Chapter 6 — One month before the wedding, the doctor gave me a piece of paper

That very day, the article surpassed one hundred thousand reads. I sat in my office, watching the numbers continuously increase on my phone screen. A colleague ran over.

"To Niem, have you read this article? Everyone is sharing it loudly!"

"I'm so angry! That man is truly no better than a beast!"

I said nothing. In the afternoon, things developed far beyond my expectations. The Health Committee posted an official announcement:

"After the verification process, we confirmed that Dr. Lam Tri Vi's behavior, although procedurally inappropriate, stemmed from good will to protect patient rights and in fact prevented a potential health risk."

"After review, it was decided to cancel the suspension of Dr. Lam Tri Vi and restore her to normal work."

"At the same time, we will optimize the information provision mechanism in premarital examination based on the issues reflected from this case."

I immediately took a screenshot of the notification and sent it to Lam Tri Vi. Not long after, she texted back:

“Thank you, To Niem.”

Accompanied by a smiley face. I answer with two words:

“It's worth it.”

Return home at night. I moved back to my apartment a long time ago. Tran Due's belongings were also taken away by his mother. Right in front of the door there is a bouquet of flowers. No cards. No signature. Next to it there is also a file bag. I squatted down and opened it to look. Inside is a set of pre-printed documents. Title reads:

“About the debt dispute during the marriage between Tran Due and Chu Vy Vy.”

I quickly skimmed through the content. Tran Due and Chu Vy Vy got married in 2019. Divorced in 2021. The reason for divorce was not only because of infertility. But also because of debt. While the marriage still existed, Tran Due used his wife's name to borrow three hundred thousand yuan to bet. Chu Vy Vy had to bear that debt of three hundred thousand yuan. After the divorce, she sued Tran Due in court. But because the debt arose during the marriage, the court determined that it was a joint debt of the spouses. Up to now, Chu Vy Vy is still paying off her debt. Who left this file on my doorstep? I turned to the last page. In the lower right corner there is a line of very small handwriting:

"Stay away from this person. The above documents can be used as legal evidence. — Try"

I don't know anyone with the last name Co. I brought the file bag into the house, conveniently carrying the bouquet of flowers with me. Lily and lisianthus. The arrangement is very elegant and sophisticated. Who is this person who signed "Co"? Why help me? How do I know my home address? I called Diep Tieu Duong.

“Duong Duong, do you know anyone named Co?”

"The last name is Co? Who do you mean?"

"I don't know. Someone left a set of legal documents on Tran Due in front of my house. The signature has only one word 'Co'."

Diep Tieu Duong was silent for a few seconds.

“To Niem, do you think reporter Phuong Nhien will help you investigate?”

"Impossible. Her last name is not Co."

“So that's strange.”

“Think about it.”

“Wait… Try…”

Her voice suddenly stopped.

“I remember someone.”

“Do you remember your senior from college?”

“Faculty of Law.”

“The name is Co Tham.”

That name slowly emerged from the deepest place of memory. In the third year of university, our Faculty of Law and Faculty of Literature study the same elective subject. He sat in the last row next to me window. During class, he kept his head down and read his book. At the end of the semester, the class is divided into groups to make reports. We were divided into one group. He speaks very little. But works extremely effectively. While others were still debating what topic to choose, he had already completed the report outline and reference list. The only time he said more than ten sentences to me was one afternoon in the library. At that time, I was looking for an out-of-print sociology of law book. He helped me find it. Then give me the book. Just say one thing:

“This book is better than the book the lecturer recommended.”

At that time, I smiled and asked:

“Did you read it?”

He nodded slightly. The late afternoon sunlight penetrated through the glass window and fell on his cold long eyelashes.

“Much more worth seeing.”