Chapter 14 — Post-Divorce Rebound: Claiming My Daughter and Starting Over

I took the commission, desperate for the money, and buried my head in my sketches. That evening, after tucking Nuon Nuon into bed, I began to organize every scrap of information I had gathered concerning Gu Dinh Tham, the Gu Corporation, Lam Vy Vy, and even Chu Bich Hoa. I wrote it all down, sorted it, and sent everything to Lawyer Tham for his review. I knew that these details might seem trivial or even useless, but it was the only thing I could do. By Thursday afternoon, I arrived at the kindergarten to pick up Nuon Nuon, only to be told by the teacher that my daughter had already been taken.

"A woman came claiming to be the child's aunt," the teacher explained, her voice trembling. "She said you were caught up in an emergency and asked her to come in your stead. She drove a luxury car and was dressed very professionally. All the details she provided matched, so I..." The teacher looked terrified as she tried to justify herself. An aunt? Gu Dinh Tham was an only child, and there was no one on my side of the family who could have done this. Lam Vy Vy! My mind felt as though it had detonated; I nearly collapsed where I stood.

"Which direction did she go?" I demanded, gripping the teacher’s arm. "What kind of car? What was the license plate?" My voice was distorted by sheer panic, startling the teacher, who struggled to recall the details. She could only describe the type and color of the car; she hadn't caught the full plate number. My hands shook violently as I dialed the emergency services. Immediately afterward, I called Tham Du Minh. Upon hearing my report, the lawyer’s tone turned cold and professional. "Miss Diep, stay calm. Send me every piece of information you have right now. I will figure something out. In the meantime, you must contact Gu Dinh Tham."

Right. Gu Dinh Tham. With trembling fingers, I dialed the number I had memorized long ago, a number I had vowed never to call again. The phone rang for a long time. Just as I was about to give up, the line clicked open.

"Diep Thanh Uyen?" Gu Dinh Tham’s voice drifted through, surrounded by background noise; he was clearly out somewhere.

"Gu Dinh Tham!" I screamed into the phone. "Did you send Lam Vy Vy to take Nuon Nuon? Give my daughter back to me!" All the composure I had fought so hard to maintain shattered in that single moment. There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by his voice—annoyed and laced with suspicion.

"Lam Vy Vy took Diep Nuon Nuon? Don't spout nonsense. Vy Vy is..." He didn't get to finish. A soft, feminine voice cut in, hovering in the background. "Dinh Tham, what’s wrong? Is that Thanh Uyen? Are the children causing trouble again? I’m coming over now."

"Where are you?" I roared. "Who are you with?"

"I'm at the company, with Vy Vy..." Gu Dinh Tham replied instinctively, then paused, his tone turning icy. "Diep Thanh Uyen, what kind of madness is this? Stop playing these games. I don't have time for your theatrics."

"Gu Dinh Tham!" I cut him off, my voice sharp with fury and terror. "Nuon Nuon was taken from her school by someone claiming to be her aunt! If it wasn't Lam Vy Vy, then it must have been your mother! If anything happens to my daughter, I swear I will destroy your entire family!"

I hung up. Tears surged forth, not out of weakness, but out of pure, white-hot rage and agonizing helplessness. I filed the police report and waited for them to take my statement. We reviewed the grainy security footage from the school gate. Every passing second felt like being held over a bed of hot coals. Tham Du Minh soon arrived, using his connections to coordinate with the police and broaden the search. As the sky turned dark, I sat on a cold bench at the station, my hands clamped around my phone, my eyes fixed on the door. My mind was a void, haunted only by the image of Nuon Nuon, terrified and huddled in fear. Gu Dinh Tham did not call back. Neither did Lam Vy Vy. They seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. Could it be... that they were not the ones responsible after all?