Chapter 1 — Mother's Long Minh Lamp

1My mother's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. She coughed up blood. The doctor said she had to have surgery immediately. I called my boyfriend in another province. He is a famous doctor and the only one who can save my mother. After listening, he didn't say much and immediately set off. But halfway through, he said he had an unexpected surgery and couldn't turn back. I sat down in the hospital hallway in despair, calling him over and over again. Looking at my mother lying on the hospital bed, her heart beat became weaker and weaker, and I was helpless. Only on the 99th call did he answer the phone. My voice trembled, almost begging: "Tong Han Thinh, my mother is in critical condition, only you can save me. I beg you, come home quickly!" He was silent for a long time, in the end without saying a word, he coldly hung up. Right after that, I saw a photo posted on the social network of the little sister who followed him to study medicine: a plate of golden omelets, along with the provocative text: 【Some trouble today, luckily my senior brother was by my side, even comforting me.】 It turned out that the so-called "unscheduled surgery" was actually just cleaning up a mess for her. He abandoned me in the most desperate moment, to go cook for another woman. My mother's heart on the screen gradually turned into a straight line. At that moment, my heart stopped beating. The doctor took off his mask, was drenched in sweat, and sighed in comfort: "We have tried our best, Lam Nam, please suppress the pain." Everyone's eyes looked at me with both pity and sadness. Everyone knows that the only person who could save my mother - Tong Han Thinh, was with her sister at that time. On the hospital bed, mother closed her eyes tightly, her face pale. I don't dare look. Wiping her tears, she trembled and called him again. But all I got in response was a cold female voice: "The subscriber you just dialed is currently unreachable." I collapsed on my mother's body, crying until I was hoarse, begging her to open her eyes and look at me one last time. The sound of crying made my legs weak and I knelt on the cold tile floor. Through my tears, I saw a photo taken together on the nightstand: me, my mother and Tong Han Thinh. That photo, my mother had saved her whole life, but that day she even hired a professional photographer, just because I was taking him home to show her off for the first time. I struggled to take my mother to the crematorium, watching her turn into ashes, leaving only a compact box in my hand. After the funeral ended, Tong Han Thinh called back. "Lam Nam, what are you doing? Why didn't you reply to the message?" I no longer had the strength to speak. After he finished venting his anger, he hung up. I opened my phone and looked at the message he sent: 【Nguyet Nguyet has something going on, she's not in a good mood. You have to comfort her, and when it's done, you'll come home right away. I asked another doctor to take care of you first.】 The message was sent… two days ago. But at that time, my mother was already dead. My heart ached again. I opened Diep Thanh Nguyet's personal page. In just three days, she posted no less than ten posts: from when the surgery went wrong, boasting that Tong Han Thinh protected her, to when he asked for leave to take her to the beach for a walk. Friends' comments are all dark: 【Someone once said, they won't go to the kitchen for the rest of their life, right?】 【This time is special.】 Below the article, is my answer. My eyes felt like they were being cut by a knife. That's right, in everyone's eyes, Diep Thanh Nguyet and his brother are opposites, have similar careers, and have similar interests. If she hadn't gone abroad that year, he and she would have been a perfect couple. As for me, I'm just a reluctant replacement. After my mother passed away, I realized - the replacement will always be the first to be abandoned. I picked up the phone and quickly typed a few words: 【Tong Han Thinh, cancel the marriage. We broke up.】 Before waiting for a response, I deleted all contact. Returning to the apartment I lived in with him for eight years, I cleaned out everything related to him. Eight

years of love, in the end there was only a small suitcase left. I hugged my mother's ashes box and firmly closed the door behind me. While leaving, I also stopped by the temple. When my mother became seriously ill, I used up half of my savings to light a lamp for her. Now it's time to return it. But unexpectedly, there I met him and Diep Thanh Nguyet. "Senior brother, you are very kind. I just said that I wanted to light the lamp, but you really brought me here." "I heard that the lamps here are very difficult to ask for, each lamp has its owner. If the previous person knew we turned off their lamp, would they be angry?" He patted her head, his voice gentle: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."