Chapter 9 — The Husband in the Household Registration Book

"I asked for the full name of your apartment complex, asked for the house number, asked about the security situation, and asked if you were in love with anyone."
“I also checked to see if your ID was left at home.”
Every time I said a word, her face turned a little whiter. Her crying stopped, her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
“At that time, I thought it was concern.”
I looked into her eyes and said each word clearly, as if I was using an ice tip to puncture the last layer of disguise.
“Now I ask mom.”
“When mom made those phone calls to you, was Chau Kien Dan by her side?”
“Is every question you ask something he asked you to ask?”
“Mom, do you really not know anything?”
There was no sound in the living room. Even the sound of the wind outside the window disappeared. Only the condensed breath of the two of us remained. Mom looked at me, her lips moved but she couldn't say a word. Her eyes turned from surprise to panic, then avoidance, and finally became a field of ash. She was silent. That silence resonates louder than any words. It admits everything. Admitting that she knew about it, admitting her tacit permission, her weakness and selfishness. She knew Chau Kien Dan was planning to harm her daughter, but she chose to stay silent. Because that man is the support for the second half of her life. And I was just a dependent item in her previous life. It turns out that's it. The last bit of weak hope for love in my heart was completely extinguished. I stood up and didn't look at her anymore. I turned around and walked towards the door.
“Tinh Tinh…where are you going?”
Her voice came from behind, carrying panic. It seemed like she finally realized what she was about to lose. I don't turn around. My hand rested on the doorknob. That cold feeling is exactly like my heart.
"Mom."
I called her that for the last time.
“Mom chose him.”
“Then don't choose me anymore.”
I opened the door and walked out. Don't look back even once. Behind me was her cry of despair, complete collapse. I walked in the hallway, my steps were very steady. My eyes were dry, without a single tear. It turns out that when a person is truly heartbroken, they cannot cry. Just feels empty. It's like someone has carved out a piece that can never be filled. That's good too. From today, I no longer have a family. But I was free.
11
For the next month, everything was carried out at a coldly efficient pace. To gain leniency, Phuong Vien clearly declared everything, and also proactively handed over the money transfer documents that Chau Kien Dan had given him in the past to "work". As for Chau Kien Dan, at first he was stubborn and refused to admit it. But after the police presented a lot of evidence such as surveillance cameras, Phuong Vien's testimony and bank cash flow, his psychological defense completely collapsed. Falsifying documents, fraudulently registering marriage, assisting in committing fraudulent acts. Many crimes have cumulative penalties. What awaits him is the harsh punishment of the law. The fake marriage and civil registration in my name were completely erased, and the bank account was unlocked. After The police issued a certificate, and my credit history was also restored to a clean record. Everything returns to the original point. It's like that crazy nightmare never happened. More interesting things are still to come. After Phuong Vien's creditors discovered that he had become a "dead person", and was also under control for committing a crime, they immediately changed their target. They went to the original "guarantor", Chau Kien Dan. In the past, to get Phuong Vien to work for him, Chau Kien Dan promised that if the matter was exposed, he would bear part of the debt. Now, those cruel and evil debt collectors, carrying the recording from who knows where they got it, directly blocked my mother's door. The five hundred thousand yuan gambling debt that Chau Kien Dan once wanted to erase, now both the capital and interest are being claimed without missing a single penny. It is said that her mother sold her house and Chau Kien Dan is currently living in and reluctantly paid all the money. She moved to an old residential area far away, renting a small room. These stories were all told to me later by the young police officer at the police station. He called me and informed me of the final result after the case ended.
“Miss To, congratulations.” he said.
"Thank you."
“That's right,” he hesitated for a moment and then still said, “your mother... came a few times, wanting to ask for your contact information but I didn't give it to her.”
"Thank you."
“She said… she wanted to apologize to you.”
Sorry? I held the phone and looked out the window. There are injuries that cannot be compensated for with just an apology. Like a nail hammered into a wall, even though it has been pulled out, the hole still exists forever.
“Officer, if she comes again in the future, please don't give her information.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
After hanging up the phone, I stood for a long time.