Chapter 4 — The Path I Chose

"What exactly am I to you? For the past three years, do you have any idea how I have been living? Do you have any idea how much agony I have endured?"

"So, it was all just a game to you from the very beginning, wasn't it? Is it amusing to trample on the sincere feelings of others like that?"

Watching his crumbling composure, I nearly burst into laughter. I pulled out my phone and held the screen up right in front of his face, wearing a mocking smirk. "How you’ve been living? Are you kidding? You seem to have been doing quite well for yourself. Look, the headlines are plain as day: The youngest heir of the Pho family, Pho Thanh Tay, spotted dating young models at nightclubs; eight different girlfriends in three years." I leaned forward, my voice cool. "Mister Pho, this man in the video is definitely you, isn't he?" His entire body stiffened, and his face drained of color in an instant. After a long silence, he gave a faint, awkward cough, attempting to justify himself. "I only used them to distract myself."

"If I hadn't done that, what else was I supposed to do?"

I shrugged, my expression one of utter disdain. "You managed your own life perfectly well and lived as a playboy. Why on earth would you come crawling back now to throw mud at me?"

"Pho Thanh Tay, when it all comes down to it, you are simply unable to accept the truth. You cannot stomach the fact that someone who once allowed you to control them—someone you could treat as an option—no longer revolves around you and has chosen to walk away on her own terms."

At my words, he froze completely. Ignoring his dazed expression, I continued, "Since you went to such lengths to find me here, I know that if I don't give you a clear explanation, you won't give up easily."

"I worked so hard to build the peaceful life I have now, and I refuse to let you ruin it. So, I will tell you now exactly why I left in the first place."

"The night before our university entrance exams, I came to your house to see you."

He jerked his head up to stare at me.

"As it happens, I overheard you promising your father that there would never be a future for us. You said that you had never felt anything real for me; to you, I was merely a seasoning to add flavor to your otherwise dull existence."

Before I could even finish my sentence, he scrambled to his feet, reaching out frantically to grab my arm. "Those words weren't sincere, Tri Da! You know how overbearing my father is. I had no other choice back then; I had to say those things just to placate him."

"And as for the people I dated later, yes, I was with them, but only because I wanted to numb the torment of being abandoned by you."

"That includes Chu Diem Diem. Bringing her to Los Angeles this time was a deliberate attempt to provoke you. I thought that once you saw it, you would feel regret, you would be heartbroken, and you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from coming back to my side..." His voice trailed off into a whisper.

I pulled my arm away and replied gently, "Whether you were sincere or not no longer matters, Pho Thanh Tay. We were never meant to be. The infatuation of our youth was simply so blinding that it almost completely clouded my reason."

"In a way, I should thank your father. It was he who pulled me back onto the path I was always meant to walk."

"Let the past remain in the past. The version of me from back then truly did have feelings for you, but that is history. The person I am today does not have a shred of affection for you, nor will I ever. I hope you will stop intruding on my life. I wish you well in your future, but this is where we end."

Without another word, I picked up my bag and, refusing to spare him another glance, turned and walked out the door. Behind me, he scrambled to give chase. From several dozen meters away, he shouted after my retreating form, "Luong Tri Da, does this mean there is absolutely no possibility for us ever again?" I paused, but I did not turn around. I gave him one final, firm, and solemn answer: "That is correct. There is no possibility left, not now, not ever."