Chapter 4 — My Husband and My Best Friend

Wearing that looks utterly ridiculous. If you like it, wear it yourself; anyway, I have no interest in it.

When I had asked him, he answered with utter indifference, before snapping at me in annoyance.

Do not meddle in my affairs, Nhat Nhat.

Yet, half an hour earlier, while we were still in the car, I had overheard Tran Van bringing it up.

That night was so overwhelmingly wild that even Tam lost his ring.

You must have noticed it by now, right? I was worrying over nothing back then, fearing you would throw a massive tantrum.

Giang Nhat, a woman like you truly deserves this fate.

Madam Giang, let us discuss the upcoming treatment plan for Lam.

The chief physician attending to Lam Tam summoned me to his office. We conversed for a long time. I verified with him repeatedly.

Is there any significant chance he will regain consciousness?

Judging by his current condition, the probability is quite low, though miracles can occasionally happen.

Furthermore, his kidney has already been removed, and his liver suffered severe damage. Even if he were to wake up, his outlook would hardly be favorable.

Does your family wish to continue treatment, or else...

Before the doctor could finish, I broke down in agonizing tears. Just at that moment, police officers arrived at the hospital to take my statement. Upon witnessing my devastation, they waited outside the door for a very long time. Finally, I stood up with swollen, tear-stained eyes and bowed deeply to the doctor.

Thank you all for your trouble. But while he was alive, he was a man who cared deeply about his pride. We...

We will not continue the treatment. I want to take him home.

Having said that, I collapsed in a faint. When I came to, the police had already departed, leaving a message instructing me to come to the precinct to give my statement once I had handled the arrangements. I nodded numbly, then proceeded to pull the oxygen tube from Lam Tam with my own hands. Once it was done, unable to bear the sight any longer, I stepped out of the ward. Eventually, the physician pronounced him dead and issued his death certificate. Lam Tam's entire existence was now reduced to a single flimsy sheet of paper. Thinking about it now, it was truly tragic. When I arrived at the police station to provide my testimony, Tran Van was already there. Her gaze was venomous as she suddenly pointed a trembling finger straight at me.

It was her! This was all her calculated scheme! She was the one who tipped off my husband and sent him there.

Officer, I suspect her of instigating murder. She wanted to destroy us all, she is seeking revenge!

I only asked him to come and pick his wife up.

I explained through a fresh cascade of tears. Yet Tran Van refused to believe a word.

You knew perfectly well that Lam Tam and I had booked a room, so why on earth did you call him?

The moment those words left her mouth, everyone present in the room gasped in astonishment. I slowly shook my head, offering no further explanations, and looked toward the officers with a pitiful, wounded expression.

Officer, please investigate this thoroughly.

During the formal interrogation, I recounted everything within my knowledge, including the conversation between the two of them that I had overheard inside the private dining room. When the police questioned why I had notified Tieu Huc, I replied with absolute sincerity.

I could not stop my husband from going, so I simply wanted her husband to come and take her away.

I never imagined he would commit such an act. I truly had no idea.

I merely wanted to save my marriage. I simply loved my husband far too much.

Every single person who had been present in that private room was summoned to the station to give their testimonies. In unison, they all attested to the fact that I was head over heels in love with Lam Tam.

Giang Nhat has always been inherently timid and submissive. Even if Lam Tam were to commit adultery right before her eyes, she would only endure it in silence.

She loved Lam Tam to the point of obsession; she could never have actively plotted to harm him.

In truth, the affair between Lam Tam and Tran Van was already an open secret to everyone. Yet Giang Nhat trusted Lam Tam so blindly that she never once harbored any doubts.

She has depended entirely on Lam Tam ever since their high school days. Without him, she simply cannot survive.

Since I possessed no active intent to incite the crime, and moreover failed to prevent it in time due to the suddenness of the events, I was released later that evening. I went straight to the funeral home. Lam Tam lay inside the freezing casket, his eyes closed in serene repose. In truth, he was quite a handsome man. I should select a flattering portrait for his altar. Or perhaps I could simply use one from our high school days, allowing all of this to conclude right where it began.

Miss, we must ask you to settle the charges. Our cryo-casket rental is four hundred yuan per day.

When do you plan to have Mr. Lam cremated?

The staff member's voice jolted me back to reality. I murmured a brief confirmation. After paying the fees, I instructed them to proceed with his cremation as swiftly as possible, and then returned alone to our matrimonial home. The apartment had been purchased by Lam Tam himself. The deed bore both of our names. The mortgage had been paid off long ago because he genuinely earned a substantial income. I stood on the balcony, gazing out at the flowing river. A memory surfaced of the day we first bought the apartment, when Lam Tam had excitedly pulled me into his arms and spun me around right here in this very spot.

I shall remain at your service forever, Miss Giang Nhat.

Back then, every word he spoke was true. And I had believed it with all my heart. Therefore, even when he strayed, it could only ever be an infidelity committed entirely in service of me. Early the following morning, I sought out an attorney, initiating the legal procedures to inherit Lam Tam's estate. The assets registered under his name were quite considerable. Furthermore, he had no living parents, and we had no children together. The lawyer informed me:

You are the sole legal heir to Mr. Lam's estate.

A profound sense of relief washed over me, and I let out a long, quiet breath.