Chapter 12 — Voices Behind the Dark Room

Except for Ms. Manh and the assigned teacher, no one is allowed to have private contact with Duong Duong. When I signed, Duong Duong sat on one side drawing pictures. She drew a large window. There is sun outside the window. Inside were two people. An adult and a child. Next to the adult, she wrote the word "mother". The handwriting is crooked, but it seems like it's growing right on my heart. That evening, when he returned to his new home, Luong Thua Trach called. I don't listen. He texted again. "I don't know about your mother going to the rehabilitation center." I answered in one sentence. "Knowing or not knowing doesn't change the outcome." A long time later, he sent a photo. In the photo is the first page of the divorce agreement signed by him. There was also a sentence below: "The right to custody of the child is left to you, and the way of visitation is according to professional opinions." I looked at that line and didn't answer right away. Duong Duong carried a glass of water and walked over. "Mom, water." I took the glass and patted the child's head. "Thank you, Duong Duong." The little girl saw the words "daddy" on the phone screen, her expression tightened again. I immediately turned the phone upside down. "It's okay." She looked at me. "Dad, close the door." My heart ached. "I know." "The door will open later." She thought for a moment, suddenly jumped off the sofa, and ran to the bedroom door. She pushed the door open as wide as possible. Then he ran back, looking at me seriously. "Open." I nodded. "Open." But at exactly eleven o'clock at night, the doorbell suddenly rang. There is no one on the screen. There was only an old cardboard box placed on the carpet outside the door. The lid of the tank is not closed tightly. Inside revealed half a rabbit ear covered in gray dust.15I didn't open the door. I carried Duong Duong first and took him to the bedroom. When she saw the carton on the screen, her little face turned pale. "Rabbit." I squatted down, supporting her shoulders with both hands. "Duong Duong, look at me." "That's not my rabbit." "My rabbit is in my lap." She lowered her head to look at her old rabbit, then looked up at me. Breathing is still rapid. I kept the bedroom door open, so my child could see the living room light. I then called management and the police. Ten minutes later, the security guard arrived first. They stood outside the door, not touching the carton. After the police arrived, they took photos to collect evidence. In the box is a pile of old toys. The torn rabbit on top looked very similar to Duong Duong's rabbit, with its ears cut off and two words written on its belly with a red pen. Shut up. Duong Duong does not come out. But when she heard the police talking, she hid in the bedroom and cried. The baby cried very softly, as if afraid of being heard by others. I stood at the door, looking at the fake rabbit, my stomach churning. The female police officer's expression also darkened. "This is threatening behavior." "Don't go out alone recently." "Regarding picking up the child, we will discuss with the rehabilitation center and try to arrange protection coordination." After receiving the photos, the lawyer's voice cooled. "This will make the protection order be issued faster." "It will also affect the assessment of visitation rights later." I asked: "Can we find out who brought it?" The management board extracted the camera. The person delivering the box wore a hat, a mask, and a slightly thin figure. That person entered from the side gate of the residential area, put down his things and quickly left. But when entering the gate, that person uses the guest code. The guest code comes from Luong Thua Trach's phone number. I immediately sent him a screenshot. He quickly called back. "Not me." "I never came to your place." My voice was cold. "What is the guest code?" His side was silent for two seconds. "Your mother asked for it today." "She said she wanted to bring some clothes for Duong Duong, I didn't agree." "Then she said she just wanted to know where our house was, so I gave her the address." I almost burst out laughing. "What I gave you."

"It's not the address." "It's the door." Luong Thua Trach breathed heavily on the other end of the phone. "I will immediately go look for her." I said: "You don't need to look." "The police will look." After hanging up, I handed over the recording of this call. The next morning, a protection order was issued. Luong Duc Hai and Luu Ngoc Mai are not allowed to come near my and Duong Duong's residence, rehabilitation center, and workplace. Do not use phones or text messages, please. other people or any other way to harass or threaten. Luong Thua Trach's visitation rights were proposed to be postponed, and the decision must be based on the child's psychological assessment results. When I received the paper, my palms were sweaty. "But this is the first wall." I looked towards the window. Duong Duong was making a picture in the sunlight. "Home." I went over and asked: "Who lives?" inside?” She thought for a moment. "Mom." "Duong Duong." "Rabbit." After finishing speaking, she added another sentence. "There is no grandfather." My heart ached, but I still smiled and nodded. "Yes, there is no grandfather." After the protection order took effect, the Luong family was quiet for two days. On the third day, before the first trial of the divorce case, Luong Thua Trach brought his lawyer to court.