Chapter 2 — Three Calls at Dawn

"Today I saw him taking a woman home and even bending down to help her put on her shoes. When I was eight months pregnant and asked him to put on her shoes, he said..."She didn't finish her sentence. Because she heard from the phone a very soft "crack" sound of distorted metal. Co Da Dinh just crushed something. "What did he say?" Co Da Dinh's voice was as calm as a frozen lake, but under that layer of ice was an underground current, a vortex, a force that could tear people apart. "Well, it's not important anymore." "For me, it's important." She was stunned. "To Niem Vi," Co Da Dinh said, "How long have you been in that house?" "Three years." "Three years," he repeated, as if savoring the weight of these two words, "You were by his side for three years." years, transforming herself from a designer earning millions of yuan into a woman who couldn't even cry." "How do you know my income is millions of yuan?" "I've always known." His voice was low, so deep that it was like he was talking to himself, "I've always known everything about you." Before she could digest this sentence, the phone suddenly beeped - there was another call coming in. She looked at the screen. "Canh Tham 2's brothers" — Tham Tu Dien. It's 2:21 a.m. "Co Da Dinh, I have a phone call, it must be ——" "Don't hang up." "But I ——" "I said don't hang up." His voice did not allow refusal, "Put on speakerphone, pick up the phone, I'll listen too." She hesitated for a second, pressed listen, turned on speakerphone. "Nim Niem?" Tham Tu Dien's voice rang out, so gentle that it didn't sound like a surgeon who had just come down from a 12-hour surgery, "Are you crying?" To Niem Vi completely collapsed. She covered her mouth, tears streaming down, dripping down her thighs, down her arms, down to the edge of her baby's crib. "Tham Tu Dien..." She choked up calling his name. "It's me," he said, his voice as steady as a shadowless surgical lamp in an operating room, gathering all the light shining on her, "Nien Niem, listen to me, take a deep breath, yes, like that, inhale - - exhale - - good, let's do it again." She breathed. Following his rhythm, the crying gradually stopped. "Are you better?" he asked. "Yes." "Now tell me, what happened?" She opened her mouth, suddenly remembering - Co Da Dinh was still on the call. "Um..." She glanced at the screen, two calls were happening in parallel. "What's wrong?" Tham Tu Dien asked. "Co Da Dinh... is also here. I called him first just now, he didn't let me hang up, so..." The other end of the line was silent for two seconds. Then Tham Tu Dien laughed, a gentle smile, but under the gentle shell, hidden sharp tongues: "Oh, Da Dinh is also there. That's great, I won't have to bother to inform you privately." "Inform what?" Co Da Dinh's cold voice interjected. "Let me inform you," Tham Tu Dien's voice was still gentle, "From today onwards, Niem Niem's story is no longer yours alone." To Niem Vi held the phone and sat on the cold floor, feeling that this world had suddenly become unrealistic. 2:30 am. Her phone rang again. "Canh Tham 3's brothers" —— Giang Du. Before she could answer the phone, Giang Du's voice jumped out from the receiver —— he made a video call, she slid her hand to answer, and on the screen appeared a young, handsome face but with red eyes. "Sister-in-law!" Giang Du's voice carried sobs, "I just heard the voice message you left! Are you crying? Is my brother bullying you again? Wait, I'll be over there now! I've started the car!" "Giang Du, calm down ——"