Chapter 2 — The Silence Between Two Loves

He happily moved out to the best room, changed the bed sheet, and placed a green pot of betel nut on the window sill.

“Nim Niem, watch grandma prepare a room for you, do you like it?”

Nien Niem sat on the carpet, clapping her hands and laughing. My mother squatted down to tease her, the corners of her eyes already had thin wrinkles. When she was young, she was very beautiful. After marrying my father, my whole life was hard... but I never complained. She suddenly raised her head to look at me.

“Have you… become thinner?”

“No mom.”

“Is it true that the boy from the Tham family treats you badly?”

“No.”

“He treats me... very well.”

My mother looked at me for a long moment. Don't ask any more. She is a smart person. But smart people... sometimes choose not to ask. That night, Niem Niem fell asleep. I sat alone on the balcony, scrolling through contacts on my phone. Three years of marriage. The phonebook has less than twenty numbers. Most of them are housekeepers for the Tham family, nannies, and house managers. The person who can be called “friend”— There is no one. I scrolled down to the bottom. Stop at one name: Chu Nghien Bach. Before getting married, this was the only person I could consider "knowing". We once met at a charity activity and talked for less than ten minutes. He gave me a business card. On it is written:

“Nghien Bach Law Firm — Founding Partner.”

I hesitated for a long time. Finally... still dialed. The phone rings three times, connected. The voice on the other end was low and a bit hoarse because of being called in the middle of the night.

“Lawyer Chu, hello. I'm Tong Van... I wonder if you still remember me—”

“Tong Van?”

He paused for a moment. The voice... suddenly changed.

“I remember. What happened?”

“I want to ask something.”

I took a deep breath.

"About child custody after divorce. If three years later I want to keep custody... what conditions are needed?"

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds.

“Are you… divorced?”

“Tham Tri Ngam?”

Another few seconds of silence. After that, Chu Nghien Bach said something that surprised me:

“Wait a minute, I'll get my notebook.”

That moment— My nose suddenly stung. It's been three years. Finally there was someone... willing to take out a notebook to record my story. I used the little money I had accumulated before the divorce, rented a small space in the district, and opened a bakery. Saying it's a bakery makes sense— Actually, it's just a store about thirty square meters, with a sign in front of the door, selling bread, cakes, and coffee. I haven't finished high school yet. But in the three years I spent at the Tham family, I secretly learned a lot. Tham Tri Ngam does not like sweets from outside, the main chef in the house is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu of France. I quietly followed her... learned a whole skill. The chef's family name is Lam, over fifty years old, round and cute. She is the only person in the Tham family who treats me kindly. Every time Tam Tri Ngam said something unpleasant, she would quietly leave me a piece of tiramisu, saying:

“Eat some sweets... you'll feel better.”

Before leaving, I said goodbye to her. She stuffed a brown paper envelope into my hand. Inside is a baking handbook she wrote herself, thick and filled with recipes and experience.

“This stupid girl.”

She clapped my hand.

"You are much more valuable than that guy named Tham. Go... live a decent life."

Opening a shop... is not easy. People in the district have different consumption habits with big city. A loaf of European-style bread costs ten yuan... they find it expensive. The first two months there were almost no customers. Daily revenue... not enough to rent the premises. But I never thought about giving up. Every morning wake up at five o'clock. Feed Niem Niem, change her diaper, then put her in the crib at the back of the store. Then start kneading the dough, fermenting it, and baking the cake. Niem Niem is very good. Don't fuss, don't cry. Just lying there chewing on my feet, occasionally calling out "mom". Every time, I poke my head out from the counter to look at my child. The baby will grin. That smile— Like a tiny light… but enough for me to endure a long day. By the third month, things started to change. A teacher in the district came to buy coffee and conveniently bought a croissant. The next day, she returned…bringing three colleagues with her. Day three… five people. A week later— My small shop… started to have people lining up. The reason is very simple. The same quality, in the city... the price must be three times higher. I started accepting cake orders via social networks. Mainly birthday cakes. In the district, the standard of living is not high, but everyone is willing to spend a little for their children's birthdays. My cakes are beautiful, with real ingredients. Word of mouth spreads— More and more orders. By the sixth month, I couldn't do it alone anymore. Hire two more local girls to help. Eighth month— I paid off the entire loan to open the shop. Tenth month— For the first time, I sent Niem Niem a study fund. Not much. Five thousand yuan. But that's money I earned myself. Every penny... is clean. During those ten months— Tham Tri Ngam never appeared. Do not visit your child. Don't call. Don't send a message. Every month, assistant Tran will send me a text message on time:

“Miss Tong, Mr. Tham asked Miss Niem Niem if she is well.”

I always answer: Then... nothing more. My mother sometimes asks very quietly:

“Nien Niem's father... why don't you come visit her?”

“He's busy.”

"No matter how busy I am, I can't help but look at you."

“Mom, don't ask anymore.”

My mother was silent. But his eyes... were filled with sadness. I know what she feels sorry for. I'm sorry I raised my child alone. Open a shop alone. Carrying everything alone. But she didn't know— Days like this… Compared to three years at the Tham family— It's a hundred times easier to breathe. Staying at the Tham family for three years— Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is guess how Tham Tri Ngam is feeling today. If he's happy— I can say a few more words to him. Although for the most part… he only responded with one word. If he's unhappy— I'll hug Niem Niem in the living room, trying not to appear in front of him. Living like that— Is not living. It's... existence. One time Niem Niem had a high fever, up to forty degrees. I alone drove my child to the hospital. The emergency department had to wait more than an hour for their turn. The doctor said it was typhus in children, not serious, and prescribed fever-reducing medicine. I carried Niem Niem out of the hospital and called Tham Tri Ngam. He answered the phone. On the other side was the sound of glasses clinking, noisy and bustling, probably receiving guests.

“Tri Ngam, Niem Niem has a fever, I just got out of the hospital—”

"You can find your family doctor about this, why call me?"

His voice was filled with annoyance.

“The family doctor is off today—”

"Then find Assistant Tran. I'm meeting a client."

“Hang up now.”

Tut... tut... tut... That night, I sat holding Niem Niem in the car, in the hospital parking lot, crying for a long time. The baby was feverish and lethargic, her face was red. But the small hand still held my collar tightly. At that moment, I suddenly understood one thing— Tham Tri Ngam… would never be a good father. It's not because he's busy. He doesn't want to. He doesn't want... to have any more ties with Tong Van's child. On Niem Niem's second birthday, I made her a small cake. Insert two candles. While she was blowing out the candles in the shop— Outside the door stopped a black Maybach. This whole district has never seen such a vehicle. It sat there, like a black whale stranded on a shallow sandbank, so out of place that it couldn't blend in with its surroundings. The car door opens. The person who stepped down was Assistant Tran. He went into the shop and looked around. The small shop is thirty square meters, the walls are filled with Niem Niem's doodles, on the table are batches of cakes just released from the oven, the air is filled with the sweet smell of butter and milk. He bowed his head slightly.

“The General asked me to visit Miss Niem Niem.”

“She's very nice.”

I pointed towards the corner of the room, where Niem Niem was patting the cake.

“Look, two years old, healthy.”

Assistant Tran looked at Niem Niem, his eyes were a bit complicated. He sat down and took out a velvet box from his briefcase. Inside is a Cartier children's bracelet.