Chapter 5 — I Fake Pregnancy to Test My Husband's Love

6

The salty sea breeze glides across my cheeks, bringing with it a cool, refreshing feeling. I stood on the balcony, looking out at the vast ocean in the distance, taking a deep breath. In the air there was no longer the oppression and suffocation of that house. To Tinh and I have settled down in this small coastal city. This is the place I chose a long time ago, away from the noise of the city and all the unhappy memories. I used some of the money I saved before getting married, plus my own money that I had secretly saved over the years, to rent a small apartment with a view of the ocean. To Tinh stayed with me for three days, helped me arrange everything, confirmed that my emotions were stable, then reluctantly returned to her city.

“Van Van, if anything happens, call me first.”

“If you don't have enough money, just tell me, I'll take care of you!”

After seeing her off, my new life really began. I stopped Giang Than, her mother-in-law and all of Giang's family members. I changed my phone number and only told my parents and To Tinh. Everything in the past was completely cut off by me. I gave myself a week off, thinking about nothing, doing nothing. Every day, I just sleep until I wake up, then go for a walk on the beach, listen to the sound of the ocean waves, and empty my mind. A week later, I went to the city hospital and had a comprehensive health check. The doctor said that the previous miscarriage had caused damage to my body, combined with long periods of emotional repression, leading to poor blood circulation and needing good nursing. I held the long nursing form and began to seriously treat my body. I no longer stay up late, I no longer eat toxic snacks. Every day I cook nutritious soup for myself, practice yoga, and read books. I also signed up for a few online professional skills improvement courses, scheduling a full time every day. Before, my world only consisted of Giang Than and that house. Now, in my world, there is only myself. Life is as calm as a lagoon, but underneath the water's surface is vitality and hope growing strongly. I started sending out resumes online, looking for new job opportunities. Very quickly, several companies sent me interview invitations. I stood in front of the mirror, applying gentle and delicate makeup to myself. Although the woman in the mirror was still thin, the melancholy between her eyebrows had disappeared, replaced by a calm and steadfast look. I know, little by little, I'm finding the self I once lost. Lam Van doesn't live for anyone, she only lives brilliantly for herself.

7

The first week after I disappeared, Giang Than almost went crazy. He couldn't find me, so he ran to my mother's house and started a riot. My parents received my phone call a long time ago and knew the whole story. Seeing Giang Than's fake face, my father didn't even let him in at the door. He directly grabbed the broom from the corner of the wall and chased him away like trash.

"Get out! Our family doesn't have the kind of son-in-law with a wolf's heart like you!"

“My daughter was really blind before she saw you!”

Giang Than ate bitter fruit at my mother's house, then changed his target to To Tinh. He ran to To Tinh's company, right in front of everyone, asking where To Tinh had hidden me. What kind of temperament is To Tinh? She is not a soft persimmon patient like me. Right on the spot, she turned on all her firepower, took Giang Than's "glorious achievement" and left his wife "waiting to give birth", ran to save the pregnant child, and spread propaganda throughout the lobby of their company with a volume that was no different from a loudspeaker.

“Giang Than, do you still have the face to come find Van Van?”

“When you stopped the ambulance and didn't let her get in and ran to get your precious assistant, why didn't you think she was also your wife?”

"A pregnant woman's water broke and you threw her at home. Now you still have the face to come and claim her? Are you human?"

To Tinh's words, every sentence and every word, were like a slap, fiercely hitting Giang Than's face. The pointing eyes of his surrounding colleagues made him lose face and almost run away. Both roads are impassable, Giang Than is completely out of options. His mother is also not a lamp that has run out of oil. She called me, found out she was blocked, and went crazy on the other end of the line. After that, she blatantly started spreading rumors among relatives and friends that I "faked my pregnancy to cheat on the wedding." She said I had a deep heart, and in order to defraud the Giang family, she did not hesitate to use such low-class tricks. Suddenly, all kinds of dirty and unpleasant water were splashed on me.