Chapter 5 — It's Too Late, Doctor Vu

Three days after that fateful morning, the quick photo of the crumpled bedroom still lay dormant in a private folder on Lam Nhi's phone, a silent proof that she did not have the courage to open and look at a second time but could not bear to delete it. She still went to the hospital to work on time and completed all assigned tasks with absolute precision as usual. No one in the hospital, including Dinh Vu, realized that there was something unusual going on in the heart of that always devoted assistant. She still poured water, still arranged the schedule, still stood outside the operating room watching each of his surgeries - only, each of those gestures was now performed with a mechanical coldness, like an actor who had memorized the script so much that he didn't need real emotions to still be able to play the role. One time, when her hand accidentally touched his hand while handing over documents, she was startled and pulled back so quickly that she was surprised at her own reflexes — as if her body had made a decision before her mind could even speak.

In the evening, when she returned to Bich Van's apartment - where she decided to stay for a few more days for the reason "afraid that the appraisal team was still hanging around the house", Dinh Vu was completely unsuspecting - Lam Nhi allowed herself to face what was really going on in her heart.

She had been thinking a lot in the past three days. She did not question Dinh Vu, did not make any accusations, not because she was afraid or wanted to avoid the truth, but for a deeper reason - she was too tired of waiting for explanations and promises. During the past five years, every time any doubts arose, she reassured herself with love, with the belief that Dinh Vu would never betray her. But this time, the image of a strange woman coming out of the bedroom wearing his shirt, along with the undeniable rumpled room, completely knocked down that ability to reassure himself.

She opened her laptop, searched for information about law offices specializing in marriage and family in Hanoi, carefully read each review, and each article sharing the experiences of people who had gone through similar situations. Finally, she stopped at a name - Trinh Bao Han Law Office, which was highly appreciated for its professionalism and discreetness, suitable for her special situation, when this marriage had never been made public to anyone other than a few trusted people.

The next morning, taking advantage of her lunch break, Lam Nhi asked permission to leave the hospital with the excuse of a routine medical examination, then drove to the lawyer's office located on a small street in Ba Dinh district. Trinh Bao Han, a woman in her thirties with a calm, professional demeanor, received her in a neat office filled with neatly arranged files.

"What problem do you want advice on?" Lawyer Bao Han asked, his voice gentle but professional, holding a pen in his hand.

"I want to file for divorce." Lam Nhi said, her voice was so calm that even she was surprised at her steadfastness. "But first, I need you to understand my situation, because it's quite unique."

She recounts the whole story—the five-year secret marriage, the baby daughter, Dinh Vu's public position as a "single star doctor," and finally that fateful morning. Lawyer Bao Han listened attentively, occasionally taking notes in his notebook, his face showing no judgment, only the professional understanding of someone who has witnessed many similar stories.

"First, I need to confirm, do you have a legal marriage certificate?" Bao Han asked.

"Have." Lam Nhi pulled out a copy of the marriage certificate from her bag, along with baby Mien's birth certificate, documents she had silently prepared the night before, carefully hidden in a separate box for many years as part of the evidence for a marriage no one knew about.

Bao Han looked through the papers and nodded. "Legally, your records are completely clear, nothing complicated. The only problem is that you need to consider carefully, because this is a big decision, especially when it comes to child custody and property division. Are you sure you have thought it through thoroughly, or do you want me to advise you more about other options, such as separation, before making the final decision?"

"I thought very carefully." Lam Nhi replied, her voice did not waver. "I don't want to hear any more explanations. I've heard too many promises in the past five years. I just want to end everything decisively, so that my daughter can grow up in a clear environment, no longer having to live in lies."

Bao Han was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I will draft the documents according to your request. But I want to add one more thing, not as a lawyer, but as someone who has witnessed many stories - sometimes the truth is not exactly the same as what we see in the most painful moment. You can go ahead with the procedure, but if you have the opportunity, I still advise you to listen to the other person's explanation once, if only to give yourself more peace of mind later, no matter what the final result is."

Lam Nhi smiled faintly, a smile containing both fatigue and calloused pain. "Thank you. But I think I've heard enough explanations for the past five years."

Before Lam Nhi left the office, Bao Han also gave further instructions about the upcoming process. "After I have finished preparing the documents, you will need to sign and I will send an official notice to Mr. Vu. From that point on, all communication should be through a lawyer to avoid unnecessary conflicts, especially because it is related to the child. Don't worry, I will try to arrange everything as smoothly as possible, including the issue of support and visitation rights, so that it has the least psychological impact on the child."

"Thank you." Lam Nhi nodded, trying to suppress a sigh. "I just hope she doesn't have to suffer any more harm."

"I get it." Bao Han gave her a business card, his eyes gentler than the professionalism at the beginning of the meeting. "If you have anything to ask, even in the middle of the night, just call me. I have handled many similar cases, I understand how difficult this period is."

Leaving the lawyer's office, Lam Nhi sat in the car for a long time before starting the engine, looking out at the small street where the trees were changing leaves. Her heart was heavy but also had a strange feeling of relief, as if after many years of carrying an invisible burden, she had finally decided to put it down, even though the price was everything she had ever built and believed in.

She thought about the years gone by — about the first day she met Dinh Vu when she was a newly graduated nurse, standing trembling next to him on her first shift; about the day he proposed to her on a rainy evening, without a gorgeous diamond ring, just a simple silver ring and a promise to love her forever; about the day baby Mien was born, when he held her child in his arms, tears rolling down the always calm face of an experienced surgeon. All those memories now became knives cutting deep into her heart, reminding her of what she was about to lose.

But she also thought about her daughter's self-pitying eyes at the family festival, about the innocent question "why can't I call Uncle Vu dad", about the nights when I had to rush to hug my children and run away from my own house just because I was afraid someone would discover their existence. She thought about the image of the strange woman coming out of her husband's bedroom with a terrifyingly natural look on her face, as if she had more right to be there than the legal wife.

No, she told herself, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. She gave Dinh Vu enough time, enough opportunity, and enough patience. It's time for her to think for herself and for her daughter, instead of continuing to sacrifice in the dark for an image that never belongs to her.

That afternoon, when returning to the hospital, Lam Nhi still completed her work as usual, still standing next to Dinh Vu in the meeting to prepare for the final day of the evaluation, her face did not reveal any signs of the storm that was silently forming. During the meeting, Dinh Vu at one point turned to ask for her opinion on how to arrange the order of presentation of professional documents, and she still answered fluently and clearly as always, to the point that even she was surprised at her ability to separate personal emotions from her work. There was a brief moment, their eyes met across the conference table, and she saw in them the absolute trust he had always given her over the years - something that made her even more bitter, because she knew clearly that, in just a few days, those eyes would no longer look at her like that.

Late that night, after picking her up and putting her to sleep in Bich Van's temporary apartment, Lam Nhi sat alone at the dining table, opening the file the lawyer gave her to read each clause again. She read and re-read the part related to child custody, the part about support obligations, the part about the division of common property - even though in her heart she had no desire to fight for anything from Dinh Vu, she just wanted a finality, a clear end to what had lasted too long in the dark. Only one thing had changed - in her bag there was now a thin file, containing a decision that will completely change the life of this small family, a decision that Dinh Vu, who was standing right next to her right now, was completely unaware of.