Chapter 9 — They Think I'm Leaning on My Brother-in-law... Until I Flip the Cards

"I just found out... it turns out there are many people behind the scenes talking about you like that, saying you're the type of woman who relies on relationships to get ahead."

“Now you know?”

I put down my chopsticks and looked straight at him.

“Do you think I've had an easy life these past three years?”

He shook his head, his eyes heavy.

“I can't imagine how much you endured… if it were me, I would have collapsed a long time ago.”

“I also want to collapse.”

I smiled softly, a smile so pale it hurt.

“But for this so-called family… I choose to endure.”

“And what do I get in return?”

“More hurt… deeper misunderstanding.”

To Chi Hoa grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently as if afraid of losing it.

"Vu Vy... give me a chance, let me correct my mistakes."

I withdrew my hand.

“Do you think the problem lies only with you?”

He stopped.

“What do you mean?”

“My mother, my younger brother—if those things don't change, our relationship… can't really get better.”

I looked straight into his eyes.

“Are you sure they will change?”

He was silent. That silence... is the answer.

“Do you see?”

I smiled faintly.

“You don't have faith yourself.”

“Chi Hoa… I'm tired.”

My voice is lighter, but deep to the bottom.

“It's really tiring.”

“So what do you want?”

His voice began to tense, as if afraid of losing control.

“I need time.”

I stood up.

"I'll stay at the hotel in the next few days, wait until I think clearly and then we'll talk again."

"Impossible!"

He immediately stood up.

"We are husband and wife, we have to face things together, you can't avoid them alone."

“Avoid?”

I laughed coldly.

“For the past three years, the one who has always avoided… is you.”

"Every time there's a problem, you turn away and leave me alone to take care of it all."

“Now it's time for me to need some space…

Then you say I'm hiding? To Chi Hoa stood there... unable to say a word.

“Okay… I'll stay at the hotel.”

He sighed, his voice helpless, as if there was no way to hold me back.

“But I promise you, don't make any impulsive decisions.”

I picked up my bag and stood up, not looking at him again.

“I didn't eat this meal, I'm not in the mood.”

I drove straight to the most luxurious hotel in the city center, booked a spacious presidential suite, so quiet that I could hear my own breathing. Lying down on the soft, cloud-like bed, I realized—it's been a long time since I've had real silence for myself. Over the past three years, my life has always been filled with trivial things, invisible pressures, and unnameable pain. At home, there are always things to solve, people to please, words to swallow to keep things "smooth". And now… I can finally take a proper breath. I opened my phone and flipped through every photo from the past three years— old photos but still intact memories. On the first day of marriage, the whole family looked so warm, like a perfect picture painted with smiles and pretense. To Chi Hoa was gentle, Trieu My Phuong also smiled and spoke friendlyly, and To Chi Cuong at that time... still knew how to maintain a polite appearance. At that time, I naively believed that as long as I tried hard enough, was patient enough, and was tolerant enough, I would be accepted. But reality... slapped me hard. Humans are more complex than I thought. Human hearts... are more selfish than I ever thought. My success does not bring respect, it only entails envy and malice. My patience does not change gratitude, but only makes others think I am weak. It's time to change. The next morning, I was sitting at breakfast in the hotel restaurant, sunlight falling gently through the large glass pane, when the phone suddenly rang.

“President Lam, it's not okay!”

Tieu Truong's voice on the other side was urgent, carrying obvious panic.

"What is up?"

I immediately woke up, put down the coffee cup.

"To Chi Cuong brought a group of people to the company to cause trouble, saying he wanted to find you to demand justice!"

I frowned, my voice turned cold.

“What is fair?”

“He said that you intentionally harmed him, made him unemployed, and also incurred a debt of 5,000,000 yuan, now he must be held responsible!”

“I'll be right there.”