Chapter 1 — The Darkness After a Model Marriage

When I discovered this, I was in the airport's VIP lounge signing a merger agreement. The phone vibrates. Mom sent me a text message.— Nghien Dinh, I transferred the money, have you received it? I stared at the screen. The tip of the pen stopped on the paper. Three seconds later, I called my mother. "Mom, what money?" The other end of the line was silent for a moment. "Didn't you say you needed money last week? Mom transferred all the money you could use to me." My fingers tightened. "Last week?" "That's right, I called to tell you." I've never made that phone call. "How much did you transfer?" "Two million." The sound of the air conditioner in the VIP waiting room suddenly became clear. "In addition to the previous few times, the total is probably close to eight million." "How many times before?" "Every month or two, you tell me that capital turnover is having difficulty. I understand, the company is big, the financial pressure is also big." Mom's voice was very calm. 1 The pen slipped from my hand, falling on the table. "Mom, I've never made those phone calls." The other end of the line was silent for a long time. "What did you say?" "You never said that." asking mom for money." Mom's breathing clearly became faster. "So who is calling every time?" "You don't hear me?" "The voice is very similar to mine. It's just that sometimes that person has a bad signal, the voice is a bit hoarse." I closed my eyes. "Mom, where are you now?" "At home." "Old house?" "Yes." "How much money do you have left in your hand?" Mom was silent for a few seconds. "Not much left." "House ownership certificate Where?” She said nothing more. I pushed the documents aside. "Mom, tell the truth." "Last month, you mortgaged it." "Why did you mortgage it?" "Last time you said you needed money to save money, so mom..." "I never asked." On the other end of the line, the sound of my mother sitting down was heard. She finally realized the seriousness of this matter. "Nghien Dinh, what happened?" "I will be home soon. Mom, don't go anywhere." Hanging up the phone, I stood up. Assistant Tran Nham is arranging documents next to him. "President Tham, what's going on?" "Canceled today's schedule." "Merger signing ceremony..." "Postponed." I picked up my coat and went out. Tran Nham followed behind and asked softly: "What happened in the house?" "Someone is impersonating me." "Imitating?" "Imitating my voice to trick my mother into transferring money." His steps stopped. "How is that possible? Didn't the old lady hear?" I stopped, turned my head to look at him. "I also want to know why she didn't hear." On the plane, I kept thinking about this. I am the Chairman of Tham Thi Group, To Uyen Thanh is the general director, and also my wife. We have been married seven years. She alone takes care of everything in the company, while I often travel outside to pursue projects. Everyone says we are a model couple in the business world. But the so-called model is just a show for outsiders to see. There has long been no warmth between us. In recent years, each year I have spent up to two hundred days outside. She spends more time at the company than I do. We are more like partners than husband and wife. But so what? Marriage is about both parties getting what they need. I always thought so. Until now, when someone reached out towards my mother. When the plane landed, it was dark. I went straight to my old house. Mother sat in the living room, her face pale. The table was full of transfer records. I sat down and flipped through the pages one by one. Started last March. The first amount is five hundred thousand. The second amount is three hundred thousand. The third amount is seven hundred thousand. The amount of money is getting bigger and bigger. The intervals between times are getting shorter and shorter. The most recent amount was two million last week

before. A total of eight million two hundred thousand. Mom sat opposite, her hands constantly shaking. "Nghien Dinh, I really don't hear it." "Is it the same person every time?" "Yes, the voice is really similar to yours. Just sometimes a bit hoarse, like having a cold." "What did that person say?" "Just said the company had difficulty in turning around capital, needed rescue money, couldn't go through the company account, so asked mom to transfer it first. Also said not to tell Uyen Thanh, afraid she would worry. "Don't tell Uyen Thanh?" "Yes. That person said that the couple had a clear division, she managed the business, she managed the capital, there were some things I didn't want her to know." I put down the transfer record. "Mom, that's a scammer." Her eyes turned red. "I knew. But at that time I believed it." "What account did the other person use?" Mom opened the phone to show me. Recipient: Lam Vu Hang. An unfamiliar name. "Haven't you ever investigated this name?" "That person said this is the personal account of a financial employee, used to avoid taxes." I took a deep breath. "Mom, the annual cash flow of Tham Thi Group is up to tens of billions, there is no need to use a personal account to avoid several million in taxes." Mom bowed her head. "You don't understand these things." I don't blame her. She is a traditional woman. My husband passed away early, so I raised me alone. During the years I started my business, she gave me all her savings. Now that my career has grown, she doesn't understand anything. She just knew that when I needed her, she would give me everything she could give. "How much did you mortgage your old house for?" "Six million." "Where's the money?" "It's already transferred." I leaned back in my chair. Fourteen million two hundred thousand. Plus six million mortgage on old house. Nearly fifteen million. Everyone was fooled by someone else using a fake voice. "Mom, why didn't you tell me?" "Every time I go on a business trip, I'm very busy, I'm afraid I'll miss your work..." "Is this just about money?" Mom raised her head, tears in her eyes. "Nghien Dinh, you were wrong." I looked at her. A person in his sixties has saved his whole life. Now even the house I lived in all my life is gone. "Don't worry, I'll handle it." "The person who cheated me..." "I'll find him." Mom wiped her eyes. "What should I do now?" "Where are you living now?" "I found a job with room and board, helping someone look after the warehouse." My hand stopped. "What job?" "Just helping someone look after the warehouse, two thousand a month, food and accommodation included." I looked at her. My sixty-year-old mother. Have lived in that isolated house all my life. Now living in a warehouse again. "When did you start?" "After mortgaging the house last month." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I thought you took all the money, I didn't have any money left so I didn't dare bother you anymore." I closed my eyes. Once the feeling of guilt rises, it will swallow a person whole. "Mom, you'll move back today. Come with me to the company." "The company..." "I'll handle it." Mom didn't say anything else. I told Tran Nham to arrange for my mother to live in an apartment near the company. After that, I drove back to the company. 2The lights in the office were still on. To Uyen Thanh is working overtime. Seeing me, she didn't stand up. "Aren't you coming back tomorrow?" "You're home early." She bowed her head and continued to look at the documents. "Has the merger agreement been signed?" "No." "Why?" "Something." Only then did she raise her head to look at me. "What's going on?" "Something at home." Her expression didn't change. "Your mother's side?" "Yes." "Is she urging you to go home again?" I looked at her. "Have you ever received any strange phone calls?" Her eyes paused for a second. "What phone calls?" "Phone calls impersonating you." She put down her pen. "What do you mean?" "Someone is there."

imitating your voice, tricking your mother into transferring money." She was silent for two seconds. "How long?" "One year." "How much money?" "About fifteen million." Her eyebrows raised slightly. "Is that much?" "Yes." "Your mother is also easily fooled." She said this very casually. As if making a comment offhandedly. But when it reached my ears, it carried a certain indifference. "She has no ability to distinguish. "That's right." To Uyen Thanh picked up the pen again. "So what are you going to do?" "Report to the police." Her pen stopped on the paper. "It's unlikely that the police will be able to investigate this." "Let's try." "It's up to you." She closed the document and stood up. "I'll go back first, I still have a report to see." "Wait." She stopped. "Have you ever met a person named Lam Vu Hang?" She turned around, His expression was very calm. "Lam Vu Hang?" "The name of the recipient." "Unfamiliar." "He's a new intern recruited to the company." I looked at her. "You have to be familiar." Her pupils shrank slightly. "There are so many interns, I can't remember each person's name." "This person is an exception." "Why?" "Because he joined three months ago, I signed it myself." The atmosphere was silent. She stood at the door, I sat on the sofa. The desk in the middle is like some kind of boundary. "What do you want to say?" Her voice was still calm. "I want to say that Lam Vu Hang imitated your voice, used your personal account to trick your mother into transferring money for a year." "Do you feel like this has something to do with me?" "Did you say it was me?" She stared at me. "Tham Nghien Dinh, this tone of yours seems like you're interrogating me." "I'm just explaining." the truth.”“The truth is that someone impersonated you to cheat your mother of money. What does that have to do with you? I have signed hundreds of recruitment applications, how can I remember each one? "The position he applied for is my administrative assistant." As this sentence ended, her expression finally changed. "Administrative assistant?" "Yes. He joined three months ago, sitting right outside my office." "I remember." "Remember now?" "Yes. At that time, the human resources department brought up the file, and I signed it." "Does he have a lot of work related to you?" "Not much." "But his workplace is right in front of my office door." She looked at me. "What do you want to say?" "I want to say that I will investigate this matter to the end." She was silent for a few seconds. "Then investigate." "Okay." She turned and left. The sound of high heels gradually faded into the hallway. I sat in the office, turned on the computer. I opened Lam Vu Hang's recruitment profile. Twenty-five years old, a new graduate, majoring in business English. In the photo, he was wearing a white shirt, smiling brightly. I opened the work schedule for the past year. The exact same situation occurred when I was not at home. When I couldn't answer the phone, only people inside the company knew about my schedule. Lam Vu Hang, her administrative assistant, of course also knew