Chapter 7 — The Fateful Trial

If not, I'll chase you away. The next day, she blamed me for hitting her." Phung Le Le sobbed and nodded: "That's true." Vuong Xao Tran took a step back: "You all banded together to harm me!" She turned around to run but was stopped by judicial police. Outside in the hallway there was a chaos of locusts. Judge Chiang asked the parties to return to the courtroom to record their statements. When I held my child and sat down on the chair, An An cried exhaustedly, placing her tiny face on my shoulder, her breathing still hiccuping. I gently patted my baby, but there was no relief in my heart. Because Phung Le Le's lies were finally cracked. But that deep hole is still there. Why was Ha Binh registered as Ha An An? Who will use my signature? And why does Lam Mai want the two children to share the same name? During the break, the police station rushed to the court carrying additional documents. Including photos cut from the camera at the registration counter. On the screen, Lam Mai sat in front of the counter. Ha Tuan stood behind her. On the table is a stack of documents. And right next to them, there was a woman. The woman was wearing a hat and mask, only half of her face was exposed. After she signed, she gave the pen back to Lam Mai. The police officer showed me the photo: “Miss Duong, please look carefully. Is this signer you?” I stared at the magnified face, my stomach suddenly tightening. Not me. But those eyes, I've seen them before. On the day I was hospitalized after giving birth, she walked into my hospital room wearing a nurse's uniform. She used to pour water for me, and also held my baby. 07 I stared at the photo cut from the camera, my palms slowly clenching. The woman in the picture bowed her head, her hat brim pressed very low. But in the corner of her left eye there is a very small mole. I remember that mole. The second day after I gave birth to An An, Lam Mai took her to the hospital room. Lam Mai said she was a midwife introduced by an acquaintance, worked quickly, and was very experienced in taking care of pregnant women. That woman poured me water, took medicine for me, and even took advantage of the pain when I couldn't sleep to clean up the bedside table. A copy of my ID card, a copy of my marriage certificate, and my pregnancy examination records are all in that cabinet. At that time I was completely caught off guard. Because Lam Mai always sits right next to me. I thought it was a family member. I looked up at Ha Tuan: "Who is she?" Ha Tuan's face stiffened: "I'm not used to it." I held up the photo in front of him: "You're standing right next to her and you say you don't know her?" Ha Tuan's lips turned white:

“That day my mother told me to go to the police station. Mom told me to go add documents for Ha Binh. When he arrived, he was already there. I thought she was a service person'.

I laughed out loud: "A service worker would forge my signature? A service worker could get my documents? A service worker could register a sixteen-year-old boy as my son?" Ha Tuan couldn't say a word. At that moment, Lam Mai's phone called Ha Tuan's phone. I glanced at the screen, clicked listen and turned on the speaker. Her voice was still calm as usual: "Tuan, how are things going?" I spoke up: "Mom, it's me." The other end of the line paused. Right after that, Her voice was cold: "Duong Hoa, are you causing trouble at the court?" I looked at those who had not yet dispersed in the courtroom:

"I'm not causing trouble. It's you and your family who put a sixteen-year-old boy in my household and forced him to take on the identity of your son."

Lam Mai immediately replied: "What are you stuffing? Ha Binh is a descendant of the Ha family, what's the problem with him being in the Ha family?"