Chapter 6 — I Went Through The Forgotten Years

I stopped for two seconds. The voice was very light, but unmistakably clear:

“Because I know, a mother who is overlooked, controlled, forced to sacrifice for a long time... will raise a child.”

“And I also know, what a mother who is respected, seen, can stand on her own… will bring to her children.”

“I don't want to take the child away from his father.”

“I just want him to understand that… love is not exploitation, it is not control, nor is it that one person has to sacrifice for another.”

The courtroom suddenly became quiet for a moment. Chu Thua Vien sat across from me, for the first time not daring to look me straight in the eyes. On the day of sentencing, I stood alone for a long time in front of the court gate. Custody of the child belongs to me, Chu Thua Vien must pay alimony; The house and deposits were divided proportionally. Furthermore, because I took on most of the family work after marriage, the portion of assets I received was much higher than the Chu family's original estimate. Ly Tu Mai on the spot, her face turned pale, her mouth kept muttering "how could this be possible". Chu Thua Vien also stood there, as if realizing for the first time—in this marriage, the woman who always endured and backed down... had truly disappeared. I don't look at them for too long. I just turned around and walked down the steps, raising my head to look up at the sky. The weather was very beautiful that day, the sunlight fell on my shoulders, warm like a long-awaited rebirth. The first year after my divorce, my life was not easy. I have to go to work, have to pick up my children, have to adapt to the new living environment, and also have to deal with the troubles that Chu Thua Vien occasionally causes—sometimes late in paying alimony, sometimes suddenly demanding to see my children, sometimes using the excuse of visiting my children to inquire about my life. But no matter how difficult it is, I still live much more clearly than before. At least every time I open my eyes, I will no longer start to doubt my own value because of the sentence "you don't make money". At the company, thanks to the results from several previous projects, I was officially promoted to the position of operations manager. I understand the users, also understand the psychology of the family customer group, know what they really need and what they are missing, leading the team to turn an old customer system that was almost dead into a vibrant community. In just half a year, the company's sales almost doubled. The boss in the meeting once said a sentence:

“The most valuable thing about Lam Van is not that she knows how to sell, but that she understands people.”

That sentence stunned me for a long time. Previously at the Chu family, I understood everyone and took care of everyone, but no one ever thanked me for that. And now, that same ability, when placed in the right place... finally has clear value. At the end of the year, I received a large bonus. I was no longer like before, thinking about what to buy for my husband's parents, what to prepare for my husband, but directly booked a short trip for me and Chu Tu Ngon. Mother and child spent three days by the sea. Chu Tu Ngon was so happy that he ran and jumped all day. At night, he lay down on my leg to look at the stars and said in a low voice:

“Mom, you are happier now than before.”

I stroked my child's hair, the tip of my nose was a little spicy. I used to think divorce would make it worse I lost a lot. But it turns out that what I fear most is not my parents breaking up, but having to live with a mother who is always oppressed, tired and lifeless. When I got better, my child started getting better too. As for Chu Thua Vien... it got worse and worse. His company encountered internal adjustments, and projects continuously encountered problems. Su San originally did not have any deep feelings. Seeing that he had just lost part of his property after the divorce and his work status was no longer the same as before, he quickly withdrew. Ly Tu Mai's health is not good, there is no one in the house who patiently takes care of her like I used to, the whole family is in chaos all day long. Most importantly, Zhou Chengyuan finally realized— That woman who "didn't make money", once she left, his quality of life almost plummeted to the bottom. No one took care of his clothes, his children gradually grew apart, his parents' emotions were all focused on him. Before, he always thought he was the one supporting the family, but now he understands— He only gives money, and I'm the one who makes life orderly. He started finding reasons to contact me.

“How is Tu Ngon these days?”

“Mom, I miss him. Can I take him home for a few more days?”

“The place where I bought blood pressure medicine for my father before, please send it to me.”

Most of the time, I only respond to necessary information related to my child, the rest... do not respond. Until one time, when he came to pick up his child, he suddenly said:

“Van Van, can we start again?”

Chu Thua Vien was clearly prepared, his clothes were changed to the style I used to like, his voice was also deliberately calm:

"I know I was wrong before. But during this time I thought a lot. After you left, I realized that this house is really not okay without you. As long as you agree, we can remarry, I will definitely change."

I listened quietly, then smiled softly.

“It's not me you remember.”

I looked at him, my voice so calm that there were no longer any ripples:

“I just remember… the person who arranged everything for me, so that I could live easily.”

Chu Thua Vien's expression suddenly changed: