Chapter 17 — It's Too Late, Doctor Vu

The expanded Board of Directors meeting, marking the final stage before officially signing the investment contract with Meridian Healthcare Fund, is scheduled for next Thursday, with the direct attendance of Mr. Ly Thanh Dat and the fund's legal and financial team. This will be the occasion for the entire hospital board of directors, major shareholders and investor representatives to be present to complete the final terms, an event considered the most important turning point in the development history of Anh Duong Hospital.

Three days before the meeting, Dinh Vu decided to meet Chairman Ton Ba Thanh privately, not to immediately denounce Vuong Ba Khiem - he understood that he needed to be careful, to avoid disrupting the situation before there was enough preparation - but to ask permission to have a special presentation at the upcoming meeting, citing the reason that he wanted to share the hospital's "image development orientation and core values" with investors.

Ton Ba Thanh, although somewhat surprised by this unusual request, still agreed, believing that it was just an additional presentation of his expertise and development vision, completely unaware of the storm that was about to strike right at the very meeting he had diligently prepared.

"Do you have anything special to share, Dr. Vu?" Mr. Thanh asked, his eyes were curious but also somewhat satisfied, thinking that perhaps his star doctor wanted to prepare another impressive speech to strengthen his image before investors. "I trust you, just prepare as you like, as long as you maintain the professional spirit of the meeting."

Dinh Vu just nodded, did not say anything else, in his heart he felt both guilty because he could not reveal the whole truth right now, and relieved because he knew that in just a few days, all the ambiguities would be completely resolved, no longer having to live in this half-truth, half-false state for another day.

That evening, Dinh Vu returned to the small apartment in Cau Giay - where he had begun to visit more often in recent days, even though he had not officially moved in with Lam Nhi and little Mien - to discuss one last time about plans for the upcoming meeting.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lam Nhi asked, her eyes filled with worry as she watched him rearrange the evidence file for the last time. "Once you disclose everything to investors, no matter how convincing the evidence against Vuong Ba Khiem is, revealing that you have been hiding your marriage for five years may make Mr. Ly Thanh Dat worried about the transparency of the entire hospital leadership. The investment deal may collapse."

"I thought about that." Dinh Vu replied, his voice was calm but determined. "But Nhi, you cannot continue to build anything - career, reputation, or even the future of this hospital - on a foundation of lies. If Mr. Ly Thanh Dat is an investor who truly values core values and sustainability, he will appreciate honesty more than a flashy but fake image. If he only cares about appearances, perhaps it is not the right partner for the hospital to stick with long-term."

Lam Nhi was silent, thinking about what he said, feeling the maturity and determination in him, different from the hesitation and hesitation of five years ago. "I'm proud of you, Dinh Vu. No matter what the outcome is, I'm proud that you dared to choose the truth."

"Thank you for trusting me again." He held her hand, his eyes filled with love. "And I want you in that meeting, Nhi. Not as my personal assistant anymore, but as my wife, standing next to me when I reveal the truth. I've played the role of a single man long enough, I want the world to see the real woman behind all my success."

Lam Nhi was stunned at that suggestion, her heart beat fast with emotion and nervousness. "Are you sure? This will be the first time I appear publicly with my true identity in front of the entire leadership team."

"I've never been more sure about anything." Dinh Vu replied, his voice did not waver. "It's time to end It's Too Late, Doctor Vu, Nhi. I want the whole world to know that you are my wife, the most wonderful woman I have ever had the luck to love."

In the following days, both of them and Nguyen carefully prepared for the presentation - rearranging all the evidence in a logical order, preparing clear recordings and images, and even asking lawyer Trinh Bao Han for additional legal advice to ensure all information was presented properly, avoiding unnecessary legal risks that may arise.

"Before you go public, I recommend sending a copy of the evidence in advance to the hospital's independent legal department, clearly time-stamped." Bao Han consulted in a three-person meeting. "This will ensure transparency, preventing Vuong Ba Khiem from being able to later accuse the evidence of being staged or edited after the fact."

Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi followed that advice, sending a full copy to the independent legal office outsourced to the hospital, and also backing up multiple backup copies in different safe locations, in case of any unforeseen situations that might arise.

Nguyen also suggested another backup plan - ask a trusted colleague in the communications department to prepare a neutral announcement, which can only be used in case the meeting gets too complicated and official information needs to be sent to all employees immediately afterward, to avoid letting false rumors spread uncontrollably like the previous fake posts.

"I think we're as prepared as possible." Nguyen said, folding the last file the night before the meeting. "The rest depends on how you present yourself, and your bravery when facing Vuong Ba Khiem directly in front of everyone."

"I'm ready." Dinh Vu replied, his voice no longer had any hesitation. "For the past five years I have lived in fear of what others think, at the risk of losing my position. Now, I have nothing to fear anymore, because the most precious thing I was ever afraid of losing has almost slipped out of my hands once."

The night before the important meeting, Lam Nhi couldn't sleep, lying next to baby Mien who was sleeping soundly, her mind reeling with countless thoughts about what was about to happen. She thought about the journey of the past five years, about the pain of recent days, and about the new threshold that was waiting ahead - a future where she no longer had to hide, no longer had to live in anyone's shadow.

Her phone vibrated slightly, it was a text message from Dinh Vu: "No matter what happens tomorrow, I'm ready to face it, because I know I'm not alone anymore. Thank you for being with me on this journey. Good night, Nhi. See you tomorrow, when it's too late, our Doctor Vu is finally called by his true name."

Lam Nhi read the message, a gentle smile appeared on her lips, happy tears rolled down her cheeks. She texted back a short line: "I'm ready too. Tomorrow, we'll face everything together."

She put the phone down on the table, but still couldn't sleep, so she gently sat up and walked to the window to look out at the dark apartment yard below. She thought about her mother in the countryside, who always believed that her daughter was in a happy marriage with a good doctor, unaware of what she had been through for the past five years. She thought that tomorrow, when everything was made public, she would be able to call her mother and tell her the whole truth without having to hide anything anymore.

She also thought about baby Mien, about the fact that from tomorrow, she will no longer have to call her father "Uncle Vu" in front of strangers, and will be able to proudly introduce her family like other children. Thinking of that, her heart swelled with an indescribable happiness, enough to dispel some of her worries about what might happen tomorrow. She returned to the bed, lay down next to her daughter, gently hugged her, then finally fell into a restless sleep but more peaceful than she thought, still echoing in her head Dinh Vu's words about It's Too Late, their Doctor Vu, after tomorrow, will finally be called by his correct name in front of everyone.