Chapter 1 — World Chess Game

My cousin's driver caused an accident, should I pay compensation? Sorry, the car has been transferred to the title — I don't have to shoulder this 'pot'. My cousin's driver caused an accident, the victim's side demanded 1,000,000 yuan in compensation. My father immediately shouted straight at me:

"The car was bought by me. If something happens, I have to take responsibility."

"People in the family have to protect each other, you have to take care of this."

Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to bow my head and give in. I'm not in a hurry, I'm not angry, I just slowly ask one question again:

“Dad, are you sure that car is still mine?”

"The name was changed a month ago, now it has nothing to do with you anymore."

The room immediately fell silent. My cousin suddenly raised his head, his eyes panicked. I smiled softly, my voice calm:

"So I won't accept this 'pot'. Everyone can figure out their own way."

01 Disaster struck The phone rang while I was still working overtime. Some strange. As soon as he picked up the phone, his cousin Tham Hao's voice rang out on the other end of the line, trembling as if he was about to cry:

“You… I… I hit you.”

My heart tightened slightly.

"How's that person? Are you okay?"

“The person was taken to the hospital, I'm okay... it's just that the car... the front end is crushed.”

“Have you notified the police yet?”

"It's been reported, the traffic department has finished handling it, told me to wait for the announcement."

“Do you drink alcohol?”

“No, absolutely not!”

His voice still sounded calm.

"That's okay, waiting for the conclusion of the traffic police's responsibility. The most important thing is that the person is okay, the car has insurance."

He hesitated and hung up. I didn't think much of it, I thought it was just a normal traffic accident. Unexpectedly, just an hour later, my father's phone call came, his tone had never been so impatient.

"Tham Nguyet! Get back here immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Immediately!"

After speaking, he hung up and didn't let me ask any more questions. I asked the leader for permission to rest and quickly ran home. As soon as I pushed the door open, the living room was filled with people. My father Tham Chi Cuong, my mother Liu Ngoc Mai. Elderly uncle Tham Chi Cuong, uncle-in-law Vuong Cam. There was also the culprit - Tham Hao, with his head bowed, his expression unclear. The air was suffocatingly heavy, like the calm before the storm. Seeing me enter, my father placed the teacup firmly on the table.

“Do you still know the way back?”

I didn't answer, I looked at my uncle.

"Uncle, what happened? Are the injuries seriously?"

Uncle-in-law Vuong Cam wiped his tears and said:

“Nguyet Nguyet, this time you must help your cousin.”

"I heard that one of the victim's legs may not be able to be maintained, and emergency treatment is being performed."

My heart sank.

“What does the victim's family say?”

"They're here, at the tea shop in front of the area gate, demanding an explanation from us."

Her voice trembled.

“They asked for 1,000,000 yuan.”

The eyes in the living room immediately turned to me like headlights. There is scrutiny, there is expectation, there is also an obvious default. My father finally spoke, his voice not loud, but as heavy as a hammer:

“That car was bought by me.”

“When something big like this happens, you have to take responsibility.”

My mother chimed in:

"That's right, Nguyet Nguyet, you still don't know how your uncle's house is, so there's no money to pay."

Uncle-in-law Vuong Cam cried even harder:

“My cousin just went to work, this 1,000,000 yuan will kill him!”

They were juggling and catching, like a play The play has been rehearsed countless times. As for me, I am the designated "sufferer". My father gave the final order:

"Family members must take care of each other. You must pay this amount."

"Now I go to meet the other family, soften my attitude a bit, try to save as much as I can. But for my family, I don't spend a penny."

They all looked at me, waiting for me to nod, waiting for me like countless times before, bowing their heads because of the so-called "friendship". I'm not in a hurry, nor am I angry. He even leisurely poured himself a glass of water. Warm water flowed down my throat, quenching the cold curling up in my heart. I raised my head, facing my father's eyes that did not allow rebuttal. Slowly say:

“Dad, are you sure that car is still mine?”

One sentence, like a stone thrown into the water, dies. My father was stunned. I continue:

“A month ago, that car was transferred to Tham Hao.”

“The vehicle registration is also in his name.”

“So, that car has long had nothing to do with me anymore.”

The room suddenly became so quiet that you could hear the sound of breathing. Only the sound of uncle-in-law Vuong Cam inhaling cold air remained. My father's face turned from pale to red. Tham Hao suddenly raised his head, his face somewhat similar to mine, now filled with unconcealed surprise and panic. His eyes... were completely confused. I looked at him, saying word by word:

“So, driving your own car causes an accident.”

“I can't handle this pot.”

“Everyone thinks of their own way.”

02 Ripping off the mask As soon as my words finished, the atmosphere in the living room seemed to freeze. The first person to react was aunt-in-law Vuong Cam, her high-pitched voice tore through the silence:

"Tham Nguyet! What do you mean?"

"I gave the car to my cousin, now something happened, how can I just brush it off and not accept it?"

“There is no such thing in the world!”

I looked at her coldly.

“When did you say you wouldn't accept it?”

“I'm just stating a fact.”

"Legally, the owner of the car is Tham Hao, the driver is Tham Hao, the person who caused the accident... of course is also Tham Hao."

“And you… is there any half a penny involved?”

My uncle-in-law was speechless until he stiffened, his face was as red as a pig's liver. Uncle Tham Chi Cuong spoke in a deep voice:

“Nguyet Nguyet, you can't say that.”

“Even though the car has been renamed, the love still remains.”

“We are still family after all.”

“One person?”

I laughed softly, as if I had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.

“Eldest uncle, when you said this, didn't you feel guilty?”

"Tham Hao has been robbing me since childhood. Did you consider us a family at that time?"

"The electronic dictionary my mother saved for me, she snatched it and broke it. Have you ever compensated?"

"You guys borrowed the scholarship money to buy a new phone for him. Have you ever paid it back?"

"And this car, before it knelt in front of me and begged, saying it was inconvenient to have a car just to go to work, promising to be nice to me in the future... have you forgotten?"

With every sentence I said, the faces of the eldest uncle and aunt-in-law became a little worse. Tham Hao bowed his head lower, his shoulders shaking slightly. My father Tham Chi Cuong finally couldn't bear it anymore, slammed the table and shouted:

“What's the point of bringing up that old story!”

"Now we're talking 1,000,000 yuan! It's something that involves human lives!"

“Do you still have any conscience!”

I look straight into his angry eyes, cold inside.

"Conscience?"

“Dad, my conscience has been eaten away by you people — the ‘bloodsuckers’ — a long time ago.”

“In Dad's eyes, am I a daughter... or a cash machine that takes on debt for my grandson?”

“Shut up!”

He was so angry that he trembled and raised his hand to slap me. I don't dodge. The hand stopped just a centimeter from my face. My mother rushed forward and pulled his arm tightly:

"Chi Cuong! What are you doing! What are you talking about?"

“Say something else!”

He pulled his hand away and pointed it straight at my face:

"I tell you Tham Nguyet, today you have to pay this money even if you don't want it!"

“If you don't care about your cousin, then stop accepting me as your father!”

“Get out of this house!”

It's the same old trick again. Every time I want to protest, every time I don't do what they want, it's always the last trump card. Cut off the relationship. Kicked out of the house. They still think I'm the girl from before who would cry and ask for forgiveness. They still think I won't be able to live if I leave this house. Unfortunately… I'm not like that anymore. I looked at him, strangely calm, and nodded:

“Okay.”

“Dad said it himself.”