Chapter 2 — The Day You Abandoned My Mother and My Child in the Middle of the Airport

An Omega watch that he has mentioned countless times. He never opened it. Even... Even the gift box, he didn't bother to bring it out of the car. Meanwhile... My daughter is still running a high fever. Lying unconsciously on the hotel bed, constantly calling: I stared at the photo for a long time. It took so long that the phone screen automatically turned off. Then it's morning again. Finally... I opened the chat box with Ly Minh Trach. Type four letters.

"Have you eaten?"

Then press send. Ten minutes passed. There hasn't been any response. I texted again.

"Nien Niem fever is 38.7 degrees."

The message quickly displayed the status: He still hasn't replied. Until then. My tears just fell silently. I didn't dare cry. I'm just afraid of waking up Niem Niem. I pulled the blanket to cover my mouth. Tears fell onto the screen. Blurring the two words: One o'clock in the morning. I made the thirty-seventh phone call to Ly Minh Trach. Thirty-six calls ago... Not a single call was answered. For the thirty-seventh time. The bell only rang twice. He immediately hung up. Right after that, a message was sent.

"I told you not to bother me."

"Find the hotel's medical room yourself."

I grabbed my phone and slid down to sit on the bathroom floor. His back leaned against the cold tiles. The cold air from the air conditioner made my whole body shiver non-stop. At that moment... I suddenly remembered the wedding five years ago. In front of all the guests. Ly Minh Trach once held my hand and promised to love me for the rest of my life. I remember the time I was pregnant. Every day after work, he patiently massages my swollen feet. I remember the moment Niem Niem cried for the first time. His eyes were red, he hugged me tightly and whispered:

"My wife has had a hard time."

After all... When did things start to change? It was after Niem Niem just turned one year old. Ly Minh Trach's company received its first investment. He is increasingly busy. Time to go home is getting less and less. Then he even rented an apartment near the company. Only go home two or three times a week. I always told myself to understand his hardships. I have never blamed. Taking care of children alone. Taking care of housework alone. Take care of your husband's parents alone. From an architect who graduated from a prestigious school... I gradually transformed into a full-time housewife. Always just waiting for others to tell me what to do. Every time her mother-in-law meets someone she knows, she proudly boasts:

"My daughter-in-law is very blessed."

"If you marry my son, why do you need to work?"

"It's enough for women to stay at home and take care of their husbands and children."

"What's the point of getting a higher education?"

I just smiled. Now think again. That smile... It's really cheap. I saved To Man's entire post with screenshots. Then save it in an encrypted album. Next, I opened the notes app. Start recording each milestone. July 12. Ly Minh Trach had dinner with To Man in Tam A. His daughter had a fever, he ignored her without asking. On our wedding anniversary, he left me at the airport. I write very calmly. It's like writing a work report. At 2:30 a.m., I stepped out of the bathroom, changed Niem Niem's fever-reducing patch, and then sat on the balcony to enjoy the sea breeze. The sea surface in the distance was pitch black, with only a few scattered lights from fishing boats. Suddenly I remembered something. Ly Minh Trach once said he had a project in Sanya. But a few months Nowadays, every time he goes on a business trip, he always talks about Shenzhen, but never mentions a word about Hainan. I opened the company's official website and flipped through all the newsletters. There is no information related to the project in Hainan. I looked up Ly Minh Trach's flight history again. After getting married, all his plane tickets were booked by me. I know the account and password. In the past three months, he has flown back and forth between Sanya a total of seven times. Every time I go on Friday. Return Sunday. Every time he said he was going to Shenzhen to meet customers. I sat on the balcony, letting the sea breeze blow my hair. Suddenly I felt extremely funny. Not heartbroken. Which is funny. I'm so stupid again. For the past five years. This is the first time I've checked your flight history. Near morning, I sent Ly Minh Trach the last text message.

“Nem Niem's fever has subsided, you don't need to worry anymore.”

After that, I switched my phone to airplane mode, returned to the room, and hugged Niem Niem to sleep. The next morning, at exactly seven o'clock, Niem Niem shook me awake. My spirit is much better. The child lay on top of me and said in a low voice:

“Mom, I'm hungry.”

I took my children down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I ate half a bowl of white porridge and a boiled egg. After eating, he held my hand and asked me to go to the beach to play with the sand. I changed my child into a white princess dress. Then take your child to the beach. Niem Niem is very fun to play. I ran back and forth on the sand, picked up seashells, and built sand castles. I sat under the umbrella looking at my child's smiling face. The rock that had been weighing heavily on my heart all night finally felt a little lighter. The phone is still in airplane mode. Suddenly I realized. A world without news of Ly Minh Trach... It doesn't seem that scary.