Chapter 1 — Marriage Costs 600,000 Yuan

I spent 600,000 yuan (about 2.1 billion VND) to hire a private nutritionist... so that she could cook pregnancy-nourishing soup for my husband's third child. On our fourth wedding anniversary, I discovered that the personal nutritionist I had hired 600,000 yuan, cooked an extra portion of soup every noon and then used a thermos to bring it to a strange address in the south of the city. The ingredient preparation sheet placed right next to the kitchen clearly states each dish. Evil chicken soup stewed with red apples and goji berries, cow's milk stewed with flower buds, pork rib soup stewed with dong quai astragalus... All are recipes to nourish pregnancy. Each dish also has extremely careful taste notes: Less ginger, more sweet, less spicy. More thoughtful than when nursing my body. I took a photo of the menu card and sent it to my husband. Two minutes later, he replied:

"We're in a meeting, let's go home and talk."

At ten o'clock in the evening, Tham Quyet returned home. Seeing me sitting in front of the dining table without touching my chopsticks, he sighed softly.

“What should I do next?”

I pushed the phone in front of him.

"Apartment 1802, building 7, Phi Thuy Loan area in the south of the city... who lives there?"

Tham Quyet glanced at me, picked up my phone, deleted the photo, and put it back on the table.

"Miss Ly only accepts outside guests, what does it have to do with you?"

"Shen Quyet, six hundred thousand yuan is my payment! If the homeowner hasn't nodded, would she dare to use the kitchen and ingredients in my house to cook soup for outsiders?"

He was silent. At that moment, the sound of an electronic lock rang out from the mysterious entrance. Someone is entering the password. A young girl stood outside the door, about seven months pregnant, carrying a thermos in her hand. She stopped for a second when she saw me, then turned to look at Tham Quyet.

"Husband, didn't you say she would move out at the end of the month? I have finished measuring the size of the extra bedroom, just enough to convert it into a baby room."

After speaking, she bowed her head and gently stroked her belly, her voice was so gentle it was sickening.

“I pedaled all the time today, I must miss my dad.”

Tham Quyet's face immediately turned pale. I leaned back in my chair and laughed. Sometimes people are so angry that they're speechless... the only response is to laugh. Six hundred thousand yuan a year to hire a personal nutritionist. As a result, she devoted herself to cooking soup for my husband's illegitimate child. This amount of money is truly "nourishing". Tham Quyet's face turned pale. On the lid of the thermos was a large sticky note, and my eyesight was very good.

"Miss Chu, today's dish: cow's milk stewed with flowers. Little ginger, extra sweet."

It turned out her last name was Chu. I lowered my eyes to look at the bowl of soup on the dining table, which had become cold. It's also cow's milk stewed with flowers. It's just that my bowl doesn't have a note, there's no "less ginger, more sweet" line, and no one remembers that I've had a bad stomach lately.

“Chu Kieu, you go out first.”

Finally Tham Quyet spoke, his voice low. Chu Kieu did not move. She looked at me, her eyes from initial surprise gradually turning into scrutiny. It's like a new homeowner comes to inspect the apartment, but suddenly discovers that the old tenant hasn't moved out yet, so he begins to feel impatient.

“Why do I have to go out?”

She asked softly.

“Tham Quyet, didn't you say everything was discussed already?”

Everything has been discussed okay? Those five words were even harsher than the words "husband" just now. I sat at the dining table, suddenly feeling like an outsider. This house was decorated by me alone. The dining table is my choice. I bought the curtains. Even the lamp in the mysterious entrance took me three stores to close. But now, a seven-month pregnant woman stood in front of the door, just gently saying "it's been discussed already"... It made me look like a stubborn person who refused to leave. I laughed.

“Discuss what?”

Chu Kieu turned to look at Tham Quyet. His eyebrows frowned tightly:

"Wen Duong, it's late, let's talk about something tomorrow."

He's always like that. When you encounter a problem that is difficult to answer, you use sentences like "it's late", "I'm tired", "I'll talk about it another day" to cover it up. Four years of marriage, I'm tired of listening to it.

“So let's say it now.”

I looked at her belly.

“The child in her womb… is your child?”

The living room immediately fell silent. It was so quiet that I could clearly hear the refrigerator running. Chu Kieu's hand caressing her stomach paused. Tham Quyet did not answer immediately. But sometimes, silence is the answer. I nodded.

“How many months has it been?”

Tham Quyet said in a deep voice:

“Wen Tang.”

“Seven months?”

I looked at Chu Kieu.

“Earlier you said yourself that the baby kicked all the time, it must have been about that.”

The corner of Chu Kieu's lips moved slightly. She probably didn't expect me to be so calm. She even unconsciously arched her waist slightly, as if showing off the trophy lying in her belly.

“Yes, seven months.”

“The doctor said the baby is very healthy, it's a boy.”

I finally understand. Why has Tham Quyet often run south of the city for the past half year? Why did my mother-in-law suddenly call me last month, insinuating that I had gone for a check-up?

“Women should still have a child to maintain their position.”

She said on the phone.

"Duong Duong, don't just focus on the studio anymore. The Tham family must have an heir."

At that time, I thought she was just repeating old, familiar words. Now that I think about it... She knew much earlier than me. Perhaps everyone knows in advance. Only a righteous wife like me is blindfolded. Still foolishly spending 600,000 yuan a year to hire a private nutritionist to take care of my body. Nursing what? Nursing me… to make way for his outside woman? I stood up. The chair's legs dragged on the floor, creating a shrill sound. Finally Tham Quyet panicked.

“On Duong, please calm down.”

I looked at him.

“I'm very calm.”

Having finished speaking, I turned around and went into the kitchen. Ms. Ly was standing inside, her face free of blood, her hand still clutching the towel. She is the nutritionist I hired. More precisely... It was suggested by Tham Quyet.