Chapter 2 — The Day You Pulled Your Lover On Stage, I Recovered All My Investment

“So will you stop me today?”

“If I cause trouble, what should the company do?”

He immediately continued, as if this sentence had been prepared in advance. I laughed.

“It turns out I knew you could cause trouble.”

Co Trach's face darkened.

"Khuong Le, Minh Chau is not a small factory. Today there are so many bosses and so many reporters present. If you rush onto the stage, what will be destroyed is not only me but also the rice bowls of hundreds of employees."

“You took hundreds of people to force me?”

“I just want you to see reality clearly.”

He opened his briefcase, took out a file and pushed it in front of me. White paper and black ink. Print neatly and clearly.

“This is the divorce agreement.”

I lowered my eyes and looked down.

“Even this I have prepared.”

“We have to say everything before and after.”

Co Trach's tone became even calmer, as if he had finally entered the area of negotiation he knew best.

"The house belongs to you, the car also belongs to you. I'll give you some more money. You haven't worked in the past five years, and after you leave, I still have to live. There's only one condition, go do the paperwork tomorrow morning. Foreign affairs will say we've peacefully broken up a long time ago. Don't bring up tonight's story again."

I stared at the agreement. The corner of the paper pressed against the water stains on the tea table, gradually seeping out into a wrinkled circle.

“Peaceful farewell?”

“That's best for me.”

“Co Trach, do you really think I married you that year just for the house and bank card?”

He raised his head to look at me. First time without avoiding it.

"Khuong Le, let's stop fooling ourselves. That year I was poor and had nothing, you married me, I'm grateful. But in recent years, I've gradually gotten to where I am today, and you can't keep up with me anymore."

The glass in my hand gently touched the surface of the tea table, emitting a clear sound. He continued talking.

"I don't understand the stories you told me when you got home. The people you met, I don't know. The nights you worked until late, I just brought you a bowl of soup."

“Those things aren't bad, but what you need is more than just a woman who knows how to wait at the door.”

I looked at the man in front of me. Five years ago, when he was lying in a cramped rented room with a fever, so feverish that he couldn't even speak clearly, I ran through three streets in the middle of the night carrying a medicine box. Then he grabbed my sleeve and said:

“Khuong Le, until the day I can stand up, I will not let you suffer any self-pity.”

Once a person can stand up... The first thing he does is criticize the hand that once supported him for being too rough.

“Does Lam Man understand?”

“She can help you.”

“What did she do for you?”

Co Trach's voice became tough.

"She went to meet customers with him, stayed up all night to make plans with him, helped him stop the alcohol, and handled the mess in the company for him."

"What about me? I'm at home taking care of flowers, arranging vases, researching what to cook tonight."

“So she became a co-founder.”

“She deserves it.”

Those three words fell. The living room was so quiet that only the sound of the clock could be heard. I nodded.

“Then I'm not worthy.”

Co Trach avoided my eyes.

"Stop talking sarcastically like that. Sign. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock I'll have the driver come pick you up."

I picked up the agreement and flipped to the last page. His name was pre-signed. Co Trach gave me the pen.

“Khuong Le, save some face.”

I received the pen. Under his attentive gaze, I signed my name down. Co Trach breathed a sigh of relief. I closed the agreement and pushed it towards him.

“Co Trach.”

He put the documents in his briefcase.

“Is there anything else?”

“Have you looked closely?”

I pointed to the file.

“Don't sign it wrong.”

Co Trach burst out laughing. In that smile carried the tolerance of a winner.

“Can you look at this kind of document wrongly?”

I also laughed.

“That's good.”

The next day, I didn't let Co Trach's driver pick me up. I went to the Civil Affairs Department myself. Co Trach arrived very on time. Lam Man also came. She stood on the steps, holding Co Trach's coat, like a female owner who had soon moved into the house. When I walked over, she was the first to speak.

"Miss Khuong, please don't take it to heart about last night. Mr. Co is just doing it for the company."

I looked at her.

“Do you call him Mr. Co?”

The smile on Lam Man's face stopped for a moment. Co Trach stepped up to block her face.

“Khuong Le, don't make things difficult for her.”

“I just asked a question.”

Lam Man gently replied:

“I'm used to it, it's still called that at the company.”

“Is it called that in bed too?”

Co Trach's face immediately darkened. Lam Man bowed her head, her voice became lighter.

"Mr. Gu, stop it. Ms. Khuong is sad, just let her say a few words."

She knows how to choose situations very well. In front of the gate of the Civil Affairs Department, there were quite a few people passing by. There were a few curious eyes looking over here. Co Trach lowered his voice.

“Khuong Le, don't lose the last bit of dignity.”

I won't say anything more. The divorce procedure was resolved very quickly. The employee receiving the documents looked at us, then looked at Lam Man who was waiting behind Co Trach. Lips moved slightly. But in the end, only two notebooks were brought out.

“Hold it carefully.”

The fragile certificate fell into my hand. Much lighter than I thought. Co Trach stuffed his book into his pocket and turned around to leave. I called him back.

“Co Trach.”

He stopped walking.

“When did you and her start?”

Lam Man's finger raised to adjust the bracelet on her wrist. Round after round. The thin string makes a very soft jingling sound. Co Trach was silent for a few seconds.

“Half a year ago.”

Lam Man suddenly raised her head and corrected in a low voice.

“Boss Gu, it's been seven months.”

Co Trach looked at her but did not blame her. I nodded.

"It turns out that on my birthday last year, when you said you were going on a business trip, you were actually going to celebrate the anniversary of meeting her."

Co Trach's face finally changed a bit.

"Khuong Le, everything is over, don't bring up the old story again."

"Old debts must be accounted for anyway."

“In the end, what else do you want?”

I put the divorce certificate in my bag.

“Go home and pack your things.”

Lam Man seemed to be relieved of a burden and smiled slightly.

"Miss Khuong, the house Mr. Co left for you, you can slowly clean it up. It's just that there are a few documents from the company, it's best for the driver to bring them home today."

I looked at her.

“Are you in a hurry?”

Lam Man choked and turned to look at Co Trach. Co Trach's voice turned cold.

"She's right. In the office there are some documents from Minh Chau's early days, don't touch them."

“Early documents?”

“It's of no use to you.”