Chapter 13 — The 20,000,000 Yuan Villa and the Tham Family's Secret

I smiled softly.

“In the office, I will put a chair for myself.”

He saw my smile. That smile is no longer bitter. Which is really a relief. I turned and pushed open the meeting room door. The sunlight from the window at the end of the hallway was a bit dazzling. But when it falls on you... It's very warm. One month later. I bought a small apartment in the west of the city. Forty-five square meters. One bedroom, one living room. The living room is connected to the bedroom, the kitchen is located on the balcony. The layout is identical to the previous rented room. But this house... Is in my name. Use the money I saved to buy it. On the day of moving house, Giang Niem came to help me pack my things. She stood in the middle of the living room, looked around, then clicked her tongue in admiration.

“Co Dien Chi.”

“From a two thousand square meter villa to a forty five square meter apartment…”

“And yet you look happier than when you were at the villa.”

I placed the pot of betel leaf with split leaves on the windowsill. Adjust the angle slightly so that the sunlight just shines on the leaves.

“Because in the big house…”

“Every day I have to worry about which room doors are unlocked.”

“Still here…”

I pointed around the small room.

“Just take a glance and see everything.”

Forty-five square meters. No need to waste time cleaning up. No need to pretend to be luxurious. There's no need to always try to be "Mrs. Tham". If you want to lie down, lie down. If you want to eat, eat. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to laugh, laugh. This is where I truly belong. Giang Niem helped me move my desk next to the window. Then she rummaged through the carton and pulled out an item.

"What is this? Did you buy more chairs?"

It is a wooden reading chair. I specifically look for bespoke workers. Oak frame. Linen seat cushion. The armrest is wide enough to place a book and a cup of tea. I took the chair and placed it next to the desk.

“This chair…”

“Just for me to sit in.”

Giang Niem looked at me. Don't ask anything more. She knows who this chair was associated with. But she understood even more clearly... From the moment I walked out of the meeting room that day... This chair was no longer related to that person anymore. That night, after Giang Niem left, I sat alone on the floor of my new apartment. Leaning back against the sofa, quietly watching the sunset outside the window sink little by little towards the horizon. There were still a few messages sent by Giang Niem on the phone. These are all photos of the latest rumors related to the Tham family. Tham Thi Group's stock price is still plunging, it's just that the decline has begun to slow down. Tham Sung Minh personally opened the press conference. He did not directly answer the question of surrogacy. But announced an adjustment to the heir plan. The comment section under the news is extremely bustling. People curse. Advocate. People looking forward to drama. But I didn't care anymore. I scrolled through Giang Niem's messages. Then saw a message lying dormant in the mailbox three days ago. It belongs to Tham Nghien Tri.

“Can you give me your new home address?”

I don't answer. I deleted that message. Wipe out all related chat history. Delete all photos. I pulled Tham Nghien Tri's phone number into the block list. The ex-mother-in-law once stood in front of the villa door, frantically banging on the door... After that day, she never appeared again. I only saw her in the newspaper. A piece of announcement Sorry for posting in a small corner. Less than two hundred words. The language is vague and casual. But it doesn't matter. I don't need her apology to prove anything. That door... I opened it myself. That pile of rot... I also threw it away myself. Things that truly belong to me... From beginning to end, they were never given to me by anyone. But I earned it myself. Outside the window, the last rays of sunlight gradually disappeared into the city skyline. The lights of thousands of houses turned on one after another. I curled up in that reading chair and opened a new book that had just been unsealed. The light from above falls onto the page. Also fell on my empty ring finger. There was no longer any trace of the wedding ring. That's my outcome. It's not that the woman was forced to leave empty-handed. Nor is it an avenger who holds other people's secrets. Simply… Co Dien Chi.