Chapter 6 — The Day I Saved 400,000 Yuan

I'm about to close. Tran Hao suddenly called back. There was no longer anger in his eyes. There was only panic left.

"My father..."

"My father's surgery..."

"What does your father's surgery have to do with me?"

I asked back.

"Doesn't he have a filial son, you?"

"Don't you still have Miss Tham here?"

"Sell the necklace around her neck."

"Shouldn't there be money already?"

Tham Nhuoc Dao immediately hugged her neck. Looking at me with eyes full of resentment. I'm not in the mood to watch the two of them continue. I slammed the door shut. The world became quiet again. But I know. It's not over yet. Tran Hao will not give up easily. Evicted from home. No more money. There is no more place to stay. He will be like a mad dog. Find every way to tear me down to gain benefits. I cannot sit and wait passively. I must counterattack. I have to make him pay for everything he's done. I returned to the office. Turn on your computer. I remember Tran Hao and I have a linked bank account. Previously, all family expenses went through that account. Later to save money on surgery. I just separated my salary account. But the joint account has not been canceled yet. Occasionally I still log in to see how much money my family spends each month. Just been too busy lately. So I forgot. I enter my account and password. Download all bank statements for the last two years. A PDF file is dozens of pages long. I brewed a cup of strong tea. Sit in front of the computer. Start viewing each transaction. Right from the first line. My heart slowly sank to the bottom of the abyss.

"Two years ago, May 20."

"Spending: Roseonly flower shop, 1,314 yuan."

"Two years ago, June 1st."

"Spending: Tiffany counter, 8,800 yuan."

"Two years ago, July 7th."

"Expenditure: Sanya Atlantis Hotel, two nights, 12,000 yuan."

I scroll down each line. Buy handbags. Buy jewelry. From afternoon tea sessions of several hundred yuan. To luxury goods worth tens of thousands of yuan. Almost every month there are expenses of more than ten thousand yuan. And it all points to the same person. Tham Nhuoc Dao. From two years ago. He has betrayed me. When I stayed up late to work overtime just to win an extra bonus of 1,000 yuan every month. He was having candlelit dinners with other women in fancy restaurants. When I regret the taxi fare. Late at night, I boarded the last train to save a few dozen yuan. He drove another woman to see the sunrise by the sea. When I wore a t-shirt of several dozen yuan. He criticized her for being an old housewife with fading beauty. He splashed money again like water. Buy branded goods for other women. Just in exchange for her smile. I don't cry. Not even a single tear could fall. I just feel numb. I picked up the computer. Add up all the money Tran Hao has spent on Tham Nhuoc Dao in the past two years. Then an account. Another account. A number appears on the screen. 316,800 yuan. More than 300,000 yuan. Round 300,000 yuan. He used our shared savings. Using the money I earned from staying up late and getting up early. To feed another woman. For two years. Yet in the end. He and his whole family still want to scam me another 400,000 yuan. I Use the red box to mark all those expenses. Then press print. The printer started buzzing. Each sheet of A4 paper is slowly pushed out. Evidence of Tran Hao's adultery. It's also my blood and tears over the years. I divided the entire printed statement into two parts. One part was put in a yellow paper envelope. Recipient: Tran Kien Quan. My father-in-law. Hiep Hoa Hospital. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery. Room 1208. The rest. I put it in the second envelope. Recipient: Tran Quyen. Her home address. I still remember it very clearly. Done it all. It was just dawn. I ordered an express delivery within the city. Watching the delivery man leave with two envelopes. My heart has never been so peaceful. Tran Kien Quan. Tran Quyen. The debt you owe me. It's time to pay. Express delivery service works very quickly. Less than an hour. My phone received two notifications:

"Signed for receipt."

An announcement came from Hiep Hoa Hospital. The remaining announcement came from Tran Quyen's family. The great play is about to begin. I made myself a hearty breakfast. Two fried eggs. Two slices of toast. And a cup of hot milk. It's been five years. This was the first time on a workday morning. I can sit down and have breakfast leisurely like that. No need to think about who to prepare breakfast for. No need to watch for time to catch the train. Sunlight penetrates through the window. Falling onto the dining table. Extremely warm. I just finished eating the last piece of bread. The phone rang. It's Tran Hao. I looked at the name flashing on the screen. Press the listen button. Also turn on recording. His voice no longer had the anger it had last night. Which was filled with panic and fear.