Chapter 11 — Mother's Last Painting

"What if I don't do it?" Her voice lowered. "Then just wait until you lose your job. Oh yes, your aunt and uncle are in the hospital right now. Mom cried until she almost fainted, saying you harmed the family. What a dutiful niece you are." The call was disconnected. I stood outside the door of the restoration center, the sunlight shining on the steps was so bright it was blinding. Tieu Duong chased after me. She shoved a bottle of water into my hand. "I don't believe you would do such a thing. Last time you helped me repair my grandmother's photo frame, I worked until nine o'clock at night without taking a dime. You're not like the person they say." I received the water bottle. "Thank you." Tieu Duong lowered her voice. "But you have to be careful. Just now, someone came to the director's office, apparently Tham Minh Trach. He said he wanted to talk to you on behalf of his family." I turned my head. Tham Minh Trach stood behind the glass door, next to the center director. Normally, the director rarely met ordinary employees, but at this time he was extremely polite to Tham Minh Trach. Tham Minh Trach walked towards me. "Thanh Thanh, find a place to talk." I said: "Let's talk here." He frowned. "Do I have to do this for everyone to know?" I laughed. "Wasn't the video posted by you guys?" His expression was strained. "Uyen Uyen was also forced to the limit." Tieu Duong couldn't help but say: "If you are forced to the limit, can you fabricate slander?" Tham Minh Trach looked at her. "This is our family affair." Tieu Duong still wanted to say, but I pulled her back. Tham Minh Trach gave me a set of documents. "Sign. As long as you sign, the video will be immediately deleted, and Lam Hao's case will be resolved. Your job will be kept, and your aunt and uncle won't have to be caught in the middle." I bowed my head and looked. Commitment paper. I voluntarily handed over the Hua family's house to my cousin Tham Minh Trach to manage on my behalf, and the objects in the backyard will be jointly maintained by the Tham family. Below is one more thing. I admit that in the past, because I lost control of my emotions, I hurt Lam Uyen and voluntarily publicly apologized. I closed the document. "I've already prepared this." Tham Minh Trach said: "This is the best way." I asked: "Best for whom?" "For everyone," he said. I looked at him. "What about you?" He lost patience. "Don't always think only about yourself. You have a house and things your mother left behind. What does Uyen Uyen have? She only has this baby." I said: "She still has you." Tham Minh Trach was silent. I tore the document in half. His expression changed. The director just walked out and frowned when he saw that scene. "Hua Thanh Thanh, what are you doing?" Tham Minh Trach immediately said: "Director, I'm sorry that things at home have affected everyone. Thanh Thanh has been spoiled since childhood, so she doesn't understand how things work." The director's eyes looked at me even colder. "Hua Thanh Thanh, you are temporarily suspended from work. Wait for the matter to be resolved before continuing." Tieu Duong panicked. "Director, you can't just listen to one side." The director said: "Do you also want to be suspended?" Tieu Duong did not dare to speak anymore. Tham Minh Trach picked up the torn piece of paper. "Thanh Thanh, I will come back and beg you." I walked down the steps. A black car stopped on the side of the road. The window rolled down and Aunt Chu sat in the back seat. "Get in the car." After I got in the car, she looked at the leave application in my hand. "Suspended?" I nodded. Aunt Chu said: "It's good, I don't have to do chores for others every day." I said: "Aunt Chu, I want to deal with the online matter first." Aunt Chu gave me a bag of documents. "See this first." Inside is an old photo. In the photo, my parents are standing in front of the yard, second uncle and second aunt are also there. On the back was my mother's writing. The house in Thanh Thanh's name was assigned to Quoc Cuong to temporarily manage, objects in the backyard were not allowed to be touched. There is also a copy of the power of attorney from that year. Aunt Chu said: "This is just the first copy. The original is with me. You and I signed it." I looked at that text. "He never told me." Aunt Chu said: "He's afraid that once he's made it clear, he can't continue to confuse things anymore." The car returned to the house. Several people stood outside the courtyard door, holding up their phones to film. Lam's mother sat on the doorstep crying. "My poor daughter, while pregnant, was kicked out of the house." Lam Uyen stood beside her mother in a coat, her face as pale as if she had just been powdered. Tham Minh Trach stood in the yard. When he saw me returning, he lowered his voice. "I still have time to sign now." I said: "Get out of the way." He blocked the door. "Hua Thanh Thanh, don't force me." Aunt Chu got out of the car. "Forcing you to do what? Forcing you to return the house or forcing you to become a human being?" The onlookers began to talk. Someone recognized me. "It's her, the ungrateful girl in the video." "You look so young but you have such a cruel heart." "This pregnant woman was also forced into this by her." Lam Uyen's tears immediately flowed down. "Thanh Thanh, I know you hate me, but the baby is innocent. Can you let me stay in the backyard to raise my child? I beg you." Having finished speaking, she intended to kneel down. Tham Minh Trach quickly helped. "Lam Uyen!"