Chapter 7 — They Think I'm Leaning on My Brother-in-law... Until I Flip the Cards

"But Chi Cuong is still young, making mistakes is normal. As a sister-in-law, you should be more generous."

"Generosity?"

I laughed coldly.

“Do you know what she said about me outside?”

I took out my phone and opened a recording.

“This is what she said at a gathering of friends last year.”

In the recording, To Chi Cuong's voice rang out, full of pride:

"My sister-in-law, Lam Vu Vy, is what she is today thanks to my support. To put it bluntly, she is just a country girl, without me she wouldn't even be able to enter the company."

"Now that I'm good, when I get home, I still dare to show my attitude towards me. I really don't know how high the sky and the earth are."

Trieu My Phuong's face immediately changed.

“And this part.”

I pressed the second recording.

“Three months ago, when she was having dinner with her classmates.”

The voice rang out again:

"My sister-in-law, a typical woman who changes her life, wants to own my house. Without my support, she would have been kicked out long ago."

"My mother treats her well enough but she still doesn't know how to be reasonable. It's like being asked for a favor by an elephant."

The space in the living room is dense. No one could say a word. I opened the last paragraph, my voice almost devoid of emotion.

“This was last month, she was drinking with friends.”

In the recording, laughter rang out:

"To be honest, my sister-in-law looks good and has a good figure, but she pretends all day. At home, she pretends to be high-pitched, at the company, she pretends to be talented, but she's actually just the kind of woman who relies on men."

“If my brother had listened to me, he would have left her long ago and found someone younger and prettier.”

The recording ends. The room... was eerily silent. Trieu My Phuong's face was sometimes blue, sometimes white. To Chi Hoa clenched her fists, her whole body shaking with anger.

“You bastard!”

He slammed on the table.

“He dares to say that to me?”

I looked straight at Trieu My Phuong. His voice was calm, but each word felt like a blade.

“Now… do you still think I'm too much?”

“This is the son my mother always defended.”

“Outside, he looked at me like that.”

Trieu My Phuong opened her mouth... But couldn't say a word.

“For the past three years, I have always endured this kind of humiliation.”

My voice trembled slightly, as if something broke very deep inside.

“Every time I go to a party or social gathering, there is always someone looking at me with strange eyes, whispering behind my back that I am the type of woman who relies on my sister-in-law for success.”

“I… I don't know…”

Trieu My Phuong's voice was so small that it was almost inaudible.

“I don't know, but I also never wanted to know.”

I stood up and looked straight at her.

"In my mother's eyes, To Chi Cuong is always perfect, and I am just an outsider, not worthy of respect."

"Vu Vy, I really didn't know he was saying that to you outside..."

Her eyes began to turn red and her voice cracked.

“If I knew, I definitely wouldn't leave it alone.”

"Really?"

I looked at her, my eyes cold.

"So, mom, do you remember last year's Tet? When relatives all praised To Chi Cuong for being talented and secretly said I was a high climber, at that time I was about to explain—what did mom do?"

Her face turned red. She remembers it very clearly.

"Mom said... if you're a family, don't worry about those vain names. She told me to save her face."

My voice slowed down, each word seemed to be etched into the air.

“So I endured it, even though they thought I was the kind of woman who lived off men.”

“And the Mid-Autumn Festival…”

I continued, my eyes gradually cold.

“To Chi Cuong led his colleagues home, in front of everyone Besides boasting about my position and implying that my promotion was all arranged by him, when I was about to clarify—what did you say?"

Trieu My Phuong bowed her head.

"Mom said he needs face in front of outsiders. Tell me not to make him lose face."

I smiled faintly.

“So I endured it and stood there letting people look at me with contemptuous eyes.”

To Chi Hoa's face became more and more ugly. He couldn't hold it anymore.

“Mom, how could you be like that?”

“I… I thought Chi Cuong really had a great position in the company…”

Her voice grew smaller.

“Even if it's really good, so what?”

My emotions finally burst.

“I am your daughter-in-law, not your enemy! Why do I have to sacrifice my self-esteem every time to raise his self-esteem?”

Trieu My Phuong was speechless. Tears began to fall.

“In the past three years, how much work have I done for this house?”

My voice choked, but I didn't stop.

“Chi Hoa was in the hospital, I stayed up all night to take care of her; On my mother's birthday, I personally prepared each gift and each party; All expenses, large and small, in the house are borne by me.”

“What about mom?”

I looked at her, my eyes also started to turn red.

“Besides favoring To Chi Cuong, what did mother give me?”

“Every time he makes a mistake, my mother makes me endure it.”

“Every time he needs face, my mother makes me sacrifice.”

“I live in this house… what is the point?”