Chapter 3 — He Said The Marriage Certificate Was Fake, I Almost Laughed Out Loud

Silence for two seconds, then cold snort.

“What a nerve.”

The phone is disconnected. I put down the phone. The corners of the lips still cannot be lowered. Phuong Dat Chu... There are so many things I don't know. He didn't know that he had pushed away 250,000,000 yuan with his own hands. He didn't know that the "free nanny" he despised now had 500,000,000 yuan in his account. I don't even know... Every word you said today is helping me save money. Engine starts. I drove out of the underground parking lot, sunlight immediately poured into the windows, so bright that I had to squint my eyes. The destination on the map appears: City lottery reward center. No — wait. I stepped on the brake. Can't be so hasty. 500,000,000 yuan is not a small number. I need to calm down, I need to plan ahead. I pulled over to the side of the road, took out my phone and searched:

“Things to keep in mind when receiving large lottery prizes.”

First line: Winners of large prizes must bring their citizen identification card to the provincial lottery center to receive the prize. Second line: Winner information is absolutely confidential. Third line: Recommend the winner hire a lawyer and financial advisor. I need a lawyer. Not the type of lawyer who eats and drinks all day with Phuong Dat Chu's friends. But the truly professional type, without any relationship with him. I opened the contacts and browsed around. For the past ten years, my relationship has been forced by Phuong Dat Chu to the point that only his world remains. His friends. His colleague. The aunts were introduced by his mother. People who truly belong to me... The finger stopped on a name. Luc Van Trung. College friends. Study law. After graduating, he worked for a foreign law firm, then opened his own office. We haven't been in touch for five years. It's not that I don't want to. But Phuong Dat Chu once said:

“Your friend is too sharp, stop going back and forth.”

I pressed call. The bell rang three times.

"Hello? Who is it?"

Her voice was still as decisive as before.

"Van Trung, it's me. On Le."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment.

“Damn it, five years of no contact, why do you suddenly remember me today?!”

“Is that dog Phuong Dat Chu —”

I laughed softly.

“Yes… but not really.”

“I need a lawyer.”

“You finally agreed to divorce?! Great, now I immediately —”

“It's not a divorce.” I interrupted her. “We have never had a legal marriage.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Today he said in front of hundreds of people that the marriage certificate was fake.”

The other side was silent for three seconds. After that, Luc Van Trung took a deep breath.

“On Le, where are you now?”

“Roadside.”

“Don't go anywhere, I'll be right over.”

“Send me your location.”

Twenty minutes later, a white Porsche stopped next to my car. Luc Van Trung walked down, wearing flat shoes, a neat black suit, and her hair tied up in a bun without a strand out of place. She walked around to my car window and bent down to look inside. Seeing the red mark on my face that was swiped by the edge of the bank card, she cursed.

“Pass my car.”

I locked the car door and sat in the passenger seat of her car. The car smelled faintly of citrus. The seats are clean and tidy, completely different from Phuong Dat Chu's cigarette-smelling car.

“Say it.” Luc Van Trung started the car. "Tell from the beginning.”

I tell the whole story today. From the wedding. To the fake marriage certificate. Even the bank card Phuong's mother threw in my face. Only the story of winning the lottery is not mentioned. It's not that I don't trust her. But the thing is, before the money actually goes into my account, I can't let anyone know. After listening, Luc Van Trung tightened his grip on the steering wheel until it made a squeaking sound.

“That bitch Phuong Dat Chu…” She gritted her teeth. “Ten years. Ten years, On Le. How could you—”

“Van Trung.”

“I'm okay.”

She turned to look at me. Perhaps my expression right now is too calm, the corners of my lips are even slightly curled up.

“You…” She frowned. “Aren't you crying?”

“What are you crying for?”

“He said the marriage certificate was fake. You two were never husband and wife."

“Then in the past ten years, everything I have spent — housework, effort, youth — I can sue him for compensation.”

"For all the effort I put into living together, the law still protects my rights so I can reclaim them."

Luc Van Trung stared at me for three seconds. Then she slammed on the steering wheel.

“On Le! Since when are you so sober?!”

“Probably from today.”

"Incorrect." She squinted her eyes, assessing me. “This expression is not correct. Damn it, what are you secretly having fun with?”

I turned my head to look at the row of trees outside the glass window moving quickly back.

“Nothing.”

“It's just that suddenly... it's pretty good to be alive.”

Luc Van Trung took me to her law office. Not too big, about more than two hundred square meters, but located right in the CBD of the city center. Through the ground-level glass, you can see half the horizon in the distance. She poured me a cup of hot water, sat down across the desk and opened her laptop.

“Let's talk about the legal aspect first.”

“Phuong Dat Chu publicly admitted that the marriage certificate was fake, so it involves the following issues —”

“First, fraud. He used a fake marriage relationship to trick you into living with him for ten years, showing signs of deception."

“Second, the crime of falsifying state agency documents. A marriage certificate is a document issued by a civil service agency, and counterfeiting is a criminal offense."

“Third, your ten years of labor can be claimed based on your assets and contributions during your time together.”

She typed a few times on the keyboard and then looked up at me.

“On Le, what are you planning to do?”

I held the glass of water and thought for a moment.

“Second thing.”

“Report to the police?”

“But not now.”

Luc Van Trung raised his eyebrows.

“Let the bullets fly a little longer?”

I nodded.

“Today he said those words in front of many people at the wedding, surely someone took a video.”

"Waiting for the video to spread, even if he wanted to deny it, he couldn't deny it."

"At that time I called the police, he would no longer have a chance to turn himself in."

Luc Van Trung looked at me, the corner of his lips slowly curled up.

“You have changed.”

“Wen Le wouldn't have thought like that before.”

I bowed my head and took a sip of water. Previously, On Le would cry, would question him, and would beg him to turn back. But that was the old Wen Le. Wen Li didn't have 500,000,000 yuan before.

“There's one more thing.” I put the cup down. “I need you to help me with something.”

“Help me make an appointment with a financial advisor. The best kind.”

“The asset division with Phuong Dat Chu requires —”

“There is no need to divide assets.”

Green Van Trung stopped and looked at me.

“It's my own property.”

“Needs to be managed.”

Her eyes widened little by little.

“On Le… you —”

“Don't ask.” I looked straight into her eyes. “When the time is right, I will say it.”

“Now you just need to know — I'm fine.”

“Better than ever before.”