Chapter 15 — The Mother Who Stole Her Dream

In the recording, my mother's youthful voice resounded.

“If he goes to Nam Thanh, who will help him look after the house?”

"He joined the dance troupe, will he still listen to me from now on?"

“Mom, don't raise her heart to fly away.”

My hand was held by Duong Duong, causing a sharp pain. But I couldn't feel the pain anymore. I just heard my grandmother use all her strength to say one last sentence.

“Dinh Mai, you ruined him once, do you still want to ruin his whole life?”

The recording stops there. The next second, the conference room door was pushed open. The dean held a fax he had just received, his face pale.

“The Nam Thanh Dance Troupe has sent a response letter.”

"Khuong Le's application for admission that year is still available."

16 When the fax was placed on the table, I looked at the name at the top for a long time. Khuong Le. Identification number. Application direction. Overall ranking: first. Selection opinion: agree to accept into the youth training class. In the notes section, there is also a line: Candidates do not come directly to confirm, parents submit a written waiver. I looked at those words and suddenly felt like laughing. It turns out that for many years I have risked my life to prove that I can dance, to prove that I do not lack talent, to prove that I have not been criticized by teachers. But the truth is that simple. I don't lose to others. But being locked outside the door by my own mother. Duong Duong's tears fell even harder than mine. She used the back of her hand to wipe her face haphazardly, her voice hoarse.

“That year you were only sixteen years old.”

“How could she do that?”

Finally, my mother panicked. She looked at the document, as if she saw something she had buried underground crawl out on its own.

“That was so many years ago!”

“What's the use of turning it over now?”

I raised my head to look at her.

“It doesn't work for me.”

“But it works for me.”

Finally, I knew I was not inherently inferior to others. It's not just a lack of opportunity. But someone tore up my opportunity and forced me to kneel down and thank my grandmother for raising me. Ha Minh Triet kept the copy of the dispatch.

“This document will be submitted along with the fake waiver sent today.”

Miss Lam looked at Manh Tinh.

“Now do you still want to say you're just helping?”

Manh Tinh could no longer cry. She said in a low voice:

“Miss Dinh said she had previously handled a similar matter for Khuong Le.”

“She said that as long as I bring the documents, no one will check.”

My mother banged the table.

“You took my money and now come back to bite me?”

As soon as those words came out, even my younger brother raised his head. He looked at my mother like he was meeting her for the first time.

“Mom.”

“Did you really give her money?”

My mother turned and shouted at him.

“And not because of you?”

“If he joins the dance troupe, he won't be able to get that money back!”

My brother opened his mouth. This time he didn't say it was natural for his sister to help his brother. Because even it understands. The so-called "for it" is what destroys me. Ms. Lam asked Manh Tinh to export her full chat history and transfer history. Manh Tinh did not dare to delay and frantically coordinated. Ha Minh Triet stood next to him, his voice very light.

“Proactively surrendering now is still a bit better than waiting for the platform and bank to extract the data.”

Manh Tinh's face became even whiter. My mother suddenly turned to me. She doesn't cry. No more scolding. As if changing to another face, her voice softened.

“Khuong Le, mom was wrong.”

In the meeting room, no one spoke. She took a step forward but was stopped by the security room teacher. Her eyes were red, her voice was urgent and trembling.

"At that time, my mother was still young and didn't understand things."

“Your younger brother is still young, the family is under great pressure.”

“I'm afraid you'll go out and suffer.”

“Can't I still take the university entrance exam now?”

“If it's over, let it go.”

I looked at her. This is her greatest advantage. If scolding doesn't win, then cry. Crying doesn't win, then admit your mistake. When I admitted my mistake, I wanted to put the hilt of the knife in my hand, as if if I didn't forgive, I was the one who didn't understand. I asked:

“What about grandma's money?”

Her face stiffened. I continue to ask:

“What about my living expenses?”

“What about the treatment guarantee fund?”

“What about the youth training class?”

“What about today's preliminary round?”

“What can be let go?”

The tears on my mother's face suddenly looked very fake. Her lips moved for a long time, and in the end she could only squeeze out one sentence.

“I am your mother.”

I said softly:

“First of all, please pay off all your debt.”

Outside the door of the meeting room, footsteps suddenly sounded. The academy's media teacher pushed the door open and entered.

“Anonymous posting account has been found.”

She looked at my mother and then at my younger brother.

“The posting account does not belong to a student.”

“The linked phone number is in Ms. Dinh's name.”

My mother suddenly stood up.

“Nonsense!”

The teacher in charge of communications placed a screenshot of the account information on the table.

“There is also a history of renting accounts to repost and diffuse articles.”

“We were also able to check the payment account.”

Ha Minh Triet picked up the photo, looked at it once, and his expression darkened.

“Miss Dinh.”

“Today I didn't just come to school and cause trouble.”

“You planned to destroy Khuong Le's professional qualifications.”

At that moment, my phone rang. It's a strange number. I answered the phone, and on the other end of the line, the voice of the selection office staff of the City Dance Troupe rang out.

"Classmate Khuong Le, please come and check in person at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"In addition, the person in charge of the old records of the Nam Thanh Dance Troupe's youth training class will also be present."

The opponent stops.

“He said he still remembers you.”