Chapter 6 — I Don't Need This Family Anymore

Duong Le's face turned red with anger.

"You talk nonsense! Your illness is just a small matter, Khai's future is the most important!"

I laughed, my voice light but sharp.

“Since it's so important, why don't you sell your house to pay for his tuition?”

“Ah, I forgot.”

I pretended to just remember, my eyes filled with irony.

"The house you two are living in is in the name of Luu Ngoc Tran."

“You and Tu Duong… do not have the right to sell.”

“In that house, you and I… are no different.”

“They are all parasites.”

“The only difference is…”

“I'm awake.”

“And I... am still dreaming of the dream of 'a mother relying on her child to change her life'."

“You shut up!”

Every sentence I said hit her in her weakest spot. Duong Le completely lost control and raised her hand to slap me. I don't dodge. Because I know, she doesn't dare. Here, in the middle of the company, under so many eyes and cameras... she has no guts. Sure enough, her hand stopped in midair. Manager Vuong stepped up and stood in front of me.

“Sir, please leave here immediately, otherwise we will report to the police.”

Duong Le looked at him, then looked around. The eyes of my colleagues... were no longer curious, but contemptuous. She understood, she couldn't win today.

“Hua Tham, just wait there!”

She let out a sentence, pulled Tu Tinh's hand and was about to leave. I spoke up. She turned around, her eyes filled with malice. But I didn't look at her. I looked at Tu Tinh.

“Do you want to… escape that house?”

The girl was startled and raised her head. A light flashed in his eyes. But just a second later, it turned off again. She looked at Duong Le, then gently shook her head. Duong Le was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately pulling the girl behind her.

"What tricks do you want to play? Don't try to separate me and me!"

I looked at her, shook my head.

“I just remind you of something.”

"Today I came here to cause trouble, just because I was afraid that the money for Tu Khai to go to school was not enough."

"I'm afraid all the years of investment... will go down the drain."

“But have you ever thought…”

“You put everything into one son.”

“What if it doesn't turn out as you expected later?”

“What if he gets married and forgets his mother?”

“Until then…”

“Besides me… who is left?”

Duong Le's face turned pale little by little. She squeezed Tu Tinh's arm, as if she was clinging to the last thing. She almost dragged the girl and left the company looking struggling. Looking at that back, I knew. A seed… has been planted. Grandma's surgery was very successful. Tu Ve Quoc stayed in the hospital for three days and three nights of care, until she was transferred out of the recovery room. During that time, he did not call me again. Liu Ngoc Tran and Tu Duong also did not appear. Everything… seemed to have calmed down. I go to work, get off work, go home. Life is so calm that it resembles a dead surface of water. Until Friday night. I arrived very late from overtime, dragging my exhausted body with me, and walked back to the dormitory. At the top of the stairs, there was a familiar figure sitting huddled. It's Tu Tinh. My niece. The girl was wearing a faded uniform, carrying a heavy bag on her back, hugging her knees, burying her face in her arms. Hearing footsteps, it looked up. The pale yellow streetlight fell on the little face. Her cheeks were red from the cold, her eyes were also red, she had clearly been crying for a long time. Its voice was so small that it almost disappeared into the wind. I stopped.

“Why are you here?”

“I… I ran away from home Go."

I frowned. He bit his lip and didn't speak. Only tears fell drop by drop. I opened the door and let him inside. The small room was cold. I poured him a cup of hot water. He held it in his hand and drank in small sips.

“Tell me, what's going on?”

“My mother… wants to take me back home.”

Its voice trembled.

"She said... the family is out of money and can't afford to send two children to school."

"She said my brother's future was more important, forcing me... to sacrifice."

I sighed softly. Duong Le... still chose her true nature.

“What kind of sacrifice?”

“Let your child miss school?”

Tu Tinh shook his head.

“She said that if you study in your hometown, you can still take the university entrance exam.”

“But everyone knows… once you go there, you won't be able to go back.”

"She also said... when your brother succeeds in the future, he will make it up to you."

Still an empty promise. Using an ambiguous future in exchange for her present.

“What about your father?”

“What did Tu Duong say?”

“My dad… didn't say anything.”

Again, the type of person who stands outside. In that house, there was never a shortage.

“So you left?”

It nodded.