Chapter 14 — The Day I Overthrew My Husband's Family

It wasn't quite dawn yet, the western cemetery was covered in a thin layer of gray mist. I parked the car at the foot of the mountain and walked alone up the stone road leading up to the back. The air was cold, the smell of damp grass mixed with a bit of decay drifted by, like the breath of the past that had not yet dissipated. I stopped under an old tree. There, Chu Kien Quan's cold stele stood quietly, alone in the mist. I looked at the clock. Seven fifty-five. No need to wait long. A staggering figure appeared at the end of the road. Luu Ngoc Mai. After just one night, she seemed to have aged twenty years, her hair was white, her face was haggard, her once sharp eyes were now only empty and withered. Behind her is Chu Van Ban. He helped his mother, his face was no better, his eyes looked at me with a mixture of hatred, fear, and confusion.

“You still brought him along.”

I looked at Luu Ngoc Mai, my voice was light.

“I told you, your biggest weakness… is this son.”

She stared at me, her lips trembling.

“Where is what you said?”

I took out the medicine bottle from the evidence bag and gently shook it in front of her.

“Looking for this?”

The moment she saw it, her whole body trembled violently, as if she had seen the scariest thing in the world.

“Mom, what is that?” Chu Van Ban asked confusedly.

"Nothing!" she screamed, cutting him off.

Then he turned to me, his eyes turned pleading.

“Tam Nguyet… I beg you…”

“Give it to me… I will give you as much money as you want…”

“As long as you keep this… bury it…”

I burst out laughing, a cold, sarcastic laugh.

“Liu Ngoc Mai, do you think I came here today to bargain with you?”

“I came… to make you pay.”

I walked step by step in front of her, my eyes cold as knives.

“More than twenty years ago, for thirty thousand insurance money, she killed her husband, Zhou Jianjun.”

"She took advantage of his heart disease, mixed an overdose of drugs into his daily medication, and created a fake death of a myocardial infarction."

"Then tricked Ton Chi Cuong into handling the evidence, letting him bear the blame."

"And she... took the blood-stained money and went to a rich life."

“Luu Ngoc Mai, did I say something wrong?”

Every sentence was like a hammer, hitting her straight. Her face was as white as ashes. She knew... there was no way back.

“No… not me…”

“You have no evidence!”

“I have witnesses.”

Behind me, Sun Zhiqiang and Sun Xiaoxiao walked out of the forest.

“I have evidence.”

I held up the bottle of medicine.

“And I also have… someone you never expected.”

I looked straight at her.

“Aren't you curious why I know so much?”

“Because… the person she trusted the most sold her out a long time ago.”

Luu Ngoc Mai raised her head, her eyes filled with horror. I don't answer. Just take out your phone, make a call, and turn on speakerphone. A man's voice rang out, both alert and tense. Chu Van Hao.

“Chu Van Hao.” I said slowly.

“Tell me again, what did she show you that year?”

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. Then his voice became disgustingly flattering.

“Sister-in-law… I did everything you said…”

“The recording of my aunt telling the story of killing my uncle… I also sent it to you…”

“You said you would protect me…”

The two words "recording" just ended, like the last stab of a knife. Liu Ngoc Mai screamed in despair, her whole body collapsed to the ground. Chu Van Ban stood dumbfounded. He looked at his mother, then looked at me, finally realizing... how scary the person standing in front of him was. I'm not just exposing the truth. I have spread a net... for everyone to fall in. But… it's not over yet. Liu Ngoc Mai looked at her son and suddenly burst out laughing hysterically. The laugh was dry, distorted and horrifying. She pointed at the bottle of medicine in my hand, tears flowing from her eyes but still smiling. Then he turned to Chu Van Ban, his voice became strange.

"Van Ban... my good son..."

“I asked her what… was in that bottle.”

“You know best…”

She paused for a moment, her smile lingering like a knife.

“Because… more than twenty years ago…”

“It was you… who brought that glass of ‘sugar-added’ water…”

“Give it to your father to drink.”

Luu Ngoc Mai's words were like the most cruel curse, hitting straight into Chu Van Ban's heart. He stood still. The whole person seemed to turn into a stone statue, then little by little... cracked.

“Mom… what did you just say?” His voice was so light it was almost non-existent.

“Say what?”

Luu Ngoc Mai laughed crazily, tears and snot mixed on her distorted face.

"I said... your father was sent down to the yellow stream by your own hand!"

“It's you, holding that glass of 'sugar-added' water... give it to him directly!”

“You still said, 'Dad, drink it, your illness will be cured'!”

“Have you forgotten…my good boy?”

“You were so good back then!”

“After drinking, he even patted your head and praised you for being a good son!”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Buried memories. Like a cursed film reel, it began to rewind in Chu Van Ban's head. A gloomy afternoon. Mom gave him a glass of water.

“Van Ban, your father refuses to take medicine.”

"Bring this glass of water over, persuade him to drink it, and his illness will be cured."

The child that year raised the glass of water and carefully walked to the bed.

“Dad, drink water.”

The father's face was pale, but he still smiled gently. He took the glass of water and drank it all. Then... holding my chest, in pain. The child was frightened. But mother pulled him out of the room.

“It's okay, Dad, get some sleep and you'll be fine.”

“You're very good, you helped me.”