Chapter 9 — Women Don't Need To Be Chosen

When Luc Canh Tham walked in, in just a week he looked like he had aged a few years, was noticeably thinner, had deep eye bags, and had not shaved his beard. He sat down on the sofa, his hands clasped together, his eyes glued to the floor, as if not daring to look directly at me.

“To Niem, before coming here, I had an argument with my mother.”

“For what?”

"She refused to say what the 10,000,000 yuan was for. I asked if she was planning to do something illegal. She scolded me for betraying my family."

“So you came here to clarify?”

He raised his head, his eyes filled with fatigue.

“To Niem, these past three years… I have made a mistake with you.”

I don't react.

"From the beginning, my mother didn't like you. She criticized you for not having a family background or an academic degree. I should have stood up to protect you, but I didn't. Every time she made things difficult for you, I saw it, but I never stopped it."

“What do you mean by these words now?”

“I want to say, divorce is not my idea.”

“But you didn't stop me.”

He was silent.

“At the party that day, your mother threw the agreement in front of me, what were you doing?”

I looked straight at him, each word falling like nails.

“I'm picking up braised meat.”

His shoulders sagged, his whole body seemed to be drained of all strength.

“To Niem——”

"Luc Canh Tham, I didn't call you here today to hear your regrets. I'm just telling you something. Your mother borrowed 10,000,000 yuan from Bach Khai Minh, and is most likely preparing to do something both stupid and illegal."

He immediately raised his head and his face changed.

“Where do you know this from?”

“It's not convenient to say, but if you have any sanity left, go stop her right now.”

“What is she going to do?”

"I'm not sure yet, but there's a high possibility that it's related to Zhuhai. If she really had connections with that party and used 10,000,000 yuan to buy 'services', once something happened, not only would she go to jail, but the Luc family wouldn't be able to escape either."

His face was pale, his hands clenched.

“She… wouldn't do that…”

"Didn't do it? She even dared to force her daughter-in-law to sign a divorce in front of the whole family. What do you think she didn't dare do?"

He stood up and walked back and forth in the room, each step heavy as if stepping on his own panic.

“To Niem… I will help you.”

“Help with what?”

“Stop my mother.”

“Why should I?”

He stopped and looked at me, his eyes showing desperation.

“Because you are my husband?”

I smiled faintly and interrupted.

“We have signed the divorce papers, Luc Canh Tham.”

“You haven't signed…”

“But I signed it.”

He walked over, suddenly knelt down in front of me, raised his head and looked straight into my eyes, as if pouring all his last dignity into that look.

"To Niem, I know you hate me, hate me for being weak, hate me for not protecting you, hate me for always taking your mother's side. I said nothing wrong, but this time is different, if my mother is really involved with Zhu Hai's people..."

“It's my family's business.”

“What's the use of calling me?”

I stood up, looked down at him, my voice cold as ice.

"How did your mother treat me over the past three years, don't you know? She pointed her finger at me and cursed me for not being able to have children, cursed me for being a freeloader, cursed me for not being worthy of the Luc family. You stood there silently, now something happened, you come back and beg me?"

He was still kneeling, not moving.

“Not because of you.”

His voice was hoarse.

“Because of the hundreds of Luc Thi employees, because of my grandfather, who is already 82 years old and cannot bear the shock This."

Hearing the old man, my heart sank slightly, but only for a moment and then turned cold again.

“I can help you find out where that 10,000,000 yuan went, but I have conditions.”

“First, you officially file for divorce in court, following the legal process, not using your mother's trash agreement.”

His expression changed.

"Second, after the divorce, all of Luc Thi's finances must be independently audited, and all projects related to Tinh Than Capital must be transparent."

I stopped for a moment, looking straight into his eyes.

“Third, tell me the truth, what is your relationship with Bach Nhuoc Tinh?”

He was stunned.

“You can not say anything, I can look it up myself, but I advise you, this is your last chance to be honest.”

He opened his mouth, closed it again, then spoke again, his voice very low.

"In college... we dated for a year, then broke up, because my mother wouldn't let me go."

I asked directly.

“Have you let go yet?”

He looked at me, not avoiding me.

“Without feelings, these three years… the thing I regret most is not treating you well.”

I turned away and looked out the large glass window, the city stretching out under the pale gray light.

“I agree to all of your conditions.”