Chapter 10 — Forty-two Days of Confinement

"If you copy someone else's work and still dare to go on stage to share it, you're really thick-skinned." When To Vi took the screenshot and sent it to me, I was bathing the baby. I used one hand to answer "yes", with the other hand I continued to lather the baby. At nine o'clock in the evening, Tran Huc returned. His face doesn't look very good. "Lam Van." "Yes." "Today my sister..." "I know." "She called and cried for an hour. Tell me to expose her in front of everyone at the event. Say she probably can't continue working at the company anymore."I put her on the bed, patted her to sleep, and didn't turn around. "She stole my design." "It said for reference only..." "For reference?" I turned to look at him. "She used a different IP address to log into my cloud storage account, took my files. The core plan was almost left intact, and even said on stage that it was her doing. Is that called reference?" He opened his mouth. "Have you... have you reported to the police?" "No. I just asked her on the spot." "But in front of so many people..." "She chose to use my work to embellish herself in front of dozens of people. I also just asked her on the spot." Regain your honor in that right place. What's the problem?" He sat down on the sofa, bent over, his hands on his knees. "My mother's side..." "How's my mother's side?" "My mother called and scolded me. Say you bullied Tuyet Nhi. It is said that people working in the same family cannot push each other to the end." I walked over and sat across from him. "Tran Huc, you heard me clearly. It's my sister who stole the fruits of my labor. It's not that I bullied her. If you can't distinguish right from wrong in this matter, let me help you distinguish: she is a thief." He looked up looked at me. "So what should we do now?" "That's her problem to think about, not mine." "But anyway it is..." "She is my sister. She is also the one who stole your things. These two things are not contradictory." He was silent. I stood up. "Go to sleep. You can decide how you want to explain to your mother. But one thing, don't let your mother come to find me again. This time, if she still favors your sister and comes to make trouble with you, I will officially take the legal route."I went into the bedroom and closed the door. The next morning, The next morning, my mother-in-law called. Don't call me, call Tran Huc. But I stood next to him and still heard his movements. The mother-in-law's voice was so harsh that the phone's speaker still penetrated her ears. "What does your wife want to do? Do you want to stomp your sister's face to the ground? Tuyet Nhi came home crying all night last night, today she said she didn't dare go to work anymore!" Tran Huc covered the phone and went to the balcony. I don't follow. Ten minutes later he returned. "What did you say?" I asked. "Tell me to take care of you." "Are you going to take care of me?" He looked at me one. "Don't care." I nodded. "But she said she would come tomorrow." I poured a glass of water. "Just let her come." At three o'clock the next afternoon, the doorbell rang. I opened the door. The mother-in-law stood outside, her face darkened. "Come in and sit down." She walked in but didn't sit, just stood in the middle of the living room, her hand clenched on the phone. "Van Van, I asked you a question." "Say it." "About Tuyet Nhi, do you have to do that? Can't you say it in private? Must you say it in front of so many people?" I sat down on the sofa, looking at her. "Mom, I asked mom a question. Last month, when Tran Tuyet posted a scolding post about her child in a group of residents, in front of hundreds of people, did you tell her to say it in private? "She choked up. "That... that story is not the same..." "Where is it different?" "It's just a small thing, posting a post..." "Stealing the results of my work, then bringing it to a professional event pretending to be your work. Is that bigger or smaller than 'posting an article'?" She stopped talking. "Mom, I didn't report it to the police, I didn't sue her, and I didn't notify her company. I just asked her a few questions on the spot, making it impossible for her to continue lying. That's the lightest way I can handle it." She stood still for a moment. "So what about his job?" "That's her own job. It's not the victim's fault that the theft was discovered." The mother-in-law's lips moved a few times. Suddenly she sat down on the sofa, her whole body feeling exhausted. "I just... can't think straight. He and I are both family..." "Mom." I looked at her. "Because she's a family member, she shouldn't steal your things. If As an outsider, maybe you wouldn't be so angry." She bowed her head. After a while, she asked: "So tell me... what should I do now?" "Tell her to come and apologize to you. Be honest, it's not like your mother told you to come and say a few pleasantries. After that, I didn't pursue this matter anymore. But from now on, she is not allowed to touch your work." The mother-in-law nodded. Nodded several times. When she stood up, her back was slightly bent. "Okay. Mom told him to come." When she reached the door, she stopped a step. Turned her head to look at me. "Van Van." "Yes." "I... "It's much more powerful than I thought." After saying that, she left. I closed the door and stood there in a daze for two seconds. Then I smiled softly. Three days later, Tran Tuyet came to apologize. At six o'clock in the evening, she rang the bell.