Chapter 1 — My House is Not a Living House

My House Is Not a House to Stay in, The third time my brother-in-law insisted on bringing his suitcase to my house to stay in, I didn't argue another word. I quietly submitted my resignation. Seven days later, the phone suddenly rang. Husband's WeChat messages appear on the screen.

"If you still don't want to go home, let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau."

At 2:30 that afternoon, I was finalizing the final design plan with the client when the phone on the table vibrated continuously. I bent down to look. It was my mother-in-law calling. At this hour, she took the initiative to call, certainly nothing good happened. I asked the customer's permission and then walked into the hallway to answer the phone. On the other end of the phone, the mother-in-law's voice was full of excitement.

"Nien So, there's good news! Vu Dong is pregnant again, this time it's twins!"

I tightened my grip on the phone. No response. She continued speaking as if everything had been decided in advance.

"So this time he'll come over to your house to stay."

"If you have twins, you'll definitely have to use two rooms. Take the time to clean up first, they'll come over next week."

That's the announcement. No need to ask for advice.

"Mom, I don't agree."

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.

"What did you just say?"

"I said no."

"This time Vu Dong cannot come."

The mother-in-law's voice immediately changed to high-pitched.

"Lam Niem So! Do you still have a conscience?"

"Vu Dong is your husband's younger sister. How about helping her stay in confinement?"

I didn't say another word. Hang up directly. The fingertips still trembled non-stop. I opened WeChat and sent Tran Trac Vien a message.

"My mother said that Vu Dong wanted to stay there again. I refused."

Message sent. No response. Still as silent as a stone sinking to the bottom of the sea. At seven o'clock in the evening, I arrived home. Tran Trac Vien is sitting on the sofa in the living room. His face was gloomy and scary. As soon as he saw me enter, he immediately stood up.

"Nien So, Vu Dong booked a plane ticket for next Thursday. You should clean the spare bedroom first."

I put my bag on the shoe cabinet by the door.

"I said I don't agree. Didn't you read the message?"

"She is my sister."

"Is there anything wrong with going to my brother's house to stay?"

I looked straight at him.

"You are my wife."

"Have you ever asked my opinion?"

Tran Trac Vien waved his hand.

"There's nothing to ask."

"Just over forty days."

Just over forty days. Three years ago... You said this exact thing. One year ago... He did the same thing again. And today... It was the third time. Every time it's "just over forty days". But it was that period of "more than forty days"... That almost took my life. That night, I lay with my eyes open staring at the ceiling until four in the morning. When the alarm went off the next morning... I made a decision. I must disappear. My name is Lam Niem So, 31 years old this year. Currently I am the key interior designer of an architectural design institute in the city. Monthly salary 22,000 yuan. In a second-class city, such an income is considered quite good. Tran Trac Vien was a class older than me in college. He studied Architecture. After graduating, he pursued me for more than a year, and I finally agreed. We dated for two years and then registered our marriage. He works as a project manager at a state-owned real estate enterprise, with a monthly salary of about 16,000 yuan. In the third year after the wedding, my husband's parents contributed 200,000 yuan, and my parents provided additional support. 300,000 yuan, plus the money the couple had saved. We finally bought a 130 square meter apartment with three bedrooms and two living rooms in the south of the city. At that time, I naively thought that my life was stable. Just working peacefully and living each day is enough. But that all started to change three years ago. That year, Tran Trac Vien's younger sister, Tran Vu Dong, became pregnant. Vu Dong is four years younger than me. Just twenty-four years old, she married Phuong Cam Than, a construction materials trader. After getting married, she quit her job completely. Every day, her personal page is filled with photos of afternoon tea, beauty, and vacation travel. When I was six months pregnant, my mother-in-law called me.

"Nien So, my mother's old house is only more than seventy square meters. Vu Dong's confinement will be very cramped and inconvenient in every way."

"Your house is big with three bedrooms and two living rooms. Let him live there."

At that time, I had just discovered that I was more than two months pregnant. Morning sickness is so severe that every day I vomit green bile and yellow bile. But... Thinking about keeping peace with my mother-in-law. I think Vu Dong is Tran Trac Vien's only sister. In the end I still nodded.

"Yes mom, just tell Vu Dong to come here."

When I said that sentence... I was completely surprised. That nod... became the beginning of a series of days that made me regret the most in my life. My name is Lam Niem So, 31 years old this year. Currently I am the key interior designer of an architectural design institute in the city. Monthly salary 22,000 yuan. In a second-class city, such an income is considered quite good. Tran Trac Vien was a class older than me in college. He studied Architecture. After graduating, he pursued me for more than a year, and I finally agreed. We dated for two years and then registered our marriage. He works as a project manager at a state-owned real estate enterprise, with a monthly salary of about 16,000 yuan. In the third year after the wedding, my husband's parents contributed 200,000 yuan, my parents supported an additional 300,000 yuan, plus the money the couple had saved. We finally bought a 130 square meter apartment with three bedrooms and two living rooms in the south of the city. At that time, I naively thought that my life was stable. Just working peacefully and living each day is enough. But that all started to change three years ago. That year, Tran Trac Vien's younger sister, Tran Vu Dong, became pregnant. Vu Dong is four years younger than me. Just twenty-four years old, she married Phuong Cam Than, a construction materials trader. After getting married, she quit her job completely. Every day, her personal page is filled with photos of afternoon tea, beauty, and vacation travel. When I was six months pregnant, my mother-in-law called me.

"Nien So, my mother's old house is only more than seventy square meters. Vu Dong's confinement will be very cramped and inconvenient in every way."

"Your house is big with three bedrooms and two living rooms. Let him live there."

"Yes mom, just tell Vu Dong to come here."

When I say that... I am completely unexpected. That nod... became the beginning of a series of days that made me regret the most in my life.