Chapter 10 — The Family That Accused Me Now Wants Me Back

While the silent investigation into the old case gradually revealed the first clues, Gia Han's daily life continued with the familiar chaos at Thanh Tin printing factory. After nearly three years of working together, her diligence and carefulness were clearly recognized by Mr. Thanh, the factory owner. One morning, he called her into his small office and announced that he wanted to give her the position of official book manager, instead of just being an employee in charge of paperwork as before.

"You work carefully and honestly. In the past three years, I have never had to worry about any errors in the books," Mr. Thanh said, his voice straightforward but sincere. "The factory is expanding a new printing line, I need someone trustworthy to manage all the finances. What do you think?"

Gia Han could not hide her emotions. This is the first time, since leaving the reformatory, that she has been recognized not out of pity, but purely based on her true abilities. "I accept, and thank you for trusting me."

She first shared that good news with To Dieu Khanh, her colleague who has gradually become her closest friend over the past time. Dieu Khanh shouted with joy, pulling her to a small restaurant near the factory to celebrate right after work.

"You deserve it," Dieu Khanh said, her eyes shining with sincerity. "Since the day I started working here, I've seen you work harder than anyone else. You've never told me much about your past, but I think, no matter what happened, you overcame it with your own strength."

That unintentional statement made Gia Han ponder for a moment. She had kept a distance from most people for the past six years, afraid that once they learned about her past, they would look at her with judgmental eyes like what she had experienced when she first left the camp. But with Dieu Khanh's sincerity, for the first time she felt an urge to share, even if only a small part.

"Dieu Khanh," she said, her voice slow, "before, I was sent to a reform school for three years, for a crime I didn't commit. My family framed me to protect their biological sister."

Dieu Khanh was stunned for a moment, but then she grabbed Gia Han's hand, her eyes without any judgment. "Thank you for trusting me to tell me. I don't need to know the specifics, just know that, to me, you will always be the sister I cherish, regardless of your past."

That unconditional acceptance made Gia Han feel like an invisible burden in her heart was gradually lifted. Over the past six years, she has gotten used to having to prove her innocence in front of all eyes, but this is the first time, there is a friend who is willing to trust her without any evidence, simply based on what they have experienced together during their acquaintance.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Gia Han and Bach Tuong also gradually became closer through each working session. He not only supported her legally, but also silently cared about her daily life in very subtle ways. One time, when he learned that the printing factory was having problems with the lease contract, he proactively advised Mr. Thanh for free on how to renegotiate the contract terms, even though Gia Han had never asked him for that.

"Why did you help Uncle Thanh without telling me first?" Gia Han asked when she accidentally learned about this story through Mr. Thanh's story.

"I don't want you to feel pressured to ask me for anything," Bach Tuong replied, her voice gentle. "You have rebuilt your life with your own hands for the past three years. I just want to contribute a small part to help make things more stable, without wanting you to feel like you are indebted to me."

That sophistication touched Gia Han deeply. She is used to the fact that all help in life comes with a price, a condition, like what she experienced with her family. But in Bach Tuong, she felt a disinterested sincerity, making her gradually learn to trust again in the kindness of people.

One evening, when the two of them were reviewing newly collected documents at the law office, Bach Tuong suddenly asked her a question outside of work. "Have you ever thought about, after everything is resolved, what will you do next? Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?"

Gia Han thought for a moment, then smiled slightly, a rare smile that she had only recently begun to allow herself to show. "Before everything happened, I used to dream of studying finance and building my own small business. Now, after everything I've been through, I just hope to have a peaceful life, to no longer have to look back on the past with fear, to do what I really want to do without having to worry about the judgmental eyes of others."

"I believe you will get it," Bach Tuong said, his eyes looking at her full of sincerity. "And I hope, when that day comes, I will still be a part of your new life."

That sentence, although said gently, made the atmosphere between the two become strange for a moment, a vague vibration that both felt but no one dared to name. Gia Han bowed her head, hiding a bit of confusion, and Bach Tuong also quickly returned to the file in front of her, as if she wanted to avoid letting that budding emotion distract her from the important unfinished work.

But they both knew, even though no one said it, something had silently changed in their relationship, beyond the scope of a lawyer and a client seeking justice together.

A few days later, Gia Han began to notice strange signs in her daily activities. One afternoon, when leaving the printing factory, she caught a glimpse of a strange motorbike parked across the street, the driver wearing a full helmet, seemingly watching her. She tried to calm down, telling herself that perhaps she was being too sensitive, but two days later, the phenomenon repeated, this time a middle-aged man sitting in a cafe across from the boarding house, his eyes flickering towards her door every time she went in and out.

She told Bach Tuong this story that night, her voice unable to hide her insecurity. He listened very seriously, his face gloomy.

"It's very possible that your family already knows some of what we're doing, and is sending people to monitor your movements," he said, his voice careful. "This shows that the pressure of the will deadline is making them increasingly worried, to the point of resorting to surveillance measures. From now on, you need to be more careful in everything, avoid carrying important documents with you when not necessary, and if possible, limit discussion of the case via phone or text message."

"So should we stop and wait for a safer time?" Gia Han asked, although there was no real intention to stop in her voice.

"No," Bach Tuong shook his head, his eyes determined. "If we stop now, we will lose the time advantage we are gaining thanks to the pressure from the will. We just need to be more careful, work more discreetly, and not give up what we have worked hard to find out of fear."

From that day on, all important conversations between the two were transferred to face-to-face meetings at the law office, avoiding mentioning sensitive details over the phone. Gia Han also learned to observe her surroundings more carefully every time she left the house, a vigilance skill that she never thought she would need in everyday life. Although the feeling of being watched brought a lot of insecurity, it also reinforced her belief that the evidence they were collecting was definitely touching on something that her family was afraid of being exposed.

Dieu Khanh, even though she didn't know all the details, also noticed the fleeting tension on Gia Han's face during those days, and silently noticed, going with her more every time she got off work, using the excuse of wanting to buy dinner together. Gia Han understood that it was her friend's way of showing concern without asking too much, and she appreciated it, seeing it as another proof that, no matter how cruel the past, there were still people willing to stand by her side sincerely, without calculation, without asking for anything in exchange for that kindness.