Chapter 12 — When I No Longer See Them As Family

“While you and Khuong Vi were worrying about the so-called great grandchild of the Khuong family…”

"Your good daughter-in-law is taking money from you two to keep a lover outside."

"My golden grandchild I miss day and night longing..."

"There is no blood relationship with her, with Khuong Vi, or with the Khuong family."

“She bet her life on it.”

“Bet even on my son.”

“Bet everything.”

“Just sewing wedding dresses for others.”

“Dinh Tue.”

“Your whole life…”

“It was a giant joke from start to finish.”

I stood up straight. Quietly enjoy the expression on her face. Terrifying. And complete despair. Her face turned from pale white to purple and red like pig liver. His eyes were red and full of blood as if they were about to bulge out. An extremely miserable scream burst out of her throat. It's not an act anymore. It's a real collapse. Spirit and faith... Both were completely broken. She jumped up from the hospital bed like crazy and rushed straight towards me. Want to scratch my face. Want to strangle me.

"I'll kill you! You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Her scream was filled with resentment. I didn't move at all. Just looked at her coldly. The door to the hospital room was pushed open. Doctors and nurses rushed in. Several people joined forces to force Dinh Tue back to the hospital bed. A sedative was quickly injected into her arm. The struggle gradually weakened. But those bloodshot eyes... Still staring at me fiercely. Like a devil crawling out of hell. I looked at her one last time. Then turned around and left the hospital room. Behind him, the sound of cruel curses continued to grow weaker and weaker. I walked to the end of the hospital hallway. Push the window out. Outside, the sun is shining and the air is fresh. It's finally over. The woman who used her love to bind me for half my life. The person I used to call “mother”… From this moment. No longer have any relationship with me. She's crazy. It's crazy. Because I forced myself to go crazy. Leading psychiatric experts after many rounds of consultation... Finally came to a conclusion.

“Mental disorders due to severe trauma.”

“Accompanied by irreversible cognitive damage.”

This result means that... In terms of law, Dinh Tue has become a person who no longer has the full capacity to bear criminal responsibility. She will no longer be brought to justice. Instead… It's another decision. Coercive treatment. She will be taken to a psychiatric rehabilitation center with the highest security level. Live out the rest of your life there. A prison more desperate than prison. There is no deadline. There is no hope. Just the same medicine over and over again every day... And the cold, towering walls. When lawyer Ly reported this result to me, his tone was somewhat complicated.

“Miss Khuong…”

“Perhaps this is not the outcome you most wanted.”

At that time, I was standing in front of the ground-level glass door of my new house. Look at the river flowing in the distance. I calmly replied:

“Let her suffer in sobriety…”

“Or sink into madness…”

“In essence, they are no different.”

“This was the best outcome.”

For her... It's liberation. For me… It's the end. Lawyer Ly was silent for a few seconds then continued speaking. News that Dinh Tue had gone completely crazy quickly spread throughout his relatives. My second uncle called me, his voice visibly shaking. He no longer mentioned it intimacy again. Don't advise me to be generous anymore. Just ask a question cautiously. The money Khuong Vi owes to Long Ca... Do you really not need him to pay anymore? I gave him an affirmative answer. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him repeatedly and quickly hung up. From beginning to end... He did not ask any more questions about Dinh Tue. It was like that woman had completely disappeared from his world. So does everyone else. They kept their distance from me. Both fearful and cautious. And this news... Finally reached Khuong Vi's ears in the detention center. He knew his mother was truly crazy. Being pushed into the abyss by the sister he once respected the most... Using the cruelest words. He doesn't get angry. Also don't scream. Just sat quietly in the small interrogation room all night. Come the next morning. When it was dawn. He proactively asked to see a lawyer. He wants to plead guilty completely. Waiver of all defense rights. Accept all legal penalties. There is only one request. For the rest of his life... He doesn't want to see Khuong Nghien again.