Chapter 11 — Live towards the light

Inside, there were only three of us left. Lac Lac buried her face in his shoulder and softly asked: "Dad... will we come back later?" Co Thanh squeezed her child tightly. Gently kiss the boy's forehead.

“Not coming back anymore.”

“I won't let anyone bully your mother and you anymore.”

I looked at his serious face. A late promise. But finally… it has arrived. The elevator door opened. Light flooded in. We walked out of the building that had imprisoned us for ten years. The sunlight fell on my shoulders, strangely warm. I took a deep breath. The air also seems to become fresher. But just when we thought everything would start again. Co Thanh's phone suddenly rang. He hesitated for a second, then answered the phone. The voice on the other end was rough and gruff.

“Co Thanh, right?”

“Your mother just fell from the balcony.”

“On the way to the hospital.”

“The doctor said the situation is very dangerous, tell the family to come immediately.”

“You now, immediately, go to the central hospital!”

The words were like a bucket of cold water poured straight down. Co Thanh stood dumbfounded. The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. The screen shattered. Exactly... his mood right now.

“Mom… fell from the balcony…?”

Co Thanh muttered, his face as white as paper. Lac Lac was frightened by the panic on his face and burst into tears softly. I quickly picked up the phone, the screen was broken but the call had not been disconnected.

"Hello? Who are you?" I tried to keep my voice calm.

"Who am I? I'm your neighbor across the street!" the other end of the line shouted loudly.

“I heard your mother breaking and crying in the house, then suddenly went silent.”

"I went to knock on the door but no one opened it. I looked through the window and saw someone lying on the grass!"

"I called the ambulance! What are you doing to your children!"

Those words, confirmed everything. My heart sank. I didn't expect... Luu Ngoc Mai would actually go to this step. Not acting. Which is true. She used her own life... as the final trap. A most cruel trap.

“Tieu Nghien…” Co Thanh's voice trembled.

“His mother…”

“Go to the hospital first.” I interrupted, forcing myself to stay calm.

This is not the time to collapse. I hailed a taxi, almost pushing Co Thanh who was lost and Lac Lac into the car.

“Uncle, central hospital, please help me quickly.”

The car sped away. Inside, the air was chokingly heavy. Co Thanh curled up in the corner, holding his head like a lost child. He kept hitting his head, his voice choking.

“His fault… it's all his fault…”

“He shouldn't have forced her… shouldn't have left…”

Self-blame engulfed him like a tidal wave. I do not console. Because right now, every word is meaningless. I just hugged Lac Lac tightly and patted his back.

“It's okay, mom is here.”

No matter what happens, I still have to protect my child. When we got to the hospital, we went straight to the emergency room. The hallway already has Gu Wei and Vuong Le. Vuong Le sat in a corner wiping tears from her eyes. Co Vi walked back and forth like a cornered animal. As soon as he saw us, his eyes locked on Co Thanh. He charged like a mad bull.

“Co Thanh!”

He grabbed him by the collar and pushed him hard against the wall.

“Murder!”

“If anything happens to your mother, I will make you pay!”

Fists fell continuously. Co Thanh did not resist. Don't avoid it. Just stand there, let your brother fight. As if in physical pain can reduce the torment in your heart. I shouted loudly and pushed Co Vi away.

“Is this the time to fight?”

“Mom is still in emergency, you stand here and beat your brother, what kind of child are you!”

Co Vi was stunned. His eyes met mine and he unconsciously took a step back. At that moment, the emergency room door opened. A doctor wearing a blouse stepped out.

“Who are the patient's family members?”

We immediately surrounded.

“Doctor, how is my mother?” Co Thanh and Co Vi were almost in unison.

The doctor took off his mask, his voice serious.

"The patient fell from the third floor, luckily there was grass below so there was reduced force."

“Not life-threatening.”

That statement made us all breathe a sigh of relief. Co Thanh almost fell to his knees. Our hearts clenched again.

"The patient's lumbar spine and both legs were seriously fractured."

“Especially both legs were broken.”

“We did our best with surgery, but the prognosis… was not positive.”

“What the doctor means is…” Co Thanh's voice trembled.

The doctor looked at him, his eyes filled with pity.

“Which means… it's very likely…”

“The patient will be paralyzed for life.”

Paralysis for life. Those four words were like four hammer blows. Co Vi went limp and sat down on the ground. Vuong Le sobbed loudly. As for Co Thanh... His face... no blood left. He stood there, looking at the doctor in bewilderment, as if he completely did not understand the meaning of the words he had just heard. Liu Yumei did not die. But this outcome... is more cruel than death. She spent the second half of her life locking all of us in an unbreakable handcuff. She won. In a way that no one expected... winning the final match. The doctor looked at us and continued:

"The patient has been moved to the intensive care room and will not be able to visit after 24 hours."

"Family members should pay the hospital and surgery fees first."

“The cost is about… 150,000 yuan.”