Chapter 8 — The Mother Who Stole Her Dream

08

Dinh Mai stood in the middle of the academy building's lobby, carrying an old cloth bag in her hand. My younger brother stood next to her, wearing new sneakers, headphones hanging around his neck, his face filled with impatience. There were many people passing by in the lobby. Dinh Mai did not lower her voice. As soon as she saw me, tears immediately fell from her eyes.

“Khuong Le!”

“How can you treat your mother like that?”

The scream was very loud. The surrounding students all stopped walking. Duong Duong instinctively blocked in front of me. I gently pulled her.

“It's okay.”

Dinh Mai rushed forward, raised his hand to grab my arm. Ms. Lam stepped up to block it.

"Miss Dinh, come to the office and talk about something."

Dinh Mai immediately cried harder.

“Teacher, everyone help me decide!”

“I raised him for twenty years, now he has outsiders backing him and wants to sue his biological mother!”

“His younger brother is still in school, he wants to force our whole family to die!”

My younger brother frowned.

“Mom, it's okay.”

It glanced around, clearly feeling embarrassed. But before coming here, Dinh Mai probably prepared a script. She sat down on the bench in the lobby and began to beat her chest and cry.

“My fate is so miserable.”

“Raising an ungrateful child.”

“It cost a lot of money to learn how to dance for the family, but now I still blame my mother for giving me so little.”

There began to be gossip around. I heard familiar sentences.

“Is it a family matter?”

“The mother also looks pitiful.”

Duong Duong was so angry that he was shaking. But I'm calmer than ever. I walked in front of Dinh Mai.

“Mom said she raised me to study.”

“So tell me, who pays my tuition this semester?”

Dinh Mai's crying stopped.

“Of course family.”

I took out my phone and opened my payment history.

“It is a student loan and scholarship money.”

Her face stiffened. I continue:

“Mom said the family's pepper dancing lessons cost a lot of money.”

“So who bought your dancing shoes?”

Dinh Mai immediately said:

"It's you who insisted on buying the expensive one!"

I lifted my feet, revealing my worn and deformed trainers.

“I've been gone for a year and a half with this couple.”

“The toe of the shoe came off three times.”

“The shoe soles were mended by myself.”

The surrounding noise gradually subsided. My younger brother interjected angrily.

“Sister, do you have to cause trouble here?”

I looked at it.

“Didn't you two come here?”

It choked on words. Seeing that crying was no longer effective, Dinh Mai's face suddenly changed. She lowered her voice but was still loud enough for people nearby to hear.

“Khuong Le, mom gives you one last chance.”

“Now go home to mom.”

“Hand over everything the Ha family gave you.”

“Our family can still live in peace.”

I looked at her.

“Hand it over so mom can continue to spend it?”

Dinh Mai's eyes wavered.

“I am your mother.”

That sentence was uttered very clearly by her. Like it's a key in itself. Can open my wallet, open my life, open everything my grandmother left me. I said:

“Just because I'm your mother doesn't mean your money is my money.”

Dinh Mai suddenly stood up.

“Without me, could you have lived until today?”

This time, the person who answered her was not me. Ha Minh Triet stepped out of the elevator, next to him were the dean and Ms. Lam. In his hand he held a file.

“Miss Dinh.”

“Maybe you should say that sentence again later formal mediation.”

Dinh Mai's face turned pale. She glared at me.

“You really called him.”

Ha Minh Triet opened the file.

“It wasn't her who called me.”

“But I was looking for you.”

He took out a document.

“After Khuong Le turned eighteen, she still used the name of manager to sign and use the trust money.”

“There are many expenses not related to Khuong Le's studies and activities.”

“Within three days, please submit an explanation and refund the amounts for no reasonable purpose.”

Dinh Mai immediately shouted.

“I don't have money!”

That statement is more convincing than any evidence. The entire lobby was completely silent. My brother's face also changed. Maybe he finally understands that shoes, computers, and extra classes don't come naturally. Dinh Mai realized she had said something wrong and immediately corrected her words.

“I mean the family is having a hard time.”

Ha Minh Triet looked at her.

“Difficulties cannot become a reason to misappropriate money.”

"It cannot become a reason to threaten students to leave school."

Dinh Mai rolled her eyes and rushed towards me again.

“Khuong Le, are you really that cruel?”

“Next year your younger brother takes the exam, if you ask for his money back, what will he do?”

I looked at my younger brother standing behind her. It avoids my eyes. I suddenly asked:

“What about your meal?”

Dinh Mai was stunned. I say each sentence one by one.

“When I ate white rice for a month, did you ever ask me what to do?”

“When my leg was injured and I didn't have money to buy medicine, did you ever ask me what to do?”

“When in winter I wear torn dancing shoes to practice, have you ever asked me what to do?”

Dinh Mai's lips moved but couldn't say anything. At that moment, Ms. Lam's phone rang. She heard a few sentences and her face suddenly became extremely ugly. She looked at me.

“Khuong Le.”

“The selection office of the City Dance Troupe just contacted the academy.”

"Someone called in my mother's name, saying that due to health problems, I voluntarily gave up the preliminary round."