Chapter 3 — Light Does Not Touch

9

When I regained consciousness, my soul returned to Luc Chieu's side. He sat in his office, in front of his desk. The room was pitch black, the curtains were closed, not a trace of light penetrated. There was only a small flame from the cigarette in his hand, flickering in the darkness. It was four o'clock in the morning. He probably stayed up all night. The space is terrifyingly quiet. If I weren't already dead and used to the night, I probably wouldn't be able to see him sitting here. When the cigarette was about to burn out, he finally moved. He reached out and opened his phone. I see your lock screen. It was just in the blink of an eye, but it was still the photo I had installed, a photo of me and him together. I was stunned, found it hard to believe. Looking down at the strange wedding ring on his ring finger, I couldn't understand even more. Thinking back, maybe he was just too busy and forgot to change the screen. I watched him scroll through the phone book. His finger stopped at my number, pausing for a moment. At that moment, the phone rang. It's my brother calling. Luc Chieu seemed a bit distracted, staring at the call display screen. After a long time, he regained his cold expression and pressed the answer button. On the other side, my brother's voice mixed with sobs:

“Little Sister... she's really dead.”

The cigarette in Luc Chieu's hand burned to the end, burning his fingertips. In the air there was the smell of burnt flesh, mixed with the pungent smell of cigarette smoke. A trail of blood oozed from his finger. He was stunned for a long time, then finally startled and threw the cigarette into the ashtray. On the other side, my brother's voice was panicked, mixed with confusion and excitement:

“I see it, I see it all.

“The contract… is only half left…

"She's dead, it's her... it's Tieu Sister..."

Luc Chieu slightly raised his lips, as if he wanted to laugh, as if he wanted to satirize the hypocrisy on the other end of the line. But he couldn't laugh. The taunt also got stuck in his throat. As if controlled by something, his voice was a bit lost:

“What contract?”

On the other side, there is no more answer. There are only repeated sounds, echoing like crazy:

"She's dead... Little Sister is dead..."

10

Three years ago, I deceived Luc Chieu, letting him think that I betrayed him. Let me go, let me never come back. And I also intended to use the same method to disappoint my brother, so that he would abandon me and leave. But he didn't believe it. My brother didn't believe that I would abandon Luc Chieu. I also don't believe that I was with Mr. Trinh. No matter how truthfully I acted, every word I said, he still wouldn't believe it. He tried everything he could to go to the hospital to check my condition. That night, with my diagnosis in his hand, he drove to find me. But because of mental collapse and confusion, he had a tragic accident in the middle of the road. Serious brain injury, deep coma, doctors declared he would never wake up. Before I died, I spent all the money my brother and I had accumulated to treat his illness. I gave my bank card to Mr. Trinh, begging him to help me continue paying my brother's hospital bills. In the last days of my life, I returned to the small town where I lived as a child. To save money, I and another terminally ill patient bought the same grave. That grave is in the same cemetery where my mother is buried. My brother once told me that my mother is the best mother in this world. She loved us very much, but unfortunately passed away from postpartum depression when I was young. I'm always secretly jealous of my brother, because he once felt his mother's love. So before I die, I want to be buried in the same cemetery as her. Who knows, maybe in my next life, I can be her daughter again. All my life, I only had a brother and never felt the love of my parents. So, I want to meet the mother that my brother always says is "the best mother in the world". My consciousness gradually returned to reality. On the other end of the phone, my brother was still sobbing in despair:

“My Little Sister… My Little Sister…”

In the darkness, Luc Chieu's face was pale and cold.

11

Hearing the news that I had died, he had no special reaction, and even looked annoyed. Probably don't believe it. Or perhaps, he really doesn't care anymore. As if he couldn't bear it, he coldly said:

“If you need money, just tell Lam So to come straight to me, no need to put on such a ridiculous show.”

After speaking, he decisively hung up the phone. The dark room fell into dead silence again. He reached out and picked up the glass of water on the table, perhaps intending to take a sip. But his hand shook slightly, causing water to splash, wetting a file on the table. He quickly used a tissue to wipe it, but the glass slipped and fell, spilling water all over the table. Tea spilled, tea leaves scattered everywhere, and the desk became messy. I don't know if I was hallucinating or not, but I saw him silent for a moment, his eyes suddenly red. The sky gradually brightens. He made a phone call, canceling the morning meeting. Then drive to a bar. Early in the morning, the bar was almost empty. I don't know why he came here at this time. Until he stepped into the elevator, going straight to a private room. Opening the door, the strong smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke entered my nose. Inside, several drunk rich guys were lying around on the sofa and on the floor. In the corner of the room, a man wearing a shirt with messy buttons and an open collar, leaned on the sofa and slept soundly. I looked for a long time before realizing— That was my old boss. Also a class senior to me in college, Trinh Hoai An. Luc Chieu walked over and sat down next to the man with his eyes closed. The sofa was empty, he calmly leaned against the tea table and sat down on the ground. He lit a cigarette, but did not wake up the person next to him. When I almost finished smoking a cigarette, perhaps the smoke was so thick that the person next to me choked. Trinh Hoai An frowned, coughed twice, then angrily opened his eyes halfway. Luc Chieu continued to smoke, not even glancing at him. It wasn't until a long while later that he suddenly asked, without beginning or end:

“Is your girlfriend not coming with you?”