Chapter 9 — One Key, Turns the Whole Family Over

Chu Hao's phone was confiscated, and my phone was also taken. We were completely cut off from the outside world. Chu Duc Minh sat with his eyes closed but his jaw was tight, clearly waiting. He couldn't bear to wait until I handed over the album. Chu Hao was like a caged animal, pacing back and forth in the living room. Every time he looked at me, his eyes were filled with hatred.

“To Van, I'll ask for the last time, where are the things?”

I sat on a small chair, bowed my head and remained silent. The album is hidden under the mattress of the extra room's bed. If you say it now, it's only death.

“You think if you don't say something, we'll be helpless.” Chu Hao laughed coldly, "Tomorrow, send the old lady to the mental hospital. My father has guardianship. That will is just a piece of paper. At that time, you didn't have a penny, so you left the house empty-handed."

I still didn't say anything, because I knew that opening my mouth one more word would mean putting myself in a dead end. My silence completely angered him, making the atmosphere tense and suffocating. He rushed forward to make a move, but Chu Duc Minh yelled at him to stop, his eyes were as cold as ice.

“That's enough, don't act like a thug, just let him endure and see how long he stays hard.”

The air in the living room was so thick that it was difficult to breathe, everything seemed compressed in heavy silence. The mother-in-law was pressed down on the sofa by sister Liu. She bowed her head and could not see her face clearly, but her body still trembled slightly. I looked at her, filled with guilt, feeling like I had pulled her into this abyss. We are now like fish in a bowl, with no way out. Time passes second by second as slowly as torture, each minute feels terrifyingly long. Dinner was food ordered out, simple lunch boxes, but no one was in the mood to use chopsticks. After eating, sister Liu forced me back to the room and pulled the sofa to block the door, completely cutting off the way. I lay in bed, looking at the ceiling, my mind racing to find a way out. Reporting to the police was also not possible because the phone was confiscated and the landline line was also unplugged. Sitting and waiting to die is even more impossible because tomorrow morning they will take her mother-in-law away and it will all be over. I have to find a way to send a signal out at all costs, even if it's just a small ray of hope. I looked out the window, the sixteenth floor was so high that it was impossible to climb down. As the night deepened, the snores of Chu Duc Minh and Chu Hao could be heard outside the living room. Sister Luu also seemed to be asleep. I gently walked to the window and opened a small crack to let the cold wind rush in. I looked down at the stream of cars below, the lights running endlessly, and I suddenly felt despair. At that moment, on the opposite side of the building, a window suddenly flashed and then went out. I froze, thinking I was mistaken, but a few seconds later the light flashed again. Then there are short and long flashes with clear rules. That's not random, it's a signal, a form of code. I don't understand the specifics, but I know someone is trying to contact me. It was Lao Ly and lawyer Truong, they had come and were observing from the opposite side. My heart beat fiercely, hope flared up like fire in the dark night. I had to respond, even though I didn't have a flashlight or anything specialized. I looked around the room, my eyes stopping at the table lamp. I pulled the light out to the window, using a pillow to block out the light, revealing only a small ray of light going out. I didn't know how to answer, so I just imitated the rhythm of the signal I just saw. I repeated it many times, heartbroken box to the point of suffocation. The light on the other side was silent for a moment, then blinked rapidly and then turned off completely. Like an answer: received. I dropped my pillow and sat down on the floor, tears silently flowing from my eyes. I'm not alone anymore. The sky brightened very quickly after an almost sleepless night. Chu Duc Minh woke up early, looked at the clock and smiled like someone who is sure of victory.

“The hospital car will arrive at nine o'clock.”

He stepped in front of me, looking down from above as if judging.

"To Van, now that we've delivered the things, we're still family, as if nothing had happened."

That's the final ultimatum. Just as I was about to open my mouth to prolong it, the doorbell suddenly rang. Everyone stopped, no one expected someone to come at this time. Chu Hao went out the door and looked through the cat's eyes, his face immediately turned pale.

“Dad… is a police officer.”

Those two words seemed to explode in the stuffy room. Chu Duc Minh's face turned pale in an instant, his eyes immediately locked on me.

“You called the police.” his voice gritted through his teeth.

I shook my head, my expression still showing surprise and confusion. The doorbell continued to ring every time.

“What are you standing there for? Go open the door.” Chu Duc Minh shouted softly, his hands shaking slightly.

Chu Hao trembled as he opened the door. Two uniformed policemen stood outside, their solemn eyes scanning the room.

"We received a report that someone was illegally detained. I would like to ask if To Van is here."

I immediately stood up, my voice trembling as if I was about to cry.

“It's me, I'm To Van.”