Chapter 9 — Forced to Peel Shrimps, I Smashed an Entire Family

The judge pronounced the sentence right in court, the result was without any surprises, each clause fell clearly as if it had been predetermined. One, approve Co Dich and I to divorce, officially ending our marriage relationship. Second, the house after marriage is divided according to the capital contribution ratio, most of it belongs to me, the ownership is completely held by me, I just need to return the corresponding contribution to Co Dich. That means that of the two hundred thousand yuan they spent on their house, after deducting expenses, there is only a very small amount left, and the house will forever no longer have anything to do with them. Third, the car in Co Dich's name was determined to be my dowry property, forcing him to cooperate within ten days in completing the transfer procedure to transfer it back to me. Four, Co Dich, Liu Mai, and Co Dinh, due to their actions causing prolonged mental harm and publicly defaming my reputation, must jointly compensate me one hundred thousand yuan. Fifth, all of the defendant's counterclaims were rejected. Sixth, for acts showing signs of violation during the trial and in real life such as perjury, property appropriation, defamation and defamation, the court will make a judicial recommendation and transfer the entire file to the authorities for investigation. The sound of the hammer coming down was decisive, there was no way back. A clean victory, leaving no gaps. The Co family was struck by lightning. Luu Mai rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot. Co Dinh rushed in crying, and the whole courtroom was immediately in chaos. Co Vien Son showed panic for the first time, while Co Dich seemed to have lost all strength and sat down, his face as gray as ash. I stood up and went out with my father and lawyer Ly. Behind me were the sounds of pitiful crying and the security forces' reminders to maintain order. All of that, from this moment on, was completely irrelevant to me. Stepping out of the court gate, the bright sunlight shone down, the reporters who had been waiting to surround me now all changed direction. When the Co family appeared, cameras and microphones immediately rushed towards them like a flood.

"Mr. Co, may I ask how you explain the recording played in court?"

“Mrs. Liu, do you admit to mistreating your daughter-in-law for a long time?”

“What is your opinion about being accused of providing false evidence in court?”

"I heard that the authorities will get involved, are you mentally prepared?"

Each question is like a knife, cutting straight into the fake shell they once built. What they used to attack me now comes back a hundredfold, pressing on themselves. Under the flash light, they frantically avoided, struggling like people with no way out. A moment later, the reporter turned to me, a young girl brought the microphone in front of her.

"Ms. Khuong, as the victim in the incident, do you have anything to say?"

I looked into the camera, thought for a second, then spoke, my voice calm and clear.

“First of all, I thank the justice of the law.”

“After that, I thanked my parents, because they have always been my strongest support.”

“Finally, I would like to say, marriage should be based on respect and equality, not imposition or control.”

“If a relationship only brings hurt, then stopping at the right time is the best way to protect yourself.”

“I thank you.”

I bowed my head slightly and put it on Dad's hand and lawyer Ly walked through the crowd. The warm sunlight and gentle breeze seemed to open up a new sky. I took a deep breath, the heavy feeling in my heart completely disappeared, and turned my head to look at the building behind me as if a part of my life had ended. Goodbye Co Dich. Goodbye to that short and wrong marriage. From today, my life turns a page, a broader, freer future is waiting for me ahead. After the lawsuit ended, my life returned to peace faster than I thought. Everything seemed to be pulled back to its old orbit but completely different. I returned to work at the company. The manager didn't say much, but the look in his eyes was no longer the same as before, replaced by clear evaluation and recognition. The previous whispers disappeared, replaced by polite greetings, mixed with a bit of caution as if they were looking at a completely different person. Tieu Truong couldn't hide her admiration. During lunch break, she kept pulling me back to tell me that I was the perfect model for an independent woman of the new era. I just laugh, because I know I'm not a role model, just someone who doesn't want to be oppressed and doesn't accept unreasonable patience. Lawyer Ly's side handled the proceedings very quickly, the house was completely transferred to me, the refund after deducting compensation was almost not much. Co Dich reluctantly coordinated the car title transfer procedure. It was said that when he signed the papers, he was so emaciated that he looked ten years older. The Co family became a laughing stock, from the residential area to the workplace, everywhere people pointed at them behind their backs. Luu Mai didn't dare go out, Co Dinh took a long vacation and hid at home, and Co Vien Son no longer had a face in the office. The authorities have officially stepped in, each of their violations is being investigated, there is no way back. I think between me and them, from now on only the conclusion of the law remains, there will no longer be any connection.