Chapter 9 — The Final Flip: When I No Longer Have Patience

She began to squeeze out a few fake tears. If it were me before... Maybe my heart would have softened. But now, I just feel nauseous.

“No place to stay?”

“Your house in the countryside… is still intact?”

“Ah, I forgot.” I pretended to just remember, "That house is no longer yours."

“Where else to go…”

“Didn't you just receive fifty thousand from me?”

“Fifty thousand… enough for you to stay in a five-star hotel for a whole year.”

“Or… is the presidential room bed not soft enough?”

My words made Trieu Hong speechless. Chu Le was about to argue back but was pulled back by Chu Minh. He knows... talking anymore will only make him more humiliated. I glanced at my phone.

“Two minutes left.”

I don't look at them anymore. Walk to the window and pull out the curtains. Sunlight rushed in, illuminating every particle of dust in the air. It also clearly shows... the unsightly, unwilling and resentful faces of the three of them. I went into the locker room and took out three large trash bags. Return to the living room. Start gathering their things. One dish at a time. The pants stained my carpet. The shirt smelled of cheap perfume. All the things that don't belong here... I throw them all in the trash bag. My movements are not fast. But every time I do it... it's like a ritual. A purification ritual. Purify my space. It also purifies my life. Chu Le was so angry that he was trembling and tried to rush up to take it back, but was stopped by two security guards.

"Ma'am, please calm down. Don't prevent the homeowner from handling his belongings."

Trieu Hong sat down on the ground, beating his thighs and crying.

"Oh my god! How can there be such a cruel woman!"

“What karma did our Chu family create to encounter you!”

Chu Minh stood there. Like a piece of rotten wood. Unmoved. Empty eyes. He knows. I lost. Lose until you have nothing left. Five minutes passed. I dragged three full garbage bags out the door. I just went out.

“Now, take your trash… get out of my house.”

Just as the security guard was about to "invite" them out... Chu Minh suddenly raised his head. His eyes... were so poisonous that I had never seen them before.

“Tu Cam, don't be too quick to be complacent.”

“You think you won?”

“I'm telling you… this isn't over yet.”

“I still have one card left.”

“A card… that you absolutely did not expect.”

Chu Minh's words made my heart skip a beat.

“Ace?”

What else does he have to flip? The money... was taken away from me. The house... was taken away from me. Reputation... broken like mud. A loser who has nothing left in his hand... what cards can he hide? But I didn't show a trace of wavering. Just smiled coldly.

“Then I'll wait.”

The security guard quickly "saw" the three of them, along with three large trash bags... out of my house. The door closes. The world immediately became quiet. I leaned my back against the door and let out a long breath. It was a bit difficult... but in the end, we were able to get rid of those evil spirits. My brother called to confirm I was safe, so I left with peace of mind. The locksmith and security guard also completed their work. I paid, thank you. All afternoon, I cleaned the apartment. Use disinfectant… wipe down every place they touched, three times. The wool carpet was dirty... I rolled it up and threw it straight into the garbage area. Open all the windows. Let the sunlight and new air... wash away all remaining gloom. As I lay in the bathtub… it was late afternoon. Look at the sunset out the window, take a sip of wine. I feel like… I just came back to life again. And the call is Chu Minh's "trump card"... I don't take it to heart. Just the last scream of a man with nothing. The following days... passed peacefully. I treat myself to a long vacation. Go for a walk. The black SUV… I sold it. Exchanging for a beautiful, small white car is like saying hello to a new life. I even started thinking... Maybe I should sell this apartment and buy a bigger one with a garden. I started redrawing my life. A life without Chu Minh. There is no Trieu Hong. There is no one from the Chu family. Brand new. Clean. Free. I almost forgot about the person named Chu Minh. Until a week later. A strange call.

“Excuse me, are you Tu Cam?”

Female voice, polite but distant.

“I am lawyer Ton, from the law office ‘Khoi Minh’.”

My heart tightened slightly.