Chapter 20 — The Dignity of a Signature

Half an hour after the statement was posted... Two of the three statements were immediately taken down. In the remaining article, the comments are completely reversed:

“Tham Hao is truly hopeless.”

“The agreement is so clear, do you still want to erase it?”

“People chat only about design, what are you thinking about?”

“This counterattack is really beautiful.”

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Phuong Tri Vien's wife posted a post on her personal account. She is a university professor and normally rarely uses social networks. The post has just one sentence:

“My husband is sixty-three years old.”

“Normally, talking about design with young people is annoying…”

“…where do you get the energy to get involved in a love scandal?”

“Some people should still save some face for themselves.”

The attached photo is of Phuong Tri Vien wearing glasses sitting in the study room looking at design drawings. Within two hours, the number of shares on the post exceeded ten thousand. Tham Hao was completely silent. Tham Hao remained silent for four days straight. During those four days, Tham Thi lost two more customers and three more employees quit. The design department now has only four people left. Even maintaining daily project operations is no longer possible. The company's official account stopped updating. But the comment section has been locked. On the fifth day, Tham Hao called. This time he did not use a strange number to surpass the blacklist. Which was conveyed through Lu Thanh Hoa. Lu Thanh Hoa says:

“He wants to see you.”

“Say this is the final negotiation.”

“What are his conditions?”

“He agreed to sign a divorce agreement.”

“Assets are divided according to legal ratios.”

“But the matter of signing rights…”

“…he wants to discuss specific plans with you directly.”

I thought a bit.

“Meet where?”

“He said to meet at home in Bich Lan Loan.”

Bich Lan Loan. The house I lived in for nearly four years.

“Don't come home.”

“See you outside.”

Finally the location was changed to a hotel meeting room. When I arrived, Tham Hao was already sitting inside. Four days without seeing him... He's noticeably thinner. The cheeks are slightly sunken, the chin is sunken with stubble. Still the same suit. But it's wrinkled. It's like I've been wearing it for days without changing it. Lu Thanh Hoa sat next to me. On Tham Hao's side is a lawyer I have never met. A conference table. I was the one who spoke first. Tham Hao looked at his lawyer and then spoke:

“The divorce agreement you signed.”

“Home for you.”

“Car for me.”

“The savings are divided in half.”

“But the matter of signing rights…”

“…I need you to give me two transition years.”

“Thirty-seven projects I worked on at Tham Thi…”

“For now, the signature still remains.”

“After two years, everything will be changed back to your name.”

“In these two years…”

“…I will use the buffer time to communicate with customers.”

“Avoid making changes all at once that will cause them to panic.”

Lu Thanh Hoa flipped the document next to him and asked faintly:

“What do you mean…”

"During these two years, can you still continue to use Lam Ha's design plan in the name of Tham Thi to take on new projects?"

The lawyer on the opposite side immediately continued:

“No continued use.”

“It's the process of maintaining and handing over old customers.”

“What's the difference?”

Lu Thanh Hoa asked back. The other lawyer was silent. I looked at Tham Hao.

“Shen Hao.”

“I'll say it again.”

“The right to sign has no such thing as a transition period.”

"All project…”

“Change immediately.”

“If your client feels insecure about changing signing rights…”

“…that's a problem you have to face yourself.”

“Before you changed my name to Hua Tu Tu…”

“…will you give me the so-called ‘transition period’?”

He was silent.

“When you turned me into a staff member…”

“…pushed onto the stage to hand out the trophy…”

“…will you give me any buffer?”

His throat moved slightly.

“When you let your intern stand up in front of the entire industry and say…”

“‘Thank you for helping me print the documents’…”

“…have you ever thought of leaving me a little dignity?”

The meeting room was so quiet that you could clearly hear the sound of the air conditioner. Lu Thanh Hoa pushed a document to the opposite side.

“This is the revised divorce agreement.”

“Assets are divided according to law.”

"The house in Bich Lan Loan, Lam Ha does not take it, it belongs to me."

“She didn't take the car either.”

“The signing rights of thirty-seven projects will be immediately returned to Lam Ha.”

“Within two working days…”

“The design reviewer must complete all changes signed on public channels.”

Tham Hao took the agreement. Turn the pages one by one. Then slowly pick up the pen. Before signing... He raised his head and looked at me. Those eyes are very complicated. There is anger. There is unwillingness. There is also an emotion that is very difficult to name. Perhaps regret. Maybe... just not convinced. he said.

“I thought I was leaving you…”

“…how far can you go?”

I looked at him.

“Shen Hao.”

“I think this…”

“…you should ask yourself.”

“No more of my designs…”

“…how far can you go?”

He bowed his head and signed. The sound of the pen nib gliding on the paper is very soft. But I heard it extremely clearly. Four years of secret marriage... Ended with just that one stroke. Lu Thanh Hoa put away the two agreements. I stood up. As he walked to the door of the meeting room, Tham Hao's voice was heard behind him:

“That card…”

“My mother gave it to me…”

“…have you opened it yet?”

“I left it at the hotel reception.”

“I told her to come get it herself.”