Chapter 9 — The Gift I Left After My Divorce

One week later. The lawyer informed me— Chu Minh Hien signed. One hundred and fifty thousand was transferred to his account. The first thing he did... was put Truong Lan in a closed mental sanatorium. Her spirit was completely broken. Sometimes I cry because I lost my house. Sometimes I scream because I see a "ghost". Chu Minh Hien couldn't stand it anymore. He chose to hide. The second thing... he gave Chu Dinh twenty thousand. Not to help with divorce. But to silence. Chu Dinh's divorce... was a total loss. Children, property... cannot be kept. She poured all her resentment on Chu Minh Hien and came to cause trouble every day. He used money... in exchange for peace. The remaining amount... pay off card debt and miscellaneous amounts. In the end… there wasn't much left. He sold his car and rented a small room in a remote suburb. Completely disappeared from everyone's sight. From the detective, I received the last photo of him. A cheap t-shirt, stubble, and empty eyes walking in the middle of the street. The man who once considered himself at the top... is dead. What's left... is just a walking corpse. Return to that city. Returning to the mansion that was once my nightmare... Now, it's in my hands again. Inside... the scene remains the same as that year. The doll lies still on the bed.

The “blood stain” has dried.

The sweet, fishy smell... has long since disappeared. I walked over and reached out to touch its cold face.

“Goodbye.”

“The old version of me.”

I called the construction team. Demolish the entire second floor. Wall painted white. The floor was replaced with warm wood. Large glass doors let sunlight flow in without any obstruction. This place… will be my studio. Also the headquarters of the art foundation. After the fund was announced, I received countless letters asking for help. Every story... is heart-wrenching. I see countless “me”s of the past. And I turn it all... into creative material. I organized an exhibition called "Afterglow". Right in this very space. Central work— A wall made from thousands of old telephones. Each one… broadcasts a recording. Voices of women. But talk about extreme pain.

“He said he loved me… then broke three ribs.”

"I was eight months pregnant... he took me away because he said the baby was against him."

“He transferred all his assets... then he and others kicked me out of the house.”

Thousands of sounds overlap each other. Creating a wave that cannot be ignored. The whole space was immersed in silence. Some people... burst into tears on the spot. The exhibition was successful beyond expectations. My name— No longer the woman who “revenges her ex-husband”. It's an artist... speaking up. I stood in the sunlight. Look at the people who came to watch. In their eyes... there is sadness, there is anger. But more… is being understood. A kind of relief… after having been seen. I did it right. It's not just about giving justice to yourself. But also…light a light for others. Let them know— After darkness… there is always light. The exhibition ends at sunset. I sat alone on the studio's rooftop, the afternoon light dyed the whole city a soft yellow color, so beautiful it was breathtaking. My phone vibrated, an unfamiliar number in the city. I picked up the phone. A voice that seemed to have drifted into the past. Chu Minh Hien. His voice was hoarse than before, tired and worn out.

“Something happened What?"

I asked, as if asking a stranger.

“I… saw the news about your exhibition. I didn't expect... you could do those things.”

I didn't answer, just listened quietly.

“My mother… in the hospital, her condition is very bad. Chu Dinh's divorce... was not good, Ly Vi did not let him see his children. And I... am working as a construction assistant, earning 200 per day."

He spoke calmly, as if reporting a shattered life. No resentment, no anger, only resignation.

“I called… not to ask you for anything.” He stopped, seemingly having to gather all his courage before continuing. “I just want to ask… is that baby… a boy or a girl?”

The sunset light fell on me, warm but also painful. I closed my eyes and the image of that day came back. The bathroom was cold, red blood spread all over the floor, the pain was so much that I almost fainted. But I still see a small life taking shape. Tears fell silently, not because of him, nor because of the past, but because of the child I had never hugged.

“Chu Minh Hien.”

I called softly, my voice choked. “That… doesn't matter anymore. The important thing is, that child taught me something. There are people... who are not worthy of being parents. There are graves… that are not worth being buried in by anyone.” I hung up and blocked the number. That's the last call. From now on, we will not see each other again. I stood up, walked to the edge of the terrace, watching the city gradually light up. Each light shines one after another, like my new life, gradually brighter and clearer. I picked up the phone and called my parents.

“Dad, mom… I'll be home tomorrow. I'll make cinnamon rolls to bring home for you two."

On the other end of the line was warm laughter. I also laughed. It turns out happiness can be that simple. Letting go is not about forgiving them, but about freeing yourself. My revenge is over, in the most perfect way. They took the price they paid, and I got a new life, carrying the strength that the baby left behind, walking towards the open future. In the villa, the wall made of thousands of phones still lights up. The stories are still echoing, whispering to all who enter this place: do not be afraid. The woman who once fell into that abyss has climbed back up, and lives more brilliantly than ever.