Chapter 20 — Leaving You, I Shine

He nodded, put his hands in his pockets, and had no intention of stepping closer.

"You saw it today. I resigned."

“I see. Wishing you all the best.”

“My resignation was not due to a temporary impulse.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you are one of the reasons why I resigned.”

I raised my head to look at him. The light of the banquet hall shone from behind him, leaving half of his face in shadow.

"For the past six years, I have only done one thing - making Co Thi strong. But in the process, I lost everyone around me. You are the first, and also the most important person."

“Co Hanh, you told me these words today—”

"I don't ask for your forgiveness. I also don't expect you to come back." He interrupted me. "I just want you to know, I am no longer the General Director of Co Thi. From now on, no matter where I am or what I do, there are no longer any ties of interest between you and me. Your Tinh Than project, your company, your customers - no one touches them."

“Did you ask your mother to stop?”

“Yes.”

“So the story of Hoa Duyet restaurant—”

"Later I found out. My mother acted on her own. I had a big argument with her."

I was silent for a few seconds.

“I know.”

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“That 3 million yuan is not a bride price.”

“What do you mean?”

"It's a breakup fee. Since 2019, I knew that one day you would leave. I just didn't expect that when you actually left, I realized - this phrase 'breakup fee' sounds so harsh."

The corner of his mouth moved slightly, not really smiling, more like he was mocking himself.

“I'm a very bad person,” he said, “but I'm trying to make it right. I'm not saying this to you, I'm saying it to myself.”

After speaking, he turned and walked away. After taking a few steps, he stopped and did not look back:

“I have looked at Thap Quang's data for the 12 brands you are working on. Very beautiful.”

Then, he walked away into the crowd. I stood in place, dew drops on the rim of the red wine glass rolling down. Phuong Du came out of nowhere and stood next to me.

“Are you okay?”

“It's okay.”

“What did he say?”

“Everything that needs to be said has been said.”

“How do you feel?”

I thought for a moment, then answered honestly:

"I don't hate it anymore. But I won't turn back either."

Phuong Du gently squeezed my arm, without asking anything else.

—

Three days after the party, news of Co Hanh's resignation as General Director of Co Thi spread throughout the industry, even on the financial newspaper. The analysis articles were overwhelming: some said it was due to family infighting, some said it was due to strategic adjustments, and some said it was due to health reasons. Absolutely none of the articles could be guessed as being related to his ex-wife. No need to guess either. For me, its meaning ended completely that evening. Whatever I should do, I continue to do it. With three invitations for cooperation from areas in Beijing, I completed preliminary exchanges within a week. Among them, the project of the Hoa Nam area is the largest - the overall brand operation for a cultural tourism town, with a contract value of more than 10 million yuan. I need to form a team. It is no longer a small team of a few people, but a strict company structure adjust. I had a very long talk with Phuong Du all night long.

“I need a Design Director.”

“I will.”

"Are you sure? I'm working peacefully."

"I freelance because I haven't found a boss worth following. Now I have found one."

I look at it, it looks at me.

“Salary—”

“Shut your mouth. Wait until the company makes money and then give me shares.”

I burst out laughing.

“Latch.”

Chieu Bach went from a 3-person studio model to a 12-person team, taking exactly two months.