Chapter 11 — Divorced and Reborn: My New Beginning

Duong Duong had finally called him Father. The first time those words left her lips, Luc Tranh had turned his back to us and stood frozen for an incredibly long time. I did not point out the red mist in his eyes. A space, neither intimate nor distant, had settled between us like a thin veil. It remained that way until the city held a ceremony to honor its most outstanding private business owners. When I walked onto the stage to accept my award, the hall was filled with faces: factory administrators, the head of the Women’s Union, trade officials, and, standing near the back, Luc Tranh. My acceptance speech was brief.

My name is To Hoa. For a long time, people insisted that a divorced woman’s life was effectively over. But I believe that as long as a person chooses to stand up, it is never the end. Thank you all.

The applause that followed was thunderous. When I stepped off the stage, Luc Tranh was waiting for me in the corridor. He wore his uniform with crisp, military precision, his expression significantly softer than it had been all those years ago.

To Hoa, congratulations.

I accepted the bouquet he offered.

Thank you.

He looked at me, his voice a low, raspy murmur. I know I have no right to demand anything from you. But I must ask just one question: will you give me the chance to pursue you, to start over from the very beginning?

I did not answer immediately. At the far end of the hallway, Duong Duong was laughing while talking to Phung Tieu Mai. The little girl was dressed in a clean, dainty dress, clutching a red flower in her hand. In that moment, my mind drifted back to the day I first arrived in this life. She had been feverish, her face a flushed, frantic crimson as she curled up on the clay bed, whispering that she did not want to find her father. I remembered, too, the day I carried her out of the Luc household, with Hua Que Lan standing behind me, jeering that I would not survive more than a few days on my own. They were all wrong. I had endured. More than that, I had flourished. I turned my gaze back to Luc Tranh.

Luc Tranh, I do not need a husband to save me, nor do I need anyone to bestow status or dignity upon me.

He nodded, the light in his eyes dimming. I continued, my voice steady.

You may pursue me if you wish. But I will not stop to wait for you. If you cannot catch up, that is your own affair.

He lifted his head abruptly. In those eyes, usually so composed, a flicker of carefully restrained hope ignited.

I understand.

I cradled the bouquet and began to walk forward. Duong Duong sprinted toward me, seizing my hand. Mother, are we going home?

I glanced back at Luc Tranh, who remained rooted to the spot. He did not rush forward, choosing instead to wait for my lead. This time, he had truly learned the meaning of respect. I smiled down at the child.

Yes, we are going home.

Duong Duong hesitated for a heartbeat, then asked, Is Father coming with us?

I looked down at her. The shadows of fear had vanished from her eyes, replaced by a tentative, flickering anticipation. The wall I had built so firmly around my heart for so long finally softened.

Ask him yourself.

Duong Duong turned around and called out, Father, let’s go!

Luc Tranh stood paralyzed for a second, startled by the invitation. Then, he quickened his pace to follow us. Sunlight cascaded across the path at our feet. I did not look back at the bitter, agonizing days of the past. From the very moment I had signed that divorce decree, I ceased to be a dependent. I was To Hoa. I was Duong Duong’s mother. I was the architect of my own destiny. As for Luc Tranh, whether he could step back into my life depended entirely on his own merit. As for me, I would never again lose myself for the sake of another.