Chapter 3 — Half a Life for a Life

But… I still signed. I cut off half of my life, which was endlessly open. Give it to him. Only later did I know. There are paths... Once given to others. Then you will never get it back.
04
After having money. Tieu Mong quickly remembered another thing. She pulled A Nghien to prepare to go out to see the premises. Walking to the middle of the living room, I suddenly stopped.
"Parents."
“I heard that you used to have a dance dress embroidered with gold thread.”
“I know someone who specializes in collecting.”
“That dress is now sold for a lot of money.”
“Just in time, we still lack some money for repairs.”
Mother's face stiffened.
“Did you say that…”
“That is the dress to commemorate the first time Han Han won a national award.”
“It's very important to her.”
“He probably won't agree.”
Dad frowned.
“He can't even stand now.”
“Why keep that dress?”
“I can't even wear it.”
“Can't even jump.”
“It just makes him remember the past forever.”
Mom is still hesitant.
“But the first few months after surgery.”
“Every day she hugs that dress and cries.”
“That was his last bit of hope.”
Dad's voice turned cold.
“That's why it's even more important to take it away.”
“People must know how to accept reality.”
“Family conditions were like this.”
“It should also contribute something to the family.”
Apparently I was no longer breathing. But still feel suffocated. It turns out... The last light in my life. In my father's eyes. It's just an old thing taking up space. It turns out… After a person cannot stand up. Even the evidence that I ran across it should not be kept. Mom was silent for a long time. Finally stood up. Slowly walked back to my room. She knocked on the door.
“Han Han, wake up.”
“Mom and Dad have something to discuss with you.”
Of course I won't open the door. The knocking on the door continued intermittently. Then it became more and more intense.
“Khuong Han, what are you doing?”
“I just made you drink a glass of wine.”
“Is it worth overdoing it now?”
“Why do you not understand things more and more?”
Mom. I also want to understand this very much. So... I drank that glass of wine. So... I don't cry in pain in the middle of the wedding party. So... I went back to my room alone. So... Even when I die, I choose a time that doesn't affect everyone's happiness. But... I can't answer you anymore. Dad stepped forward. In his voice, he tried to suppress his anger.
“Khuong Han.”
“Dad said it one last time.”
"Open."
“Do you have to make the whole family uneasy to accept it?”
In the room... Still as quiet as paper. A Nghien suddenly stopped his father. He pressed his ear to the door. His face turned pale little by little.
“Dad… mom…”
“It's so quiet inside.”
“After drinking yesterday, my face didn't look right.”
“Goed back to the room and didn't come out again.”
“She… did something happen?”
Dad instinctively shook his head.
“No way.”
“Just one glass of wine.”
“It's just angry.”
But mom was panicked. She leaned closer to the door again. Voice trembled.
“Han Han?”
"Han Han... please answer me."
Are not. There wasn't any reaction. My father was silent. A Nghien's voice trembled violently.
"Dad! Mom! Don't wait any longer! What if something really happens?"
“But…”
Without hesitation, A Nghien rushed forward, using all his strength to smash into the door. Boom! The lock burst open. Blinding light flooded into the dark room. Finally… They saw it I. I quietly leaned on the wheelchair. Like sleeping. Just like... Finally, there's no need to wake up anymore. The first person to collapse was the mother. Her legs were weak, almost collapsing to the ground, then she crawled and crawled in front of me. She took my hand. In the next second, that piercing cold made her whole body tremble.
“Han Han…”
“Mom's Han Han…”
“Don't scare me, open your eyes and look at me.”
“I won't take your dress anymore, I don't need anything else.”
Dad stood silently outside the door. Just now he was still full of anger. Now it was as if all my bones had been pulled out, I slowly slid along the wall and sat down on the ground.
“No way.”
“Just one glass of wine.”
“How did it turn out like this?”
A Nghien rushed forward and hugged my shoulders, desperately shaking me.
"Older sister!"
“Wake up, I'm A Nghien!”
“Look at me, don't sleep anymore.”
Tieu Mong stood frozen at the door. His face was pale. The savings book in my hand fell to the ground. Cry. Calling. The sound of apology. Everyone crowded into my room. But… I will never wake up again.
05
The ambulance arrived very quickly. When the medical staff carried me from the wheelchair onto the stretcher, my mother still held my sleeve tightly and refused to let go. She kept saying:
"She's afraid of pain, please be gentle."
“My daughter is most afraid of pain.”
I float next to it. Watching her cry until she could no longer make a sound. Suddenly felt a bit strange. Turns out... She still remembers that I was afraid of pain. Outside the emergency room. The white light is cold and emotionless. A Nghien and his parents sat in the hallway. Like three people awaiting sentencing. Just over ten minutes later. The doctor came out. There are two policemen behind. He looked at them, his voice heavy.
“The deceased, Khuong Han, twenty-seven years old.”
"Five years ago, I had surgery to remove part of my liver to donate. After surgery, the function of the remaining liver was long-term damaged and I had many chronic complications."
“Last night, after drinking a large amount of alcohol, the patient suffered acute liver failure, followed by massive gastrointestinal bleeding and multiple organ failure.”
"When taken to the hospital, the patient died. Emergency treatment was unsuccessful."
Mom didn't seem to understand. She grabbed the doctor's blouse and frantically shook her head.
“No way!”
“It really only took one drink!”
“Everyone at the wedding saw it, just a small glass, how could it die?”
Dad supported mom. His voice also trembled.
“Doctor… please check again.”
“She hasn't had a drink in five years.”
“Yesterday only broke the rules once.”
“It's been painful like this before, but I've gotten over it.”
The doctor frowned.
“For normal people.”
“A glass of wine is probably just for fun.”
“But with her.”
“It is both a trigger and a poison.”
“It's clearly stated in the medical records.”
“Alcohol ban for life.”
“Avoid physical exertion.”
“Avoid emotional arousal.”
"As family members, there's no way you guys wouldn't know."
Mother's hand hangs down. The doctor continued:
“In addition, the test results showed that the alcohol concentration in her body was much higher than a glass of wine at a wedding reception.”
“The scene also found a bottle of alcohol.”
"Initially determined that after the first glass of alcohol caused severe pain, she continued to drink more alcohol."
“I know it's very difficult for you to accept.”
“But the pain she suffered at that time…”
“Exceeded the limit that the human body can endure.”
The whole hallway was as silent as death. I looked at their pale faces.