Waking Up From A Dream, The Person Beside My Pillow Was No Longer There|✔️

9: A step too late can ruin a lifetime

The play was over, and the people had left...

It was past nine in the evening when Tan Duat drove back home from the movie theater. Quach Phuong sat in the passenger seat, unaware of when she had fallen asleep. Her head was slightly tilted towards him, her long hair gently brushing against her cheek. Tan Duat looked at her with conflicted eyes.

This woman always evoked a sense of vulnerability that tugged at one's heartstrings.

Without hesitation, Tan Duat shook Quach Phuong's shoulder: "Wake up, we're home."

But all he received in response was silence, the night enveloping them in its stillness, with only the occasional car passing by. She remained eerily tranquil, so still that she seemed like a lifeless body.

"Quach Phuong, Quach Phuong..."

"..."

Tan Duat frowned, a sudden wave of concern rising within him. He carefully placed a finger under her nose to check.

She was still breathing.

But it was as fragile as a thread.

"Quach Phuong, stop playing around. If you keep this up, I will ignore you," Tan Duat said irritably.

Quach Phuong still did not move. If she were truly acting, then she would have been an exceptional actress, playing the role perfectly.

Tan Duat curled his lips disdainfully, leaving her in the car as he stepped outside. After taking three or four steps, he slowed down and eventually stopped. He stood there, conflicted for a while, before deciding to go back and carry Quach Phuong, who was in a deep sleep, into the house.

He didn't want to be accused of being a man who killed his ex-wife after their divorce.

Turning on the bedroom light, Tan Duat laid her on the bed, threw a blanket over her, and went into the bathroom. By the time he had finished his shower, it was already ten o'clock, Quach Phuong was still sleeping soundly like a corpse. Tan Duat couldn't understand it—she spent most of her days at home, how could a single visit to the movies leave her so exhausted?

Tan Duat shook his head, he lay down with his back turned to her, and closed his eyes to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Quach Phuong woke up from the familiar pain in her lower abdomen, a twisting ache that made her heart wrench. Quach Phuong's entire body was drenched in sweat, with strands of hair sticking to her cheeks. She turned her head and saw Tan Duat sleeping, so she bit her lip, trying not to let out any sound of pain.

Her small hands clenched the hem of her dress until it was wrinkled. Using all her strength, Quach Phuong dragged herself closer to the head of the bed, and opened the drawer to get the bottle of painkillers.

Trembling, she hastily shoved the pills in her mouth. She then leaned back against the headboard, and tried to regulate her erratic breathing. This bout of pain had lasted longer than usual, and was much more painful.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Quach Phuong finally breathed a sigh of relief. She dragged her bare feet off the bed and headed to the bathroom.

After removing her makeup, Quach Phuong looked at herself in the mirror, and almost didn't recognize the pale, and haggard woman in front of her. She raised her hand to touch the face reflected in the glass, slowly stroking it as if to comfort her frail body.

Tears silently flowed down from her eyes, one drop, then two, until they became uncontrollable. Quach Phuong desperately tried to hold back her sobs, biting her pale lips until they bled. The blood dyed red, stark against her skin, looked very strange.

She never thought that she would die. Despite the hardships and suffering Quach Phuong endured as a child, she had always hoped for a better future. She thought that as long as she tried, worked twice as hard, and gave her best, then God would reward her.

Yet, in the end, Quach Phuong found herself empty-handed. Her parents were cold, her marriage was meaningless, and the only thing she had was a cruel disease that tormented her everyday.

Quach Phuong never blamed her parents for loving Nhan Tinh more than her, nor did she ever blame Tan Duat for being loyal to Nhan Tinh. She only regretted that she had appeared too late in this life, and happiness had slipped from her grasp long ago.

A single step too late, had ruined a lifetime.

After a while, Quach Phuong emerged from the bathroom. She walked over to Tan Duat, pulled the blanket over his shoulders, and adjusted the air conditioner's temperature. She sat down facing Tan Duat, and looked at him for a long time. She wanted to reach out and stroke his hair, but her hand, hovering in the air, eventually fell back down helplessly.

Quach Phuong didn't dare.

After Quach Phuong moved to lie down beside him, did Tan Duat finally open his eyes. He hadn't been asleep at all. Quach Phuong's words in the movie theater had left him tossing and turning, on the verge of going mad. No matter what he did, he was unable to sleep peacefully.

Tan Duat, of course, knew that Quach Phuong was unwell, but he simply thought she had a stomach ache. She had been suffering from stomach issues for a long time, so Tan Duat didn't react or ask any questions.

It was just that when Quach Phuong had sat in front of him, Tan Duat suddenly felt such an immense pressure that he didn't dare to breathe.

For the past three years, no matter how much care and concern Quach Phuong showed him, her actions only made Tan Duat feel disgusted. He thought that she was being fake to try and please him.

But today, Tan Duat felt something different, like a vague pain in his chest.

The next morning, Quach Phuong sat in high spirits at the dining table, waiting for Tan Duat.

When Tan Duat had just put down his chopsticks, Quach Phuong suddenly leaned forward and happily suggested: "Today is Sunday, how about you take me shopping?"

"Shopping?" Tan Duat was afraid he heard wrong, so he opened his mouth and asked again. Quach Phuong had never shown any interest in shopping before. She was still wearing the clothes she had bought years ago. Wanting to go shopping today was as unusual as the sun rising in the west.

Quach Phuong smiled: "Is that so strange?"

"Not at all. If you want to go, that's fine." Tan Duat took a sip of his coffee: "When do you want to go?"

"Right now!" Quach Phuong grinned, her eyes narrowing in delight.

Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at the shopping center. Quach Phuong excitedly went from store to store, taking anything that caught her eye. It wasn't long before she realized that everything she had picked out was men's clothing.

Quach Phuong quickly stuffed all the clothes into Tan Duat's hands. Tan Duat frowned: "What are you doing?"

"Try them on!"

"You're really troublesome, Quach Phuong." Tan Duat clearly had no interest in trying on clothes.

Even though he called her troublesome, Quach Phuong didn't show any signs of being angry or upset. Instead, the smile on her face grew even brighter.

"Come on, just try them on for a moment. Have you forgotten what you agreed to, Mr. Tan?"

Tan Duat reluctantly let Quach Phuong push him into the fitting room, his expression clearly displaying dissatisfaction and impatience.

A moment later, Tan Duat stepped out wearing a dark blue suit, meticulously tailored to fit his masculine frame. If not for the dark, sullen expression on his face, the ensemble would have been perfect.

The nearby saleswoman couldn't help but exclaim: "So handsome," before quickly covering her mouth.

Quach Phuong nodded in satisfaction: "You're right. My husband is not only handsome but also a perfect clothes hanger. No need to try on more. Just pack everything in this size for me."

"Miss Ngo is quite generous with my credit card," Tan Duat sneered. Quach Phuong touched her nose and said, "Since we're about to divorce, can't I take advantage of your wealth a little more?"