Chapter 3 — I'm Not A Loser

The next morning, Duong Duyet took me to meet Bui Tranh, the person she had contacted before. He was in his mid-thirties, quiet, flipping through documents so quickly that it made people feel secure. I placed all the evidence in front of him, from lunch box photos, papers, audio recordings to statements and messages. I arranged each thing neatly, as if I were personally exposing my marriage. After watching, he didn't show any emotion, just raised his head and asked me a very short question.

“Do you want a divorce, or do you want a fair settlement?”

“I want both.”

I replied, my voice so calm that even I felt strange. Bui Tranh nodded, as if that answer was completely within his expectations.

“So for now, don't rush to tear everything apart.”

“The current evidence is foundational enough, but still not complete enough to make a decisive blow.”

He said, still flipping through the document pages.

"The house is in her name, and was purchased before marriage. Legally, it belongs to her."

“He can claim the installments after marriage, but cannot gain ownership.”

“The biggest problem now is that they are most likely using your documents for something else.”

His voice was still steady, but every word made my heart feel heavy. I remembered the photocopies in my mother-in-law's nightstand, and my heart suddenly turned cold. A feeling of danger, like something had been silently going on for a long time. Bui Tranh turned to the last page, his eyes paused slightly.

“Have you recently received any calls from the bank or text messages about loans?”

I shook my head, the feeling of insecurity gradually spreading.

"Do not have."

“So first, check your credit history.”

He said, his voice final. An hour later, the report was printed, the paper was still hot. As soon as I picked it up, my hand felt cold. When I saw the line "mortgage under review", I almost stopped breathing. Eyes glued to every word, as if not daring to believe it. The applicant… is not me. But the collateral... is my house. Bui Tranh pushed the report back to me, his expression still unchanged.

“They have already started.”

I clenched the paper in my hand, my palms were cold and wet.

“Can it be blocked?”

“Blocked.”

He replied briefly, without any hesitation.

“First register a complaint, then apply for an asset freeze.”

“It must be done now, not too late.”

He paused for a moment, then looked straight at me.

“Du Sinh, from now on every step you take must leave a mark.”

“Record phone calls, record meetings, take photos of every chat, keep everything.”

"They dared to find out the baby's gender, dared to transfer money, and they won't stop here."

I nodded, completely awake. There is no more room for softness. When I walked out of the law office, the sun was very hot. The sunlight shone down on the steps, so bright that it hurt my eyes. Duong Duyet supported me, his voice low, careful as if afraid of breaking me.

“Can you… still stand it?”

I looked at the report in my hand, my voice quiet but firm.

“I can't stand it... I have to endure it.”

That afternoon, I did not return to the company, but went straight to the Lan Dinh apartment complex. The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor, and my heart also felt heavy. I stood in front of the door and rang the bell. Inside, there was the sound of sandals dragging, step by step getting closer. The door opened, a woman wearing a loose maternity dress stood in front of me. She is younger than I thought. White skin, lightly curled hair, and a bowl of hot soup in her hand. Seeing me, she froze for a second. After that, his eyes immediately changed to a clearly smug look.

“Who are you looking for?”

Her voice was gentle but couldn't hide her provocation. I stared at her ring finger. That ring… is mine. I spoke softly, each word clear.

“I'm looking for Ha Xuyen.”

She laughed, her smile was not panicked but full of challenge.

“He just went down to buy fruit.”

“Do you want to come in and wait?”

She leaned over, proactively giving way. I don't move. Just stay in place. She stepped aside, revealing the space inside. In the room there is a baby crib, and on the sofa are pillows for pregnant women. On the dining table... are two boxes of nutritious food that I am familiar with. That's what my mother asked a remote buyer to send me last month. But I… have never seen a box. Didn't even know they existed. Bach Vy followed my eyes, her smile became even brighter.

“Auntie brought it.”

“Auntie said you're pregnant with a girl, and it's not worth eating these things.”

“Tell me to eat more, because the child in my belly is the root of the Ha family.”

She deliberately placed her hand on her belly and stroked it gently. His eyes were full of provocation, as if showing off his trophies. I stood at the door, my palms cold. A truth gradually emerges, brutally clear. It turns out... the mother-in-law isn't just biased. She is nurturing both sides. One side is my son. The other side... is the son's lover and the unborn child. Seeing that I didn't say anything, Bach Vy's voice became even softer.

“Don't blame aunt.”

"Who said your belly can't give birth?"

Each word is as light as wind, but sharp as a knife. I looked at her, suddenly feeling strangely calm. Phone in pocket, still recording. I asked, my voice waveless.

“Ha Xuyen knows I'm here?”

“What if you know?”

She laughed, without any hesitation.

"He said, wait until you give birth and finish handling the house before getting a divorce."

"At that time, if you want to take your daughter back to your mother's house, go home."

I nodded slightly.

"Okay." I said, my voice so light that it contained almost no emotion.

She clearly didn't expect me to react like that, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion. I didn't look at her anymore but turned around and left, my steps steady as if I had never stopped in front of that door. The moment the elevator door closed, I lowered my head to look at the phone screen, cold blue light shining on my face. The recording time showed eleven minutes and forty-seven seconds, and every second that passed became cold evidence. I took a deep breath, forcing all my emotions to the bottom of my heart. As soon as she reached the first floor, Ha Xuyen returned, carrying a bag full of fresh cherries and kiwis. He saw me from afar and his face immediately stiffened as if someone had strangled him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice carrying obvious caution.

I looked at the bag of fruit in his hand, my eyes lingering longer than usual. Those are all the things I've craved the most since I was pregnant, but have never appeared on the dining table at home.

“Just passing by.” I replied, my voice calm as if talking to a stranger.

He stared at me, his eyes as if calculating how much I knew. A few seconds later, he We lower our voice, the tone becomes unpleasant.

“Du Sinh, don't go crazy.” he said, as if I was the one in the wrong.

I burst out laughing, the smile was so weak it was almost non-existent.

"Assured." I said, my eyes were frank and not avoiding.

“I am now… more alert than ever.”

That night, Ha Xuyen didn't come home, the house became so cold and empty. At half past eleven, my phone lit up with a text message.

“The company suddenly worked overtime.” he texted, the explanation was so familiar that it was boring.

I didn't answer, and I was no longer interested in pretending to believe. Two minutes later, Bach Vy sent another photo, as if intentionally poking me in the wound. In the photo, Ha Xuyen rested his head on her shoulder, in front of him was a steaming bowl of sea cucumber porridge. Below the photo is a short line of text, but enough to send chills down people's spines.

“He said he'll get the house tomorrow.”