Chapter 9 — Realizing It's Too Late

Civil Affairs Department staff called our number. He followed me inside, but before signing he put down his pen. “I don't agree.” The staff reminded him: "If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, it can be resolved in another way. Please do not affect the people behind." Ha Canh Chau held the marriage certificate and pressed it under his palm: "Thu Y, I have resigned from the company and have made it clear to my family. From now on, they will not make you feel bad anymore." I looked at him: "I resigned not because of you, but because during the investigation, I cannot continue to be in charge of foreign affairs." "The results are the same. I have time to spend with you." "When you were busiest, I thought your work wasn't worth mentioning. Now that I have time, do you have to go back?" His throat moved slightly: "That day at the restaurant, you said you had to go back and comfort that ancestor because she used a recording to threaten you." “What recording?” Ha Canh Chau took out his phone and opened a conversation. In the recording, Ha's father asked Sam Man Thanh to marry into the Hua family to help the Ha family win an important cooperation project. She refused the engagement unless Ha Canh Chau continued to pretend to be her close old friend, causing Hua Nghien to feel a sense of danger. "Your father owes the Hua family a favor. Man Thanh doesn't want to get married, but Hua Nghien always suspects that she has you in her heart. She told me to act together for a while, waiting for the Hua family to proactively cancel the marriage." “So the watch, the pin, and freely entering and leaving the house are all okay with you?” "I thought it was just an act. I never touched her, nor did I ever want to betray you." My perception of everything changed yet another layer. It's not like he can't bear to let go of his ex. He only sees our marriage as a backdrop that can be sacrificed. Knowing the cause does not make those injuries any less. “You can refuse.” "My father used to shoulder the company's debt for me. I can't watch him being forced into a corner by the Hua family." “So I chose the Ha family.” “I thought you wouldn't leave.” After saying this, he was the one who bowed first. Staff again urged us to leave. Ha Canh Chau held my wrist, then let go. "Thu Y, I will sign today. But can you agree with me on one thing? Give me a chance to pursue you from the beginning." "Cannot." “I will make up for those four years.” “Four years is not a debt that cannot be compensated.” He closed his eyes and signed the agreement. When he walked out of the Civil Affairs Department, he gave two marriage certificates to the staff, but his fingers refused to let go. When the seal was stamped, he turned away. Sam Man Thanh is standing at the other end of the hall. She was wearing a black coat, holding a set of complaint documents in her hand: "Khuong Thu Y, you took advantage of your position to take revenge on the Ha family, and also forced Canh Chau to divorce. I have already filed this complaint with your unit." Ha Canh Chau stood in front of me: "Withdraw." "You resigned because of her, and you want to push all the errors in the reception on me. I have lost everything, how can I let her leave cleanly?" She slapped another set of documents on the table. Inside are a few edited recordings, including my voice correcting the translation error at the party, and also the part where the Russian representative calls me translator Khuong. "She revealed her identity in a non-work activity and also interfered with the business's activities. Tell me, after investigation, can she still work as a translator?" 8 “Can be investigated.” I received the complaint documents and directly handed them to the inspector who just ran in front of Sam Man Thanh.