Chapter 1 — Left Behind in the Rain

On the night of the Qixi Festival, simply because I arrived downstairs five minutes late, Bui Chinh drove off without hesitation, abandoning me in a torrential downpour. That was his preferred way of "teaching me a lesson." Whenever I failed to follow his schedule perfectly, he would punish me with the silent treatment and make sure I remembered it. For the past four years, I had always followed his lead, weeping as I hailed a taxi to chase after him, debasing myself with promises that it would never happen again.

Today was no different. Drenched to the bone, I arrived at the restaurant he had reserved, only to receive a message: "The reservation is cancelled. Go home and reflect on your behavior." My heart curdled with bitterness. As I turned to leave, I spotted his car parked nearby. I pulled my sodden dress around me, walking toward it, intending to knock on the window and humble myself for the sake of peace. But as I drew closer, I noticed the passenger window was rolled halfway down. Sitting in the seat was my best friend, Lam Ha. Bui Chinh was leaning toward her, patiently wiping raindrops from her hair.

"Did you really leave her out in the rain?" she asked softly. "If she finds out you spent two hours waiting while I got my hair done this afternoon, only to refuse to wait five minutes for her just now, she is bound to overthink things."

"Let her think whatever she wants," he replied coldly. "If she cannot manage her time, she deserves to be taught a lesson."

So, he hadn't been angry about my tardiness at all. He had merely needed a pretext for his rage, a justification to go and pick up someone else. I tossed the Qixi gift I had intended for him into a nearby trash bin and turned back into the heavy rain. This time, I would not be chasing after him.

01

I returned home alone, soaked and shivering. As I pushed the door open, I heard a faint, distressed cry coming from the balcony. Before I had left, Bui Chinh had intentionally locked the balcony door. My kitten had been trapped outside in the rain and wind for hours. When I forced the lock and pulled the shivering creature into my arms, its body was burning with a high fever. By the time I had frantically rushed it to the veterinary clinic and returned home, it was already dawn.

Bui Chinh arrived shortly after, smelling heavily of alcohol. As he changed his shoes, he acted as if I were not curled up on the sofa, my face deathly pale. "Where were you tonight?" he asked, his voice strained with impatience. "Ha Ha was in a bad mood yesterday, so I stayed to drink with her. Go and make me some hangover soup."

I froze, a cold wave of nausea rising in my stomach. For four years, he had used this arrogant, superior attitude to school me. If I did not immediately climb down the metaphorical ladder he provided, he would subject me to the silent treatment for days, waiting for me to bow my head in apology. Seeing that I did not move, Bui Chinh sighed. He walked over and pulled a jewelry box from a luxury brand out of his pocket. "I was harsh yesterday," he said, holding it out. "Here is a Qixi gift for you. It is the latest bracelet model."

I opened the box mechanically. It was exquisite, but the size was far too small--clearly meant for someone with wrists as delicate as Lam Ha's. I turned the bracelet over and saw the initials "L.H." engraved inside. My fingertips trembled as I held it up. "What is this?"

Bui Chinh did not flinch, though the gentle smile on his face vanished. "The clerk must have given me the wrong box. That one was a consolation gift for Ha Ha. I will have my assistant pick up yours tomorrow."

"A consolation gift?"

He reached out to put his arm around my shoulder, but I recoiled. His hand hung suspended in the air, his tone turning accusatory. "Ha Ha recently lost her job; she is feeling vulnerable and weak. You are her best friend, can you not show even this small amount of tolerance?"

Yes, he knew she was my best friend. And yet, in what capacity did he maintain this boundary-crossing relationship with her? I opened my mouth to speak, but he snatched the box from my hand and walked into the living room, not granting me another glance.

For the next three days, he acted as if I did not exist. He was waiting for me to beg for forgiveness, but the resolve in my heart had hardened. On the fourth day, my kitten developed severe pneumonia and was rushed into intensive care. The deposit for the emergency surgery was substantial. Over the years, Bui Chinh had required me to deposit my salary into a joint investment account; I had only a few hundred left in my personal account. Standing in the hospital corridor, shaking with terror, I forced myself to call him.

He didn't answer for a long time. When he finally did, I heard Lam Ha's giggling and the noisy, celebratory atmosphere of a karaoke room. "Bui Chinh, Doan Doan is in critical condition. Please, I need you to transfer some money..." I pleaded.

He covered the microphone briefly, his voice dripping with annoyance. "I am hosting a launch party for Ha Ha's new project. Do you really have to bring up a cat to ruin the mood? Tong Diem, why have you become so unreasonable?"

The line went dead. When I tried again, his phone was switched off. My heart felt as though a cold hand had reached into my chest and crushed it. In his eyes, a cat's life was not worth disrupting a party for Lam Ha. If the cat had been hers, would he have been so indifferent? Love often extends to everything one cares for. He didn't love my cat, and therefore, he didn't love me.

In the end, Doan Doan could not hold on; it stopped breathing on the cold surgery table. A part of my soul died with it. When I returned home, Bui Chinh was on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. He didn't even look up. "Where's the cat? Don't use it as an excuse to cause a scene anymore."

I placed the cardboard box on the entryway floor and stared at him, numb. He stood up and pulled me into his arms, stroking my hair. "Isn't it better when you are obedient? I was only distant to teach you a lesson."

I looked at the half-finished glass of water on the coffee table, my dry lips parting. "You're right," I whispered. "I was wrong."

Bui Chinh chuckled, leaning down to kiss me. He thought I had finally surrendered, just as I had a thousand nights before, but I turned my head, avoiding his lips. "I was wrong to be blind for these past four years." I pulled my engagement ring from my finger and tossed it into the trash right before his eyes. "Doan Doan is gone, Bui Chinh. Let's break up."

02

Upon hearing those words, Bui Chinh did not get angry. Instead, he reached out and adjusted my slightly disheveled collar with practiced ease. "If a cat dies, just buy a new one. Don't threaten me with a breakup again." He laughed, his eyes full of condescension. He was certain I would never leave.

"I am not joking," I said.

Bui Chinh pulled his hand back, losing patience. "Stop being dramatic. I have to secure the business license for the dessert shop tomorrow. Adults have to be responsible; don't be a hedgehog that hurts everyone around it. It's unsightly."

Was I really like a hedgehog, or was it simply that he was guilty, and my touch always landed on his sore spots? I let out a cold laugh, locking eyes with him. "Is this the 'responsibility' you speak of--adding Lam Ha to the partnership list behind my back?"

Bui Chinh paused. I walked over to the cabinet and threw a copy of the business registration papers onto the table. That shop was the dream I had spent six months preparing for, working through the night. Yet, there, in the shareholder list, Lam Ha's name appeared, holding the majority stake.

Bui Chinh glanced at the document and immediately regained his composure. "Ha Ha wanted to find her confidence by being a business owner. Think of this as a gift to let her try. You are her best friend, why be so petty? I'll just invest in a new shop for you next year."

"A gift to let her try?" I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Bui Chinh, thinking he had pacified me, announced his decision. "I've already given her the keys. Tomorrow she is hosting her first livestream with some influencers to review the shop. I need you in the back kitchen to help her bake so she can save face."

I looked at the man before me as if he were a stranger. "Those are recipes I spent months researching, and that's a professional oven I saved years to buy! And you want me to work as her kitchen hand?"

Just then, a voice note from Lam Ha came through: "Diem Diem, did Bui Chinh tell you? I was worried you wouldn't agree, so I wanted to ask you myself. You have such a talent for baking--would you mind helping me out in the kitchen tomorrow?"

Bui Chinh patted my shoulder, his voice carrying a warning that brooked no argument. "Don't go to the shop and make a scene tomorrow. Ruining your friendship would be a shame."

He turned and headed for the bathroom. Ruining our friendship? I curled my lips. In this three-person dynamic, I had been the only one trying to maintain anything at all. Listening to the sound of the shower and reading the morally manipulative message on my phone, I slowly wiped the tears from my eyes. I took out my phone and called a moving company and a locksmith.

03

I didn't sleep that night. The next afternoon, I brought the movers and the locksmith directly to the storefront. As the truck pulled up, I saw the sign that should have borne my name had been replaced with a pink one reading "Ha Ha's Sweets." The entrance was filled with expensive opening wreaths sent by Bui Chinh, the ribbons reading: "Wishing Shop Owner Ha Ha Great Success." Everything was a cruel slap to my face, extinguishing the last spark of hope in my heart.

I pushed the glass door open and strode in. Lam Ha was in the middle of a livestream. The fondant cake I had prepared for the city-wide competition had been hacked to pieces and was being handed out to viewers. A wave of heat rushed to my head; I lunged forward and overturned the livestream table. I turned to the movers and commanded, "Throw everything that doesn't belong to me out!"

The stream was cut abruptly. Lam Ha screamed in terror. She grabbed my arm, feigning hurt. "Diem Diem, don't be angry. Bui Chinh said I could use the place as I pleased. We have been friends for years--is it really necessary to go crazy in front of the fans?"

I pulled my arm away with icy force. "What gives you the right to treat my hard work as your own?"

"Have you made enough of a scene?"

Bui Chinh's cold, low voice came from the door. He walked in, naturally sheltering Lam Ha behind him, then wrapped his arms around my shoulders--his grip tight enough to be a warning.