Chapter 2 — Ten Years of Loving You, A Lifetime of Learning to Love Yourself

The next day, I woke up very early. The house was strangely empty. Last night, Tran Thuy and Lam Hieu did not return. I leisurely prepared myself a breakfast. Fresh milk, fried eggs, toast. Just like every breakfast I've made for him in the past ten years. I eat very slowly, savoring little by little. This will be the last time. The phone vibrates. I picked it up to see. It's a post on Lam Hieu's circle of friends. A photo. The setting is the living room of our wedding house. On the Steinway piano that Tran Thuy once gave me, I placed a check for 10 million yuan, next to it was a huge diamond ring and two red notebooks. Marriage certificate. They are really fast. The status line reads:

"A new beginning. Thank you for making it happen. @Tran Thuy."

Below is a long line of likes and wishes.

“Congratulations to General Director Lam on joining the nobility!”

"General Director Tran is so great! Talented guy and beautiful girl!"

"Finally, it's been made public. Wishing you both eternal happiness!"

Among them were many company employees, and even a few senior managers. They call her "General Manager Lam". I opened the photo and looked closely. My name can be clearly seen on the check. She's just afraid that others won't know who that 10 million yuan is "fire money" for. The phone vibrates again. It's Chu Tinh, my best friend. As soon as she picked up the phone, her voice was like a machine gun.

"Nch Nhien Nhien! Have you seen that bitch Lam Hieu's post? It's intentional! It's insulting you!"

"And that bastard Tran Thuy! Just divorced yesterday, today registered the marriage! What does he care about your face!"

"Ten million yuan? Did he think he was giving alms to beggars? You followed him from the time he was broke until today, yet he treated you like that?"

Hearing Chu Tinh's anger, the ice in my heart seemed to have some warmth.

“Tinh Tinh, I saw it.”

"You're still not angry after seeing this? Are you stupid? Now I'll go to the company and tear that male and female dog couple apart!"

I stopped her.

“No need.”

"There's nothing you don't need! To Nhien, I'm telling you, don't hold back! This matter can't just be ignored!"

I was silent for a while.

"Tinh Tinh, I won't just let it go."

“I have already made arrangements.”

I finished the last piece of bread on the plate. Right after that, I received a text message. A strange phone number.

"Sister To, are you okay? Everyone in the company knows everything. Don't take it to heart."

I'm a girl in the design department. Previously, I had commented on her plan. I only answered with two words: I can imagine how bustling the company's tea room is right now. I, To Nhien, have become an abandoned, pitiful and cheap wife in everyone's mouth. I turned off the phone and walked into the office. Pull the locked bottom drawer closed. Inside is an old vellum document bag. I brushed off the thin layer of dust on top and opened it. There's no earth-shattering secret in there. Just stacks of yellowed drawings, plans that have been edited countless times, and a thick notebook. I opened the notebook. The first page has a few words written with a fountain pen.

"Recording the development process of Khoi Hang Technology Company."

The date is ten years ago. March 5, 2014. In During the negotiation with round A investors, the other party requested Tran Thuy to present a core technology patent. He doesn't have it. I transferred the underlying architecture of the "Tinh Tran" algorithm, which was my university graduation project, to the company. June 18, 2015. The company was maliciously acquired, the entire technical team was manipulated by the enemy. I used the backup port of the "Tinh Tran" algorithm, rewrote the entire firewall system, and resisted seventy-two hours of continuous attacks. September 1, 2016. To expand foreign markets, I took the identity of Tran Thuy's wife and attended the international technology exchange conference with him. Right at the conference, I used three languages to give impromptu presentations about the company's products. Thanks to that, we won our first foreign order. April 11, 2017. Tran Thuy hopes I will return to take care of my family. He said, behind a successful man there needs to be a solid rear. I agree. We signed the Shareholding Agreement in our name. 60% of the shares in my name will be in his name. The term of household registration is ten years. Every story. Tran Thuy said I have never managed a company. He forgot. This company, from nothing to today, has my shadow at every important turning point. He thought that ten years of being a housewife had worn down my fangs, turning me into a docile cat. He forgot. I've never been a cat. I closed the notebook, along with the most important document... The original "Agreement to hold shares in the name of the household". I put everything in my briefcase. The phone rings again. It's lawyer Vuong.

“Miss To, everything is ready.”

“The notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders was legally sent to all members of the board of directors half an hour ago.”

“The time is ten o'clock this morning.”

“The location is the meeting room on the top floor of the company headquarters.”

I looked at myself in the mirror. His face was a bit pale. But his eyes were bright. I changed out of my home clothes into a neat black suit. That's the battle outfit I prepared for myself many years ago. It's finally time to see the sunlight again.