Chapter 23 — The Inn at the End of the Pass

Two days before the event, an unexpected event caused all plans to almost completely collapse. Thao, while cleaning up a pile of old documents to prepare for display at the event, accidentally discovered a set of hard-copy emails that Khai Dang had forgotten during his last visit to the restaurant, tucked into the stack of technical documents he sent her.

The content of the email made her hands tremble when she read it - it was a report Khai Dang sent to his superiors, which contained a detailed analysis of the level of people's support for the "heritage road" project, along with comments on the weaknesses and hesitant households that did not fully agree. Reading through, Thao couldn't help but panic when thinking about the possibility that this information could be used by the company to find ways to break the solidarity of the neighborhood, or to prepare a plan to deal with an upcoming event.

The feeling of betrayal rose in Thao's heart, even though she tried to tell herself that maybe she was misunderstanding. But doubts, once rekindled, are difficult to completely extinguish, especially in the context of mounting pressure from all sides.

She called Khai Dang immediately, her voice unable to hide the tension. "Can you explain to me about the report you sent to the company? The report analyzing the weaknesses of your project, analyzing the wavering households?"

On the other end of the line, Khai Dang was silent for a moment before responding, his voice a bit confused. "Where did you find that copy? Let me explain—"

"When did you send that report to the company? And why didn't you tell me a word about it?" Thao interrupted, her voice shaking with a mixture of anger and hurt.

"Thao, please listen to my explanation first." Khai Dang said, his voice also began to tense. "It's true that I sent that report, but it was part of the strategy I was implementing to convince the company to consider a compromise plan — I intentionally pointed out weak points to suggest that the company should proactively support, instead of completely opposing my project. That is a negotiation tactic, not betrayal."

"Negotiation tactics?" Thao repeated, her voice bitter. "You used information about my family and my neighbors as a bargaining chip with your company, without even asking my opinion?"

"I'm sorry for not talking to you first, but I did so because I believed it was the best way to protect our project within the company!" Khai Dang explained, his voice also began to reveal his frustration at her suspicions. "I put my whole career at risk because of this project, you should have trusted me more instead of jumping to such conclusions."

"How can I trust you when you hide important things like this from me?" Thao asked, tears began to flow even though she tried to hold them back. "This isn't the first time, Khai Dang. From the first day I met you, you used to hide things from me about the project, and now you're hiding things from me about this report. I don't know how many other things you've never told me the truth about."

The call ended in unprecedented tension between the two people, both hung up in a heavy mood, neither one willing to give in to the anger and hurt of that moment.

That night, Thao locked herself in her room, not wanting to contact anyone, including her children. Thuy Duong, worried by her unusual silence, knocked on the door and brought in a bowl of hot porridge.

"Miss Thao, what's wrong with Mr. Dang? I've seen you sad since this afternoon." She asked, her voice filled with concern.

Thao recounted the entire incident to her sister, her voice filled with hurt and confusion. Thuy Duong listened attentively, then after a moment of thinking, gently spoke.

"Miss Thao, I'm not very familiar with adult matters, but I think, if Mr. Dang really had bad intentions, he wouldn't have spent a whole month working for free to help me, nor would he have traveled long distances to get back to the event in time. Is it possible that you are overreacting because you are too worried about the upcoming event?"

Her sister's sincere words made Thao pause and reconsider her reaction from a different perspective. Perhaps, amid the intense pressure of the days preparing for the event, combined with the constant fear of losing everything, she reacted too harshly to an event that, if considered calmly, could be understood in a completely different way.

But the anger and hurt had not completely subsided, making Thao not have the courage to proactively call Khai Dang back that night, even though her heart also began to feel restless.

That night, both of them, despite being nearly three hundred kilometers apart, spent a sleepless night with their own confused thoughts, while the big day that the whole community had worked hard to prepare for was approaching by the hour, bringing with it both hopes and new rifts that had not yet been healed between two hearts that were once very close together.

The next morning, Thao woke up early with puffy eyes due to lack of sleep, trying to bury herself in the final preparations for the event so as not to have to face chaotic thoughts about Khai Dang. But even though she tried to act normal, her absent-mindedness could not escape the eyes of Mrs. Ha, who was helping to rearrange the display booths.

"Is there something sad about you? Since morning until now, I've seen you in a daze." Mrs. Ha asked, her voice full of concern.

Thao, after a moment of hesitation, told her stepmother the whole incident, not hiding both the hurt and the confusion that was tearing her heart. Mrs. Ha listened attentively, then sighed and placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Son, I've experienced the feeling of hiding difficult things because I'm afraid of hurting the person I love. I understand how complicated that feeling is." She spoke, her voice thoughtful and full of experience. "But I also learned one thing, sometimes you need to give people a chance to fully explain, instead of jumping to conclusions based on your own fear. That Dang guy, I see that he is not the type to lie. With all the effort he puts in for his family, not everyone can do that."

Ms. Ha's sincere advice made Thao feel even more tormented, realizing that perhaps she had reacted too hastily during last night's panic. But her ego and fear of being hurt again still prevented her from picking up the phone to call him back, even though her finger had slid to his name in her contact list countless times that morning.

That whole day, Thao immersed herself in work, setting up tents, arranging tables and chairs, checking every small detail of the event, trying to let her busyness overwhelm the confusing emotions swirling in her heart. But every time there was a moment of calm, the image of Khai Dang, his hurtful voice on the phone last night, appeared in her mind, making her wonder if she was pushing away something precious just because of a moment of anger.

Late in the afternoon, Gia Binh, after vaguely hearing the story from Thuy Duong, went to Thao who was sitting alone at the wooden table, still holding the to-do list but her eyes were looking into the distance and aimlessly.

"Are you and Mr. Dang really angry with each other?" He asked, sitting down opposite, his voice somewhat hesitant because he was not used to showing concern in such a direct way.

"I don't know either, Binh." Thao sighed, her voice tired. "I'm afraid I overreacted, but I'm also afraid that if I let it go easily, what if there are many other important things he'll hide from me in the future?"

Gia Binh pondered for a moment, then spoke, his voice much more mature than the hot-tempered boy of a few weeks ago. "I remember, in the past I used to say harsh words to you just because of fear, because of the hurt that had accumulated for a long time. But then I realized that the person who truly stays with me, even if he sometimes makes mistakes, is still worth giving me another chance to explain. Mr. Dang is not someone who gives up easily, you can see what he has done over the past few months."

Sincere and unexpected advice from the younger brother who once hurt her the most made Thao emotional. She nodded, thanked Gia Binh, and began to have clearer changes in her heart about proactively contacting Khai Dang again before everything became too late.

That night, she picked up the phone many times, her finger slid to his name in the contact list and then pulled it back, not having the courage to call. In the end, she just composed a short message: "Are you still coming back tomorrow? Everyone is looking forward to you." After sending, she put down the phone, her heart pounding as she waited for a response, but that night, the screen remained silent without a response, making the insecurity in her heart even thicker before the big day.