Chapter 16 — The Day I Return

"Ky Lang, male, admitted to the hospital three years ago. The main treating doctor is Professor Chu Chinh of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery. The diagnosis is — hereditary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with arrhythmia."
I picked up a pen and quickly took notes on paper.
"Three years ago, I performed minimally invasive heart surgery. The method was transventricular septal myocardial ablation combined with ICD implantation. This method was not yet mature in the country at that time, so Professor Chu led the team that went abroad to learn and bring it back."
“What about the results of the surgery?”
"Success. Recovery after surgery was very good. The last follow-up was two months ago, the indicators were stable — but the ICD has not been removed yet, which proves that a certain level of risk still exists."
“What risks?”
"The risk of atrial fibrillation has not been completely eliminated. The ICD is still there - if the heart stops beating, there is still a device to deliver an electric shock." He hesitated, "But daily activities are no problem. Just don't overexert yourself, don't get too excited."
Don't get too excited. My pen stopped.
"One more thing —" Doctor Truong lowered his voice, "I was able to look up the medical records during his stay in the hospital. During his hospitalization three years ago, his wife's name was not on the list of visitors."
"Do not have?"
"No. The emergency contact person who signed on was the Deputy Director of his company — a man named Tong Dai."
“What about the family?”
“There's only one person.” He flipped through the file, "A week before being admitted to the hospital, a woman came once. Her last name was Giang. In the notes column it was written — 'Sister of the patient's ex-fiancee'."
My movements stopped completely. Ex-fiance's younger sister.
— That's my sister.
“When was that time?”
“March 17 three years ago.”
March 17. That was — Four months after I went abroad. In other words, four months after I left, Ky Lang was hospitalized for surgery. My sister came to visit him once. And from then on — according to Ky Lang — their marriage existed in name only. Sleep separately. Cold War. Until the very end.
"Okay. I know. Thank you, Doctor Truong."
"Nothing. If you have any questions, please contact me anytime."
Hang up. Nguyen Tieu Ngu just walked out of the bathroom, his head wrapped in a towel.
"Who called just now? Is it Tieu Truong?"
"YES."
“Can you look it up?”
"Looked it up. What he said is the truth."
Nguyen Tieu Ngu sat down opposite me, his expression became serious: "So... he really has heart disease, he really had surgery, is he really cured now?"
"More than half cured. But not completely. I still have a defibrillator in my body."
“A defibrillator… is the type that gives an electric shock when the heart stops beating?”
"YES."
“So is he now considered healthy or unhealthy?”
"You can live normally. But you must avoid too negative emotions or excessive effort."
Nguyen Tieu Ngu tilted his head and thought: "So texting me at two or three in the morning without sleeping, is that considered overwork?" I raised my eyes to look at her.
“…Are you feeling sorry for him?”
“I don't have any.” Small pouted, "I feel sorry for you, yes. You know that his state is like that and he tortures you every day. You can't feel confused, right?"
I said nothing. Small leaned forward person came: "So what do you think in your heart now? Do you really not have any feelings anymore?" I leaned back in the chair. Look at the crowded numbers on the computer screen.
“Tieu Ngu, I ask you a question.”
“Please ask.”
"If there was a person who loved you for eight years, but during those eight years he always lied to you, kept secrets from you, and arbitrarily made decisions for you. Until you were strong enough, he dared to tell you the truth - would you forgive him?"