Chapter 2 — When he returned, the house had been transferred to someone else's name

Mr. Vuong's work efficiency is faster than I imagined. The next morning, he led the first group of guests to see the house. A young couple preparing to get married. The girl really liked the decoration style here, she almost made her decision as soon as she walked in. The two were especially pleased with the fact that all furniture and electrical equipment were included. That means they will save a large amount of money, just need to bring their suitcases and move in. When signing the contract, the guy couldn't help but ask me:

“Sister, this beautiful house is also a wedding house, why do you want to sell it?”

I took the pen and signed my name at the end of the contract. The nib of the pen glides across the paper, leaving clear ink. Three short words, no further explanation. The boy and girl looked at each other but did not continue asking. Perhaps they thought I had just gone through a failed marriage, with a hint of sympathy in their eyes. But I don't care. After signing the contract, receiving the deposit, the only thing left is to wait for the bank to disburse the money and complete the transfer procedures. Mr. Vuong patted his chest and assured, saying he would take care of the relationship and could complete all the procedures within a week. I returned to the house that had been promised to be sold to someone else and started packing my things. Actually, my personal belongings are not much. Several boxes of books. Some clothes you usually wear. A few papers and photos. Chu Minh's belongings take up eighty percent of the space in this house. His limited edition sneakers filled the entire shoe cabinet in the mysterious entrance. Game consoles and game discs filled the entire drawer under the TV shelf. His vest, shirt, and tie filled the huge dressing room in the master bedroom. I didn't touch any of his things. According to the contract, all of those things will be considered "gifts", left for the next homeowner. I'm just packing my things. At that moment, the phone vibrated. It's a friend request from Bach Vy. I clicked agree. The first message she sent was a photo. Under the dim light, a portion of steak is delicately presented, two glasses of red wine are placed next to each other. The caption reads:

“New beginning, with him.”

In the corner of the photo, Chu Minh's hand is seen cutting steak, the ring on his ring finger reflects the sparkling light. I stared at that ring for a few seconds. That's the gift I used my first year-end bonus to buy for him. At that time, he criticized it for being too ordinary, throwing it away in a drawer without even bothering to wear it. I didn't expect to have it in my hands now. Do you want to prove something to Bach Vy? Or do you want to show off your power to me? I laughed and didn't answer. In the following days, Bach Vy's circle of friends was like a TV series. Today is a selfie in the cinema, two tickets placed in the most prominent position, exactly the movie Chu Minh and I had promised to see together. Tomorrow, Chu Minh's back will be standing in the kitchen cooking. Captions are:

“Men who know how to cook are truly the most handsome.”

The other day there was a photo of two pairs of slippers placed next to the door. One male couple, one female couple. That pink pair was clearly just bought. All of her posts are set to "only I can see" mode. Like an innocent child showing off something he just stole. My best friend couldn't bear to watch anymore, so he immediately called and cursed Chu Minh and Bach Vy for being a pair of scum.

"Uncle Just let her disgust you like that? You have to respond!”

Her voice was so angry that she was about to burst into flames.

“Not necessary.”

I used tape to seal the last box of books as I replied.

“When cleaning trash, who stands and talks to trash?”

My friend immediately fell silent.

“So what are you going to do? Is it going to take this long? Waiting for that bastard to come back?”

“He may not be able to return.”

"Huh? What do you mean?”

“It's also possible…”

I stuck the shipping slip on the carton and gently patted the surface of the box.

“I can't go back anymore.”

These book boxes will be sent to a new address. In a country very far away. I no longer pay attention to Bach Vy's circle of friends. On completing the name transfer procedure, Mr. Vuong transferred the remaining amount to my account. Looking at the long series of numbers on the banking application, I did not feel happy at all. It feels like having just completed a large-scale "life cleanup". Throwing away a piece of furniture that took up five years of my life. And it's completely irrelevant. Since it is something that needs to be thrown away, of course there will be nothing left to cherish. I used the fastest speed to book airline tickets, contacted the overseas settlement support company, and completed all procedures. The night before I left, I returned to that house one last time. The new homeowner has lightly renovated it. Change new curtains. On the tea table there was also a bouquet of fresh lilies. All of Chu Minh's belongings were piled up in the spare bedroom, like a pile of waste waiting to be disposed of. The new female owner is a bit shy:

"Your ex-husband's things... we don't know how to handle them so we'll leave them here for now."

"Huh? It would be a shame to throw away so many branded items like this.”

“Then sell it, or give it to someone else, it's up to you two to handle it.”

I put the spare key on the shoe cabinet.

“This is the last key, leave it to you two.”

She nodded:

“Yes. Oh right… does your ex-husband know you sold the house?”

“He'll know soon enough.”

I turned around and left, not looking back. The phone vibrated once. It's a message from Chu Minh. It's been almost a month since he left.

“What are you doing?”

The tone of the message still carries the feeling of arrogant giving. I don't answer. A few minutes later, he sent another message.

“I'll be back next week.”

“How have you been reflecting on the time I haven't been here?”

“If you think about it, answer me and I can consider forgiving you.”

I looked at the bright lights outside the window. The city I lived in for nearly ten years… is about to become a thing of the past. I typed down a word and sent it. Then I opened the settings. Block all WeChat of Chu Minh and Bach Vy. Then delete it. The world is finally quiet.