Chapter 10 — My Husband's Secretary Announced Pregnancy

The next morning, I slept until I woke up. Sunlight penetrates through the gaps in the curtains and shines on the floor, creating patchy patches of light. I opened my eyes, looked at the ceiling, and for a moment I didn't even know where I was. Until I smelled the familiar breakfast that my mother often cooked, spreading in the air. I sat up and stretched. This is the best sleep I've had in five years. No nightmares, no startled waking up, no longer a man lying next to me but my heart is thousands of miles away. I walked out of the room, my father was reading the newspaper, my mother was busy in the kitchen. Seeing me, mother immediately put down the shovel.

"Are you awake? Go wash your face and finish breakfast now." She smiled, as if everything that happened last night was just a nightmare.

I nodded and went to the bathroom. The person in the mirror, although his eye bags were still slightly blue, his eyes were clear, his whole body exuded relaxation after the storm. While eating breakfast, dad pushed a file in front of me.

"This is the lawyer I found for you. The Vuong family, specializing in divorce cases and financial disputes, is very famous in this city. I briefly explained the situation, he will closely follow your case with Tram Mac from start to finish."

I opened the file and saw that lawyer Vuong's background was very impressive, he had almost never lost a case.

“Dad, thank you.” I said.

"What's the point of being polite to Dad?" Dad took a sip of soy milk. "Professional matters, let the professionals handle them. Your job now is to rest, recuperate, and stop thinking about troublesome things."

Mom gave me a fried egg and agreed:

"That's right! Even if the sky falls, there will be three of you to support it. Just consider it a long-term vacation and relax."

My heart suddenly warmed up. I know, they're afraid I'm going crazy.

“I'm okay.” I smiled. "You're not that weak. This can't knock you down."

Honestly, I don't care too much about this. For me, Tram Mac is a thing of the past. What I need to do now is plan for the future. After breakfast, lawyer Vuong called and asked me to come to his office for a meeting this afternoon. I hung up the phone and went back to the dressing room. Pulling open the closet door, inside were all the clothes I bought before getting married: office suits, long coats, beautifully designed shirts. It's all been buried at the bottom of the cupboard for the past five years. I chose a white vest dress instead. Looking at the woman in the mirror – strong, strange – I took a deep breath. To Thanh, welcome back. That afternoon, I arrived at lawyer Vuong's office on time. He was in his fifties, wore gold-rimmed glasses, looked very elegant, but his eyes were extremely sharp.

“Miss To, please sit down.” He pointed to the chair opposite.

We didn't talk much, we immediately got straight to the point. I recounted the entire incident that happened last night, along with all the evidence I had collected, detailing every clue. Lawyer Vuong listened very attentively, occasionally taking down a few notes. Waiting for me to finish speaking, he pushed his glasses back and looked at me:

"Miss Su, you did very well. The evidence you collected was extremely complete, and the logic chain was also very tight. It can be said that in this case, we have an absolute victory."

"Currently, Tram Mac is in criminal detention, the crime is unsuccessful kidnapping and extortion. This is extremely disadvantageous for him. In a civil lawsuit, the judge will lean heavily in favor of your side – the victim.”

“The divorce agreement between her and him, although signed under circumstances of threat, mainly deals with the two people's civil relations. As long as she can prove that the content of the agreement is an expression of her true will, and at the same time does not violate his basic rights - for example, she does not appropriate his private property but only divides common assets and clarifies debt - then this agreement will most likely be recognized as valid."

“Currently, the most critical issue is that five million yuan bank loan.”

Lawyer Vuong's expression became serious:

“Even though the guarantor's name is her father, because the loan occurred during the marriage, and Tram Mac will most likely argue that the money was used for the company's business activities — and the company's profits are considered common property — he will likely ask her to share responsibility, claiming that this is a common debt of husband and wife.”

I frowned — I hadn't thought of this.

“But don't worry.” Lawyer Vuong saw my concern and immediately added:

“We have enough evidence to refute it. First, she has evidence that he embezzled public funds, gambled, and proved that the borrowing motive was not pure and not entirely used for the company.

Second, she has evidence that he committed adultery during the marriage and spent a large amount of money on a third person, which can prove that he was unfaithful and committed serious errors. Third, and the most important point: she has a share transfer contract, proving that the company is 100% in his name, and has nothing to do with her and her father.

"Combining the above factors, the judge will almost certainly judge that this debt is Tram Mac's personal debt, she is not responsible for any payment."

After listening to lawyer Vuong's analysis, I finally felt relieved.

“Lawyer Vuong, so what do I need to do next?”

“You don't need to do anything.” Lawyer Vuong smiled, “Just leave everything to me. You just need to keep the phone open and wait for me to notify you.”

“Also,” he reminded, “The Tram Mac family will most likely come looking for you. I advise you, before the case ends, it's best not to have any contact with them. If they harass you, immediately report to the police.”

I nodded: "I understand." Leaving the lawyer's office, I felt like my whole body was liberated. What should be left to the professionals is certainly the right decision. I didn't go home right away but kept wandering on the street. When I passed by a real estate brokerage office, I didn't understand why I walked in.

“Hello, do you want to buy a house or rent a house?” A young employee warmly approached.

“Sell the house.” I said.

I read the information about the house that Tram Mac and I have lived in for the past five years.

“Ah, it's the Bac Nhac Phu area, right? That location is very good.” The broker's eyes lit up. “Sister, if your house is beautiful and has good floors, it will sell for a very good price right now.”

“Um.” I nodded, "I'm not in a hurry to sell, the price is reasonable. But I have a request.”

“Just say it.”

“I did not meet the buyer, nor did I negotiate the price. Everything is left to you to handle."

“Also, if anyone named Tram or a woman named Lam comes to ask about this house, do not reveal any information.”

The broker paused for a moment, but quickly understood and smiled and said:

“Don't worry, we have professional ethics and understand the rules.”

I left my contact information, then left the brokerage office. After finishing those things, I stood on the side of the road, looking at the busy traffic but suddenly didn't know where to go. When I go back to my mother's house, I'm afraid my parents will worry. Coming to the company... I had no company to return to. Five years of being a full-time housewife made my social network shrink to a frightening extent. Besides Tram Mac, besides my friends in the so-called "ladies' association", I have no one else to talk to. I suddenly felt an unprecedented vagueness and emptiness. At that moment, my phone rang. It's a strange number. I hesitated for a few seconds, then picked up the phone.

“Hello, hello.”

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, then a weak but familiar voice rang out.

“Sister To… is me, Lam Uyen.”