Chapter 7 — Whispers of Lu Xiao

I went back to find Ve Thu Tinh. When a man makes a mistake, he must courageously face reality and do everything in his power to salvage the relationship. She loved me so much; surely she would find a way to forgive me. But Ve Thu Tinh was not at home. The room was filled with neatly packed luggage. Chen, the assistant, told me that the mistress had sold the house and was preparing to move out of the villa. I stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do. I held a plush Police Rabbit toy and tried to coax Phi Phi into playing with me. But she turned her face away, refusing to even look at me. It felt surreal; before all this, no matter how busy I was, she would always cling to me, demanding kisses, hugs, and wanting to be tossed high into the air. I told myself that children have short memories—a little bit of pampering would fix everything.

"Good girl, isn't this your favorite thing in the world?" I asked, holding out the toy. The last time Triet Triet had snatched it from her, Phi Phi had cried for hours. I intended to give it back to her. But back then, To Due had told me that even she hadn't dared to buy the original Judy doll for her son when they were abroad. She argued that since Phi Phi already had so many beautiful toys, what was the harm in sharing one? Phi Phi did not accept my gift. She simply smiled at the birds outside the window, then turned back, her expression suddenly devoid of all warmth.

"Uncle Luc, it’s okay," she said. "You don’t have to try so hard to coax me. I have a friend whose parents are divorced. Her mother told her that because her father stopped loving her mother, he would never love her either." That word—"Uncle"—was like a blade driven straight into my heart. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I remembered when Phi Phi had only been home for three days; I had sat on the floor, watching her sleep in her little cradle. Sunlight had poured into the bedroom, illuminating tiny specks of dust dancing in the golden rays. I had been wearing a smile of pure, unadulterated happiness. The feeling of becoming a father for the first time made me want to give her the entire world. Ve Thu Tinh had captured that moment from behind. She had said then, "The fatherly love is practically overflowing from the photo. When she grows up, we must tell her just how much her father loves her." But now, that photograph lay discarded at the foot of a cabinet, covered in a thin layer of dust, ignored by everyone.

"Mommy, you're home!" Phi Phi suddenly shouted, running joyfully toward the door. Ve Thu Tinh gathered the little girl into her arms. I rushed forward, baring my soul. "Wife, even after the divorce, I’ve been thinking of you constantly. I saw the family portrait Phi Phi drew, and I realized then that the greatest mistake of my life was leaving you. I didn't understand my own heart before. I was wrong. From now on, I will never fail you or our daughter again." I poured my heart out in a long string of apologies, but Ve Thu Tinh remained utterly cold. She looked at me as if she were staring at a madman. I reached out and grabbed her hand. "You’re still upset about To Due, aren't you? I’ve divorced her. Can we remarry? I failed you, but Phi Phi is innocent. She shouldn't have to grow up without a father."

Ve Thu Tinh didn't say a word; she simply threw a stack of photos in my face. They were pictures of me and To Due in bed together, clearly taken before my marriage. Phi Phi looked at me and shouted, "Uncle Luc, every time I saw you hurting my mother because of that evil woman, I hated you. From now on, tell Triet Triet and that woman to stop sending strange things to us. I hate you. I don't want to see you ever again for the rest of my life." I felt as though I had been struck by lightning, standing frozen in place.

I reached down and picked up a Baby's Breath watch that had been tossed into the trash. It was a wedding gift I had once given to Ve Thu Tinh. She had cherished it deeply, telling me once that her own parents had divorced when she was young. Her mother, who had been gentle, became irritable and volatile after the split, venting all of life’s frustrations onto her. Gradually, Ve Thu Tinh had become quiet and withdrawn, swallowing every grievance in silence. She had once begged me, "Husband, for the sake of our child and her future, can we please never get divorced?" Back then, I had looked at her silent, hopeful eyes, and after a long silence, I had nodded. That night, she hadn't seemed different on the surface, but I knew how happy she was. For the first time, she had been the one to take the lead in bed. Thinking back on it now, I felt a wave of panic. No wonder she had initially refused to sign the papers. How many foolish, cruel things had I done to finally force her to put pen to paper?

To Due refused to grant me a divorce. I was forced to dig into her past to find some leverage. To my shock, I discovered that when she stole my research and fled abroad years ago, it hadn't been to save her father. It was to win the favor of a wealthy, handsome playboy. That man turned out to be a degenerate gambler. Less than two years after To Due gave birth to their son, he declared bankruptcy. Unable to face his creditors, he faked a suicide by jumping into a river, and to this day, no one knows if he is truly dead. To Due had been left to struggle alone until she heard my company had gone public. Only then did she decide to return and "rekindle" our old flame. I had been a fool of the highest order to fall for her trap again.

Later, when her ex-husband found out she had latched onto a millionaire, a few sweet words were all it took to lure her back to him. Truly, they were two of a kind. To Due and I were cut from the same wretched cloth. For the sake of her son and her former lover, she began secretly embezzling my company's assets to help him start over. This time, I didn't hesitate. I personally saw to it that the woman was sent to prison. She screamed and cried hysterically, "Luc Tieu, you said what’s yours is mine! So why can't I do what I want with what belongs to me?" I realized then that the words a man says in bed are worth nothing. I gave her five stinging slaps that knocked out two of her teeth. Her ex-husband was a coward; he refused to stand up for her and even suggested that if I adopted his son, he would leave me alone. Triet Triet clung to my leg, snot and tears streaming down his face as he wailed. I used to think this boy was adorable. Now, looking at him, I wanted to gouge my own eyes out.

The chaos left me with no heart to manage the business. All my major clients were poached by Ve Thu Tinh. I deserved it. After the company went bankrupt, I tried to recover the money I had squandered on To Due, but all that remained were second-hand luxury goods that had lost all their value. Triet Triet was sent to a terrible school by his irresponsible father. He called me, but I blocked his number immediately. I later heard that he had pushed a classmate down a flight of stairs. The boy’s father was a violent man with underworld connections; he beat Triet Triet so badly that the boy’s leg was broken. It was a brutal act, but at least it proved that the man loved his child. I remembered the time Triet Triet had tied Phi Phi’s shoelaces together, causing her to take a painful fall. At the time, I had only thought of how he didn't have a father and forced my daughter to endure the injustice. Luc Tieu, you are a monster! I struck myself hard across the face.

The day I heard Ve Thu Tinh was remarrying, I was at home, cleaning the memorial photo of my mother. I was all alone. My mother appeared in my dreams, questioning me with fury: "The house was peaceful; why did you turn it into this wreck?" I hated To Due with a burning passion. It was all because of that woman; she tore my family apart! But in my dream, my mother only looked down at me with cold contempt. There was a searing heat in my chest. I didn't know what it was. Men always think they can get away with it, that betraying a marriage is no big deal. But only when they lose true love do they understand the agonizing pain that lasts a lifetime. I walked aimlessly along the riverbank as the darkness threatened to swallow everything. A car, driven by a drunkard, careened out of control and hurtled toward me. In that split second, I saw my own fate mirroring my father's from all those years ago.