Chapter 10 — Three Calls at Dawn

In her world, her child was ranked number one. As for him, he couldn't even get into the second position - those three positions were filled by his brothers without a single gap. Luc Canh Tham sat down on the chair, his hands on the table, his head bowed. "I was wrong," he said, his voice hoarse and hard to hear, "I know I was wrong. But can everyone... give me a chance?" Silence enveloped. Co Da Dinh put down his chopsticks and looked at Luc Canh Tham with complicated eyes. "Canh Tham," he said, "Do you know where you went wrong?" "I shouldn't have an affair, I shouldn't ignore her ——" "No," Co Da Dinh interrupted him, "What's wrong is that you turned her into someone who had to ask for help from others. How proud she used to be, she had her own career, her own dreams, her pride." It was you who locked her in this house, turning her from someone who shined into someone who was always waiting for someone else to light her up." He stood up, walked around the dining table, came to To Niem Vi's side, and lowered his head to look at the baby in her arms. "Then, when you discovered that she no longer shined, you started to hate her. It was you who extinguished her light.” The whole dining room was so quiet that you could even hear the sound of breathing. To Niem Vi hugged her child, bowed her head, tears silently falling onto her child's diaper. Tham Tu Dien gave her a tissue, but she did not accept it, because she had no free time. Co Da Dinh took that paper on her behalf, then —— he did something that no one could have predicted. He bent down and gently wiped her tears. The movements are very light, very slow, like cleaning a fragile piece of porcelain. Luc Canh Tham witnessed this scene and suddenly felt like his stomach was churning and wanted to vomit. "Co Da Dinh," his voice was hoarse, "You're just too much." "Too much?" Co Da Dinh stood up straight and looked at him, "Luc Canh Tham, you're the one who's too much. You don't love her enough, care for her enough, respect her enough. You can't even be a bastard - because if you were miserable enough, then after causing everything, you wouldn't have the shame to ask her to give you a chance." He picked up his vest and looked at To Niem Vi: "I'll go first. I'll leave tomorrow morning." Come pick me up, I have an appointment for postpartum recovery physical therapy, don't forget." I'm gone. Tham Tu Dien stood up, cleaned up the medical box, walked in front of To Niem Vi, took out a candy from his pocket, placed it next to her hand - strawberry, her favorite flavor. "Eat when your blood sugar drops," he said, his voice gentle like a spring breeze, "You didn't eat or drink much today." I'm gone. Giang Du was the last person to go. He took plastic wrap and wrapped the food on the table, put it in the refrigerator, and stuck a sticky note on the refrigerator door: "Sister-in-law, text me on WeChat if you want to eat tomorrow." Walking to the door, he turned his head to look at Luc Canh Tham, then looked at the baby in To Niem Vi's arms. "You," he said, "You know? In the past, my sister-in-law liked strawberry candy the most. Do you remember?" Luc Canh Tham didn't remember. He never knew what flavor candy she liked. Giang Du smiled faintly, in his smile there was sadness, helplessness, and a bit of sarcasm: "I don't remember. But Mr. Tham remembers. Mr. Co also remembers. Even you remember. I'm the only one who doesn't remember." The door closes. Only Luc Canh Tham's family of three remained in the dining room. To Niem Vi hugged her child and stood up, walking to the foot of the stairs. "Luc Canh Tham," she turned her back to him and said, "Do you know what hurts me the most?" "What is it?"