Chapter 7 — The Husband's Secret

She said, Tham Nghien answered the phone outside and was a few minutes late before coming in. I held my breath. The woman's voice became even deeper. She said, I don't know who called that phone call. She said, I just remember when Lam Van Duong saw him, the light in her eyes went out immediately. She said, that look, I have not been able to forget for many years. I took the paper bag and left the old building. The sun outside is very strong. But I walked on the road, even the shadow was cold. I didn't go straight home. I went to the nearest printing shop. I backed up all photos, recordings, and chat history on my phone. The shop owner asked me if I needed binding. I said, no need. I divided each document into three copies. One copy is kept in a bag. One copy was sent to my mother's house. One copy is saved to a newly created email. After completing these tasks, I called my college friend, Attorney Trinh. We haven't been in touch for many years. After connecting the phone and listening to the story, the first thing she said was, first you have to get the child out of the shared residence. I said, Tham Nghien will not agree. She said, no need for his consent, you are the mother, you have not given up custody. I said, what if he takes it? Lawyer Trinh said, then don't give him a chance to win. She told me to keep Vien Vien's birth certificate, household registration book, vaccination book, and health insurance card carefully. She told me to stop letting Aunt Khuong have private contact with Vien Vien from now on. She also told me to quickly go to the police station for advice and to keep a record of the family dispute and safety risks for the child. I listened to what she said one by one, my heart finally calming down a bit from the panic. Turns out I wasn't just crying. It turns out that in the face of lies, I can still close the door step by step. When she got home, Aunt Khuong was chopping food in the kitchen. Vien Vien sat on the carpet, holding a cloth ball in her hand. Seeing me, she grinned. I walked over and picked her up. The baby's body exuded the fragrant scent of milk. At that moment, I almost burst into tears again. Aunt Khuong stuck her head out to look at me. She said, the boss is back. I said yes. She asked, how was the follow-up visit? I said, the doctor told me to rest more. She said, so I'll stay a little longer today. I hugged Vien Vien tightly. I said, no need. The vegetable cutting knife in her hand stopped for a moment on the cutting board. Then she laughed. She said, don't be polite, boss also told me to take good care of mother and child. I bowed my head and kissed Vien Vien's hair. I said, I will take care of my own children. The kitchen was silent for a few seconds. Aunt Khuong started chopping vegetables again. That sound was one blow after another, very regular. But I know, from this moment on, we are all acting. In the evening, Tham Nghien came home earlier than usual. When he walked in the door, he was still carrying the diaper that Vien Vien often used. He put the diaper down on Huyen Quan, his tone was as if nothing had happened. He said, on Friday he asked for half a day off. I looked at him. He said, take Vien Vien for a medical examination. I asked, which hospital? He said, City Children's Hospital. My chest felt like someone was pressing down hard. I tried to force a smile. I said, Vien Vien was examined last month. Tham Nghien's movement of changing shoes stopped. He said, this time is different. I asked, what's the difference? He raised his head and looked at me. His eyes were very deep, also very deep. He said, he had already made an appointment with a specialist. Good for Yuan Yuan, he said. I carried Vien Vien and stood in the middle of the living room. Aunt Khuong came out of the kitchen, still holding the milk bottle she had just dried in her hand. She looked at Tham

Study, then look at me again. She said nothing. Tham Nghien took a step forward. He said, Diep An, you don't need to go on Friday. He said, let me take her away.08 That night, I carried Vien Vien to sleep in the living room. Door locked. Pull the chair behind the door. If this action were placed before, I would find it ridiculous. But now, I just feel it's not enough. In the middle of the night, Vien Vien woke up once. The girl closed her eyes and moaned, her small hands waving wildly in the blanket. I picked my baby up and gently patted her back. It quickly fell asleep again. She didn't know that the man outside the door was her father. Didn't know that his father had arranged for him to have a so-called health examination. I looked at my child's tiny face, feeling like my heart was being crushed by a soggy cotton pad. Heavy, stuffy, out of breath. It's almost morning, I text my mother. I said, Mom, today I'm taking Vien Vien to where you live for a few days. My mother replied back very quickly. She asked, did you quarrel with Tham Nghien? I looked at that line for a long time. In the end, I just replied, met and talked. At seven o'clock in the morning, Tham Nghien knocked on the door. He said, wake up and have breakfast. I don't open the door. I said, I'm not hungry. There was silence outside for a moment. He said, Diep An, don't cause trouble. I hugged Vien Vien and stood by the window.