look forward to the future. Also looking forward to someone who can step into that future, at the right time, in the right way. At the turn, I stopped.

“I'll go home first.”

“Yes, be careful.”

He stood there, looking after me until my shadow disappeared. When I got home, I took a warm bath, threw myself into bed, and my phone vibrated with a text message.

"Good night."

Accompanied by a very light smiley emoji. I looked at those two words for a long time, feeling a softness in my heart that I hadn't had for a long time. A year has passed, it's about healing, it's about rebuilding ourselves. As for next year... it will probably be starting again. My life will no longer be as nightmare as before. Only step by step, step by step, towards the light. Weekend dinner was scheduled at a quiet Western restaurant, the soft yellow lights, the humming piano just enough to slow everything down. We talked a lot, from small things at work to the new movie coming out, from boxing techniques to each other's far-reaching plans. Talking to Tham Muc never makes me bored. He knows how to lead the conversation and also knows how to really listen.

“The first time I saw you at the gym, I thought you were a professional athlete.”

He smiled as he cut the beef, his eyes carrying a slight tease.

“The movements are very precise, clearly practiced a lot.”

I took a sip of wine, feeling the acrid taste spread lightly on my tongue.

“Because I want to be stronger.”

“So strong that no one can bully me anymore.”

I spoke very calmly, as if telling a sentence it happened a long time ago. He paused for a moment, then looked at me deeply. No curiosity, no probing, just a very light understanding.

“I did it.”

“You are the most resilient woman I have ever met.”

That statement was not ostentatious, but it directly touched the deepest part of me. He didn't compliment my appearance, didn't compliment my achievements, but looked straight at the core of who I am. After eating, he took me home. The car stopped in front of the house, but neither of us rushed to get out. In the car, light music played, the atmosphere became quiet. I proactively spoke up first.

“Tham Muc, aren't you curious about my past?”

“My marriage… used to be so noisy, you probably know.”

I don't want to hide it, because I understand that a healthy relationship must start with honesty. He turned, the moonlight falling on his face, his features were clear and gentle.

"I know."

“But I believe in what I see and feel.”

“News can be wrong, other people's words can be distorted, but not a person's eyes.”

“In my eyes, you are a brave, kind person who deserves to be loved.”

“That's enough.”

I suddenly felt a sting in my nose. I thought that the past would be a scar that would be difficult to erase, and I even prepared for the possibility of being separated. But he didn't. He accepted everything, in the most gentle way. I don't let my past define me. He only looks at the present me.

"Thank you."