Chapter 2 — The Day I Retired, I Reversed My Destiny

Don't bring anything with you, the treasure chests I brought when I got married, the precious silks, I don't take away even a single item. Those things are like feeding dogs. I walked out of the Co family's main gate. Outside were full of neighbors who came to watch the excitement. Pointing, whispering.

"Isn't that Gu Hanlin's wife? Why is it so difficult?"

“I heard he was retired!”

“Oh my, that's cruel, I heard she's very filial to her grandparents.”

"Isn't it because you can't give birth to a son? Men, all take this seriously."

Those words were like needles, piercing straight into my ears. I straighten my back. I am the daughter of the To family. My father was a first-class mandarin in the dynasty, the top official. I can't make you lose face. I clutched the retirement letter in my hand, my knuckles turning white. The wind in the capital city is so cold. Blowing makes my whole body ache. I don't know how I got to the general's palace. The pair of stone lions in front of the door are still as majestic as before. The family guarding the door saw me and were startled and frightened.

"Eldest Miss? Why are you..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was stopped by the butler. Phuc Bo looked at my red, swollen face, then at the retirement letter in my hand, his eyes immediately turned red.

“Eldest lady, you have been wronged.”

“Quick, hurry inside, the wind is strong outside.”

He helped me and entered the house that I had left for three years. It's still the familiar pavilion, every blade of grass and tree branch is the same. It's just that scenes and people are lost. I am no longer the young girl waiting to get married. I have become a woman abandoned by my husband's family. Father is in the study room handling official business. Uncle Phuc stood outside the door and reported.

“Master, the eldest lady has returned.”

From inside came the calm voice of his father.

“Put it in.”

I took a deep breath and pushed open the study door. The scent of sandalwood relaxes our tense nerves a bit. Father sat behind the desk and looked up at me. His father's sideburns were speckled with silver strands. Seeing my appearance, his hand holding the pen stopped. His eyes stopped on the retirement letter in my hand. The study room was dead quiet. I finally couldn't hold it in anymore, my tears broke the dike. I knelt down on the ground, crying until I couldn't make a sound.

"The daughter is not filial, she makes people lose face."

My father didn't immediately help me up. His eyes were like a blade, sharp and cold. He kept looking at me like that, for a long time. For so long that I thought he would scold me and punish me. He slowly put down the brush in his hand.

"Stand up."

The voice didn't carry any heat, but it had a kind of force that made people feel secure. I held back my tears, stood up from the ground, and passed the retirement letter in my hand.

“Co Yen, he wants to marry Lieu Nhu Yen.”

My father took the paper full of my crimes, just glanced at it, and threw it straight into the coal pot next to me. The fire made a "flaring" sound and instantly swallowed the paper, turning it into ash.

“The wound on his face, was he hit?”

“Are you also causing trouble for me?”

“He humiliated me in front of many people?”

Every time I answered "yes", my father's face darkened a bit. In the end, the pressure in the entire study room was so low that it made it difficult for people to breathe. I have known my father for so many years and have never seen him live this status. It's not just anger, it's the calm before the storm hits. It's a kind of oppressive feeling that comes from absolute power, enough to crush everything. He stood up, walked in front of me, and used his fingertips to gently touch my red, swollen cheek. His fingers were very rough, with calluses left by years of holding a pen.

“Does it hurt?”

“It doesn't hurt.”

I lied. My face hurts, my heart hurts even more. It's like someone took part of it away.

“Van Khanh.”

Father calls my name.

“You have to remember, you are the daughter of the To family.”

“The daughter of the To family is not an outcast.”

Only widows.” My whole body shook, I raised my head to look at him. In his eyes, murderous intent swirled.

“Dad, don't.”

“Because scum like Co Yen is not worth it.”

"I just want to take back what belongs to me, make them lose their reputation, make them regret it."

I don't want my father to use violent tricks for me. Co Yen is just an ant, it would be easy to crush him to death. But at court, moving a hair will affect the whole body. I don't want to become a stain on my father's path. Father looked at me, the killing intent in his eyes gradually receded, replaced by heartache.

“You've grown up.”

He patted my shoulder gently.

“Know how to think about the big picture.”

“Okay, dad, listen to me.”

“We don't kill people, we kill people's hearts.”