Chapter 1 — The Day My Laughter Became An Obsession

On the big screen of the hall, I saw that horrifying video. In the video, I was drugged and lured into filming humiliating scenes. I struggled to run away, but I was pinned down. Finally, after being exhausted by h-ha-h, I completely lost consciousness. Right in front of everyone, my boyfriend - Trinh Tu Mac - announced our breakup, then turned around and hugged my roommate, Bach Vu. But at that moment, his brother - Trinh Di Tham, the genius guy from the Finance department - stood in the middle of the crowd, looked at me and said:

“Don't be afraid, I'll be with you.”

In the whispers of everyone, I fainted, falling into an endless darkness. One year later, one random night, I accidentally heard a conversation between Trinh Di Tham and Trinh Tu Mac.

"You, Lam Noan, were poisoned and recorded in those videos. The story of me and Bach Vu together was originally planned. I really don't understand, why are you being so nice to a girl who has lost all honor?"

"Because of Bach Vu, we owe her too much. After all, we pushed her into this path. Taking care of her now is a way to make up for it."

I stood against the cold wall, my whole body trembling. It turns out, this world can be so cruel. As for the people I once trusted, they could be so shameless...

1

“Honey, are you dizzy again? We're about to go to the school's psychology consulting room.”

“Don't worry, I'm here.”

“I will always be with you, you have to believe me!”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Trinh Di Tham gently hugged my shoulders, gently comforting me. I leaned weakly against him, but my head still kept echoing last night's conversation between him and Trinh Tu Mac. A wave of nausea came over me, I couldn't hold back and threw up. It all fell on his clean clothes. The air in the car was immediately filled with an unpleasant odor. He had a serious case of cleanliness, I thought he would hate me and push me away, would be angry and stop the car, and would let me go home on my own. But no. He just quietly gave me a bottle of mineral water to rinse my mouth, then stuffed a mint candy into my hand. He didn't seem to care at all about the stains on his clothes. If I had never heard that conversation that night, maybe I would truly believe that he loved me with all his heart. After being poisoned and filming those videos, I lost my memory of that terrible night. It wasn't until the image appeared on the big screen in the hall that everything gradually appeared in my memory. Since being with Trinh Di Tham, my mental state has not been better one day. I was afraid of the dark, could only hide in the dormitory, didn't dare go out alone, and couldn't even face my friends and their eyes. The psychologist at the school hospital diagnosed me with severe anxiety disorder and severe depression. Being able to live until now without dying, everyone says it is a miracle. Because… living in darkness is much more painful than death. On the outside, Trinh Di Tham always loved and pampered me. No matter how busy he was with many projects, every Wednesday, he still persistently took me to see a psychologist, never delaying.

“Sorry, I soiled your shirt and car Older brother." I said calmly.

He gently lifted my face, then placed a light kiss on my forehead.

"Why are you even saying sorry to me, are you stupid?"

“Tieu Noan, I will never hate you. Never have been, and never will be.”

I laughed coldly in my heart. Wouldn't you really hate it? So why when Trinh Tu Mac said I was "dirty", did he stay silent?

2

The car quickly stopped in front of the psychological counseling center of the school hospital. Seeing a group of students holding phones waiting at the door, I immediately trembled, stiffened, unable to move.

“Tieu Truong, go chase them away.”

As soon as Tieu Truong stepped out of the car, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd.

“Don't be afraid, I'm here.”

Trinh Di Tham took off his cashmere coat and gently covered my head, revealing only my eyes. He got out of the car first, then picked me up and walked quickly towards the hospital door. I couldn't see Tieu Truong, but I saw countless lenses pointing straight at me. I closed my eyes tightly and covered my ears with my hands. But the voices still crept into every corner of my head.

"Mr. Trinh, I heard that classmate Lam has reserved her academic results, is there a problem with her spirit?"

"Mr. Trinh, yesterday's photos are spreading rapidly on the school forum, what do you think about this?"

"Mr. Trinh, do you really not care about her past?"

"Mr. Trinh, are you sure you want to take care of a mentally ill person for the rest of your life?"

Ha... Those photos were released again? Is it because Bach Vu is about to announce his relationship with Trinh Tu Mac? So they want to destroy me completely? The questions from the students holding pens and recording were like knives stabbing my heart. Pain? It used to hurt so much that I wanted to die, but now... I'm completely numb. It's just that the tears still couldn't be held back and kept flowing out. I buried my face in Trinh Di Tham's chest, tears soaking his shirt.

“Baby, don't cry! I'm here!”

Listening to his heartbeat, I just wanted to rip that chest open and see how rotten the heart inside was. He hugged me, each step was difficult in the tight circle. Suddenly, he was pushed by the crowd and lost his balance, causing me to fall from his arms. I fell to the ground, my knees were scratched, my palms were bleeding. Countless lenses immediately pointed at me, clicking and snapping photos. A severe headache came on, as if someone was hammering nails into my brain. I cringed, clenched my bloody palms, trying to endure so as not to faint on the spot. Trinh Di Tham panicked and knelt down next to me, hugging me tightly. Even though I was in his arms, I still couldn't stop shaking.

“I'm sorry, baby... It's all my fault, because I didn't hold you tight.”

Tieu Truong jostled back from nowhere.

"Sorry Mr. Trinh, there are too many people, I can't control it."

Trinh Di Tham squeezed my arm, then picked me up again. Before entering the door, he coldly glanced at Tieu Truong:

“It's useless, even the slightest thing can't be done.”

Entering the consulting room, I saw a woman with an elegant temperament sitting there. She is Bach Lan, Bach Vu's cousin. Actually, the two of them are sisters from different mothers father. Before, I had never doubted this psychiatrist. But now, it all becomes suspicious. As time passed, my condition not only did not get better, but also became more and more serious. Bach Lan always applies extreme therapies. She just chose the exact ways that scared me the most. This method of “stimulation therapy” is like a form of torture to me. She constantly reminded me of my painful memories, causing me constant insomnia and nightmares every night. She always secretly implied that people with severe depression easily overthink. The fact that I'm still alive until now is probably something beyond her expectations. But today, I decided not to continue coordinating. As soon as I entered the consulting room, I pretended to panic and then fainted. In a state of "deep sleep", I heard the conversation between Trinh Di Tham and Bach Lan. The voice was very small, but every word was as clear as cutting into my skin.

"Her spirit has reached the edge of collapse. If she continues to stimulate her, she will die if she doesn't go crazy!"

“If you really want her to disappear, I can install suggestions during hypnosis, making her suicidal.”

“Just activate specific conditions, she will do what I program. Letting her kill herself is actually very simple.”

“Di Tham, do you want to do that?”

Trinh Di Tham was silent for a long time, then spoke:

“There's no need to rush... Keeping her is still worth it.”

"What value is there anymore? With her current mental state, it's impossible to even continue studying. The original plan was for her to help Bach Vu complete her graduation thesis, but now it seems no longer feasible."

Trinh Di Tham said angrily: "Let's just leave it like that for now." It turns out, they also wanted to take advantage of my academic achievements. It turned out that even if I continued to study, I no longer had a chance. Ha... Is this Miss Thien Kim, the darling of heaven in everyone's eyes? I fell into the hands of a group of demons like this. All that tenderness and concern... it's all just a play that's played too well. Before, I used to think that dying might also be a way to escape. But now, having seen through their true faces, I no longer want to die. If I have to die, I will drag them all to hell! Returning to the dormitory, I locked the door tightly, then dialed the number I called from abroad a month ago. I told the other person my situation and my plan. I don't want to stay in this hellish school even for a moment longer. But... for their crimes, they must pay the price!

3

In the evening, it was almost time for Trinh Di Tham to bring me hot milk as usual. I walked into the bathroom, grabbed the paper knife, and forcefully cut a deep cut on my wrist. Fresh blood dripped into the white sink, blooming like a bright red Man Chau Sa Hoa flower. Very quickly, my consciousness began to become hazy. The next time I opened my eyes, I saw Trinh Di Tham kneeling in front of me, screaming in panic.

“Call the school doctor immediately! Contact your personal doctor immediately!”

He frantically shook my body:

"Tieu Noan, you can't die! You can't die!"

"Tieu Noan, you must live! I beg you!"

That's one excellent acting. For the past year, I have been deceived by him to the point of spinning into delusion. Putting on a gentle mask in front of me, perhaps it has become a habit of his, right? He once said that since I was a freshman, he had kept an eye on me, always quietly watching. But unexpectedly, I became the lover of Trinh Tu Mac - his younger brother. It was very difficult to wait until Trinh Tu Mac betrayed me, and he finally had the chance to enter my life. I used to trust him without any doubt, because his indulgence had almost reached an absolute level. Holding it in the palm of your hand for fear of melting, holding it in your heart for fear of being hurt. This time, I still couldn't escape as expected. But at least I don't have to see that fake psychiatrist again. Trinh Di Tham firmly believes that my spirit has reached its final limit. If I continue the "treatment", I'm afraid that next time I will really die. As the canary he worked so hard to nurture, maybe he doesn't want to lose me so quickly. Probably... haven't played enough yet. After being rescued, Trinh Di Tham took me to his house. A few days later, his mother - Ton Nha - brought Bach Lan to visit me. On the surface it was to visit a sick person, but in reality it was to stimulate me. She held Bach Lan's arm intimately, looking like mother and daughter. Seeing my wrist still wrapped in white bandages, Ton Nha slightly curled her lips and smiled coldly.

“If you want to die, find a neater way.

The rooftop is so high, just jump down and you'll be clean."

“Cut your wrist to pretend to be pitiful, just to attract attention.”

“If you really die, wouldn't it be fitting for Bach Lan to take your place?”

Bach Lan pretended to stop:

“Auntie, Lam Noan's health is not good now, we should understand and care for her more.”