Chapter 12 — CEO Phong, Stop Chasing Her—She Already Has a Marriage Certificate

Three months after moving out to live independently, Nhã Kỳ completed the debut collection of "NK Atelier" - twelve outfits inspired by her own emotional journey, named "Lang Thuc", implying a silent awakening after years of sleeping in the role expected by others.

Lâm Bảo Duy helped her connect with a small show for independent designers, held at an art space in the Old Quarter, modest in scale but gathering a large number of fashion journalists, lifestyle magazine editors, and some investors interested in emerging brands.

On the night of the performance, Nhã Kỳ stood backstage, her heart pounding no less than the night she stood waiting to defend her graduation project last year. She watched each model step onto the catwalk in the designs she had put all her heart into, the spotlight shining on each cut, each layer of fabric she had meticulously chosen.

The final outfit — an evening gown inspired by moonlight reflecting on an autumn lake, the same design she sketched the night before her wedding seven years ago — received the longest applause, accompanied by a steady stream of admiration from the audience.

Before stepping onto the stage, Nhã Kỳ stood quietly alone in the small dressing room behind the stage, looking in the mirror, recalling the journey she had gone through in the past three short months. She remembers the sleepless nights adjusting every stitch, the failed times having to remove an entire piece of fabric that was cut incorrectly because she miscalculated the measurements, the times she doubted herself whether the decision to give up a stable life to pursue this uncertain path was a mistake or not. But standing here, in a simple outfit, hair neatly tied, without a bit of elaborate makeup, she felt like she had never been more confident.

Bảo Duy walked in, put his hand on her shoulder, his eyes full of encouragement. "You've prepared carefully enough, Nhã Kỳ. Now you just need to step out and let everyone see the story you want to tell through each design." Nhã Kỳ took a deep breath, nodded, then stepped out and stood next to the stage, watching the first model take confident steps onto the catwalk in the bright lights. Each outfit appeared one after another, telling her story in a sequence she had carefully arranged—starting with quiet gray and beige colors symbolizing years of resignation and gradually moving to brighter colors and bolder cuts that symbolized her journey of self-liberation.

When the lights turned off and turned back on, signaling the end of the show, Nhã Kỳ walked out on stage and bowed amid endless applause, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes - not because of sadness, but because of a burst of recognition, after seven long years she had forgotten the feeling of being recognized for her own abilities and talents, not because of her role as someone's wife or daughter-in-law.

After the show, Trần Tú Anh, as a lifestyle magazine editor, wrote an emotional introduction to the collection, emphasizing the story behind each design — the story of a woman rediscovering herself after years of stepping back for her family. The article was quickly shared widely on social networks, attracting the attention of many people, especially women who have been experiencing similar struggles between family and personal passion.

Within just a week, "NK Atelier" received a series of cooperation offers — from a small boutique store wanting to become a distributor, to a few celebrities offering to custom-order outfits for important events. Nhã Kỳ, although surprised by the speed of reception, still maintained the necessary alertness, carefully choosing each cooperation opportunity based on the true value consistent with the brand orientation, instead of rushing to follow every flashy invitation.

"I told you, you have real talent, Nhã Kỳ," Tú Anh said that one evening the two of them sat and celebrated their initial success at a familiar coffee shop. "You just need a push to believe in yourself."

"I still can't believe this is true." Nhã Kỳ smiled, her eyes sparkled with a genuine joy that she hadn't felt so completely for a long time. "It feels like I've just resurrected a part of myself that I had buried for seven years."

Lâm Bảo Duy, standing from afar observing Nhã Kỳ's rapid growth as an independent designer, could not hide his pride. He suggested that she start preparing for a larger-scale show in the next few months, marking the official turning point of "NK Atelier" becoming a widely recognized brand in the domestic fashion market.

"I contacted the organizers of next season's Fashion Week. They agreed to reserve a separate show for you, even though this is only your first year back," Bảo Duy said, his voice full of excitement during a planning meeting at the garment factory. "This will be a great opportunity to bring NK Atelier to a new level, but it also means that the pressure and competition will be much fiercer."

Nhã Kỳ heard the news and was both happy and worried. She clearly understood that a show at the official Fashion Week would put her in the sights of the entire media and other competitors in the industry, a completely different playing field than the last small, cozy show. But she also knows that this is the opportunity she needs to affirm the long-term position of her brand, instead of forever stopping at a small, temporary success.

"I will try my best," she replied, her eyes shining with determination. "This is an opportunity I can't let slip away."

Along with her flourishing career, Nhã Kỳ's personal life is also gradually stabilizing in a new rhythm. She arranges a reasonable time between design work and taking care of Bảo Nhiên, taking her child to school regularly, and doing homework with him every night, even though sometimes she has to stay up late to complete drawings after the child has fallen asleep.

Her daughter, although initially a bit surprised by the change in family life, gradually adapted and even showed interest in her mother's small sewing workshop space, often sitting next to the drawing table, playing with scraps of fabric, and personally "designing" imaginary outfits for her dolls.

"Mom, in the future I also want to be a designer like you," Bảo Nhiên spoke one evening, holding a small piece of floral fabric, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Is that so? Then you have to practice hard from now on." Nhã Kỳ smiled, patted her daughter's head, her heart filled with a simple happiness that she no longer dared to dream of during the previous gloomy days.

Looking at her daughter absorbed in scraps of fabric, Nhã Kỳ suddenly realized that her brave step out of an unhappy marriage and the courage to pursue her own passion not only brought value to herself, but also silently taught her daughter a valuable lesson about self-esteem and independence - a lesson that if she continued to endure in silence, perhaps Bảo Nhiên would never have the opportunity to witness.

A few weeks after the show, a prestigious domestic fashion magazine contacted Nhã Kỳ to participate in a short interview about the entrepreneurial journey of "NK Atelier". This is the first time she appeared in public as an independent designer, no longer "the wife of the general director of Phong Thịnh Group" as people often introduced her in previous years.

The interview went smoothly, Nhã Kỳ answered each question with confidence and sincerity, sharing about the inspiration behind the collection, about her journey of balancing motherhood and creative passion, although she skillfully avoided going into intimate details about her pending marriage. "I think every woman deserves the right to be herself, at any stage of life." The answer, she said, was then quoted in the title of the interview, spreading quite widely among the community of people interested in fashion and independent women's stories.

That initial success not only gave Nhã Kỳ confidence, but also brought her first stable source of income created entirely by herself, independent of any support from the Phong family. She opened a separate business account for the brand, personally managing every income and expenditure, clearly feeling the pride of a woman standing firmly on her own feet, no longer having to beg or depend on anyone's mercy.