Chapter 12 — The Day I Take It All Back

This is a woman who was once bewitched by greed and shortcuts... But in the end still retained the last bit of sanity and self-esteem for herself.

“So today you came to find me…”

“For what?”

Lam Lam took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.

“I want to give birth to this baby.”

“Raise it yourself.”

“But I need some money.”

“I don't have a job right now, and I don't have any savings…”

“So I want to make a deal with you.”

She took out a USB from her bag and placed it on my desk.

“In here…”

"It's all the evidence that Tran Hao usurped his position."

“More complete and detailed than what you have.”

“Including how he falsified the books…”

“How to collude with suppliers to withdraw money…”

“Every item is written very clearly.”

“Even his father — Tran Chinh Duc — also participated.”

“The father and son consider those nine shophouses as their own ATM machine.”

“I use this…”

“In exchange for 500,000 yuan.”

“It just needs to be enough for me to have a baby and settle down.”

I looked at the USB on the table. It's like looking into a Pandora's box. In Lam Lam's eyes is the fierceness of someone who has no way back. She's betting. I bet that because I want to destroy the Tran family more thoroughly... I will accept this transaction. What she said wasn't wrong. The things in that USB... Enough to put Tran Hao and Tran Chinh Duc in jail. But I didn't immediately pick it up. I just looked at Lam Lam and slowly asked a question.

“Do you hate them?”

Lam Lam paused. It seemed unexpected that I would ask like that. She was silent for a long time. It took so long that I thought she wouldn't answer anymore.

“I don't know…”

She lowered her head to look at her raised belly, her voice very soft.

“Before, I thought I loved Tran Hao.”

“He has money.”

“Be generous with me.”

“Can satisfy all my vanity.”

“I used to think it was love.”

“Until the day he placed all the responsibility on me…”

“Hit me, curse me…”

“I just understand…”

“No.”

“I hate him for ruining my life.”

“Make me a laughing stock.”

“I also hate his father's greed…”

“With his mother's bitterness…”

“But many times…”

“The person I hate the most…”

“It's me again.”

“If I don't want to take the shortcut at first…”

"Don't be greedy for things that don't belong to you..."

“That wouldn't have happened today.”

Her tears fell onto the back of her hand.

“From Miss…”

“I know I have no right to make conditions with you.”

“You can completely ignore me.”

“But the baby is innocent…”

“I ask you to give me a chance…”

“Give my child a chance too.”

Those words... Gently touched some soft place in my heart. The baby is innocent. Just like three years ago... Tu Niem was full of hope, thinking that he had found love... Also innocent. I pushed the USB on the table back in front of her.

“I can't accept.”

Lam Lam's face immediately turned pale. The light in his eyes also went out little by little. I changed my voice.

“I can help you.”

I opened the drawer, took out a business card and gave it to her.

“This is the phone number of a friend of mine.”

“She works at a foundation that supports mother and baby care.”

“You can find her.”

“She will help you professionally.”

“Including pregnancy care…”

“Psychological support…”

“The same problem of raising the baby later at birth.”

“It's all free.”

“And absolutely confidential.”

Lam Lam looked at me in disbelief. Then looked at that business card again. She didn't dare accept it. Her voice trembled.

“No reason.”

I stood up, walked in front of her, and placed the business card directly in her hand.

“I don't want you to use part of the evidence of the crime…”

“In exchange for my child's life.”

“Every child…”

“Everyone should come clean to this world.”

“Forget Tran Hao.”

“Forgot about the Tran family too.”

“Start a new life of your own.”

“For your child…”

“Also for yourself.”

Lam Lam held that small business card tightly. It's like taking over the world. She looked at me, her lips trembling slightly... But she couldn't say a word. She bowed deeply to me. Then turned around and walked quickly out of the office. I looked at his back. The cold lake surface in my heart... It seemed like it was starting to thaw. I did not hand over the USB to lawyer Truong. I locked it in the deepest drawer in my office. Not because I want to spare the Tran family. I don't want to continue using their sins to dirty my life anymore. My life… There should have been more important things. Brighter. Everything... This is the end. But the irony of life... Forever beyond human imagination. A week later, lawyer Truong suddenly called me with an urgent phone call.

“Something happened.”

“Tran Chinh Duc is dead.”