Chapter 7 — Ten Years as an Outsider

“This is not an argument, this is payment.”

Having finished speaking, I pulled out the last sheet and gently placed it in front of my mother-in-law.

"As for this matter, about transferring the name of the house in front of the operating room, you already know. The house is yours, you can give it to whoever you want, you have no right to ask. But from that day on, I also have no right to ask you in the name of 'family member'."

The mother-in-law's face immediately changed, her lips trembled.

"You eavesdropped on adults talking, do you still think you're reasonable?"

“I didn't eavesdrop.” I looked straight at her, "For the first time, I can clearly hear what I am in my mother's heart."

When I looked at her, she felt guilty and immediately became angry.

"Yes, I'm an outsider, so what? The daughter-in-law is an outsider, can't my mother's house be left to my biological daughter? Over the past few years, you've taken care of me for a few days, do you really consider yourself a member of the Chu family?"

As soon as that sentence ended, the whole table's expressions changed. Some people want to advise, but don't dare. Someone secretly looked at me, as if waiting for me to cry, waiting for me to make a mess, waiting for me to lose control. But I don't. I just looked at her, then nodded slightly. I turned to everyone, my voice clear with every word.

"Everyone has heard it. Today's two words 'outsider' are considered my answer for ten years. From today onwards, the Chu family's affairs, the Chu family takes care of itself. My money, my time, my friendship, this is the end."

I pushed the agreement towards Chu Minh Xuyen. His face was extremely unsightly.

“Lam Van, do you have to force me to come in today?”

“I'm not forcing you.” I looked at him, "You guys forced me for ten years."

"I told you, I didn't know anything about the house before."

"But I know the result, and I accept that result. When my mother said I was an outsider, I said 'she won't mind'. Chu Minh Xuyen, the cruelest thing about you is not what you did, but that you know too well that I will suffer myself, so you always choose the easiest way."

His lips moved slightly, his whole body felt like he had been slapped. Chu Thien wanted to stand up and scold her, but Aunt Hai pulled her back. The mother-in-law gasped, clutching her chest, her face pale. When I saw her like that before, I was definitely the first person to run to get medicine, rub her chest, and call an ambulance. This time I just glanced, then said to Chu Minh Xuyen: "The medicine is in the left drawer, second floor, sublingual type, one pill at a time. Don't panic, if it doesn't help in five minutes, take it to the hospital." The whole table was stunned. Maybe they didn't expect that I could still be so calm right now. But only I know, that's not calm. It is the ultimate end of heart, saving the last bit of dignity for yourself. I picked up my bag and left. At the door, the mother-in-law's voice was hoarse with anger from behind.

"Lam Van, step out today, don't regret it later!"

I turned my head to look at her, smiling slightly.

"The thing I regret most is putting ten years of sincerity into a house that never considered me one of their own."

After that day, the divorce was officially accelerated. The Chu family initially refused. The mother-in-law said she couldn't lose face like that. Chu Thien ran straight to my company, blocked the way, scolded me for being ungrateful, and even dragged my mother out, saying she was poor and had raised a daughter who only knew how to look at money like me. After I heard it, right in front of her, she called the police and reported someone harassing her. When The police took her to take a statement, she was still screaming: "Isn't it just over ten or twenty thousand yuan, is it worth a divorce?" I stood on the side of the road, looking at her crazy appearance, without a wave in my heart. That's right, in her eyes, it's only a dozen or two hundred thousand. But she will never understand, what I want, has never been that money. What I want is minimum respect between people. After that, Chu Minh Xuyen found me many times. Sometimes I carry fruit, sometimes I bring my favorite cake, sometimes I get drunk and stand downstairs and refuse to leave. He said, Van Van, I really knew I was wrong. He said, your mother's generation has old ideas, don't accept her. He said, ten years of marriage is not worth going to this step. He said, I'll listen to you later, and I'll slowly pay the money back. There was even one time, he squatted in front of my house, his eyes red and asked: "Do you really have no love left?" I looked at him and suddenly remembered the first years of our marriage. He wasn't bad then. Will come to pick me up when I work overtime, in the winter he puts my hand in his jacket, and proudly says in front of his friends, my wife is very good. But later I understood, just because a man treats you well, doesn't mean he's brave enough to protect you at important times. When he loves you, it's real. But the fact that he chose the easy way for himself is also true. He feels sorry when you suffer, but he never stops the person who makes you suffer. Such "goodness" is too thin. So thin that she can't handle a marriage. So I only gave him one answer.

“Ten years of friendship, I have used it all.”