Chapter 15 — One month before the wedding, the doctor gave me a piece of paper

“Follow until the end.”

“Are you sure?”

His voice was completely serious.

“Once the case turns criminal, it will no longer be your personal matter.”

“The reaction from Tran Due will be even more intense.”

"Tomorrow I will send a complaint and related contacts to the prosecutor's office."

After hanging up. I sit in front of the window. Outside is the quiet night of this small city. Three years ago. When meeting Tran Due. I am twenty-six years old. I thought life was finally about to stabilize. Buy a house and pay slowly in installments. On weekends we go to the park together. A life that can be seen to the end of the road. But there are people. It is not worthy of appearing in a peaceful life. Peace has been broken. Then it's broken. Start again from the beginning. The following days passed at breakneck speed. Co Tham sent a complaint about the false invoice case. Chu Vy Vy applied for a retrial. Luu Uyen Nhi officially signed the witness statement. Doctor Lam returned to work. She also sent me a message:

“To Niem, come on.”

Everything is progressing according to plan. Then the real storm came. Three days before trial. I received a call. The name appeared on the screen: I unblocked his number. That is Co Tham's advice. During the proceedings, do not block the opponent. Who knows, maybe he'll say something that shouldn't be said. But those words... can all become evidence. Tran Due's voice is very different from before. No more gentleness. No longer angry. There was only a kind of cold, terrifying calmness left.

“Last chance.”

“Withdraw the lawsuit.”

“No withdrawal.”

“You know the consequences.”

“Let me try.”

“Your little lawyer, Co Tham.”

“I have investigated.”

“In his seven years in Beijing, he once handled a case.”

“His client then changed his statement, accusing him of leading the evidence collection process.”

"Even though in the end there was no penalty, the bar association still has a record."

My fingers tightened on the phone.

“Are you going to use that to threaten him?”

“Not a threat.”

“Just to remind you.”

“Your lawyer is not clean either.”

“Think about it.”

“If when it comes time to go to court, the other side's lawyer brings this up to cause trouble, how will the judge perceive it?”

I hung up. Immediately call Co Tham.

“Tran Due said that when he was in Beijing, he used to…”

“I know.”

He interrupted.

“Is that true?”

“But you never led the collection of evidence.”

“That client changed his testimony because the other side offered him five hundred thousand yuan in settlement money.”

“Bar Association Three-Month Investigation.”

“The final conclusion is that there was no violation.”

“There are only two items left in the file: receiving the complaint and canceling the complaint.”

“So he brought this up…”

“No effect.”

Co Tham's voice was very calm.

“In the courtroom, that kind of thing doesn't create any stir.”

“He was just trying to scare you.”

“I'm not threatened.”

“I know.”

He was silent for a bit.

“He still has other cards.”

“Prepare yourself mentally.”

“I'm ready.”

Two days before trial. My mother called. Her voice was a bit tense.

“Nien Niem, Tran Due comes to my house.”

“He was carrying a carton of milk and two cigarettes.”

“I said I came to apologize.”

“Your father kicked me out.”

“What did he say?”

“He said if you will withdraw the lawsuit, he is willing to compensate fifty thousand yuan."

“Fifty thousand?”

I laughed.

“Do you know what my father said?”

“Your father asked: ‘Is your son worth only fifty thousand?’”

“And then threw the milk carton out the door.”

I couldn't help but laugh.

“Mom, help me thank you, Dad.”

“Nem Niem.”

Mother's voice lowered.

“It won't do anything foolish, will it?”

"No."

“I have a lawyer.”

“Is Lawyer Co... trustworthy?”

"Credible."

“I'm with him…”

Mom hesitated.

“It's not just a lawyer and a client, right?”

“I was just asking.”

“For now, that's still the case.”

“What about later?”

I stopped.

“Let's figure out what happens next.”

I hung up. The night before the trial opened. I'm preparing clothes for the next day. The doorbell rang. As a delivery staff.

“Miss To Niem, right? There is your parcel.”

It's a pretty big box. I brought it into the house and opened it. Inside is a brand new dark blue business suit. Exquisite tailoring. Soft material. At the bottom of the box there is a small card. Written on it:

“Wear this tomorrow.”

“Blue will make you look calmer in the courtroom.”