Chapter 21 — Three hours before the wedding, I locked the house as a dowry

The final mediation session is held at the neighborhood joint mediation room. On my side there is: On the Phan family's side there is: Ton Thu Binh. Phan Nghien Chu. Phan Khai Nam. The repair company has: Chuc Dong Nghieu. Administrative officer Tieu Tran. Tieu Lan Chu also came. Dong Khac Kiem was also present. In his hand he still held the familiar carpenter's pencil. I placed the carefully bound document in the middle of the table. Each group of evidence is clearly classified. Group A: Ownership and payment. Prove that apartment 402 is my personal property before marriage. All major repair costs are paid by me. Group B: Keys and getting in and out of the house. Prove that Ton Thu Binh and Phan Khai Nam took or used the key without my express consent. Group C: Construction renovation. Original design. Acceptance minutes. Hand drawing by Dong Khac Kiem. Previously hidden modified profile pages. Group D: Proof of fake capital contribution. Cash receipt. Documents confirming the money has never been deposited into the fund. Screenshot provided by La Nhue. Group E: Dispute over my mother's signature. Photo of finger with bandage on. Tailor shop notebook. Minutes of community mediation. Group F: Prove subjective purpose. Photos and recordings by Tieu Lan Chu. Phan Nghien Chu's chat history. Explanation of Chuc Dong Nghieu. The mediation coordinator looked towards the Phan family.

“Do the parties have any opinions on the authenticity of these documents?”

Phan Khai Nam still wants to deny. But this time. The person who spoke first was Phan Nghien Chu. His voice was very low.

“The renovation of the spare bedroom...”

“I know.”

“The matter for Khai Nam to move in later...”

“I know too.”

“A commitment to add your name to the house...”

“I know.”

“I did not participate in forging signatures and fingerprints.”

“But what happened before that…”

“I implicitly accepted.”

Phan Khai Nam immediately jumped up.

“Are you playing the good guy now?”

“Didn't you say that after getting married, you would slowly negotiate?”

“Didn't you say she would save face?”

Ton Thu Binh quickly pulled him to sit down. But the more you pull. He became more agitated.

“Isn't it Mom who told me to make fingerprints?”

“Now something happened.”

“Everyone is clean!”

The sentence just ended. The coordinator immediately took notes verbatim. Phan Khai Nam also admitted. The signature is his imitation. He faked the fingerprints. The reason is just because I want a place to live. After many hours of work. The final conciliation minutes have been completed. The content clearly states: The Phan family bears all costs of restoring apartment 402 to its original state. Responsible for sending an official apology to Chu Tu Can and Khau Van Hoa. The repair company refunds any arising expenses that have not been confirmed by the homeowner and bears part of the cost of collecting evidence. Phan Khai Nam must move all furniture out of apartment 402 within the prescribed time limit and must no longer access this apartment. The La family's congratulatory money was handled and refunded by the Phan family. Time to sign. Phan Khai Nam suddenly threw the pen down on the table. The coordinator surnamed Qin looked at him coldly.

“If you don't sign.”

“The file will be transferred to the next process.”

Ton Thu Binh immediately held her child's hand tightly male. Hoarse voice: That paper is not thick. But it is much heavier than the commitment that was placed on my knee on the wedding day. That pledge wants to rob my house. As for today's paper... Pull that house out of the black book full of hidden calculations. In the mediation room. In front of each person there is a disposable paper cup of water. But from start to finish. No one drinks. When I present the entire document. Speaking speed is not fast. Because I don't accuse anyone. I'm just reconstructing a chain of events. Ownership. Pay. Fake receipt. Fake signature. Fake fingerprints. Threat. When all those links are completely connected.

"This is just a family matter."

The Phan family's property can no longer stand. Dong Khac Kiem sat in the back row. When I heard my hand-drawn drawing was placed in category C3. He unconsciously twirled the pencil in his hand. Tieu Lan Chu also sat in the back. When her recording was classified in section F1. Her shoulders were clearly much more relaxed. A worker. A relative. Someone who went through something similar. A person stood outside observing. But today. Their names appear together in one set of records. Not to replace anyone in demanding justice. But to demonstrate how an event happened. When Phan Khai Nam threw his pen. The coordinator named Qin was not threatened at all. She just picked up the pen. Put it back in front of him. Then calmly say:

“If not signed, move on to the next process.”

First time. The word "process" becomes stronger than coercion through intimacy. When the entire series of codes of the black book were exposed to light. I suddenly remembered the old house contracts in the archives. Paper may turn yellow. Ink may fade. But as long as the record chain is complete. No one can arbitrarily turn someone else's property into their own. The Phan family wanted to use those file codes to tie me down. In the end... Those codes themselves became the rope that locked all their lies.