The door opened.
Seven people stood outside.
His uncle.
Two cousins.
His aunt.
And behind them, several relatives who had clearly come prepared for a confrontation.
The man in front was holding a steel rod.
His eyes immediately fell on Han Tranh lying on the floor.
Then on me.
His expression changed.
—What did you do to him?
I slowly stood.
Han Tranh coughed and tried to push himself up.
—Uncle… she attacked me.
I looked at him.
He didn’t dare meet my eyes.
His mother rushed over.
—She hit my son! Look at him!
The relatives erupted.
—How dare a newlywed woman behave like this?
—She needs to learn the rules of the Han family.
—Kneel down and apologize!
The man with the steel rod stepped forward.
—Put down your hands and apologize to my nephew.
I looked at the weapon.
Then at him.
—Put that down.
He laughed.
—You still think you’re in charge?
I took one step forward.
—I’m giving you one chance.
Han Tranh suddenly shouted:
—Uncle, don’t listen to her! She has practiced martial arts since she was a child. She’s not normal!
The room went silent.
His mother stared at him.
—What?
Han Tranh swallowed.
—She… she used to compete.
I smiled.
—Used to?
I walked toward the cabinet.
Behind a stack of old books was a small metal box I had brought from my parents’ house months ago.
I opened it.
Inside were medals.
Provincial championship medals.
Certificates.
Photographs from competitions.
And an old national team training invitation.
I placed them on the table.
Nobody spoke.
Han Tranh stared at them.
His face became pale.
His father picked up one of the certificates.
—National training selection?
I nodded.
—Yes.
His mother looked at me as though she had never seen me before.
—Then why did you marry my son?
I looked at Han Tranh.
—Because I loved him.
A bitter silence followed.
—And I thought love meant becoming softer for someone.
I picked up my medals.
—Apparently, I was wrong.
The next morning, I packed my belongings.
Not because I was afraid.
Because I had finally understood that staying would teach them the wrong lesson.
Han Tranh stood at the bedroom door.
His cheek was swollen from the fall.
—Where are you going?
—Home.
—This is your home.
I looked around.
The house I had helped pay for.
The furniture I had chosen.
The appliances I had purchased.
The wedding decorations I had paid for.
—No.
I lifted my suitcase.
—This was the place where I thought I was building a family.
His expression hardened.
—You think you can just leave?
I looked at him.
—Yes.
Then I added:
—And I’m taking back everything I paid for.
His face changed.
—What?
I smiled.
—You said women shouldn’t think too highly of themselves.
I walked past him.
—So don’t worry. I’ll just take my money and leave.
But before I reached the door, my phone rang.
It was my father.
—Khuong Hoa.
His voice was unusually serious.
—I’ve heard what happened.
I stopped.
—Who told you?
—Your mother-in-law called your aunt.
He paused.
—They said you attacked your husband.
I looked toward Han Tranh.
He immediately looked away.
I understood.
He had already called my parents first.
I smiled.
—Dad, don’t worry.
—I’m not worried about you.
His voice became colder.
—I’m worried about them.
I frowned.
—What do you mean?
—The house you bought isn’t registered in Han Tranh’s name.
I froze.
—What?
—You registered it under your name before the wedding.
I suddenly remembered.
The paperwork.
The bank transfer.
The documents Han Tranh had told me were “just formalities.”
My father continued:
—And there is something else.
—What?
—The Han family business has been using your money.
I became completely still.
—How much?
He named the amount.
My stomach dropped.
It wasn’t a small loan.
It was nearly everything I had saved before marriage.
I looked at Han Tranh.
He had known.
The entire time.
His expression told me enough.
He knew exactly what my father had just said.
I ended the call.
Then I turned toward him.
—You knew I paid for your family’s debt.
He didn’t answer.
—You knew the house was mine.
Silence.
—And you still told me I was living under the Han family’s roof?
His mother rushed forward.
—It was all family money eventually!
I laughed.
—Family?
I looked at everyone in the room.
—Then why was I the only one paying?
Nobody answered.
I picked up my phone.
—Fine.
I opened my banking app.
—Then I’ll take my money back.
Han Tranh’s expression changed instantly.
—Wait.
For the first time since I married him, he sounded afraid.
I looked at him.
—Why?
He stepped toward me.
—Let’s talk.
I smiled.
—We already talked.
I pointed toward the floor where he had hit me the night before.
—You told me exactly what this family thinks of me.
Then I opened the transfer records.
—Now I’m going to show you what I think of this family.
His face went completely white.
Because I had just discovered something far worse than the slap.
The Han family hadn’t married their son to me because they loved me.
They had chosen me because they needed my money.
And now that I knew…
I was going to make them repay every single coin.
To be continued…
