Chapter Twenty-Two

Everyone looked at Minh Tuyet with anxiety in their eyes. Why would she ask her fiancé such a question? Bang Kieu’s heart started to race while Phi Nhung’s eyes were beginning to tear up.
“Uh…Tuyet? What are you talking about?” Tu Quyen asked, holding on to her hands.
“Oh! Hi Quyen! I didn’t see you there,” Minh Tuyet replied happily. She gave a huge smile to Tu Quyen, who confusedly smiled back. Tuan Ngoc hurriedly bent down to his daughter and asked,
“Honey… can you hear us?”
“Of course I can, father. I only hit my head… I’m not deaf…,” she replied.
“That’s good, that’s good,” Tuan Ngoc said, running his hand up and down through Minh Tuyet’s hair. She took another glance at all of the people in the room and asked a question that pained her father, and surprised everyone else.
“Where’s mother?”

Tuan Ngoc and the doctor, Nguyen Hung, were outside in the garden as they discussed about Minh Tuyet.
“What happened? Why is she asking questions to which she already knows the answers to?” Tuan Ngoc asked worriedly.
“When Madam Tuyet fell, she fell faced-down, but before that … she hit her head on the road, that explains the bump, which must’ve affected the memory part of her brain. However, it didn’t entirely mess up that whole part, so that’s why she remembers some people and forget others. This happened to my niece a long time ago… and she completely forgot about the past. Therefore, it would be best if you and her family members would subtly remind her of things that happened before.”
“Is that the only way she’ll be able to remember everything?”
“Not necessarily. She could always remember everything again if she sees something that had to with an emotional past…that may be affective. But I suggest you not to try to shove things like that in her face, forcing her to remember. Her brain must cooperate… or else, it’ll function worse.”
“Yes, thank you doctor. We appreciate your help,” Tuan Ngoc said.
“It’s my job. I’ll be back tomorrow to check up on her again, hopefully, her memory progress will be better.” With that, Nguyen Hung left the mansion.

Minh Tuyet was sitting beside the lake with Tu Quyen. For some reason, Minh Tuyet was avoiding her. Minh Tuyet was either staring at Tu Quyen until she looked back, or flicking pieces of plants in Tu Quyen’s hair. Getting irritated, Tu Quyen quickly grabbed Minh Tuyet’s hands and started to shout.
“Remember Tuyet!!! You’re getting married in six days! You can’t keep this up! Stop pretending! WAKE UP!” Tu Quyen slapped Minh Tuyet across the face, who suddenly cried.
“I didn’t even do anything … I-I-I don’t like you…w-w-why are you sitting here? I’m gonna go tell my mother! I h-h-hate you,” Minh Tuyet stammered as she sobbed. After seeing Minh Tuyet’s reaction to her slap, she remembered about the day Minh Tuyet acted the same way when they were both 7 years old. Tu Quyen shook her head and let out a faint cry.