Chapter 1 — I Don't Need Your Late-Found Affection

I took the document from him and scanned it briefly. At the top, it displayed the results of a DNA analysis between myself and the couple. The conclusion was a match, with a probability of over 99.9%. I glanced at the bottom of the page. The laboratory stamp belonged to a private clinic in the outskirts of the city, not the municipal hospital or a state-authorized facility.

I looked up at Tan The Hai, who was watching me with a smug, calculated expression, as if he believed this scrap of paper was the ultimate trump card that would force me into submission. Beside him, Lieu Phuong Cam gripped the hem of her shirt, her eyes darting between my face and the cameras surrounding us.

"Are you satisfied now?" Tan The Hai asked, his voice dripping with forced warmth. "We spent a lot of money to track you down and get this test done so we could prove, once and for all, that you are our flesh and blood. You can't deny science, Van Van."

I turned the paper over, feeling the texture of the print. "Science is objective," I replied, my voice steady, cutting through the murmurs of the gathered reporters. "But human beings can be bought. Tell me, how much did you pay the lab technician to forge this?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Tan The Hai’s face turned a deep shade of purple. "You—you ungrateful brat! How dare you slander your own parents?"

I didn't flinch. I reached into my bag and pulled out the small digital voice recorder I had prepared earlier. I pressed play, and the crackling sound of a phone conversation filled the lobby.

"...and you’re sure the DNA results will be ready by this morning?" a man’s voice, unmistakably Tan The Hai’s, whispered through the device.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tan," a second voice replied, professional yet clearly corrupt. "As long as you provide the samples you claimed were hers—even if they were just strands of hair found on a discarded comb—I can guarantee the match. The girl is a genius; getting her to sign the inheritance or the grant paperwork will be a breeze once the public sees the ‘reunion’ footage."

The lobby erupted. The reporters began snapping photos frantically, their flashes illuminating the distorted, panicked expressions of the couple before me. Lieu Phuong Cam let out a shrill gasp and tried to reach for the recorder, but I stepped back, shielding the device with my body.

"I spent three years of my life in that orphanage," I said, my voice rising, cold and clear. "Every day, I watched the gate, hoping for someone to come. When no one did, I learned that my only family was the roof over my head and the books that kept me company. Now that I am the top-ranked student in the province, now that there is money to be claimed and a reputation to be bolstered, you suddenly manifest out of thin air."

I walked toward the head of the Department of Education, who was trembling in the corner. "You didn't verify the paternity. You didn't check the credentials of the lab. You saw a family reunion narrative and you rushed to finalize the payment to secure your department's good press."

I turned back to the family. "This is not a reunion. This is a business transaction. And I am not your commodity."

Tan Dieu Tong, who had been lazily drinking his tea until now, dropped his cup. The plastic hit the floor with a hollow thud, splashing brown liquid across the polished tiles. "Dad," he stammered, his bravado crumbling. "They're filming us. The police... the police are at the front door."

Indeed, two officers had entered the building, alerted by the commotion and the blatant report of fraud.

I looked at the cameras, then at the man and woman who had dared to claim me. "My name is Lam Van Tri. I earned every point of my score through sleepless nights and the kindness of those who actually cared for me. I am not the daughter of Tan The Hai, nor am I the sister of Tan Dieu Tong. I am the daughter of no one, and that is a title I wear with pride."

I handed the forged DNA report to the nearest police officer. "I would like to file a formal report for attempted fraud and identity theft. Please, take them away."