Chapter 9 — When I No Longer See Them As Family

My voice gradually cooled down.

“Even my biological mother and younger brother can be sent to prison themselves.”

“You think…”

“Does an unrelated brother-in-law like you have any weight in my place?”

“I give you twenty-four hours.”

“Manage your mouth and that of your parents.”

“If you let me receive any more harassing phone calls.”

“Or see your family members appear before me.”

Having finished speaking, I immediately hung up the phone. At the same time, drag his number to the blacklist. The Liu family's line... It's also broken. Not only did they not dare to come and bother me anymore. And will even proactively draw boundaries with Luu Van. Because they are all smart people. Knowing how to avoid harm and seek benefit. Lawyer Ly called. His voice carried a bit of seriousness.

“Miss Khuong, something unexpected happened.”

My heart sank slightly.

“What?”

“Dinh Tue.”

“She hit her head against the wall in the detention center.”

“After being discovered, we were immediately taken to the hospital.”

"Not life-threatening, but mentally extremely unstable, constantly talking nonsense."

“The doctor initially diagnosed acute mental disorder.”

I was silent. I used to think she would collapse, go crazy. But I didn't expect her to choose this method.

“So what?”

“So the court may initiate a psychiatric evaluation process.”

“If the assessment results show that during the time of the crime she really had mental problems…”

“So the amount of images will likely be slightly reduced.”

Attorney Ly's voice is very objective.

“Even…”

"If it is determined that she does not have the capacity to bear criminal responsibility, she can be exempted from criminal prosecution and transferred to compulsory treatment."

I held the phone and stood in the middle of the empty living room. Outside the window, night has fallen. The neon lights of the city reflected in my eyes. It was so cold that there was no temperature left. Do you want to pretend to be crazy to escape crime? You really... You look down on me too much. Acute psychosis. A phrase that is both familiar... and ridiculous. When I was little. My younger brother, Khuong Vi, once broke a neighbor's antique vase, and people demanded compensation. Dinh Tue immediately lay down on the ground, foaming at the mouth, saying he had a heart attack. In the end it was let go. The year I passed the university entrance exam, I wanted to study in another province. Dinh Tue also used this technique correctly. Suddenly fainted right at home. The doctor checked over and over but couldn't find any problems. She immediately said she had a strange illness and couldn't leave her caregiver. I still stay in this city. Pretending to be crazy to avoid responsibility. Using morality to bind others to achieve goals. That was the game Mrs. Dinh Tue was best at all her life. I'm no longer the soft-hearted girl I used to be.

“Lawyer Ly.”

I spoke up, my voice calm and without any ripples.

“If she wants to pretend to be crazy…”

“Then let her pretend.”

“The law has a mental evaluation process, I believe that process is fair.”

“But I also believe…”

“A performance cannot be perfect without flaws.”

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds.

“I understand, Miss Khuong.”

“I want you to help me find someone.”

“My father's younger sister, my third aunt.”

“After my father passed away, she almost stopped coming back to my family.”

“Because the person she hates the most…”

“Just the type of person like Dinh Tue.”

“She probably knows a lot about her past.”

“Those stories may not be used as direct evidence.”

“But at least…”

“It might help the medical examiner better understand who she really is.”

Lawyer Ly immediately understood what I meant.

“Okay, I will contact someone immediately.”

“In addition, the investigator Tieu Truong that we hired before can also continue to monitor.”

"See how Dinh Tue was socially active in the time before the case, what his mental state was."

“If she is still happily playing cards with her friends, discussing moving into a new house…”

“So this diagnosis of ‘acute psychosis’ would be too sudden.”

"That's right."

I have a new plan in my heart. Want to play psychological warfare? Want to use mental illness as a shield? Then I will uncover your entire past. Showing her what it's like... There's no turning back. I opened the phone book. Stop at a number you've almost never contacted. Hesitate for a few seconds. Finally called anyway. The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. On the other end of the line, a woman's voice sounded old but still very strong.

“Hello, who is it?”

“Third aunt, it's me.”

“Khuong Nghien.”

There was a long silence. It took so long that I thought she would hang up immediately.

“Nguyen Nghien?”

There was some uncertainty in her voice.