Chapter 7 — The Lamp No Longer Shines Because of You

“Before, my mother didn't ask me on the phone whether she had made you lose face or not.”
His face immediately turned white. I took out my phone to call security.
“There are people harassing people in the reception area, everyone please come up here.”
He looked at me in disbelief.
“I am your husband.”
"The divorce agreement is in your hands. Before signing it, legally, you are still my husband."
“But to me, you are just a visitor without permission.”
Security staff quickly came up. Chu Tu stood still without moving, his eyes staring at me.
“Jian Ninh, do you really not remember any of the old friendship?”
I thought for a moment.
"I remember. So I just asked you to leave, not to make things more awkward for you."
When he was taken away, the boxes of vitamins were still on the table. I told the receptionist to return them. When I returned home in the evening, my mother had finished cooking. Hearing the door open, she stuck her head out of the kitchen.
“Are you tired today?”
I changed my shoes and went to hug her.
"Indefatigable."
It's raining outside the window again. The light in the kitchen is warm enough. I know Chu Tu will probably come back. But this time, I will never look back. Chu Tu did not leave immediately. He stayed outside my apartment complex for three days. The South constantly has heavy rain and winds so strong that they can blow over umbrellas. He stood next to the guard post. The security guard advised him several times but he only said he was waiting for someone. On the fourth day, he had a high fever and was taken by passersby to a nearby hospital. The nurse used his phone to contact me.
"Are you Mr. Chu's emergency contact? He had pneumonia and had to be hospitalized, and he kept calling your name in his mouth."
I asked for the hospital room number and then brought a lawyer. In the hospital room, Chu Tu leaned against the head of the bed receiving fluids, his face looking very poor. Seeing me, he put his hands on the bed and tried to sit up.
“Ninh Ninh, I know you will definitely come.”
I placed the file on the nightstand.
"This is an amendment to the divorce agreement. The property division is recalculated based on contributions and cash flow during the marriage."
"Hua Nhuoc Duong and her mother have lived in our shared house for a long time. You also arbitrarily used the restaurant on common property as a favor. I reserve the right to prosecute and request compensation for these things."
The joy on his face gradually stiffened, his hand tightened the corner of the blanket.
“You brought a lawyer just for this?”
“You still refuse to sign, I can only carry out the legal procedure.”
The lawyer gave him the pen. Chu Tu didn't accept it, instead he looked at me and laughed.
"I have a fever, are you okay with asking me how my health is?"
I looked at the needle on the back of his hand.
“That's something doctors should worry about, not something I need to worry about.”
The hospital room became quiet. The patient's family member in the next bed, who was peeling an apple, also slowly moved, then lowered his head again. Chu Tu's eyes turned red.
“Jian Ninh, don't take revenge on me like that.”
"This is not revenge. If you are sick, find a doctor. If I want a divorce, find a lawyer. We are both in our right positions."
He raised his hand to cover his eyes. A long time later, he asked:
“What if you don't sign?”
The lawyer pushed his glasses back and calmly spoke.
"We will sue. At that time, they I will provide relevant evidence, including the long-term appropriation of common property by a third person, large expenses during the marriage and documents proving mental harm."
“Mr. Chu is a university lecturer. After the trial documents are made public, you can judge for yourself the level of impact."
The bandage that fixed the infusion needle on the back of Chu Tu's hand was pulled until it was wrinkled. Finally, he took the pen. When signing, he writes very slowly. After signing, he put down his pen.
“Jian Ninh.”
I withdraw the agreement.
“Is there anything else?”
“Do you remember before we said we would go to the South to see the sea?”
Of course I remember. The first year of marriage, we had no money to travel. He spread a blue carpet in the living room, bought two cups of coconut water, and used a projector to show images of ocean waves. He said he had to pay for this trip first, but would make up for it later. That night, I laughed until my stomach hurt. After that, every year he said he was busy. Forever in debt, forever in debt, eventually turns into a promise that never needs to be fulfilled again.
“I went to look.”
Chu Tu was stunned.
“With whom?”
“With my mother.”
His tears fell, slipped through his fingers and soaked into the pillow. I covered my umbrella and left the hospital. The rain pounded heavily on the umbrella's surface. As he walked to the door, he heard a hoarse voice calling out from behind.
“Gian Ninh, if I had known early that I would lose you…”
I don't turn around. People always only remember that there was a light in the house after the sound of the door closing. But a light that has gone out once will not light up again because of the same person. Before the divorce waiting period ended, Chu Tu returned to the North. His mother-in-law called him, saying that Hua's mother had brought the neighbor's chat history and testimonies to cause trouble. She said Chu Tu had missed Hua Nhuoc Duong's youth, so she had to compensate.