Chapter 6 — When I Learn How to Bloom Again

The following days were eerily quiet. Chu Van Bac no longer bothers me. Perhaps he was scared by the "evidence" I presented, and was racking his brain to think of a way to deal with it. And Trieu Tinh's team, like professional detectives, continued to dig deep into each secret he kept hidden. Very quickly, new discoveries were placed before me. First... is a large riverside apartment named after Truong Vi. Trieu Tinh's people got the cash flow when they bought the house that year. An amount of five million, transferred directly from a secret personal account of Chu Van Bac... to the investor's account. On the transfer document, his signature... was clear and undeniable. Evidence is like a mountain. That apartment has increased in price many times... without a doubt, it is common property in the marriage. The second discovery... Made me cold from head to toe again. Those are some extremely valuable life insurance policies. Total insurance amount... up to twenty million. Insurance buyer: Chu Van Bac. Insured person: also Chu Van Bac. As for the beneficiary... It's his mother's name. Without me. Not a single sheet had my name on it. Ten years of marriage… In his future plans… there was never a place for me. He was wary of me… like he was of a thief. He enjoys everything I give to my family... But behind his back, he secretly prepares the perfect retreat for himself and his family. If it weren't for this divorce... Maybe I wouldn't know for the rest of my life. It wasn't until something happened to him that I discovered - the wife, married for ten years... did not receive a single penny from the insurance. I looked at the copies of the contract in my hand. Fingers cold. The heart... sinks little by little. Not loving... can be calculated to this extent. At that moment, a strange number called. I picked up the phone. On the other end of the line was a trembling, choking female voice.

“Hello… are you Ms. Tan Tranh?”

I stopped. This voice... is a bit familiar.

"I... I'm Lam Hieu Vu."

Her voice was full of self-pity and helplessness.

“I… was rejected by Chu Van Bac.”

“He puts all the responsibility on me, says I'm stupid, says I hurt him.”

“He chased me away. He didn't even let me take the things I bought for him.”

"Sister... I know it's wrong, I really know it's wrong."

"You shouldn't have listened to him, you shouldn't have sued me."

“Now I have no home and no money... can you help me?”

She cried until she choked. Listen... it's really pitiful. If it were me before... Maybe my heart would have softened. But now… I just find it funny. I asked leisurely.

“On what basis should I help you?”

"When you stood in court, pointed straight at me and scolded me... you didn't look like this."

The crying on the other side stopped.

“I… I was tricked by him too!”

Lam Hieu Vu quickly defended.

"He said he wanted a divorce for a long time, but you kept clinging and not letting go!"

“He said you're old, he doesn't have feelings anymore!”

“He said if he could just chase you away… he would marry you right away!”

Every sentence, every word... felt like a needle sticking straight into my ear. Even though I knew it before, when I heard it from someone else's mouth... my heart still ached.

“So you believe?”

“So you casually… enjoy all the things that belong to me?”

“The house you live in, the car you drive, every penny you spend... are all exchanged with my sweat and tears, you know?”

My voice is not big. But the other end of the line... was completely silent. After a long time, she spoke up, her voice almost pleading.

“Sister… looking at how we were both tricked by the same man… can you help me once?”

“He is demanding all the money he transferred to me back, otherwise he will sue me.”

“I really have no choice left…”

“Lin Xiaoyu.”

I interrupted.

“You fell into a dead end… not because of me, but because of him.”

“When you choose to be the third person, you should think about today.”

“Adults… have to pay the price for their choices.”

"As for the money issue between you and him, it's your business, it has nothing to do with me."

“But I can remind you one thing.”

“Those transfer records he sent you… don't delete them.”

“That is proof for me to reclaim common property.”

“In a sense… the things you worked so hard to collect to sue me…”

“Now become a weapon to help me.”

“Thank you.”

Having finished speaking, I hung up the phone. Not a bit of sympathy. Poor people... are not necessarily innocent. She and Chu Van Bac... were originally the same type of person. It's just that now... they're turning to bite each other. As for me, I just want to get back everything that belongs to me. Then leave these dirty people... once and for all. Chu Van Bac finally couldn't sit still anymore. After a week of assets being frozen, the company was almost paralyzed. His lawyer proactively contacted Trieu Tinh and proposed mediation before the trial.

“He's impatient.”

Trieu Tinh told me on the phone.

"Cash flow is cut off, the company is only an empty shell, the longer it continues, the more disadvantageous it is for him."

“Since we want to talk, we give him a chance.”

“But the location… must be decided by us.”

Finally, the negotiation session was arranged at Trieu Tinh's law office. A large, bright meeting room with large floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Sunlight penetrates through the glass, spreading onto the table in warm streaks of light. Trieu Tinh and I sat on one side of the table. I wore a neat white suit and looked calm. Chu Van Bac arrived ten minutes late. His whole body was visibly emaciated, his eye circles were dark, his chin had a green beard. The man who was once cool and confident... is now like a defeated chicken. Behind him is a very sharp-looking lawyer. As soon as he entered, his eyes immediately locked on me. There is anger, there is unwillingness... there is also a complex emotion that is difficult to name. He pulled out a chair across from me and sat down so hard that he made a noise.

“Tan Tranh.”

As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice was hoarse.

“Do we… really have to go to this extent?”

He wanted to bypass the lawyer and talk directly to me, using his familiar emotional tactics. I don't look at him. Just lift the cup of tea in front of you and gently blow the hot steam. Trieu Tinh leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and spoke for me.

“Mr. Chu, I think my client made it very clear.”

“Sitting here today is not to review old stories, but to solve problems.”

“If your side is willing to reconcile, please suggest a plan.”

Chu Van Bac's lawyer pushed up his glasses and took out a file of documents from his briefcase.