Chapter 15 — Voices Behind the Dark Room

"Dad, this method of yours really worked, its voice is quieter." Luong Duc Hai's voice came. "If you cry enough, you will be good." Then the camera turned to the side. Luong Thua Trach stood at the door. He lowered his head to look at Duong Duong. Duong Duong crawled forward, hugging his pants leg. "Dad." "Carry." Luong Thua Trach bent down a bit. I held my breath. The next second, he removed Duong Duong's hand. He said: “Don't bother anymore.” Then close the door. 18When the video stopped, no one in the room said anything. I sat on the chair, my body felt like it was drained of strength. Duong Duong's "daddy carries" sound still rings in my ears over and over again. That wasn't a vague cry. That's proof that she once knew how to talk. She wasn't even four years old when she first opened her mouth. At the age of two, she knew how to call her mother, how to call her father, and how to ask to be held. It was that door that trapped her voice. I gagged, my chest hurt so much I couldn't breathe. Ms. Manh supported my shoulder. "An Ninh, calm down first." "If you fall down now, Duong Duong will be scared." This sentence pulled me back. I raised my head and saw behind the glass window, Duong Duong was holding a rabbit looking at me. She didn't know what we saw. But she knows I'm sad. I went in and picked up my baby. She touched my face. "Mom, I'm not afraid." My tears finally fell. "Mom, I'm not afraid." "Mom, I took Duong Duong home." That same day, the video was submitted as new evidence. Luong Nhuoc Tinh was also taken to testify. From her initial superficial appearance, her face gradually turned pale. She repeatedly emphasized that she was only filming for fun. But no one heard her say it was a joke. The lawyer told me this video would completely change the direction of the case. It not only proves that Luong Duc Hai threatened the child for a long time. It also proves that that year Luong Thua Trach saw his child asking for help but still chose to close the door. It further proves that not only one person in the Luong family knows the truth. They all joined in the silence. In the evening, Luong Thua Trach came downstairs to the new house. The management did not let him enter the residential area, so he stood outside the gate. He called me. I answered the phone. This time I turned on speakerphone. Duong Duong sat next to him, holding a brush in his hand. Luong Thua Trach's voice sounded like it had been sandpapered. "An Ninh, you have seen that video." I said: "I have seen it before." He was silent for a long time. "I forgot." I smiled. "I didn't forget." "I just never considered her request for help to be important." A suppressed cry came from the other end of the line. "Now I remember." "That day when she hugged my leg, there was a moment when I wanted to pick her up." "But my father was scolding me, and the company urged me." "I just thought I would comfort my child later at night." I lowered my head to look at Duong Duong. The child is looking at the phone. Tense expression. I asked my son: "Do Duong Duong want to hear dad talk?" The girl immediately shook her head. "No." I said to the other end of the line: "I heard you." Luong Thua Trach choked. A long time later, he said: "I will give up fighting for custody of the child." "Visitation rights are not needed for the time being." "Wait until the child wants to see me and then consider." I did not thank him. That's what he owes Duong Duong, not a favor. The next day, the court added the video as evidence. The Luong family's attitude changed completely. Luong Duc Hai no longer says it is a family matter. He started saying he was old and his memory wasn't good. Luu Ngoc Mai cried and said she was afraid that her family would break up. Luong Nhuoc Tinh said that he was young and did not understand things. Everyone finds their own reasons. No one actually said Duong Duong was in pain. In court, the judge asked me what else I wanted. I stood up, my voice very steady. “I love you

request to directly raise Duong Duong." "Leong Thua Trach's visitation can only be carried out after a professional assessment." "Luong Duc Hai, Luu Ngoc Mai and Luong Nhuoc Tinh are not allowed to arbitrarily come into contact with the child." "I also request continued psychological intervention for the child, the costs involved are mainly paid by Luong Thua Trach." Luong Thua Trach agreed immediately in court. Luong Duc Hai's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He gritted his teeth and said: "After all, it is their family's blood." Salary.” I looked at him. "First of all, she is a human being." "Not a thing of the Luong family." The judge tapped his gavel, reminding him not to continue making irrelevant statements. At that moment, for the first time, I felt that the diagnosis sheet that had been pressed in my palm as heavy as iron was finally torn into a slit. After the trial, a temporary decision was issued. Tang Duong continues to be under my care. The three members of the Luong family are not allowed to come close. Luong Thua Trach can only discuss costs related to the child through a lawyer, and is not allowed to go to the residence or rehabilitation center on his own. I brought the documents back to my new home. Duong Duong is sunbathing on the balcony. She placed the rabbit on a small chair and covered it with a small towel. I squatted next to the child. "Is the rabbit sleeping?" The girl nodded. "The rabbit is not afraid."