Chapter 1 — Reverse Chess

I attended my husband and my sister's engagement party. The day my mother was buried, my sister wore my funeral clothes, took my husband's arm, and stood dignified next to him. Today, she was finally satisfied and became the future daughter-in-law of the Luc family. In the hall, the bright lights were dazzling. A giant crystal chandelier hung down, refracted rays of light sparkled, so bright that it hurt people's eyes. The guests in the hall were splendidly dressed, bustling with laughter, and the smoke of alcohol mixed into a luxurious atmosphere. They talked about the powerful alliance of two trading empires. They praised the luck of my sister - Hua Du Du, that she could marry the most powerful man in Bac Thanh - Luc Can Ngon. No one remembers me. Hua Niem. The legal wife has not yet completed the divorce procedures with Luc Can Ngon. No one even remembers that, just three months ago, the woman lying in the cold ground was Hua Du Du's biological mother, and also Luc Can Ngon's legal mother-in-law. 1 I wore a long black dress and stood quietly in the darkest corner of the hall. I was like a strange ghost, not belonging to this lavish party. In my hand is a glass of red wine. The blood-colored liquid slowly slid down the side of the glass, viscous, sending chills down one's spine. The first person to discover me was my father — Hua Chan Van. He held a glass of wine, almost immediately pushed through the crowd, walking quickly towards me. His face showed panic and frustration, no longer calm at all. He pulled me into a darker corner, lowered his voice, but his tone was extremely strict: "Hua Niem, what are you doing here! Don't you think the house isn't chaotic enough? Today is your brother's happy day, don't go crazy here!" I quietly looked at him. This man… the one I have called “daddy” for over twenty years. His hair was meticulously groomed with gel, his luxurious tailored suit was smooth, and there was not a trace of sadness on his face for his wife's death. On the contrary, because he was about to marry the Luc family again, he looked in high spirits and his face brightened. I suddenly laughed softly. I raised the glass of wine in my hand, moving slowly and elegantly: "Dad. I came here... to invite mom a glass of wine." "That's also convenient... wish Du Du a happy wedding." “You…” Hua Chan Van's face immediately turned pale, then blue veins quickly appeared from anger, his facial muscles twitched continuously. He wanted to explode, but was pierced like a sharp needle by the curious eyes around him, forcing him to suppress his anger to the bottom of his heart. "Your mother is dead, what else do you want? Du Du and Can Ngon truly love each other, you shouldn't have stubbornly kept that position in the first place! Now giving way to them, it will be of great benefit to our Hua family, to you!" "Benefit?" I softly repeated those two words, my voice low and even, my head filled with bitterness mixed with sarcasm. “For example… can Hua Thi Group receive a huge investment from Luc Thi Group?” "For example... Dad can leisurely continue to be president without worrying or worrying?" Hua Chan Van's eyes paused for a moment, clearly confused. In just a second, he immediately regained his dignified expression and raised his voice righteousness: "This is for the company, for the entire Hua family! If your mother is sacred, she will definitely hope to see the Hua family develop better and better!" “Mom…” The corner of my lips curled up, the smile deepened, but it was cold to the bone: “If my mother was truly holy… seeing her husband and her daughter, right when her body was not yet cold, she quickly raised a glass of wine to celebrate, I wonder if she… would be so angry that she would rise from the grave or not?” “You…what nonsense are you talking about!” Hua Chan Van's voice suddenly became high-pitched, causing a few nearby guests to curiously look this way. He immediately realized his indiscretion, quickly swallowed his anger, lowered his voice, almost gritting his teeth and spitting out each word: "Hua Niem, I'm warning you for the last time! Don't ruin Du Du's engagement! The Luc family, the Hua family... one family can't afford to offend!" I lowered my eyes and gently took a sip of red wine. The viscous liquid slid down his throat, burning like fire. I don't respond to him anymore. My eyes went over Hua Chan Van's slightly trembling shoulder, looking towards the absolute center of the entire hall. My good sister – Hua Du Du. She wore a high-end wedding dress personally made by a famous designer, as white as snow. On the hem of the dress, crushed diamonds sparkled like a galaxy falling to earth. She intimately held the arm of the man who is still legally my husband - Luc Can Ngon, filled with everyone's blessings and admiring eyes. The smile on her face was sweet, mixed with a bit of shyness, acting like a pure white lotus flower free of dust. As for Luc Can Ngon... It's always that look. His handsome face was devoid of any excess emotions, his eyes were as deep as the ocean, as if nothing in this world bothered him. Even when the woman standing next to him, from me, changed to my own younger sister. I looked at them, at the pair of "lovers" who were cherished by the whole hall in that joy. Then I, step by step, from the darkness, stepped into the light. The sound of high heels stepping on the shiny marble floor: “Click.” "Cup." "Cup." Under the melodious music, the sound was especially shrill, strange, and terrifyingly clear. Immediately, all eyes in the hall turned to me. In those looks, there was surprise, curiosity, and vague sympathy. But most of all, it's the pleasure of waiting to see a good play. Hua Du Du also saw me. The perfect smile on her face froze for 0.1 seconds — just a moment, but enough for me to catch it. Immediately after that, she immediately changed her facial expression, revealing a look of deep concern and worry. She let go of Luc Can Ngon's hand, slightly lifted her skirt, and quickly walked towards me. She grabbed my arm, her voice was soft, weak, filled with innocence: "Sister, why are you here? Didn't the doctor tell you that your health is very weak and you have to stay home to rest? It's very windy out here, please follow me home, otherwise you'll catch a cold..." She acted really well. Acting as if we were still the sisters who were once close and loving. Acting as if she had never taken everything from me — marriage, love, family. Acting like she was worried about me, like one gentle, pitiful sister. In the crowd, whispers gradually rang out. Surely they are appreciating her tolerance and honesty. I looked at the hand clinging to my arm... The corner of my lips curled up, then casually pushed it away. My movements were light, but they contained an unshakable refusal. "Du Du, on such an important day like this, how could you not come? After all... everything you have today, includes your efforts." My eyes went past her, looking straight at the man standing behind - who remained silent from beginning to end. “Are you right, Luc Can Ngon?” At this time, Luc Can Ngon's eyes finally stopped on me. Deep, cold, without a trace of emotion, as if looking at a completely unimportant stranger. “Hua Niem, don't cause trouble here.” His voice was bland and calm, but contained a kind of innate authority of someone standing on high, making it difficult for others to resist. "What's going on? Let's talk about it later." “After?” The corners of my lips curled up, my laughter was clear, but cold to the bone. “The ‘after’ you mentioned… Doesn't mean that after that there will be a solemn wedding between the two of you, and then the birth of a lovely child, and after that, I will completely turn into a laughing stock and be forgotten by everyone, right?” Hua Du Du's eyes immediately turned red. Tears rolled down her beautiful eyes, sparkling like dew drops about to fall, making her look weak and extremely pitiful at first glance. "Sister, I know you're upset. Me and Can Ngon... we really can't control this feeling.