Chapter 11 — Three Thousand Yuan Every Month, In Return The Whole Family Is Ruined

"She is not yet sixty years old, her arms and legs are healthy and she is still able to work. How can I rely on her to support her?"

“And Chu Minh…”

The smile on my lips completely disappeared, leaving only coldness.

“He's not going to be my husband anymore.”

"An adulterer in a marriage and even daring to attack his own mother, what do you think the law will give him?"

“I will make him leave empty-handed, leave this house, disappear from my life.”

“At that time, whether she wants to follow her son out to sleep on the sidewalk, or return to her hometown to live the rest of her life, is her business.”

Vuong Lan completely collapsed, not because she was scared, but because in my eyes, she saw a determination so crazy that there was no way back.

“No… no…”

She stammered, her voice trembled, and began to beg.

“Yeu Duyet… Mom was wrong… Mom was really wrong…”

"Don't divorce Chu Minh... can we live again like before..."

"I was wrong before... I'm sorry..."

She slapped herself in the face, each slap echoing crisply in the silent room. If it were before, I would probably feel gloating, but now I only have an empty space in my heart. A person who has lost almost everything will no longer have the emotions to be happy or hateful.

"It's late."

I stood up and looked down at her.

“From the moment you got involved in this marriage, it was all over.”

I went back to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, inside there were only a few withered vegetables and half a piece of tofu. I conveniently gathered them all and threw them straight into the trash as if cleaning up the last remnants of this so-called family. I took out my spare phone, logged into the shopping app, and started selecting all the most expensive things in the shopping cart, steak, salmon, cherries, organic vegetables, everything I had resisted buying before. The address is still this house, the payment method is credit card, the amount is far beyond the normal amount, but I don't hesitate. This is the last time I spend money in this place, and it's also the time I reward myself after everything I've lost. Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to receive bags of goods, large and small, covering the entire tea table in the living room. The colors and flavors were completely opposite to the decay of this house. Vuong Lan stopped crying, stared at the pile of food, her throat moved slightly, she swallowed saliva unconsciously. It's been a long time since she's seen something like that. I said nothing, carried my things into the kitchen, put on an apron, and began to prepare a meal for myself, a meal to end it all. The sound of sauteed beef "sizzling", the smell of melted butter spread throughout the space, layers of fragrance crept through the kitchen door, spilling out into the living room, entwining Vuong Lan's every breath. It's not just the smell of food, it's temptation, it's torture. So hungry that my stomach must be cramping. But she did not dare to step in, nor did she dare open her mouth to ask for a piece. Because she knows... She no longer has that qualification. This is exactly what I want. I want her to taste the feeling of hunger right in front of what she desires most, tormented by desire but unable to reach it. The feeling of... praying but not getting it. I made myself a decent dinner, a medium-rare sirloin steak, drizzled with black pepper sauce, served with sauteed asparagus, and opened a bottle of wine that had been stored for a long time like it was a party. Finally for yourself. I brought the plate to the dining table, placed it right across from the living room, and while eating, I calmly looked at Vuong Lan sitting on the ground with absent-minded eyes, like someone whose soul had been drained away. She stared at the piece of meat in front of me, her lips parted, her throat moved slightly, her saliva almost flowed down, her appearance was both hungry and pitifully humiliated. I cut a small piece and put it in my mouth. The meat was soft, sweet and fragrant. Each muscle melted on my tongue, making me close my eyes, fully enjoying the feeling of surviving the ruins. The sound of swallowing saliva sounded very clearly. I raised my head to look at her. She immediately turned away, pretending like nothing happened. I smiled, raised my glass of wine, and directed it towards her as a sarcastic "congratulation". Her face turned red, she immediately jumped up and ran into the room, closing the door loudly as if running away. The house was quiet again. I finished my dinner slowly, not missing even the last drop of sauce, then cleaned up as if no fight had ever happened. After eating, I felt like I was still alive. Money can be lost. But life... can't stop. I put the dishes in the washing machine, carried the remaining ingredients to Vuong Lan's door, and knocked twice. There was no reply. I know she's inside.

“Vuong Lan.”

I spoke up, my voice monotone.

“There's a lot of food left in the kitchen, enough to last you a week.”

“But nothing is free.”

“I will sell those things back to you.”

“Total 1,280.00 yuan.”

“Transfer money now.”

“If not, I will throw it all in the trash, let you see, smell... but not eat.”

I leaned against the door, waiting. Five minutes passed. Just when I thought she would persist to the end, my phone dinged. 1,280.00 yuan. I laughed.