Chapter 3 — Ten Years of Love in the Dark

Knowing that Luc Hanh Chu didn't want to make it public, she actively helped us hide it. I brought water to Luc Hanh Chu, who was playing basketball, and she said she would help me give it to him. I liked the stuffed animal in a milk tea shop's promotion program, so she replaced Luc Hanh Chu and me in participating in activities for couples. Every time I felt she had exceeded her limit, Luc Hanh Chu looked at me with reproachful eyes:

"Thanh Tuyet considers you a close friend, so he helped us hide it."

"She's not like you. She has a boyfriend and is very popular at school. She doesn't need to worry about details like this."

So I tried to ignore their intimacy. Until the day before taking graduation photos, I discovered that Thuong Thanh Tuyet did not have a boyfriend. She shed tears, saying she also liked Luc Hanh Chu, but didn't want to compete with me.

“If I really wanted to rob, Luc Hanh Chu wouldn't have liked people like you in the first place.”

The bedroom door rang and opened, Thuong Thanh Tuyet rubbed her eyes as she walked out. She was wearing Luc Hanh Chu's shirt, the hem of the shirt seemingly revealing her thighs. Luc Hanh Chu walked over holding a tray of food and said in a hoarse voice:

“Why are you dressed like this and going out?”

Thuong Thanh Tuyet cooed and said she was drunk and wanted him to hold her. Luc Hanh Chu didn't say anything more, but his red face revealed his thoughts. I said I'm going to work. No one turned around, no one answered. I said again:

"Luc Hanh Chu, let's break up."

Still no one answered. I withdrew my gaze and smiled softly. When I arrived at the company to start work, the colleague sitting next to me mysteriously pulled me aside.

"Did you know? Last night, General Manager Luc suddenly announced that there would be a new department head."

I raised my head in surprise. When I first graduated, I worked overtime day and night, even spending my own money to do surveys elsewhere. When the position of department head became vacant, I was voted on by everyone as a candidate. But Luc Hanh Chu assigned that position to another long-time employee in the company. He said:

"You're still young, getting promoted so quickly will make others doubt our relationship."

“Wait some more.”

So I waited another six years. The long-time employee said he wanted to return to his hometown, but the position was once again vacant. This time, everyone, including Luc Hanh Chu, assumed I would become the new department head. Luc Hanh Chu even ordered a medal for me, hugged me and looked at me:

“Award for Ms. To Nam Kha for her many years of contributions to the company.”

I heard my voice vaguely ask:

“Who is the new head of department?”

Colleagues excitedly danced their hands and feet:

“Her name is Thuong Thanh Tuyet, it is said that she is General Director Luc's first love.”

“Tell me, is General Director Luc being biased?”

I couldn't answer, I could only bite my lip, not letting myself cry out loud.

“During working hours, who allows you two to stand here and gossip?”

The man's cold voice rang out:

“This month's performance bonus for both of you has been cancelled.”

Luc Hanh Chu coldly announced the punishment, then turned to me:

"I'll follow you, help the new manager clean up the office."

Interrogation lump in my throat, so painful I couldn't breathe. Luc Hanh Chu pulled my hand into the room.

4

Luc Hanh Chu looked at me and burst out laughing. I pulled the corners of my lips but couldn't laugh. When he let go, I staggered back, my whole body covered in cold sweat. I asked:

“Why?”

He looked at me from head to toe, and finally just casually threw back a sentence:

“After Thanh Tuyet heard that we were back together, she just asked me to help find a job.”