Chapter 24: The Half-Open Door
On the leather sofa, all movement suddenly stopped, like a film cut off. The air froze with panic, like a frozen picture. Minh was still inside Ngan, their bodies stuck together, unable to separate. Their eyes opened wide, looking at each other in the darkness, then simultaneously turned towards the half-closed door, where the footsteps and voices grew louder, like the drumbeat of the apocalypse. The sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the wall, the steady snoring from the other room, created a creepy background music.
The sound of footsteps “clacking” on the wooden floor and voices talking became clearer and clearer, unmistakable, each sound like a knife stabbing the heart.
A strange voice rang out, full of curiosity. “Where are you going, Tung?”
Then Tung’s voice, cheerful, loud and clear, like a thunderclap, tore through the deathly silence. “I’m going to lie down for a bit. This reading room is empty, there’s probably no one there.”
Ngan’s heart felt like it had fallen into an abyss, a cold feeling ran down her spine, she took a deep breath, a small “ah” sound was muffled. “Fuck!” – Ngan whispered, her voice trembling. “Fuck!” – Minh hissed. Tung was right outside, only separated from them by a thin door, a curtain about to be torn apart. She tried to push Minh away, but he was also stiff with shock, their bodies stuck together, unable to separate.
They heard the doorknob “click”, a small sound but resounding like a gunshot. Both held their breath, hoping for a miracle, an impossible salvation. The doorknob slowly turned. The door, which was only slightly closed, began to “creak” open, like a door to hell opening.
Tung pushed the door open, his eyes were getting used to the darkness, he could only vaguely see the shape of the sofa. He was about to step in, a fateful step, a step that would change everything. The streak of light continued its deadly journey. It swept up Ngan’s ankle, following her slender thigh. She lay there, completely motionless, her legs still spread wide, exposing her entire nakedness. The streak of light swept higher, shining straight on one of her white inner thighs, glistening with sweat. And on it, Minh’s hand was placed possessively.
Tung stopped.
His eyes widened. It took his brain a second, a second that felt like a century, to process the impossible image. Ngan’s thighs. Minh’s arms. Their position.
That second of silence was more terrifying than any scream.
That moment lasted like an eternity.
Time froze. The room was a silent picture of destruction. Ngan lay there, her legs still spread wide, her entire lower body shamefully exposed to the light. Minh, the intruder, was still lying on top of her, stunned. And Tung, standing still in the doorway, a shadow of destruction.
His hand that was holding the plate of grilled squid slowly dropped. His strong fingers, which could normally grip anything, now became limp and powerless. The white porcelain plate tilted.
Everything was like a slow motion movie.
Ngan and Minh saw the plate wobble in the air. They saw the golden, seasoned grilled squid pieces fly out, hover for a second, then fall to the floor. They saw the plate flip over, then plummet to the cold tile floor.
CRASH!
A deafening sound rang out, tearing the deathly silence apart. That sound was not just the sound of broken porcelain. It was a gunshot, shattering the past, shattering trust, shattering the innocent image of a “little brother”. It was the sound of a world collapsing.
Along with that breaking sound, Tung’s face also broke.
The first stage was one of utter surprise. His eyes widened, pupils dilated, mouth slightly open, trying to process an image his brain refused to comprehend.
The second stage was disbelief. He shook his head slightly, an almost invisible movement, as if to dispel the illusion before his eyes. Impossible. This couldn’t be his “sister Ngan”. It couldn’t be the woman he worshipped, lying spread-eagled for another bastard.
And then, the final stage came. The disbelief was quickly replaced by an excruciating pain, a physical pain etched into every line. His brows furrowed, the corners of his mouth drooped, his clear eyes darkened like the sky before a storm. The pain only lasted for a moment, before it crystallized, hardened into a cold rage. His eyes were no longer those of a wounded younger brother. They were those of a betrayed animal. He stared at Minh, then slowly, cruelly, he moved his gaze to Ngan.
The Tung that Ngan knew – the gentle, strong younger brother who always protected her – died in that moment.
Standing before her now, amidst the broken porcelain pieces and the lingering smell of grilled squid, was a wounded beast, its eyes bloodshot and full of danger.
The clang of shattering plates was the signal. The freeze was over.
Panic and humiliation erupted.
Ngan’s first reaction was that of a prey caught in the act. She didn’t think, she just acted on the most naked survival instinct. With an unimaginable strength of desperation, she used both hands to push Minh away. He, still stunned and unprepared, was thrown off her, falling off the sofa onto the carpet with a dry “thud”.
But she didn’t care about Minh. He didn’t exist. Her world now consisted of only Tung’s silent figure standing at the door and her own humiliating nakedness. She sat up frantically, trying to pull her disheveled shirt back into place, pulling at her shorts that were still stuck to her knees, but it was no use. Everything was a mess.
In a panic, she grabbed the rough fabric decorative pillow on the sofa, hugging it tightly to her chest like a last lifeline, a pitiful attempt to cover her body.
But the pillow was not enough. The light from the hallway was still merciless, exposing everything. It shone on her long legs, still spread indiscriminately after the hasty orgy. It shone on her lower abdomen, glistening with sweat. It shone on the naked truth of a betrayal.
Her face was pale, without a drop of blood. Her eyes were wide open, looking at Tung with a look of utter terror and pleading. Her lips moved, trying to form an explanation, an apology, but no sound could escape her choked throat.
*It’s over. Tung saw it. He saw everything. So humiliating. What should I do? Explain? What should I say? I’m spreading my legs for Minh, and Tung saw everything. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!*
She curled up on the sofa, her hands gripping the pillow so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She was the complete package of a criminal caught in the act, naked, trembling, and awaiting judgment from the man she had fatally stabbed.