Chapter 8 — They Locked Me Outside the Door, I Locked Their Lives

“Then it's done.” Lawyer Ly laughed, "You can rest assured and go to the new city. I will handle this case. Not only will he not get any money, he will also have to bear all the litigation costs."

“Does he have money to pay the lawsuit fee?”

"Probably not. So there is a high possibility that the application will be withdrawn before the trial date, or not go to court, which will be considered self-cancellation. This is just the last struggle, wanting to drag her through the mud a bit in terms of public opinion."

I nodded. This... is not worth my concern. A loser's final performance, not worth exchanging my feelings. We moved on to talk about something else. New job. Southern city. The climate, the sea, things that are about to become mine. When preparing to leave, lawyer Ly suddenly said:

"Oh, one more thing. I have a friend who works in law enforcement at the hospital. He said there was a disturbance recently... his name is Truong Lan, I wonder if it is..."

“It's her.” I'm almost certain.

“That's right then.” He nodded, "I heard that because she couldn't pay the hospital fees, the hospital wanted to stop the medicine. She caused a disturbance at the nurse's station, cried and cursed, even moved her hands and feet, and was dragged out by security. Now the hospital is preparing to sue."

I was silent. A very clear scene appeared in my head. Throwing tantrums, rolling around, screaming. That is the weapon Truong Lan used all her life. But unfortunately— before the law and rules, it has no value.

“What about her son?” I asked.

"Her son, also your ex-husband..." Lawyer Ly paused for a moment, "He didn't show up from beginning to end. I heard that when mother was dragged away by security, he stood across the street, smoking."

My heart ached slightly. Not pity. It's not sad either. It's a feeling of... cold irony. The man who once considered his mother everything — when it was time to shoulder responsibility — chose to stand aside. Push your mother away as a shield. When the shield crumbles— then step back, pretending not to see anything. Just cowardly. Also selfish. I walked out of the cafe. The sunlight spreads down, gentle and clear. I raised my head to look at the sky. A flawless blue color. Tong Nghi's life probably just stopped there. It's time to fly towards your own sky. When the plane landed in the southern city, what greeted me was a warm, humid breeze. There was a faint scent of the sea in the air, mixed with the faint scent of flowers. Completely different from the dry cold of the Northern winter. The company arranged a temporary apartment for me, very close to work. New environment. New colleague. Everything feels fresh. My abilities were quickly recognized, and new projects quickly caught on. I'm busy. So busy that I don't have time to think about old people and things. Ms. Vuong's side also conveyed good news. She found me an extremely suitable apartment. The high-end area is right in the center, on the top floor, with a very large terrace. I saw the house via video, was extremely satisfied, and decided to buy it on the spot. The name transfer procedure was handed over to Ms. Vuong and lawyer Ly to handle, everything went smoothly. Three months later, I moved into my new house. The house is designed in a minimalist style that I love. White tones combined with natural wood color, clean and warm. I turned the terrace into a small garden, planting all kinds of flowers and grass. Every day after work, my favorite thing to do is pull out a chair to lie down there. Just sip glass of cool lemonade, while watching the sunset dye the sea surface golden. I raise a cat. It's a stray cat in the area, a tiny orange and white baby. I named it “Lucky”. Because he was lucky to meet me. But I... am also lucky to have it. Life is peaceful, gentle, and so beautiful that it seems unreal. I almost completely forgot about Tong Nghi and Truong Lan. Until one day, my mother called me.

“On Nhien… are you okay?” Mom's voice was a bit hesitant.

“I'm fine mom, what's wrong?”

“Mom went to the market today and met Tong Nghi's third aunt.”

"YES." I replied lightly, not paying much attention.

"She pulled her mother aside and talked for a long time... said that Tong Nghi's life is very miserable now."

I remained silent, waiting for my mother to continue.