Chapter 7 — Husband's Will

I used to think that life would stay peaceful like this forever. Until Tai Tai's second birthday. I took my children out to celebrate, chose a restaurant, and held a small, cozy party. As soon as I stepped out of my yard— I immediately saw a familiar back. That figure seemed to be engraved deep into my soul, just a glance was enough to recognize him right away— He… how did he find his way here?! Panic and insecurity immediately filled my body, almost suffocating me. It wasn't until Tai Tai let out a soft groan of discomfort that I woke up. I don't know when, I hugged my baby too tightly.

“Sorry, sorry baby… I'm sorry, Because….”

I quickly comforted and gently patted my child's back. I tried to lower my voice to the lowest level, but that small sound still made Ky Le Chu suddenly turn his head. The moment our four eyes met— His fingers tightened, his whole body stiffened in place. On his face, countless mixed emotions piled up—Confusion, shock, disbelief... then quickly turned into extreme joy and bottomless pain. His eyes slowly lowered, stopping on the child in my arms. His pupils shrank sharply, his throat seemed to be choked, he couldn't utter a word. After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice:

"Thin Ngu... you're still alive..."

He walked towards me, no longer as agile as before. Every step was heavy, like stepping straight on my own heart. Reflexively, I took a step back, gritted my teeth:

“Don't come closer!”

A flash of pain flashed across his face. And he actually stopped, standing a few steps away from me, not daring to move further. But my eyes were still locked on the baby in my arms. His voice trembled, his throat rising and falling continuously, trying to ask:

“This… is our child, right?”

I took a deep breath, forcing my racing heart to calm down. I said in the most calm voice possible:

“Director Ky, you have the wrong person.”

I have completely changed my appearance. Even the voice was deliberately lowered, as if turning into a different person. But he just shook his head in despair:

“No way… Tinh Ngu, I recognize you!”

His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot. The emotions were so chaotic that it made him want to rush to hold me tight. I immediately stepped back, took out my phone:

“If you take another step, I will call the police!”

He stopped and stood still as if he had been doused with cold water. His voice trembled, filled with pain:

“I'm sorry… Tinh Ngu, I'm really sorry.”

“I've been looking for you for a long time… every corner, every possibility, I've tried.”

“But that fire… that ring… I thought you had…”

I interrupted in a cold voice, each word solid, as if completely separated from the past:

"It's over. From now on, I hope you don't bother me and my child anymore."

His lips trembled, as if someone had just slapped him in the face, his eyes looked incredulous:

"But… but you're also my child! You can't be that selfish—"

I laughed coldly, the emotions that had been suppressed for so many years now overflowed like a burst of water:

"This is my child! It has nothing to do with you, the Ky family, or Quan Thuan Nguyet!"

"Have you forgotten? From the beginning, you wanted me to get pregnant, just because the person you love can't have children!"

“I just want a child with dimples like hers, to fulfill your dream of becoming parents!”

I screamed every word, as if wanting to tear apart every last remaining illusion:

“But open your eyes and look carefully!”

“Your dimples are just like mine! My eyes, my eyebrows, my smile—it's all me!”

“It doesn't look like Quan Thuan Nguyet at all! And it is not a tool for you to perfect love!”

“It is my treasure! It's my life!!”

Every word I said was as sharp as a knife, piercing straight into Ky Le Chu's heart. He staggered, almost unable to stand, his whole face was white and bloodless. His eyes looked at me in pain and despair, his throat choked:

"Thin Ngu... it's not what you think... I was wrong... but later, I realized... I really..."

I smiled slightly, interrupting him one last time. The voice was tired but decisive:

“It's not important anymore, Ky Le Chu.”

“Jiang Tingyu… died in a fire two years ago.”

“Consider it as if I beg you—please let me and my mother go.”

Having said that, I hugged Tai Tai tightly, turned around and walked away. Don't look back. No hesitation. No regrets. Behind me, the sound of him calling my name sounded hoarse, desperate and full of pain. But I didn't turn back. Only when I ran far away, out of his sight, out of the shadow that had weighed heavily on my mind for so many years, did I sit down, breathing heavily. Drops of water flowed down my cheeks. I don't know if it was sweat... or tears. Suddenly, a small and warm hand gently touched my cheek. At At seemed to sense my mood. The boy was clumsy, but very gently wiped away the remaining drops of water on my cheeks.

“Mom… laughs.”

Her voice is still not clear, her words are slurred, but she tries her best... just to comfort me. I hugged my child tightly, my tears could not be contained, they kept falling. However, the corners of my lips tried to curl up. I said softly:

“Yes, mom is smiling.”

I hugged my child tightly—like a drowning person hugging the last remaining buoy in the middle of the ocean. In my heart, I quietly prayed: If you have any conscience left, please— Don't ever... bother my mother and me again.