Chapter 60
The annex is tucked away in a hidden corner of the resort, separated from the splendor of the main villa by a gravel path and a lush garden. Outside, the steady sound of waves and the chirping of insects create a symphony of the coastal night. But inside, the silence is heavier than a thousand curses.
“You guys are free, don’t make any trouble!” – Mr. Cuong patted Khoi’s shoulder, his voice full of trust.
My mother was happily talking to Mrs. Lan and turned to tell her: “Huy, keep an eye on the two of them. If anything happens, call us right away!”
She said so, but I saw a look of avoidance in her eyes. She didn’t dare look straight at my two friends.
As soon as the bungalow door closed, the atmosphere changed. The gentle, polite demeanor of my two friends disappeared, replaced by an excitement that could not be hidden.
“Fuck, this feels so good Huy!” – Nam was the first to roar. – “I can’t believe it. Right next to My’s house. It’s like a dream.”
I paced back and forth in the cramped living room, each step a nail in my patience. The feeling of helplessness and exclusion was eating away at me like a swarm of ants. The main stage was out there, where my mother, my masterpiece, was locked up with two old wolves, and I, the director, was pushed into the prop room.
Khoi sat down on the sofa, holding a beer bottle in his hand and gulping it down. His expression showed indifference, but I knew he was also upset. He had won a big game, had experienced my mother, but now he was being treated like a child, pushed away from the adult table . His pride was hurt.
Nam was a pure beast. He lay on another chair, his feet propped up on the table, his phone in his hand, scrolling mindlessly. He was bored. He was hungry. And he wanted meat.
The silence was finally broken by its curse.
“Fuck, this is so boring,” he grumbled, tossing the phone aside. “What the hell am I supposed to do here? Those old folks over there are having a good time, good wine, pretty girls. And I’m just sitting here drinking beer.”
Khoi said nothing, just took another big gulp of beer. But Nam’s words were like a spark, burning the last thread of patience in me.
I stopped abruptly, standing in the middle of the room, turning around and staring at Khoi. My eyes were cold, without any emotion. The room seemed to fall silent too.
“Khoi,” my voice rang out, flat and cold.
Khoi looked up, his eyes were abrupt and annoyed. “What?”
I smirked, a smile that wasn’t meant to be funny. “You fucked my mother. Had some fun.”
I said it as a matter of fact, a statement, not a question. The air in the room instantly froze. Khoi sat up straight, the beer bottle in his hand clenched. Nam stopped yawning too, he looked at me, then at Khoi, his eyes shining with curiosity and interest.
I took a step closer, my voice still cold. “So I have a question… What if right now, Nam and I… fucked your mother together? Consider it a fair exchange.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Khoi roared like a slaughtered animal. He jumped up, the beer bottle in his hand waving as if he wanted to hit me in the face. His face was red, the veins on his neck stood out. “You son of a bitch, you dare…”
I didn’t back down. I stood still, looking it straight in the eye, letting its rage crash into my terrifying calm.
“Why not?” I replied dryly. “My mother is fine, but your mother is a queen? Tell me, Khoi. How is your mother more noble than mine?”
My question was like a knife, stabbing straight into the ball of hypocrisy that Khoi was trying to hold up. He was stunned. His fist raised in the air then slowly lowered.
Just then, Nam sat up, slapped his thighs, and laughed heartily.
“Sounds good!” he said happily. “Khoi’s mother looks delicious as hell. She looks like an elegant pear, I wonder what the juice inside is like. I support her with both hands! Fair! It has to be fair! If you two can seduce my mother, then… I’m okay with it, haha”
Nam’s words were like a bucket of oil thrown on a fire. Khoi turned to glare at him, then looked back at me. He was speechless. He couldn’t argue. My sick logic was an undeniable truth in the rotten world he had helped create.
He paced back and forth across the room, running his fingers through his messy hair. I could see the anguish on his face. On one side was anger at his mother being insulted, on the other side was guilt at having done the same. He was trapped in his own trap.
Finally, it stopped, standing opposite me. Its eyes were still bloodshot with hatred, but mixed with a morbid curiosity and a bit of helplessness. It had lost this argument.
“Fine,” he gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse. “You son of a bitch… You have a point.”
It took a deep breath, as if to gather all its courage for a humiliating decision.
“But…” it looked at me defiantly, trying to salvage its last bit of dignity. “If you can conquer her yourself… If you can make her willingly climb into bed with you, without using any dirty tricks… then I have no objections. Consider yourself capable.” It clenched its fists. “But if you use dirty tricks, I swear I will kill you.”
A new agreement. A new game. Before I could even savor the feeling of victory, Nam’s shout from upstairs cut through the tense atmosphere.
“Hey! Come up here and look at this! Hurry! I found something really cool!”
Khoi and I looked at each other for a second, our hostility temporarily put aside. We both ran up the stairs. Nam was standing at the end of the hallway, next to a tiny, dusty skylight.
“Look,” it pointed out.
Khoi climbed up first. As soon as he looked out the window, his whole body stiffened. His mouth was wide open, unable to form words. I was also impatient and pushed my way up. And I had the same reaction.
This little window, it was a keyhole given by heaven. From here, we had a perfect view, looking straight into the living room and part of the bedroom of the main building where my parents and Khoi’s family were staying. Since our bungalow was on a slightly higher slope, the view from here was almost from above, comprehensive and clear.
“Oh… oh my god…” – Nam stammered. – “I saw it… I saw My…”
…………..
Four adults sat around a low table in the living room, glasses of red wine swaying in their hands. My father, Huu Thang, and Mr. Cuong, Khoi’s father, were talking about business, occasionally bursting into loud laughter. Mrs. Lan, Khoi’s mother, remained calm and elegant, occasionally sipping wine, her eyes looking a little distant.
My father, after a few glasses of wine, had said he was tired and went to his room to take a nap. Now, in the luxurious living room, there were only my mother, Ngoc My, and Mr. Cuong and his wife. A perfect setting for a tense drama.
My mother, as usual, was the center of attention. She wore a deep blue silk halter dress, the shiny fabric hugging every fiery curve. She was laughing and saying something, but I knew her mind was elsewhere. She was feeling the eyes. Especially the eyes of the man sitting opposite.
Mr. Cuong no longer had to pretend to talk business. He sat there, a glass of wine in his hand, his eyes undisguised, fixed on my mother. It was the naked gaze of a hunter assessing his prey. It slid from her smooth bare shoulders, down to her barely visible cleavage, then stopped at her long, crossed legs.
His wife, Mrs. Lan, sat beside him like a shadow. She tried to smile, but it did not reach her sad eyes. She knew her husband was looking at another woman, and there was nothing she could do.
“It’s so hot,” my mother suddenly said, breaking the stifling silence. She stood up, stretching lazily. “I want to go swimming.” Then she turned to Mrs. Lan, her voice sweet. “Sister Lan, come with me for some fun.”
Mrs. Lan seemed hesitant. “No, I…”
“Please go,” my mother pleaded, stepping forward and pulling her hand. “It’s boring sitting here.”
“It’s okay, I’m here,” my mother smiled, then stood up and walked over to pull Mrs. Lan’s hand. “Come on, it’s boring here. We’re all alone at the pool.”
Mr. Cuong softened his voice, his eyes lit up. “Go have fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you swimming.”
Being forced into a situation, Mrs. Lan reluctantly nodded.
The two women went inside to change. A few minutes later, they came out.
What a brutal contrast.
My mother, in her black bikini, was the embodiment of evil. The two shiny black pieces barely covered what needed to be covered, leaving the rest of her body open to the elements. Her breasts were full, like two snowballs, ready to burst out of their tight cages. Her ass was curvaceous, round, and defiant.
Beside the fire, Mrs. Lan was a stream of cool water. She wore a navy blue one-piece swimsuit, modest and elegant. But that modesty could not hide a body full of vitality that was compressed. The stretchy fabric hugged a soft, full body, with the curves of a woman who had become a mother but still retained an amazing youthfulness. A full bust, wide hips, and a round butt, all hidden behind the dark fabric, like a treasure waiting to be unearthed.
“Holy shit, buy one get one free?” Nam hissed beside me. “You two are both hot. My is a slut, and Lan has full breasts and ass, the type of a ‘child-bearing machine’.”
Khoi was silent, but I could see his hands gripping the windowsill. He was witnessing an unbearable sight: his mother, a noble woman, being placed on the same stage as my mother.
My mother dove into the pool, and Mrs. Lan slowly stepped in. The two women began to play in the clear water. My mother, like a mischievous otter, kept splashing water, teasing, pulling Mrs. Lan out of her shell of shyness. Gradually, Mrs. Lan also relaxed, she began to smile, a real, radiant smile.
The water made the swimsuits stick to the body. Every curve, every fat, every muscle was exposed nakedly. Mr. Cuong sat on the shore, holding a glass of wine, eyes unblinking. His gaze was no longer fixed on my mother. It began to move, it compared. It looked at my mother’s hotness, then at the fullness and fullness of his wife. It seemed, for the first time, he realized the value of the “thing” at home.
After playing around enough, my mother swam to shore. “I’m so tired,” she said. “Let’s go take a sauna to relax.”
Mrs. Lan looked surprised, but then nodded in agreement.
The two women got out of the water, wrapped towels around themselves, and walked to the pine sauna at the end of the garden. The sauna door closed, ending the enticing show.
————————–
The Finnish pine sauna was a giant cocoon, warm and isolated. The air was thick, carrying the pungent, clean scent of burning wood mixed with the cool scent of peppermint oil. Soft, yellow light filtered through the cracks in the walls, creating faint streaks of light in the thin steam. Only one sound broke the silence: the sound of water droplets falling onto the hot rocks, hissing and disappearing, repeating like the beat of time.
Ngoc My sat upright on the highest wooden bench, where the heat was most concentrated. She closed her eyes, breathing steadily, deeply and slowly, as if she were inhaling the essence of the room. The pure white towel, thick and soft, was wrapped comfortably around her body, not too loosely nor too tightly. It was simply a layer of fabric covering her body, expressing the composure of a woman who was very familiar with and loved her body. Under the heat, her skin was rosy and plump, tiny drops of sweat rolled down from her temples, down her neck, and then soaked into the fluffy towel. She exuded a healthy beauty, a peace from within.
Sitting on the opposite bench, one step lower, was Hue Lan. She looked the complete opposite. The towel was wrapped tightly around her body, the edges tucked carefully, like a layer of armor, an unconscious effort to hide her body and her insecurities. In the dim light, her skin looked pale and lifeless, even though she was sweating. She was slightly bent over, her hands clasped together in her lap, her eyes looking down at the wooden floor, occasionally sighing heavily. She was like a flower wilting from lack of sunlight, longing to be cared for but closing herself in the shade.
Ngoc My had been watching Hue Lan since they entered. She was familiar with this look. She had seen it in many other women, and sometimes she saw it in the mirror on her most tiring days. It was the look of someone who had given too much without receiving much in return.
There was a long silence. Only the hissing of the water.
Ngoc My opened her eyes and looked straight at her colleague. She did not beat around the bush or socialize. The heat of the sauna was like a catalyst, making people want to peel off invisible masks.
She broke the silence, her voice low and steamy, without any trace of arrangement.
“Lan, do you see this?”
Hue Lan was startled and looked up. “Um… what do you see?”
“This heat… it makes me feel like I can take everything off my chest.” Ngoc My said as she gently stroked her damp hair, a very sensual gesture. “All the burdens, all the worries… just melt away with the sweat. It feels so good.”
Hue Lan nodded slightly, her voice soft, as if afraid of breaking the silence. “Yes… I feel the same way. I feel so relieved.” She paused, then blurted out, as if she could no longer hold back. “But… there are things that, no matter how hot, cannot melt, My.”
She sighed again, her eyes distant, filled with an unnamed sadness.
Ngoc My turned around, facing Hue Lan. Her gaze was no longer polite, but deep and penetrating. She looked straight into the other woman’s eyes, as if looking into the depths of her broken soul.
“I know.” Ngoc My’s voice was firm. “Husband, children, work… sometimes I have to force myself to act out the role of a perfect wife, a virtuous mother. It’s tiring, isn’t it?”
Hue Lan was stunned. These words were like a key, opening the chest that she had tried to lock for so long. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Ngoc My raised her hand and gently stroked her bare shoulder, her long fingers sliding over her smooth skin. “But, Lan, we women… also need to be ‘taken care of’. Not just taking care of others.”
Hue Lan stared at Ngoc My’s fingers, then looked up at her face, her eyes gradually becoming curious and longing. “How to take care of… sister?”
Ngoc My smiled, a smile full of mystery and power. She leaned forward slightly, whispering, as if she were revealing a shocking secret.
“Men are just big kids sometimes. They need to be ‘educated’ all over again.” She paused, letting each word sink in. “Teach them how to love, how to desire… and most importantly,” she emphasized, “teach them how to please themselves.”
Ngoc My took Hue Lan’s cold hand and squeezed it gently. The warmth from her palm seemed to transmit a stream of life to the broken woman.
“Listen to me, Lan.” Ngoc My’s voice became serious, but still full of gentleness. “We can’t wait for others to bring us water. We have to find our own water source. We sisters, we have to love ourselves first. We have to take care of ourselves, make ourselves happy.”
“But… but how?” Hue Lan asked weakly. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Start with the smallest things.” Ngoc My smiled, a bright, vibrant smile. “Buy a new dress that I like, even if my husband says it’s revealing. Get a new hairstyle. Go to the spa like this more often. Find a hobby for myself. Read books, arrange flowers, learn to dance… anything that makes me feel like I’m living, not just existing.”
She stopped, looking deeply into Hue Lan’s eyes.
“And most importantly, don’t keep this to yourself anymore. I’m here. Whenever you feel stuck, just call me. We can go out for coffee, go shopping, or just sit there and curse at your husbands to vent our anger. Okay?”
Ngoc My’s sincere, somewhat casual, and warm offer made Hue Lan laugh through her tears. For the first time that afternoon, she smiled a real smile.