Chapter 15 — The Stolen Heir For Thirty Years

Chu Vu's eyes turned to Chu Chinh Duc, cold as ice.

“Immediately go to the bank and cancel the order to freeze my assets.”

“Then go to the police station and bail them out.”

“As for the fine, you guys figure out how to pay it yourself.”

Chu Chinh Duc nodded tremblingly, without any resistance left. Chu Vu smiled, but that smile sent chills down people's spines more than crying.

“About those five houses.”

All eyes immediately turned to him, tense as if waiting for a life or death verdict.

“I… don't need one.”

As the words fell, the whole crowd seemed to freeze. So what is all this… about? Chu Vu looked at them, his eyes full of irony, as if he was watching a stupid farce.

“You think I brought you here… to talk about housing?”

His finger slowly raised. Pointing to the corner of the yard—where there is a low firewood house, locked for thirty years.

“Have you forgotten…”

“What… is there still locked in there?”

Chu Chinh Duc and Luu My Lan's faces immediately turned pale, fear appearing more clearly than death. 17 Buried Crimes That firewood room is the forbidden area of this family. In the three years I've been a bride, I've never heard anyone mention it. But looking at the reactions of the other two people, I knew... inside there was definitely a secret that could destroy everything. Chu Cuong and Vuong Cam also noticed something unusual and their voices trembled.

“Dad… mom… what's in there?”

No one answered. There was only heavy silence, and panicked eyes fixed on the rusty lock. Chu Vu did not say more. He took out a key so small that the original color was almost unrecognizable, and walked towards the door. The lock opens. The sound was small, but like the end of a thirty-year secret. The door opened, the smell of decay poured out, the darkness inside was as thick as if it could swallow everything. Chu Vu turned on the phone light, the light passed through piles of old things, then stopped at the corner of the wall. An old camphor wooden chest, half as tall as a person, was silent like a witness. Up there… there's still a lock. Chu Vu used the same key to open it. But he was in no hurry to look inside. He turned around and looked at his parents.

“Can you guys come in and see for yourself… or should I bring it out?”

His voice was as calm as dead water, but underneath was a storm that could sweep away everything. Luu My Lan collapsed to the ground, crying like a lost soul.

“Don't… Chu Vu… don't…”

"I beg you... the past... let it go..."

Chu Chinh Duc could no longer stand, tears falling continuously.

“Son… consider me asking you… to save the last bit of dignity for the family…”

Chu Vu laughed, his smile cold to the bone.

"When you guys made up lies and controlled my life... did you ever think about my dignity?"

"When you guys wanted to destroy me because of Chu Cuong... did you think about the so-called family?"

He turned around, not giving them another chance. His hand reached into the chest. Pulled out a stack of papers that had turned yellow over the years. The papers... seemed to carry the scent of the truth that had been buried for thirty years. An old newspaper folded neatly. A tiny newborn diaper, wrapped in red cloth. Chu Vu held those things, step by step walked out of the dark room, into the light, straight in front of the people trembling with fear. He placed everything on the stone table in the yard, item by item, as if he were laying out evidence of an impossible trial appeal. First, he opened the newspaper. It was a local newspaper thirty years ago. In a small corner of the social page, there is a notice looking for people posted. The woman in the photo... looks like Liu My Lan seven or eight times. That's her biological sister. Also... Chu Cuong's biological mother. The content of the notice is very simple: mentally unstable, ran away from home, missing. After that, Chu Vu opened the yellowed letters. Each line of words seemed to be soaked in blood. It was a letter written by her younger sister to Liu My Lan. In it, every sentence and every word denounces a disgusting truth. Chu Chinh Duc took advantage of her husband's time on a business trip, got drunk and forced himself on her. Made her pregnant, giving birth to a child. That child... is Chu Cuong. To hide this scandal, they made up the story that their sister was mentally ill, then took her away. Then he hugged the newborn child and pretended to be his biological child to raise. Finally, Chu Vu slowly opened the red diaper. There were no children inside. There was only one piece of paper… The birth certificate was yellowed. On it, the father's entry recorded the name Chu Chinh Duc. As for the mother item... It's the name of Luu My Lan's younger sister. The truth, fully exposed. Chu Cuong... was never the "oldest brother". He is just the result of a sin that was hidden for thirty years. And Chu Vu... is the only legitimate child of this family. Chu Vu's voice rang out, cold as the final verdict.

“Do you have anything else to say?”