Chapter 2 — My Husband Pulled My Life Support in a Past Life

He pursed his lips, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Well, well. You spend your whole day busy with this, only to end up running such a tiny, decrepit little shop?"

"Come on, Gia Hinh. See if there are any trousers here that you like."

I cast a sidelong glance at him, offering no respect. "My shop only accepts cash. No IOUs."

His face darkened instantly, his voice rising in pitch. "Are you looking down on me?"

"Gia Hinh, just pick whatever you want! I am paying, and I’m paying in cash!"

I remained focused on my ledger, refusing to even look up. "Money borrowed from others never hurts to spend, does it?" I said coldly. "But if I remember correctly, Lam Gia Hinh, your tuition fees for the dance academy are due very soon."

The hand she had been using to finger the denim jeans froze, and she turned her head slowly to look at him.

"Hoai Hai... the tuition is one hundred yuan..."

"Then this pair of trousers..."

He immediately puffed out his chest, maintaining a facade of unyielding pride. "Buy it! If you like it, just buy it!"

He then tilted his chin toward me, filled with disdain. "Hua May, do not think that just because you have a little money, you can force us to bow to you! Gia Hinh is not like you; she is not tainted by the stench of filthy money!"

I did not feel a sliver of anger. On the contrary, I cheerfully accepted the money, counted out the exact change, and packaged the trousers for them. After all, who would ever choose to be at odds with money? Well, except for him. Before leaving, he arrogantly rapped his knuckles against my counter and lifted his chin.

"Remember to come to the provincial conference tomorrow."

"At that time, the announcement for my study-abroad scholarship will be made, along with a significant government stipend."

"Whatever I owe you, I will be able to pay off in one go."

"Open your eyes wide and watch. See how well I live without you!"

4

Indeed. Without me, could he really become a professor? I showed no emotion, merely nodding nonchalantly. The next day, he wore his most expensive Zhongshan suit, radiating an air of smug self-assurance. Today, even officials from the provincial level would be in attendance; he had no idea just how much he expected to shine. Throughout the past few months, following the broken engagement and the constant talk of borrowed money, he had endured plenty of gossip from the neighbors. He had suffered through it all just to reach this day of vindication. His mother had been bragging for half a month, telling everyone her son was going abroad, and had even invited half the street to attend. She had her pockets stuffed with celebratory candies, waiting to hand them out when the results were announced. All around, the neighbors vied to flatter him.

"I have lived all these years and haven't even stepped outside the province. Young Hoai Hai is already going abroad to study at such a young age. How talented!"

"Truly. They say when he returns, he will become a professor in the capital and lead scientific research. He will surely be on television one day!"

"Hoai Hai, when you hit it big, don't forget us! This whole neighborhood will share in your glory!"

These sycophantic words made him feel as if he were floating, as if he had already reached the pinnacle of prestige. Seeing me enter, he tilted his chin even higher, brimming with vanity.

"Next time we meet, remember to call me Professor Nghiem!"

"Look at yourself—just a common peddler. How could you ever be worthy of me?"

I was not angry, merely smiling in response. "Professor Nghiem, mind your words. This is no longer called illegal peddling; it is called business."

He huffed through his nose in contempt. "Hmph, you are certainly good at arguing! Let me tell you, from today on, no one will dare call me a traitor anymore. People will only know that you, Hua May, were never good enough for me!"

The conference began with half an hour of long-winded speeches. Then came the most important moment—the announcement of the successful candidates. A voice boomed over the microphone, reading the names one by one.

"Ky Trung, not selected."

"Vu Chan Hao, not selected."

...

"Lam Hien, selected."

Upon hearing that name, his smile grew radiant. In the previous life, only he and Lam Hien were chosen. It seemed that in this life, everything was unfolding exactly as before.

"Tuong Thien Luong, not selected."

...

"Nghiem Hoai Hai."

The very second his name was called, the entire hall turned to look at him. He stood up in excitement, straightened his collar, and stood tall with pride. As long as he was selected, he would once again be the respected Professor Nghiem from his past life. The whispers behind his back, the mounting debt, even Lam Gia Hinh's tuition—everything would be resolved in an instant. He would have a successful, fulfilling life. He couldn't even help himself, stepping forward, his eyes sweeping over me with contempt. But in the very next moment, the voice on the microphone continued:

"Not selected!"

5

He froze in place, barely able to believe his ears, his voice screaming out in panic. "What?!"

The host looked awkward and had to repeat himself. "Comrade Nghiem Hoai Hai, not selected. We apologize. Please be seated."

But he remained standing, motionless. Finally, his mother, feeling deeply humiliated, pulled him forcefully back into his seat. He slumped down, his face pale, his entire body trembling, his mouth mumbling incessantly.

"This is impossible... this cannot be..."

As soon as the results were concluded, he rushed forward, stumbling as he grabbed the head of the selection committee, Mr. Tien, questioning him immediately.

"Why is my name not there!? Why? It was clearly on the list!"

"Are you jealous because I competed with you for the committee position in the past, so you are sabotaging me now?"

He grabbed Mr. Tien’s sleeve so hard it crumpled, his frenzied words causing the man to lose his patience. Still, Mr. Tien tried to explain.

"I have no idea what nonsense you are spewing! The selection is based entirely on scores. There is only one position, and Comrade Lam Hien scored one point higher than you, so naturally, the position belongs to him."

"Hoai Hai, you came in second; that is still a very good result. You should remain calm and accept it."

But he seemed to descend further into madness.

"One position? Wasn't it two? In the past, there were clearly two!"

"How can you tell me to be calm? I have bet my entire life on this scholarship!"

"There must be a mistake! Check it again!"

Mr. Tien’s patience had run out. Seeing him so agitated, he had security guards drag him outside to avoid a disturbance. He was blocked right outside the hall, while his mother and the neighbors, feeling shamed, had long since slipped away. He sat curled in a corner of the wall, staring blankly at the study-abroad list posted on the bulletin board, laughing and crying all at once. His expensive suit was now wrinkled, his hair disheveled from the struggle, looking nothing like the noble intellectual he so prided himself on being. I stood there, watching him silently until his frantic state subsided, then stepped forward, asking calmly:

"Nghiem Hoai Hai, do you know why you were able to be selected in the previous life?"

He faltered for a moment. Then, he bolted upright, staring at me in astonishment. "The previous life? Could it be that you also..."

I smiled faintly, shaking my head, but I did not answer his question, continuing instead:

"That position was only yours because I begged for it on your behalf. From the very beginning, there was only one position."

"In that previous life, I had to kneel before Mr. Tien, begging him to consider your second-place ranking and give you a chance."

"I even offered to pay for your tuition myself. I pleaded with countless people, suffered through endless rejections, before they finally begrudgingly agreed."

"Have you never wondered why your scholarship stipend was always transferred directly into your hands?"

He immediately retorted, his voice agitated: "Impossible! You are lying! It was because of my own merit that I was selected! In that previous life, it was because you kept interfering that people spread rumors that I used back-door channels!"

I looked him straight in the eye, my expression calm, unmoved. "The first month you went abroad, the stipend was eight hundred yuan. That was all of my life savings."

"The second month, the stipend was eight hundred and fifteen yuan. You didn't want me to run a business, so I went to haul coal and pick up scraps, skipping meals to save that money."

"The third month..."

6

He seemed unable to take it anymore, screaming, "Stop! I told you to stop! You are talking nonsense!"

"It's all lies, deceit..."

But his voice grew weaker and thinner as he spoke. He knew it in his heart—throughout his time abroad, he had never sent me a single letter. How else could I know such intimate details? There was only one possibility—I was telling the truth. But he refused to believe it.

"You have had a high sense of pride since you were young, so I hid everything to save face for you. But what then?"

"You returned from abroad and looked at me like I was a shallow, countrified woman, your eyes full of disgust."

"You mocked me for only caring about money, for being uneducated. You even forbade me from entering your study."

"When I was on my deathbed, struggling with all my might to live, it was your own hand that pushed me into the abyss."

My chest heaved violently. The bitterness and agony of my previous life, long choked in my heart, could not be contained, manifesting only as tears falling down my cheeks.

"Nghiem Hoai Hai, everything happening to you now is karma! You deserve this!"

I turned my back and walked away, not bothering to look at him again. I had only taken two steps when his arrogant voice echoed from behind:

"Do you think this is enough to make me bow to you? Keep dreaming!"

"Even without you, even without being a professor, I will still live a successful, fulfilling life in this world!"

"Lam Gia Hinh is beautiful, gentle, dances, and is a high school graduate—she is a thousand times better than you!"

"Just wait and see. In this life, you are still not worthy of me!"

Very well. I will wait and see.

"Little May, I know a boy at the government propaganda department, a decent and honest fellow. Why don't you meet him this weekend?"

I shook my head, smiling as I tucked a pair of socks into Auntie Trieu’s bag. "Auntie, my media shop just opened; I have no mind for such things right now. Regardless, thank you for your concern and for always supporting the shop."

"These are new socks from Canton; I'm giving you a pair to see how comfortable they are!"

Auntie Trieu pretended to be angry, flicking my forehead gently. "You silly girl! But it is for the best. It's a blessing you didn't marry that Nghiem Hoai Hai. Otherwise, how could you be living so well right now?"

Auntie Trieu leaned in, lowering her voice to gossip. "Well, that day he brought a whole crowd to watch him get the study-abroad spot, and he failed. How shameful! And before that, he used that excuse to borrow money everywhere—he's in a mountain of debt now!"

"Now, he's been assigned as a primary school teacher with a salary of only fifty yuan a month. Who knows when he will ever pay back those debts?"

"People have offered him side jobs, and he says he is being insulted and refuses to do them! Truly, he keeps his eyes fixed on the heavens while his own kitchen has no rice left."

It really is not good to speak ill of others behind their backs. No sooner had we mentioned him than he walked directly into my shop, head bowed. Without a word, he rapped hard on the counter, commanding:

"Hua May, come out here for a moment."

What? He tells me to come out, so I must? He truly was used to treating me like his unpaid servant in the last life! I kept my face cold, refusing to look at him.

"The shop is busy; I cannot step out. If you have something to say, say it here."

He had not expected such a blunt refusal, and for a moment, he was choked, unable to speak. Finally, he fumbled with his leather bag, pulling out a plastic bag containing the jeans he had bought for Lam Gia Hinh earlier.

"Help me return these."

7

I glanced up, my voice indifferent. "I cannot return them. This pair of trousers has already had the tags removed, and they have been worn and washed."

But he would not accept it. "On what grounds can you not return them? These trousers have only been worn a few times! Why won't you take them back?"

"Hua May, do not let love turn to spite. Because you couldn't have me, you start targeting me?"

Before I could even defend myself, Auntie Trieu stood in front of the counter, arms akimbo, pointing her finger right in his face and berating him.

"Nghiem Hoai Hai, do you have any shame left? Who returns clothes after they’ve been worn and washed?"

"Do you see little Hua May as an easy target and want to scam her for money?"

"Love turning to spite? Pfft! Where do you get the nerve?"

"She runs two shops now and is on her way to becoming a millionaire. There are countless people lining up to know her!"