Chapter 12 — He Said The Marriage Certificate Was Fake, I Almost Laughed Out Loud

He knelt down. His knee hit the hallway tile floor hard, making a heavy noise.

“On Le, you are wrong.”

I lowered my head to look at him. This perspective is really new. For the past ten years, I have always looked up at him. And now... He knelt at my feet, the top of his head facing me, his shoulders shaking.

“On Le… I really know I was wrong…”

“Please stand up.”

My voice was very calm.

"I won't stand up. If you don't forgive me, I won't stand up."

“Forgive me for what?”

“I shouldn't… I shouldn't have lied to you… I shouldn't have said those words…”

He raised his head. The rims of the eyes are red. Tears glimmered in the corners of my eyes.

"Wen Le, let's start again. Okay?"

"I'm going to the civil affairs department. I'm really going to register my marriage. This time it's for real."

"I broke it off with Lieu Man Ninh. I cut it off completely."

“From now on, I only have you.”

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it."

He was about to reach out and hold my hand. I took a step back. His hand stopped in mid-air.

“Phuong Dat Chu.”

He raised his head to look at me. On his face was an expression I had never seen before — Before, those emotions belonged to me.

“I kneel here…” My voice was very quiet. “It's because you think I won the lottery.”

“It's not —”

“Is that so?”

His lips trembled. Unable to answer.

“If I don't win the lottery…” I squatted down, looking straight into his eyes. “Where will you be now?”

“In the new house of me and Lieu Man Ninh.”

"Next to the bowl of ginseng soup, my mother brought it to me."

“In some ordinary night… where you never thought of me.”

His face turned red, his lips trembled more violently.

“Phuong Dat Chu.”

I stood up.

“You lied to me for ten years.”

“Ten years.”

“I washed your clothes for ten years, cooked for ten years, and served your mother for ten years.”

“And what do you give me?”

“A fake marriage certificate.”

“A 'you're nothing'.”

“A bank card was thrown right in my face.”

"Now you're kneeling here, tears and snot streaming down your face, saying you want to start over?"

I lowered my head to look at him.

“Phuong Dat Chu.”

“If there really is a medicine for regret in this world…”

“I won't let you drink either.”

He sat down on the ground. Both hands pressed firmly against the tile floor, fingertips turning white. Lips moved as if to say something, but couldn't get it out.

“I… I will sue you…”

“Sue me for what?”

“That lottery ticket… was bought when we were still together… must be common property…”

“Phuong Dat Chu.”

I took my phone out of my pocket and opened a recording. It was his own voice at the wedding. The voice was confirmed by his own mouth.

"The marriage certificate is fake. From beginning to end, there has never been a legal marital relationship between us."

The recording echoed in the quiet hallway. His voice. It's his voice. Phuong Dat Chu's face changed in just a few seconds from red to white, then from white to gray. Like a fish with its spine removed. His mouth opened then closed, closed then opened.

“At that time I… I just…”

“Angry words?” I said help him. “Or drunken words?”

“Hundreds of people heard it.”

“The video has surpassed ten million views.”

“The civil service system also could not find the registration file.”

“Phuong Dat Chu…”

“Even your angry words are expensive.”

He is complete all collapsed to the floor. Fingers scratched hard on the tile crack. Shoulders heaving violently. From his throat came a sound of oppression and despair. Like a cornered animal. Like a person who just discovered that his own hands had pushed a mountain of gold into the abyss. I carried the supermarket bag, walked around him and walked to the door. He shouted from behind. Hoarse voice. I stood in front of the door, without turning back.

“Don't come again from now on.”

“Between us…”

“You're right.”

“There has never been any relationship.”

The door closed. Block out all the sounds of the man in the hallway. I put the food in the refrigerator. Pour a glass of water. Sit down on the sofa.