Chapter 9 — The husband's family controls the finances

She turned her spear towards me. I laughed coldly.
"Are you playing tricks? I don't have that skill yet."
I took out my phone and played a recording. That was the recording that I secretly put in Ma Tu Lien's pocket with the recording pen during my last visit to the hospital. In the recording is a conversation between Ma Tu Lien and a strange man.
“…Mr. Liu, it's been so many years, do you still have me in your heart?”
"Tu Lien, what are you talking about? If you hadn't married the honest and simple Chu Kien Quan that year, the two of us..."
"Stop talking. I just want to tell you that I'm about to have a grandchild. It's Chu Khai's child, and also your grandchild..."
“What?!”
"Just keep your voice down! Chu Khai doesn't know... he always thinks he's Chu Kien Quan's son..."
The recording suddenly stopped. In the living room, it was so quiet that you could even hear the sound of breathing. Chu Khai's body staggered and fell to the ground. Chu Kien Quan was like an angry lion, suddenly rushing towards Ma Tu Lien, strangling her.
"You bastard! You wretched woman! I'll beat you to death!"
“Ah…”
Ma Tu Lien let out a ferocious scream. There was immediate chaos in the house. I stood up, coldly looking at everything before me. Chu Khai hugged his father's leg, crying and shouting:
"Dad! Don't hit me anymore! Don't hit me anymore!"
A lie and betrayal that had accumulated for decades, at this moment was torn apart by my own hands, bloody and exposed in front of everyone. I walked in front of Chu Khai and squatted down.
“Do you still think that my child must have the surname Chu?”
11
That chaotic drama eventually ended with Zhou Jianjun having a heart attack and being taken to the hospital. In the house, there were only me, Chu Khai and Ma Tu Lien left, lost and lost. Chu Khai stayed up all night. The next day, his eye bags were dark, and his whole body seemed to have had its soul drained away. He sat in front of me, his voice hoarse.
“When did you… know about this?”
“That evening my mother wanted to get her salary card.”
I replied. That day, I overheard her calling from the balcony. She made a mistake. From that moment, I knew I couldn't lose this fight. I just need to find a suitable opportunity to turn over all the trump cards.
“So everything you do is planned in advance?”
"Correct." I don't deny it.
He closed his eyes in pain.
"What are you? A fool who's been fooled for thirty years..."
“No.” I looked at him. "You are the father of my child. This is the only truth that will not change."
He raised his head, his blood-filled eyes looking at me.
“Van Tinh, can we… still continue to live together?”
I have been thinking about this question for a long time.
“Chu Khai, the previous family is dead.”
“We have two options now.”
"First, divorce. The children belong to me, the house belongs to me, I give half of my savings to you. You, your mother and your so-called 'biological father' can live their own lives."
"Monday."
I stopped for a moment.
“Let's start again.”
“But this time it's not you and I adjusting to the same old family.”
“It's the two of us creating a new family that truly belongs to us.”
“In this family there are no lies, no control, no sacrifices taken for granted course.”
“It's just us and our kids.”
“The rules are set by us. We shoulder the responsibility together. The future is decided by us together.”
I pushed two files in front of him. One episode is the divorce agreement. The remaining set is a new property agreement during the marriage and a confirmation of the child's last name. In the confirmation, it was written that our first child would have the surname Van. The second child will bear the surname Chu. If you only have one child, wait until he is an adult to choose for himself.
“You choose.”
I completely leave the choice to him. Chu Khai looked at the two documents for a long, long time. Outside the living room window, the sun was rising. A new day begins. He picked up the pen, his hand shaking slightly. Finally, he held up the marital property agreement, signing his name at the bottom. Zhou Kai. After that, he picked up the form confirming the child's last name and also signed it. He raised his head to look at me. An unprecedented alertness and steadfastness appeared in his eyes.
“Van Tinh.”
he said.
“Let's start again.”
12
Half a year later. Chu Kien Quan was discharged from the hospital. He and Ma Tu Lien filed for divorce. No arguing, no fighting. The relationship between husband and wife decades ago and that DNA report was as fragile as a piece of paper. Ma Tu Lien moved away. It is said that she followed the man surnamed Liu to another city. She never contacted Chu Khai again. Chu Kien Quan also moved back to the old house. Occasionally he would come to visit, but said very little, just sat quietly for a while and watched my belly gradually rise. We didn't tell him the truth. Chu Khai said there are some things that are good for everyone if left to rot in the stomach. He still calls him “dad.” It's just that the word "dad" has many more complicated emotions.