Chapter 13 — My House is Not a Living House

"The chat history segments provided by the plaintiff have not been clearly verified. We reserve our opinion on the authenticity of these documents."

Lawyer Chu responded immediately.

"The sender of the message is the defendant's biological mother, Ms. Tran. The recipient is the defendant's brother-in-law, Mr. Phuong. Our side has asked the court to extract the original data on the WeChat system for comparison. If the defendant still doubts the authenticity, we fully welcome the verification."

The lawyer on the other side turned to look at Tran Trac Vien. After that, nothing more was said. Next is the debate between the two sides about the asset division ratio. The entire trial lasted nearly an hour and a half. From beginning to end, Tran Trac Vien did not say a word. He just bowed his head and sat there, as if trying to endure something. Before the end of the trial, the judge announced that he would choose a date for sentencing. Stepping out of the court, the sunlight outside was so bright that it was blinding. Lawyer Chu walked next to me.

"The possibility of winning is very high. Afterwards, the opposing lawyer will have almost no effective rebuttals. Especially the conversation history, they clearly did not prepare in time."

“How long will it take for results?”

“Quickly, about two weeks.”

I nodded slightly. As I was about to walk towards the parking lot, I heard a voice from behind. It's Tran Trac Vien. He stood on the courthouse steps, a few steps away from me. His lawyer tried to pull him away but he pushed his hand away.

“Nien So, can I say a few words to you in private?”

Lawyer Chu looked at me. I don't move forward. He walked down the steps and stopped in front of me.

“I just want to ask you a question.”

“When did you stop loving me?”

I looked straight into his eyes. There was fatigue in those eyes. There is unwillingness. There is confusion. Not one bit of guilt.

“Tran Trac Vien.”

I slowly spoke up.

"The night I had a miscarriage, the nurse pushed me into the operating room. He stood in the hallway and called his mother. The first question he asked was: 'Has Vu Dong taken the child to be vaccinated today?'"

His face immediately stiffened.

“I started to stop loving you from that very moment.”

Having finished speaking, I turned around and left. Never looked back. The verdict came sooner than I expected. Eleven days later, lawyer Chu called to give the news.

“The court approved the divorce.”

“What about the house?”

"The court determined that I am entitled to sixty-two percent of the ownership. According to the current appraisal results, the house is worth three million four hundred eighty thousand, my share is two million one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred."

She paused for a moment then continued.

"Considering that I am no longer living in that house, and at the same time the other side was determined to be the at-fault party, the court decided to hand over the house to the other side's ownership. In return, they must pay me two million one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred within three months. If after the time limit and still not paying, I can request enforcement of the judgment."

“Congratulations, Niem So.”

“Thank you, Ms. Chu.”

After ending the call, I sat alone for a long time. It doesn't feel like a burden has been lifted. There is also no joy of the winner. Only left... A peace. It was like waking up from a seemingly endless dream. That night, I invited Co Thanh Van to eat hot pot. She raised her beer glass and looked I laughed.

"Lam Niem So, you are really great now. Single, have money, have a career. The title of the most desirable single girl in the city must belong to you."

I clinked glasses with her.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“I'm serious.”

She looked at me with a very sincere expression.

"You've changed so much in this year. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."

“Just being forced by life.”

“It doesn't matter if you're forced or not.”

She chewed on a cow's book and spoke, her voice still mumbling.

“As long as the results are good, it's okay.”

A week later, Tran Trac Vien transferred the first round of compensation. Eight hundred thousand. The remaining amount is divided into two payments, each exactly one month apart. Maybe he sold something, or borrowed more money to get it together. I don't ask. Don't even bother to care. Just money in your account is enough. At the same time, my career also entered its fastest stage of development. Lang Dinh project was completed and officially put into operation. On the opening day, the investor held a small ceremony, inviting a number of local media agencies to attend.