Chapter 2 — Justice, Six Years Later

The company demanded compensation for the damages incurred while the vehicle was out of service, while simultaneously terminating my employment contract under the charge of gross misconduct. My wife, Lam Lan, had spent two exhausting years fighting appeals on behalf of her father. After stepping out of the transportation administrative office for the final time, she sat heavily on the steps and whispered to me, "Give it up. My father can no longer take this."

My father-in-law began to suffer from chronic insomnia. Whenever he heard the distant wail of an ambulance, his hands would instinctively reach out, grasping for a steering wheel that no longer existed. Last winter, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. The doctor insisted that he needed regular dialysis and must be kept away from any form of emotional stress. Dao To knew nothing of this—or perhaps she did, but concluded it fell outside the scope of her professional grievances. Hang Trieu finalized the hiring approvals and handed the contract to her while the live broadcast was running.

"Ms. To, the company will not tolerate a manager abusing his authority."

"Your employment offer is now officially effective."

A round of applause erupted in the room. I stood in the midst of the crowd, my discarded employee badge lying forgotten in the corner of a desk. Dao To accepted the contract with both hands.

"Thank you, Chairman Trieu."

"I trust that a company which respects its own regulations will also handle the matter of Director Luc with the same fairness."

Hang Trieu’s expression stiffened slightly. She clearly had no intention of stopping there. The head of public relations stepped forward. "Ms. To, if the misunderstanding has been resolved, could you please end the live broadcast?"

"This is not a misunderstanding."

Dao To turned her camera lens directly toward me. "Director Luc has clearly admitted that he rejected my application because I reported his father-in-law years ago. If not for this live broadcast today, I would have lost this job. At the very least, he owes me a public apology."

Han Trac spoke in a low voice, "The contract has already been handed to you."

"The contract is something I earned through my own competence, not a bargaining chip. An apology is the price he must pay for abusing his position of power."

The crowd of onlookers continued to grow. Employees on their lunch break packed the corridor, their raised phones forming a sea of glass and light. Dao To walked directly up to me and thrust a printed statement into my hands. "It is not a long text. You only need to admit that you allowed personal grievances to interfere with the hiring process, and apologize to me and the company."

I scanned the paper. There was one final sentence at the bottom: "The reckless driving behavior of my father-in-law that year bears no moral causality to the fact that candidate Dao To filed her report in accordance with the law."

She didn't just want me to bow my head. She wanted me to take the fall on behalf of my father-in-law. Hang Trieu urged, "Read it."

"I will not read it."

"While you are suspended for investigation, refusal to cooperate is grounds for immediate termination of your employment contract."

Dao To held the paper higher. "Director Luc, rules are rules."

I reached out and brushed the paper aside. She took the opportunity to stumble backward, her shoulder slamming into the glass door. Her camera clattered to the floor. The onlookers erupted in chaos. Clutching her shoulder, Dao To let tears stream down her face immediately. "Everyone saw that! He attacked me!"

Hang Trieu pointed at me, his voice trembling. "Get Luc Kieu out of here!"

Security guards seized my arms. Amidst the confusion, Dao To crouched down to retrieve her camera. I saw her intentionally press her fingers against the edge of the lens, causing the casing to crack. She looked up, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear: "Director Luc, you must also compensate me for the destruction of evidence-gathering equipment."

"Father, give him back his oxygen tank!"

When Lam Lan burst into the hospital rest area, Dao To was gripping the portable oxygen tank attached to the back of my father-in-law’s wheelchair. Two social media influencers stood beside her. The lens of a camera was shoved almost directly into my father-in-law’s face. Dao To pulled the oxygen tank behind her. "I only wish to ask Driver Chu a few questions."

My father-in-law was struggling to breathe. "I have nothing… to say to you."

"Your son-in-law took revenge on me for that incident years ago. Shouldn't you explain yourself?"

"I was the one who ran the light. It has nothing to do with him."

"So you admit you broke the law?"

My father-in-law lifted his head, his face pale. "I admit I ran the red light. But I do not admit that saving you was a mistake."

Dao To looked into the camera. "Everyone heard that. Even today, he still fails to grasp the consequences his reckless driving can cause."

Lam Lan reached out to take back the oxygen tank. "Give it back to my father first."

Dao To leaned aside, dodging her. "Ms. Lam, your father is currently being interviewed."

"Who gave you permission to interview him?"

"Filming is permitted in public areas."

"That oxygen tank belongs to my father!"

"He just damaged my equipment. I need to confirm whether this was an act of intentional destruction."

After speaking, she turned the property label on the oxygen tank toward the camera. "This is also evidence."

My father-in-law’s lips began to turn blue. Lam Lan was so desperate her voice cracked. "Dao To, my father needs oxygen!"

"The hospital is right next door. Medical staff can handle this at any moment."

"Give him his oxygen back!"

"Please do not seize the evidence."

By the time I reached them, Lam Lan was being blocked by a videographer. My father-in-law slumped in his wheelchair, his chest heaving like a punctured bellows. I shoved through the crowd and grabbed the oxygen tank. Dao To gripped the strap, refusing to let go.