Chapter 41: Women Helping Each Other Find Happiness
Still, the pharmacist’s advice made her uneasy:
“Why didn’t you want to use condoms?”
“Silly. They reduce pleasure. What we had earlier was perfect.”
Huong Tra wasn’t the type to overthink or nitpick, so she stayed silent. Seeing her lost in thought, Quang Huy gently lifted her chin and kissed her:
“Don’t worry. I’m a responsible man. I won’t leave you behind.”
Back in her room, Huong Tra tidied up the half-packed orders and sat there, lost in thought. The memory of what had just happened made her cheeks flush with heat. She picked up her phone and messaged Kieu Ly:
“I slept with Huy.”
At that moment, Kieu Ly had just finished lunch and was sitting in the library. The message shocked her so much that she nearly dropped her phone. Just earlier that day, Huong Tra had been casually packing orders, and now this. It was all so sudden. She replied, stunned:
“Wasn’t that a bit too fast?”
“I didn’t expect it either. But it happened. I don’t know if I’ll regret it, but I really do like him.”
What was done couldn’t be undone. In fact, Kieu Ly had sensed something before—she’d noticed the way Huong Tra looked at Huy. She’d always feared this might turn into a messy love triangle and ruin their friendship. But now, if Huy had chosen Huong Tra, wasn’t that a good thing?
Besides, Huy wasn’t a stranger she’d met at a bar or on the street. They’d known him for over two years. Kieu Ly didn’t believe he was the type to play around or deceive innocent girls.
 
Kieu Ly tried to comfort Huong Tra, hoping to ease her worries:
“Don’t overthink it. Sooner or later, it would’ve happened anyway.”
After chatting with someone as serious and reserved as Kieu Ly, Huong Tra felt a bit more at ease. She was about to finish packing her remaining orders when Hong walked into her room carrying a bag of fruit and some fried spring rolls.
“Why do you look like you just lost your food ration card, Tra?”
Hong set the bag down on the table and went to get a plate and a knife. Huong Tra sat down to help peel fruit with her.
“Where did you go earlier?”
Instead of answering Hong’s question, Tra deflected with one of her own.
“Went to the market to buy a pair of shoes for myself. Then I picked up some fruit and spring rolls so we could eat together. You know, we’re the only two single ones left in the house. Might as well help each other be happy.”
Hearing that, Huong Tra felt a bit guilty. Technically, she wasn’t “single” anymore. But not wanting to dampen Hong’s mood, she kept it to herself.
“What about Mai? Why didn’t you call her to join us?”
“She’s probably mad at me. I kept dissing her boyfriend. The two of them are probably out sitting by the lake, feeding the mosquitoes.”
Thinking of Mai made Hong feel a pang of sadness. In their first year in Hanoi, both girls were wide-eyed country newcomers, trying to adjust to city life. They had shared a room, supported each other, and lived together with warmth. They hadn’t been soulmates like Ly and Tra, but they'd had a calm, sisterly bond—more than just friends. Then, in the second year, when Mai got a boyfriend, everything slowly started to crack. And the gap had only widened since. It was painful to think those simple, happy days were gone for good.
After slicing the fruit, Hong pulled out her new shoes from a plastic bag, slipped them on, and strutted around like a model:
“Pretty, right?”
Huong Tra, someone with a keen eye for fashion and aesthetics, appreciated a good look. Hong always liked showing off to her for that reason—and because, well, there was no one else fun left in the house.
Tra inspected the shoes and nodded:
“Not bad at all. How much?”
“Two hundred thousand. Good deal, huh?”
Tra ran her hand over the material and nodded again:
“You probably haggled the poor seller to tears. Next time, go easy on them—they need money to feed their kids too.”
Hong chuckled, packed the shoes away, and sat down to eat some fruit:
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re such a typical reseller.”