He was always busy with his phone, checking the latest news and prices of rice. He worked as a rice trader in HCM City, and he had to keep up with the global market fluctuations. He knew that rice was more than just a staple food for millions of people. It was also a source of power, wealth and influence.
He had been married twice before, but both marriages ended in divorce. His first wife accused him of being violent and abusive, but he denied it. He said she was just jealous of his success and wanted to take his money. His second wife was a single mother with a two-year-old son. He married her because he felt sorry for her, and he wanted to have a family. But he soon realized that he didn’t love her or the child. He only loved himself and his phone.
He left his phone on his desk when he went out for lunch. He didn’t bother to lock it or hide it. He thought no one would dare to touch it. He was wrong. His colleague, who had a crush on him, saw his phone and decided to take a look. She was curious about his personal life, and she hoped to find some clues about his feelings for her.
She picked up his phone and unlocked it with a simple swipe. She saw a photo of a smiling toddler as his wallpaper. She recognized the child as his stepson. She felt a pang of jealousy and resentment. She wondered why he married a woman with a child, when he could have married her instead. She opened his photo gallery and scrolled through his pictures. She saw more photos of his stepson, his second wife, and his first wife. She also saw photos of rice fields, rice bags, rice mills, and rice charts. She realized that he was obsessed with rice, and he didn’t care about anyone else.
She decided to teach him a lesson. She opened his contacts and found his second wife’s number. She typed a message and sent it. It read: “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore. I don’t love you or your son. I’ve found someone else. I want a divorce.”
She deleted the message from his phone and put it back on his desk. She smiled wickedly and walked away. She thought he would suffer when his wife called him and confronted him. She thought he would regret losing his family. She thought he would realize his mistake and come to her.
She was wrong. He didn’t notice the message or the call. He was too busy with his phone, checking the latest news and prices of rice. He saw that rice export prices of Việt Nam had reached their highest in 12 years after a series of countries restricted rice exports. He saw that the price of Việt Nam’s 5 per cent broken rice had increased to US$550-575 per tonne, the highest since 2011. He saw that China, the Philippines and Indonesia were stepping up imports of Vietnamese rice. He saw that many international traders believed that the price of rice for export in Asia could increase to up to $700 per tonne for high-quality rice.
He was ecstatic. He knew that he had made a fortune by buying low and selling high. He knew that he had beaten his competitors and secured his position as the top rice trader in the city. He knew that he had achieved his dream of becoming rich and powerful.
He didn’t care about his wife or his son. He didn’t care about his colleague or her feelings. He only cared about himself and his phone.
He was happy. He thought he had everything he wanted.
He was wrong.
Vietnamese rice prices up after rice export ban of India, Russia, UAE
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