Chapter 22 — It's Too Late, Doctor Vu

One week after the decisive meeting with Mr. Ly Thanh Dat, Anh Duong Hospital's board of directors held a meeting of all employees in the large hall, officially announcing many important information - the completion of signing an investment contract with Meridian Healthcare Fund, a plan to restructure a number of leadership positions after the incident of Vuong Ba Khiem, and a special announcement that Ton Ba Thanh personally presented.

"Before ending today's meeting, I want to share with all of you something important, and also a sincere apology from the board of directors." Mr. Thanh stood on the podium and spoke, his voice solemn but warmer than usual. "Over the years, we have built an image that is not entirely true about Dr. Kha Dinh Vu, who we all know as the 'single star doctor'. The truth is, Dr. Vu has had a happy family, a devoted wife and a lovely daughter, for the past five years."

Murmurs of surprise echoed throughout the hall. Although most employees had heard about the incident through rumors over the past week, this was the first time the information was officially confirmed from the top management. Many people turned to look at each other, a few whispers arose, but most kept a waiting attitude, curious to hear the full story before making any judgments.

In the back row, a few young nurses who worked with Lam Nhi in the early years of her career could not help but feel moved. They remembered the image of a girl who was always dedicated and thoughtful to her patients. They did not expect that behind that simple appearance was such a powerful story. Some people even quietly wiped their tears when they heard the part where Mr. Thanh talked about the years that small family had to live in darkness.

"The image building policy that I initiated, even though it stemmed from good wishes for the hospital's development, unintentionally pushed a family into a situation of having to live in darkness for many years." Ton Ba Thanh continued, his voice low and filled with remorse. "On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to sincerely apologize to Dr. Vu, to Ms. Chu Lam Nhi, and to the child, for creating an environment that forced their family to hide what should be cherished and proud."

He signaled to invite Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi, sitting in the front row with baby Moc Mien in her mother's arms, to step onto the stage. The whole hall applauded loudly when they saw the image of the small family appearing together in public for the first time, without any concealment.

Dinh Vu held baby Mien in his arms and stood next to Lam Nhi on stage, his eyes scanning hundreds of familiar faces of colleagues, people he had worked with for many years but never knew the truth about his private life.

"Hello everyone." He said, his voice somewhat emotional. "Today, I am very happy and proud to introduce to you, this is my wife, Chu Lam Nhi, who has worked with many of you as my personal assistant for many years. And this," he gently lifted baby Mien a little higher, "is our daughter, baby Moc Mien."

Baby Mien, even though she was young, felt the special atmosphere of this moment, gently waving to the crowd innocently, causing the whole hall to burst into warm laughter, dispelling some of the remaining tension from the recent events.

"I know many of you may feel deceived knowing that I have not told this truth all these years." Dinh Vu continued, his voice sincere. "I'm sorry for that. But I hope, from today, you will see me not as a perfect 'single star doctor' according to the staged image, but as a colleague, a doctor who always tries his best for his patients, and also a husband and father who is learning how to do his responsibilities better every day."

The applause rang out again, this time lasting longer, many colleagues stood up and applauded at the sincerity of his speech. Lam Nhi stood next to her husband, her hand holding his hand tightly, her eyes filled with tears of emotion when she saw the warm reception from her former colleagues, the people with whom for many years she had to keep a distance and conceal her true relationship.

After the meeting, many colleagues came to congratulate and ask about baby Mien and their family life with sincere concern. Some people even recounted small memories from before, when they accidentally caught Dinh Vu's caring eyes for Lam Nhi at work without understanding why. Now when they know the truth, all those small details suddenly become more reasonable and touching than ever.

On Bich Van stood nearby, unable to hide his radiant smile when he witnessed his friend finally being able to live up to his identity in front of everyone. She walked over and hugged Lam Nhi, whispering in her friend's ear. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Nhi. You deserve complete happiness like this."

Amid those noisy congratulations, Lam Nhi quietly separated from the crowd, found a deserted corner of the hallway next to the emergency stairs, took out her phone and dialed the number to call her hometown. Her hands shook slightly as she waited for the bell to ring, not because of fear like the previous calls, but because of nervousness in a completely new way.

"Hello, mom." She said, her voice choking on the first sentence. "I have something to tell you, mom, something I should have told you five years ago."

On the other end of the phone, her mother silently listened to her daughter recount the story from the beginning - the secret marriage, baby Moc Mien, the years she had to hide in the name of her personal assistant, and the storm that had just swept through. When Lam Nhi finished telling the story, there was only a very soft sigh on the other end of the line, then her mother's voice rang out, not blaming as she feared, only a belated sadness.

"Stupid girl, why did you hide it from me for so long?" Her mother said, her voice filled with tears over the phone. "For so many years, I thought you lived alone to raise your child because of something sad. I didn't know you had a whole family that you had to hide like that. When will I get to meet my son-in-law and grandchildren?"

Lam Nhi laughed through her tears at that quick question, promised to take the whole family back to her hometown to visit her on the nearest weekend, then returned to the crowd of colleagues still buzzing in the hall, feeling much more relieved, as if she had just paid off the last hidden debt left over from five years ago.

That afternoon, the hospital's media department, under the direct direction of Ton Ba Thanh, issued an official press release, telling the story honestly and humanely — not a sensational scandal, but the story of a family that overcame adversity, of a hospital that dared to admit mistakes and correct them, and of the value of integrity in medical ethics and in personal life. A few reputable newspapers contacted them for an interview, and after careful consideration with lawyer Trinh Bao Han about protecting baby Mien's privacy, Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi agreed to be interviewed by a reputable newspaper, sharing their story in the way they felt most comfortable and correct, with the condition that baby Mien's real name and image would not be published until she was old enough to decide for herself.

The interview was brief and sincere, without any pomp or drama. Dinh Vu talked about her own mistakes in putting her career above family, while Lam Nhi shared about her journey of overcoming trauma and rediscovering faith, not avoiding even the most difficult times when she struggled to manage work and young children alone. The article then received an unexpectedly positive reception from readers, many of whom expressed their emotion at an unvarnished, real-life story about difficulties in marriage and the courage to correct mistakes.

That evening, when the whole family returned to Tay Ho villa - where Lam Nhi and baby Mien had officially moved to live with Dinh Vu a few days ago, after everything had been resolved - baby Mien ran and jumped around the living room with undisguised joy.

"Mom, from now on I can call Uncle Vu dad everywhere, right? At school, at the park, anywhere, right?"

Lam Nhi hugged her child, smiling brightly, her eyes shining with complete happiness. "That's right, honey. From now on, you can call me dad wherever you want, no need to get in front of anyone anymore."

Dinh Vu picked up his daughter and spun her around in the middle of the living room, making her laugh endlessly, while Lam Nhi stood looking at that scene with tears of happiness in her eyes, feeling that, after everything their family had been through, this simple moment was the most precious reward they deserved.

That night, after baby Mien fell asleep, Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi sat on the porch overlooking the sparkling West Lake, like many peaceful nights before, but this time, there were no worries hidden behind that peace. "It feels strange." Lam Nhi spoke softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "After so many ups and downs, we are finally sitting here again, exactly like before, but completely different."

"It's different because this time there's nothing to hide anymore." Dinh Vu replied, squeezing her hand. "And I promise, I will never let that happen again for the rest of our lives." The two sat quietly together for a long time, enjoying that rare quiet atmosphere, listening to the sound of the wind gently shaking the surface of the lake, their hearts filled with a peace that they both believed that, from now on, nothing would be able to steal it away.