Chapter 2 — I Never Thought We'd Get Divorced

The moment she saw me, Hua Si Si's first reaction was to shrink back in panic, pressing herself against Pho Trach Nguyen. His face darkened with annoyance, and he frowned, demanding, "What are you doing here?" Before I could even think of a lie to appease him, he added coldly, "Giang Mat, we should end this on good terms. Si Si has a heart condition. Following me around like this is going to frighten her." Hearing this, it finally clicked—he thought I was stalking him. To avoid any unnecessary drama, I didn't bother explaining myself. I merely offered a weak smile. "My apologies, I'll leave right now." I had barely taken two steps when someone called my name from behind. A handsome man in a white lab coat was walking briskly toward me with purposeful strides, causing Pho Trach Nguyen's gaze to turn even icier.

"Trinh Vu? What are you doing here?" Pho Trach Nguyen asked, his brow furrowed.

Trinh Vu was not only the doctor treating my leg, but he was also a high school classmate of both Pho Trach Nguyen and me. Completely ignoring Pho Trach Nguyen's irritable demeanor, he walked straight up to me and asked how my leg was recovering. I smiled and thanked him. "Thanks to you, I can walk almost normally now." Thinking of the two missed calls from Trinh Vu the night before that I hadn't been able to answer, I was about to ask him about them when Pho Trach Nguyen cut in.

"What recovery? Wasn't your leg just slightly scratched?"

He only knew that I had been in an accident, but he had absolutely no idea how severe it actually was. In truth, if he had cared even a little bit to observe how I walked, he would have noticed the sheer agony I went through during my rehabilitation. Unfortunately, he was too busy with work—or rather, too busy stealing every spare moment to go on secret dates with Hua Si Si. He didn't have a single shred of mental space left to spare for me.

"How my leg is doing is none of your business," I said indifferently. "Don't forget, we are divorced."

Upon hearing those words, Pho Trach Nguyen's face darkened instantly. At that exact moment, Hua Si Si suddenly fell to her knees right in front of me. She wept like a pear blossom in the rain, making me look like some sort of cruel monster. "Sister Giang Mat, I've always wanted to apologize to you... I used to advise Brother Trach Nguyen to cherish you... It is all my fault that things have come to this. You can hit me or scold me however you like." Facing Hua Si Si's fake repentance, I replied calmly:

"First of all, I am not your sister. Second of all, this isn't a theater stage. No matter how well you perform, I won't be applauding."

Seeing that I wasn't losing control the way she hoped, Hua Si Si stiffened. Clutching her chest, she cast a deeply aggrieved look at Pho Trach Nguyen. He looked at her with pure heartache, bending down to help her up. While wiping away her tears, he glared at me coldly:

"Giang Mat, there are still twenty-nine days left of the divorce cooling-off period. You know my temper. Don't make trouble. If you force my hand and we have to turn against each other, you're the one who will end up humiliated."

Pho Trach Nguyen led Hua Si Si away. Ignoring the curious stares of the onlookers around us, Trinh Vu sat down beside me. "Giang Mat, are you alright?" Having to face everything alone was usually no big deal to me. Yet, the moment someone showed me even a tiny shred of genuine care, my eyes welled with tears. I looked at Trinh Vu wearily. "Could I ask you for a favor?" Before I could even specify what it was, he nodded immediately without a second thought. The next day, with Trinh Vu's assistance, my surgery went smoothly. As I was wheeled out of the operating room, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar female figure passing by. But I was far too weak; before I could process it, I drifted back into a semi-conscious state. Following the surgery, Pho Trach Nguyen never received another call from me. As clingy as I had been to him in the past, that was how utterly silent I became now. A week later, reeking of alcohol, Pho Trach Nguyen brought Hua Si Si back to our house. He led her into my dressing room, intending to share a playful, whispered kiss, only to stumble upon me in the middle of changing.

"You came back at just the right time," I said, reaching up to sweep a freshly curled lock of black hair over my shoulder, exposing my smooth, pale back. "Would either of you mind helping me zip up my dress?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Pho Trach Nguyen reflexively let go of Hua Si Si's hand. Following old habits, he stepped forward and zipped up the dress for me. Receiving my soft, slightly amused thank-you, he immediately turned to Hua Si Si and said in a gentle tone:

"Si Si, I'm thirsty. Could you go pour a glass of water for me?"

Hua Si Si gave me a resentful look before obediently leaving the room. With bright eyes, fair skin, and lips painted a seductive red, I stood there putting on my earrings when the man behind me suddenly closed the distance. His arms reached around me, gently but firmly trapping me in the narrow space between the vanity table and his body.

"Giang Mat, dressing up like this so late at night—don't tell me you're planning to meet Trinh Vu? So it turns out his taste is wearing my hand-me-down shoes."

"Hand-me-down shoes?"

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wearing an expensive, elegant short dress that radiated class. For the first time, I questioned Pho Trach Nguyen's taste. I tried to push him away, but he didn't budge an inch.

"I asked you, are you going to meet Trinh Vu?"

After hearing my denial, Pho Trach Nguyen's expression seemed to soften slightly. Hearing Hua Si Si's approaching footsteps, he took the initiative to let me go. I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. This felt no different from having a secret affair.

"Sister Giang Mat, you look so beautiful. Could it be... you have a date? I didn't expect you to move on so quickly..."

Hua Si Si put on a hesitant act. Pho Trach Nguyen gritted his teeth, looking as though he wanted to say something more. Fortunately, my phone rang at just the right moment. I picked up with a smile and talked as I walked out the door. Watching my relaxed, unburdened back, Pho Trach Nguyen followed me with a face as cold as stone. He watched with his own eyes as I got into a silver car and drove off without once looking back. That night, I didn't return home. It wasn't until noon the next day that I unlocked the door, humming a tune as I stepped inside. The moment I entered, I was startled by a figure sitting on the sofa. It was Pho Trach Nguyen. He hadn't slept all night, and his white shirt was a crumpled, pathetic mess. His deep eyes were filled with resentment as he gritted his teeth and said:

"Giang Mat, I know exactly what kind of 'wonderful' things you've been up to."

His voice was so raspy and hoarse that not only was I taken aback, but even he himself seemed startled by the sound.

"I've done plenty of 'wonderful' things. Which one are you referring to specifically?"

I asked, letting out a yawn, which only made Pho Trach Nguyen's expression grow more unsightly.

"Who on earth did you meet last night?"

His interrogative tone made me extremely uncomfortable. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I replied indifferently:

"None of your business."

Just as I was about to ignore him and head back to my bedroom, Pho Trach Nguyen called out coldly to stop me. "Giang Mat, this is the last time I'm warning you. Tell your friend to stop harassing Si Si. My patience has its limits." Hearing that, I immediately understood what he was talking about. Lieu Cam had a partnership with Pho Trach Nguyen's company. A couple of days ago, furious on my behalf, she had publicly lashed out at Hua Si Si in front of all the employees. It had sent Hua Si Si crying out of the office, where she was nearly hit by a car. Regarding this matter, I had only one comment:

"A homewrecker getting yelled at on the street is completely normal, isn't it?"

I smiled faintly, watched Pho Trach Nguyen's face turn as black as a skillet, and leisurely continued, "And by the way, you aren't the only one with limits. This apartment is pre-marital property you gifted to me. At three o'clock this afternoon, I'm calling a locksmith to change the locks. You'd better pack up all your things and get out before then. I don't want to see your face here ever again." With that, I turned around and walked straight back to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. When I eventually went out to grab a glass of water, Pho Trach Nguyen had already packed his bags and left in a huff. The next day, Lieu Cam excitedly announced that a long-awaited college reunion would be held next weekend. Initially, I had no intention of going. But under her firm assurance that "Pho Trach Nguyen absolutely will not be there," I finally agreed to attend. Ironically, on the day of the reunion, the moment I stepped into the banquet hall, I ran straight into Pho Trach Nguyen and Hua Si Si. Back then, he and I were the famous golden couple of our school. Everyone knew we had had a lavish wedding right after graduation. Now, in front of all our old professors and classmates, he let Hua Si Si cling to his arm as they laughed and chatted warmly with the faculty who had once taught us. He was clearly making a public statement: he and I were no longer the perfect, envied couple we once were. Hua Si Si occasionally cast provocative glances in my direction, her smug demeanor almost laughable. Seeing this, a few girls who had disliked me back in college deliberately strolled over, putting on a show of sympathy while dripping with sarcasm. "I can't believe Pho Trach Nguyen is treating you like this. He was so crazy in love with you back then, it made the rest of us absolutely green with envy."

"Exactly, Giang Mat. You gave him the best years of your youth, and now he won't even spare you a shred of dignity."

As they took turns "comforting" me with their snide, passive-aggressive remarks, Mac Van Thong—who had arrived late—finally appeared at my side. Once the campus heartthrob, he now stood tall in the crowd, gently wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he spoke softly:

"I'm sorry, Mat Mat, the traffic was terrible. I tried my best to rush here as fast as I could."

I smiled back. "It's alright, I didn't get here too long ago either." As a highly prominent figure from our school days, Mac Van Thong's arrival instantly drew the attention of the entire banquet hall toward us.

"Oh, Senior Mac, are you and Giang Mat dating?"

Someone who loved stirring up drama teased loudly, causing Mac Van Thong and me to look at each other, lowering our heads as we smiled with a touch of bashfulness.