Chapter 10 — Thirty Years Later, We Brought Mom Home

But so that the children have enough courage to live with their heads held high. If one day... Someone uses the name of love to force you to back down. Make your child yield. Force your child to sacrifice. Then remember... People who truly love you... Will never force you to grow up with empty hands. Reading that... I was speechless for a long time. Tri Dao quietly turned away. Tri Chau bowed his head. The hand gently covers the corner of the eye. I folded the letter carefully. Tri Dao looked up.

"Hospital."

When we arrived... Hua Hoanh Vien was awake. Saw the three sisters entering. His eyes wavered slightly. I placed my mother's letter in front of him.

"Found it."

His face immediately turned red. In the throat, intermittent sounds were emitted. I shook my head slightly.

"Don't rush."

"Daddy just nod or shake his head."

I opened the first page of the will.

"Have you ever seen this version?"

He closed his eyes. Gently nodded.

"Trust fund contract..."

"Dad used to sign as a substitute manager?"

He continued to nod.

"Van Giang Cong Quan Apartment..."

"Did mom leave it for you?"

He nodded again. Tri Dao continued to ask each question. The entire process is audio and video recorded. Coming to the last question... She stopped for a few seconds. Then slowly ask:

"In the fortune my father gave to Tham Ngoc Nhu that year..."

"Does that include assets that you know well..."

"Is it not your property or not?"

Hua Hoanh Vien's whole body suddenly stiffened. There is no Tham Ngoc Nhu in the hospital room. Everything was eerily quiet. His tears kept flowing down. A long time later... He nodded slightly. Tri Chau turned around and left. The back is as hard as a block of rock. Tri Dao tightened his grip on the phone. Finger joints turn white. Just quietly looked at father. In my heart... There is no feeling of victory. Only left... A cold void. I asked softly: He opened his mouth. It was difficult to utter each broken syllable.

"...She..."

"...Leave..."

I understand. He was afraid that Tham Ngoc Nhu would leave him. He brought everything his deceased wife left behind... and gave it to the new woman. He pushed his three biological children out the door. For thirty years... He never asked once. I stood up.

"The recording is over."

Hua Hoanh Vien was frantic. Trembling hands grabbed the bed sheet.

"...Tri..."

"...Lemon..."

I looked at him.

"I won't forgive you, dad."

His eyes... In that moment the light completely went out. I carefully put my mother's letter in my pocket.

"I will still treat dad."

"That is my limit as a human."

"It's not because you deserve it."

That afternoon. Tri Dao officially submitted a request to freeze assets to the court. At the same time, submit all original evidence. Van Giang Cong Quan Apartment. The shops belong to the ancestral house. Part of the old factory land. All were asked to apply temporary emergency measures. The news quickly spread to Tham Ngoc Nhu's ears. She called. No more trying to be gentle.

"Hua Tri Chanh!"

"Are you planning to force our entire family to death?"

I turned on the speakerphone. The voice remained calm.

"When you guys stole everything from others..."

"Have you ever thought..."

"How will people live?"

Tham Ngoc Nhu gritted her teeth.

"If Gia Thu's company goes bankrupt..."

"I won't let you go."

Tri Dao sat next to him. Quietly hold the pen. Write down a line of text.

"Just keep talking Go, recording."

Hearing that sentence, Tham Ngoc Nhu stopped breathing. She lowered her voice.

"What do you guys want anyway?"

"Return assets, hand over books, compensation."

She smiled softly. The call ended. That evening, an article suddenly appeared online. The title is: Three children have lived abroad for thirty years without returning, forcing their seriously ill father to transfer to the hospital to compete for their stepmother's nursing home. The article was written full of tears and emotions. Tham Ngoc Nhu became a gentle wife who devotedly took care of her husband for thirty years. And the three of us sisters were turned into ungrateful children, returning to our country just to fight over the inheritance. The post also included a photo of her crying in the hospital room. Along with a photo of me standing next to the hospital bed, looking down at Hua Hoanh Vien. The shooting angle was chosen very cleverly. It looks like I'm forcing you. The comment section quickly exploded. Someone scolded the three of us for being inhumane. Someone even went to my nursing home and sent abusive emails to the mailbox of the overseas headquarters. Tham Gia Thu sent me a message.

"Hua Tri Chanh, public opinion is also a knife. If you bring your tricks abroad to Hai Thanh, it won't work."

I gave the phone to Tri Dao. After reading it, she burst out laughing.

"He brought the knife to us himself."

The child replied:

"Tomorrow morning."

I looked out the window. Darkness covers the hospital's glass. Come tomorrow morning... Tham Ngoc Nhu will understand. The knife called public opinion... Who will cut it in the end... It's still unknown.