Chapter 2 — When He Chose Her

Moon hid behind Chu Tu, her eyes reddened as she stared at me.

"Sunshine, that money... you were the one who helped me handle it, weren't you?"

Chu Tu froze. He knew I had done no such thing; throughout the entire period of Moon’s divorce proceedings, he had reviewed every single document I had drafted. Yet, he did not utter a word to defend me. Chang Vu turned to glare at me, his face twisted with fury.

"Was it you who helped her funnel those marital assets?"

Before I could even part my lips to speak, Chu Tu stepped firmly in front of Moon. "Stay calm, Chang Vu. Sunshine likely just wanted to help Moon; she didn't mean any harm."

I stood there in disbelief, a sharp, stinging sensation rising in my throat. Suddenly, Chang Vu lunged toward my desk, sweeping my pen holder to the floor and grabbing the thick folder containing the merger and acquisition files.

"Why are you still pretending to be innocent?"

With a violent motion, he tore the papers apart, scattering the ruined fragments across the room. I stood frozen, watching the work that had consumed my life for the past two weeks being reduced to shredded waste. Chang Vu pointed a trembling finger at me, shouting for everyone in the office to hear:

"Does this pathetic, shameless woman even deserve to be a lawyer?"

The clients’ expressions shifted instantly. I stepped forward, desperate to explain, but Chu Tu clamped his hand around my wrist, holding me back.

"Sunshine, don't provoke him right now. As for the clients, I will explain everything to them later."

I looked down at his hand. He used to grip me like this in court when he would whisper, *Don’t be afraid.* The strength was exactly the same, yet the intent had shifted entirely. Now, he was afraid that I might cause Moon the slightest discomfort. It was a cruel irony; the same hand that had once pulled me from the depths of despair was now pinning me down, silencing my plea for justice.

The police arrived shortly after to escort Chang Vu away. Chu Tu followed them out to handle the situation, but before exiting, he paused to cast a lingering, tender glance at Moon. "Everything is fine now. I will be back soon."

When the door clicked shut, the office fell into a suffocating silence.

"Do you hate me that much?" Moon asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I remained silent. She leaned down to pick up a torn document, then slowly let it slip from her fingers. "But tell me, why is it that you always have it so easy? Ever since we were children, you were the star student, the one the teachers adored. Even my own parents used you as the yardstick to lecture me."

I watched her, remembering how many years ago, she had looked at me with those same red-rimmed eyes. Back in high school, when she had been cornered in a dark alley, her uniform stained with dust, she had clutched my hand and sobbed, "Sunshine, why won’t anyone help me?"

When I eventually filled out my university applications, I chose law. Everyone said I was born for it. But only I knew the truth: my secret ambition was to gain the power to protect her.

"Then you became a successful lawyer, handling divorce cases with such elegance and poise," she continued, her gaze fixed on me. "Even in your own marriage, you’ve sailed through life effortlessly."

She lifted her head, her voice thin and biting. "Sunshine, you are so brilliant at handling divorces for others. I wonder, now that your own life is falling apart, can you remain just as graceful?"

The words struck me silent. All the grievances I had swallowed over these past days finally breached the dam. I raised my hand and slapped her, a sharp, stinging sound echoing through the room. Moon turned her head, finally falling silent. But at that precise moment, the door swung open.

Chu Tu stood in the doorway. His first instinct was to rush toward Moon. "Are you alright?"

Moon offered a weak, tragic smile. "I'm fine. I owed her this. Let this slap settle the debt."

Chu Tu tried to interject, but she silenced him with a look. A meeting of the partners was called immediately. Chu Tu handed me a formal statement drafted with the law firm's official seal.

"The firm needs an explanation for the public," he said coldly. "This is just a temporary measure to calm the waters. Once the storm passes, I will clarify everything for you."

When we first founded this firm, a client had offered us an eight-figure sum to manufacture false evidence. Chu Tu had kicked them out of the office. "Sunshine," he had told me then, "a lawyer can lose a case, but we can never lose our integrity."

I looked down at the paper. Black ink on white paper, stamped with the seal of the firm we had built together. I took the document and tore it in half. The sound of the paper ripping was like a gunshot. Chu Tu lunged forward, gripping my wrist so tightly I felt the bones grind.

"From Sunshine!"

His grip was bruising. The sharp edge of the paper sliced into my fingertip, drawing a thin line of blood. He saw the crimson bead, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes. I stared at the blood as it welled up, then lifted my gaze to meet his.

"I will not admit to things I have not done."

A knock came at the door. The police stood waiting. "Ms. From Sunshine, someone has reported you for the illicit transfer of assets. We ask that you cooperate with our investigation."

The eyes of everyone in the room fixed upon me. As I took a step toward them, Chu Tu grabbed my wrist once more. "Moon is your friend. Can you really bear to see her live in such constant fear? If you sign that document now, I still have a way to make this disappear."

"No need."

Chu Tu froze, calling my name in a low, pained voice. I didn't look back. After the investigation concluded, Dinh Dinh arrived to collect me.

"Boss Chu intended to come himself," Dinh Dinh murmured, "but Ms. Moon was quite emotionally distressed. He told me to come on his behalf."