Chapter 3 — Sentence for Traitors

The next day, I made an appointment to meet Duong Ninh. Duong Ninh is my college roommate, currently working as a lawyer specializing in marriage and family, foul mouth, quick mind, has seen too many of the ugliest sides of people. I pushed that bill towards her. After she finished watching, she raised her head and asked the first question:

“Do you want a divorce, or do you want to continue living?”

“What's the difference?”

“It's much different.” She took a sip of coffee. "If you want to continue, put down the evidence, go home and confront him, argue, cry, curse, force him to break up with the other person, then regain the right to manage the finances in the house. Whether you can fix it or not... depends on his conscience."

She paused for a moment, then continued:

"If you want a divorce, from now on, don't fight the snake. Keep all evidence, especially the property that was transferred."

I looked at her:

“Why property?”

Duong Ninh smiled slightly.

“Because once a man's heart is no longer in the family... their money won't stay either.”

I was silent for a long time. It takes so long that the layer of milk foam on the coffee surface also collapses. Duong Ninh looked at me, rarely lowering his voice:

"Tri Vi, don't rush to ask if he still loves you or not. See... if he still considers you a human being or not."

That day when I got home, I started to rearrange everything. Messages, transfers, old emails, supplementary card invoices, vehicle ETC data, food ordering addresses, hotel invoices, flight history. I'm not crazy. Don't cause trouble. Even calmer than at any time in the previous years of marriage. So calm that even I found it scary. A week later, in Chu Nghien Chau's account statement, I discovered a transfer of twenty-eight thousand eight. Recipient: Lam Van Y. Note: deposit to buy a house. I stared at that line, my eyes darkening for a moment. Not for money. It's because at that time, I finally fully confirmed it. Chu Nghien Chau is not suddenly confused. It's not a lack of boundaries. Not mentally lost. He is very serious... using our money, spending it on another woman. And I - this wife - am the last to know. That night, he returned very early. I even brought home a box of chestnut cream cakes that I really liked before. He placed the cake on the table, as if nothing had happened.

“Just passing by and buying it.”

I took a look at him. Before, if he did that, I would soften. In the first two years of marriage, every time he made me angry, he would buy a piece of chestnut cake, put it in my hand, and say softly:

“Don't be angry with me anymore.”

I always forgive. Because at that time, I thought he was just busy, just tired, just not good at expressing himself. But now… I just find it ridiculous. A man paid a deposit to buy a house for his "white moon"... and bought a chestnut cake to comfort his wife. That's not compensation. It's an insult. I pushed the cake box back.

“You bought a house for Lam Van Y?”

Chu Nghien Chau's hand clearly stopped. A few seconds later, he loosened his tie, his voice lowered.

“Are you checking my account again?”

“I asked you.”

"That's not buying a house, it's her temporarily revolving capital, I lent her a loan."

"Loan twenty-eight thousand eight, and note that it's a deposit to buy a house?"

“That's what she wrote herself.”

“Chu Nghien Chau, when you lied… Can you prepare a little in advance?

He looked at me for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled coldly.

“Okay, how about I lend her a loan? My friends are in trouble, can I help a little?

I was so angry that I burst out laughing.

“Yes, friends.”

“Ordinary friend… do you need me to spend twenty-eight thousand eight?”

“Tham Tri Vi, don't use your narrow view of marriage to understand all relationships. Van Y is not like you, she has experience and understands my career. She won't be like you, all day long just looking to see if the man comes home, what smell is on her clothes, what's on the bill."

At that moment, I really couldn't say a word. Turns out I wasn't thinking too much. But he... doesn't even bother pretending anymore. He began to blatantly tell me that Lam Van Y understood him better than me, was more advanced than me, and was more worthy of him spending money than me. I looked at him and asked word by word:

“So what am I?”

Chu Nghien Chau frowned, as if I had just asked an extremely meaningless question.

“Tri Vi, do you have to say such harsh things?”

“I ask you, what am I?”

He was silent for a few seconds, then said:

“You are my wife.”

I laughed. Laughed so much that tears almost fell.

“It turns out you also know that I am your wife.”

From then on, many things began to emerge. Things I didn't understand before, suddenly I understand everything. Things that were never thought of before are now coming together piece by piece. Lam Van Y appears more and more frequently in Chu Nghien Chau's schedule. She is not an employee, but can freely enter and exit his office. At eleven o'clock at night, she sent him a voice message, saying she had finished reviewing the project documents and asked if he had eaten yet. She posted a photo of two wine glasses clinking together, along with the sentence: "The cigar tonight wasn't bad." She posted a bouquet of white roses on social networks, without revealing her face, but the check-in location matched the club that Chu Nghien Chau often visited. One time, I went to the company to give him documents, the office door was ajar. I heard Lam Van Y's voice inside. She smiled and said:

“Is your wife still checking on you?”

Chu Nghien Chau also laughed.

“Don't mention her, mind you.”

I stood outside the door, the document in my hand almost crumpled in my hand. In that moment, I suddenly felt like the past seven years were like a giant joke. I thought I was keeping a family. It turned out that in his mouth, I was just "annoying". I didn't step in. I turned around and left. When the elevator door closed, I looked at myself in the mirror. His face was pale, his lips were pursed, his eyes were red. But I don't cry. I was just thinking... when did I become so underestimated by him? Since I quit my job, it's been all about him and this family? Or since I forgive time and time again, humble myself time and time again? Or has it been so long since I... considered "wife" as a responsibility, but forgot that it is also an identity that needs to be respected? That evening, Chu Nghien Chau returned home. I still sat at the dining table as usual. Perhaps out of guilt, he rarely takes the initiative to ask:

“Why don't you go to the gym today?”

I raised my head to look at him.

“I came to your company today.”

The chopsticks in his hand stopped.

“Come for what?”

“Give me the contract.”

“Why not say first?

“I said it before… can I still hear you saying that I bother you?”

The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds.