Chapter 3

A young man in a gray sweater stood in the doorway, his face gentle.

He put a finger to his lips, asking me to be quiet.

He was one of my neighbors.

Not the owner, just a tenant.

He had moved in about four years earlier.

He taught mathematics and was very kind.

Lạc Lạc struggled at school, so he had offered to tutor her for free.

Of all my neighbors, he was the one I least wanted to disturb.

“Mr. Dương... I'm sorry...”

I hurried to apologize.

He shook his head.

“Your mother-in-law came.

“She changed the lock.”

I was so angry I thought my heart might stop.

“That woman... how could she...”

I leaned against the wall to stay upright.

Then I remembered my daughter and straightened at once.

“Where's Lạc Lạc?”

“At my place.

“She's asleep.”

With those words, a weight lifted from me.

“She wouldn't go with her grandmother, so she sat outside your door.

“I saw her when I got home and brought her in to rest.

“She's asleep now.”

“I'm so sorry to trouble you.”

I slipped past him and hurried inside.

Lạc Lạc lay on the bed, traces of tears still at the corners of her eyes.

She was sound asleep.

Only then did I relax completely.

“Shall I wake her?”

He wasn't angry at my barging in. His voice remained gentle.

“No... let her sleep.”

“You should rest too.”

He looked at me with concern.

“You must have been through a lot.”

“I do... have a bit of a headache.”

Now that my worry had lifted, every bit of strength seemed to leave me.

He helped me over to the sofa and eased me down.

Then he brought me a hot coffee, placed it in my hands, lit a scented candle, and put on soft music.

He sat opposite me.

“Tell me.

“I'm listening.”

The familiar routine.

Only at moments like this could I truly relax.

“You don't have to do so much for me.”

“This is all I can do for you right now.”

He smiled.

“You're under too much psychological pressure.

“If you don't find an outlet, sooner or later you'll break down.”

“Yes...”

I poured out everything I had been holding inside.

Mr. Dương was very capable.

Besides mathematics, he had studied psychology and was an excellent counselor.

Over the years, whenever I felt overwhelmed, I had gone to him to talk.

“Who do you think killed my husband?” I asked through tears.

“Everyone suspects me now.

“Even I'm starting to doubt myself...”

“You're just under too much pressure,” he reassured me gently.

“Listen to some music.

“Get a good night's sleep.

“Try to stay strong.

“Lạc Lạc still needs you.”

“Yes...”

My body and mind relaxed.

Before long, I fell asleep.

Who had killed Đại Dũng?

When I woke, I thanked Mr. Dương.

Thanks to him, I felt much steadier.

After reassuring Lạc Lạc, I could think clearly again.

I called a locksmith company at once to have the lock replaced.

They came quickly.

Once I showed them proof of ownership, they fitted a new lock.

Only back inside my own apartment did I truly feel secure.

Lạc Lạc went to do her homework.

I took a hot shower, washing away the bad luck clinging to me.

Then I gathered myself and resumed looking for work.

Before becoming a homemaker, I had studied broadcasting.

Years had passed, but I hadn't lost the skills.

I still taught Lạc Lạc from time to time.

At last, an arts center agreed to let me teach a trial broadcasting class for children.

The pay was decent.

Enough to support us both.

Before leaving for work, I told my daughter, “When I'm not home, don't open the door for anyone.

“Not even Grandma.”

She was a very good child, just withdrawn.

Mr. Dương had helped her with psychological treatment too.

But he said the family environment had affected her so much that a complete recovery would be difficult.

Now the darkness hanging over us was gone.

I hoped we would both gradually get better.

I locked the door carefully and went to the center.

The trial lesson went smoothly.

At last, I had a job.

But things weren't as simple as I had imagined.

Only two days after I started, someone broke into the peaceful life I had struggled so hard to reclaim.

I was teaching the children broadcasting exercises when the classroom door burst open.

An old woman stormed in with several burly men.

“That's her!

“That whore killed my son!”

She rushed over and clawed at my face.

The men joined in, punching and kicking me.

“You've got the nerve to come to work?

“I'll beat you to death!

“My son's dead.

“Why should you still be alive?

“You belong to our family in life, and you'll belong to us in death!”

I didn't know what happened after that.

Humiliated and furious, I was beaten unconscious.

When I woke, I was in hospital.

Everything hurt.

Lạc Lạc was slumped beside me. I didn't know how long she had been there.

She had fallen asleep.

I reached out and stroked her hair.

Why was it so hard for the two of us simply to live decently?

Later, I learned that my colleagues at the center had brought me to hospital.

Two of my ribs were broken.

My body was covered in bruises.

Mr. Dương came too, rushing around to arrange my admission.

Unfortunately, the job was gone for good.

The manager who had praised me so enthusiastically had blocked me entirely.

Among all the news, only one item could be called good.

My mother-in-law had been detained for deliberately injuring me.

But because of that, my sister-in-law, Tiểu Văn, came to the hospital.

The moment she saw me, she gave an order.

“Tell the police you'll agree to a settlement.

“That's the only way my mother can get out.”

“A settlement?”

I laughed in anger.

“I've been beaten like this.

“Why should I settle?”

“You're still young. Rest a few days and you'll be fine.

“My mother's old.

“What if something happens to her in there?”

“She assaulted me.

“She has to take responsibility.”

I didn't hesitate.

“I won't settle.

“Leave.”

Tiểu Văn almost jumped with rage.

Pointing at me, she swore, “No wonder my brother beat you every day.

“A woman like you deserves it.

“You killed him.

“Now you want to destroy my mother too.

“What did our family do to deserve an ungrateful wretch like you?”

Her venom made me tremble.

But privately, I was thankful that Lạc Lạc was at school.

She didn't have to suffer this humiliation.

Just then, Mr. Dương returned from fetching water for me.

Hearing the noise, he came straight over, his face cold.

“Please leave at once.”

“Who are you?

“What right have you got to interfere in my family's business?”

Tiểu Văn planted her hands on her hips and shouted.

“I'm A Mai's friend.

“You're disturbing a patient.

“Please go.”

“Oh... so it's you!”

Suddenly, she acted as though she had caught us having an affair.

Pointing at both of us, she unleashed another torrent of abuse.

“You filthy adulterers!

“Not even bothering to hide it now?”

“What... what nonsense are you talking?”

I was angry and helpless.

How could anyone be so unreasonable?

“Mr. Dương and I are just friends.

“There's nothing like that between us.”

“Stop pretending.

“My brother knew all about you.

“You, Dương! He went to your school and beat you up last time.

“And you still dare carry on with this woman?

“Don't dream of it.

“She belongs to us, alive or dead!”

Her shouting eventually brought hospital staff, who forced her out.

As she went, she screamed, “This isn't over!

“You adulterers!

“You two must have killed my brother!”

When Đại Dũng was alive, Mr. Dương and I had indeed gone a long time without seeing each other.

Đại Dũng had discovered that he tutored Lạc Lạc in math and that I sometimes went to him for counseling.

It drove him mad.

He thought I was having an affair.

More than once, he beat me unconscious, repeatedly warning me not to speak to any man.

I used to think characters like An Gia Hòa in television dramas were exaggerated.

That no one like that existed in real life.

Who could have imagined he was right beside me?

Worse, Đại Dũng had gone to Mr. Dương's school to make a scene.

He accused him of seducing another man's wife and nearly cost him his job.

I had always felt terribly guilty about that.

For a long time, we didn't meet.

Whenever I went out, I was as furtive as a thief, afraid of running into him by chance.

We only saw each other again when my mother-in-law changed the lock.

Yet he was just as he had always been.

Not a trace of resentment.

Instead, he encouraged me and helped me endlessly.

I didn't know why he was so good to me.

Could he like me?

But I was a married woman with a daughter.

Besides, he had never crossed a line.

He only helped quietly, like an old friend I hadn't seen for years.

Somewhere in my memory, there seemed to have been someone else who had treated me that way.

But who?

I kept feeling that I had forgotten something terribly important.

A month later, I was finally discharged.

Throughout that month, Mr. Dương had cared for me.

I was deeply moved.

Every night, nightmares tormented me.

He patiently counseled me, helping me sleep.

I had even secretly imagined that if he were my husband, perhaps everything would have been different.

But it was only a thought I dared keep to myself.

On the day I left hospital, he didn't come to collect me.

Even after I got home, no one answered when I knocked on his door.

Strange.

Where had he gone?

I waited three days.

He didn't come.

Officer Trần did.

Once again, he took me to the dark interview room I hated.

“Has something happened to Mr. Dương?”

“Our investigation suggests he's very likely the person who killed your husband.

“He's missing.

“We're issuing a warrant for his arrest.

“If you know where he is, please tell us.”

The words struck like thunder.

“What?

“How could he have killed my husband?”

“We received a tip,” Officer Trần said.

“While you and your daughter were staying at your mother's, a neighbor saw Dương Sâm enter your apartment.

“When he left, he was pulling a very large suitcase.

“We suspect he went inside, killed Đại Dũng, dismembered the body, packed it into the suitcase, and took it to the park for disposal.

“We've checked the complex's surveillance footage too.

“It does show him leaving with a suitcase.”

Then he looked straight into my eyes again.

Those deep, dark eyes seemed intent on seeing through my soul.

“What exactly is your relationship with Dương Sâm?”

“We're neighbors.

“He's helped me a great deal.

“I'm very grateful to him.”

“Vương Hiểu Mai, at this point, I hope you won't keep anything from us.”

He looked at me.

“Are you really just neighbors?”

“Are you like my sister-in-law too?

“You think we're having an affair?”

I was both furious and incredulous.

“Since marrying Đại Dũng, I've never betrayed him.

“Even the police can't slander me.”

“Then look at this.”

He took out a photograph and laid it before me.

The moment I saw it, I felt as though lightning had struck me.

A young couple leaned close together.

The man was Mr. Dương.

And the girl...

Me?