Chapter 14 — My Husband Wants AA, I'm Thinking About Divorce

His hand rested on the agreement. But don't open it. Sit still for a minute. He picked up his pen. Flip to the last page. Sign your name down. Then close it. Push towards me. I put the agreement in my pocket. I turned my head to look at him.

“How are you going to live?”

“Living my own life.”

“Alone?”

“It's good to be alone.”

I pushed open the coffee shop door. The autumn wind immediately rushed in. Walk about twenty steps. I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. But he didn't chase. Trieu Tung Nha's car was parked on the side of the road. She was leaning against the car door looking at her phone. See me coming. She raised her head.

“Submit the application to the civil service tomorrow.”

“Get the certificate.”

She opened the car door for me.

“Lam Niem So.”

“Congratulations.”

Date of receipt of divorce certificate. It's a beautiful sunny day. Step out of the Civil Affairs Department. Tran Khai Chu stood next to me on the steps. Two people standing shoulder to shoulder. But they are no longer husband and wife. He suddenly spoke up.

“When did you become so good?”

“I'm always the same.”

“I just haven't seen it before.”

He was silent for a moment.

“Co Minh's project…”

“I told you about him before.”

“But I don't care.”

“I never paid attention.”

The corner of his lips twitched slightly. Then he pursed his lips tightly.

“I don't need you anymore.”

In that statement. There is self-mockery. There is regret. And there is something else. I didn't reply. Just turned around and left. Tham Nhuoc Dong is waiting at the beginning of the street. Seeing the red book in my hand. She said nothing. Just drive me to the noodle shop that we often visited in college. Each person has a bowl of beef noodles. Eat half a bowl. She just asked:

“Do you have any plans for the future?”

"At present, complete Co Minh's project."

“After that he wanted to invite me to officially join the studio.”

“As partners.”

Tham Nhuoc Dong opened his eyes wide.

“It's one of the best brand design studios in Hangzhou.”

She put down her chopsticks. Look at me very seriously.

“You deserve it.”

She picked up the entire bowl and drank the broth. The house issue was resolved a month after the divorce. According to agreement. Tran Khai Chu refunded me my parents' house deposit. Money for interior repairs. The corresponding added value. Along with family labor compensation of 80,000 yuan. I received 790,000 yuan. The money was transferred to the account one morning in early winter. I looked at the bank notification that appeared on the screen. After a long time, he smiled softly. That's not divorce money. It's money for the years I was taken for granted. And finally. I reclaimed it myself. I used that money to pay the deposit for a new house. It was Tham Nhuoc Dong who helped me find it. A small apartment located near the cultural creative park. Area sixty-five square meters. One bedroom. A living room. Attached is a private office. The light is extremely beautiful. About three o'clock in the afternoon. The entire wall was bathed in warm yellow sunlight. I moved the drawing table in. Install computer. Build an electronic drawing board. The wall remains blank. Pure white. What do you want to hang later? Then hang that thing. Moving day. Tham Nhuoc Dong helped me transport the last box. Then stand in the middle of the empty living room and look around.

“Missing a sofa set.”

“Buy next week.”

“There's a vase missing flower."

“You gave it to me?”

She laughed. As he walked out the door, he looked back and said:

“Now is where you should be living.”

The door closed. The whole room fell into silence. There is no football commentary. There was no sound of Mrs. Luu Que Phuong's chatter. There is no sound from Tran Vu Vy's short video on speakerphone. Only the sound of leaves rustling came from outside the window. I sat down on the floor. Lean your back against the wall. Look at the white wall opposite. Four years ago. When moving into that eighty-eight square meter apartment. I used to think it was home. But actually it's not. It was just a shell that Tran Khai Chu and his family needed. Just a multi-purpose accessory inside. The person who cooks rice. People who wash clothes. The person who welcomes the husband's parents. The person who fills numbers into a spreadsheet. Accessories have left. The shell is still there. But it has nothing to do with me anymore. Three months later. Co Minh's cultural tourism project was officially completed.