Chapter 15 — Stupid But Strong

The next attack was stronger and more vicious than anything Bach Duy and Tang Ninh had ever anticipated. A week after the meeting discussing the possibility of Nhieu Trong Khai being behind everything, an online newspaper specializing in entertainment published an exclusive interview with the sensational title: "The former maid reveals the shocking truth about the relationship between male singer Tu Bach Duy and his old guardian."

The interview quoted a woman claiming to have worked as a maid for the Nhieu family while Bach Duy lived there, claiming that she "repeatedly witnessed inappropriate intimate gestures" between Tang Ninh and Bach Duy when he was not yet eighteen years old, implying an impure relationship that existed from a very early age, in complete contrast to what Bach Duy had publicly stated.

The article spread at breakneck speed, drawing a new wave of outrage from the public. Many people who once supported Bach Duy now harshly criticize him, saying he lied to cover up a wrong relationship. Brands simultaneously suspended cooperation, and some TV shows canceled filming schedules with him, citing the reason "needing time to review." In just three days, the image Bach Duy had built for six years was at risk of complete collapse.

The morning the interview was posted, Bach Duy had to be present at a pre-scheduled album promotion recording session. When he stepped out of the car, a crowd of reporters surrounded him, questions were thrown at him like bullets. "Do you have any comment on the allegations from the former maid?" shouted a reporter. "Did you lie to the public about the nature of this relationship?"

Bach Duy stopped in the middle of the crowd, took a deep breath to stay calm. "I confirm once again, all the information in that interview is completely fabricated," he said, his voice firm even though flash lights continuously flashed in front of him. "I will let my legal team clarify everything, and I believe the truth will eventually be proven." He quickly walked inside the building, but that day's recording session passed in heavy tension, the production crew whispered and discussed, and the eyes of the people who were once very friendly with him could not be hidden.

Tang Ninh, when she read that interview, felt like heaven and earth collapsed. She did not remember any maids working in her house during that period other than an elderly housekeeper who passed away a few years ago. She immediately called Bach Duy, her voice truly panicked for the first time since everything started.

"This is a blatant lie," she said, holding the phone with trembling hands. "My family has never hired any maid other than Mrs. Tu, and she passed away three years ago. I have absolutely no idea who the woman in that article is."

"I believe in you," Bach Duy replied immediately, without any hesitation. "This is clearly a false witness set up, Ms. Ninh. We need to find out the true identity of that woman, and prove that she never worked for your family."

Lam Nha Thu, upon receiving the news, immediately mobilized the company's legal team for a deeper investigation. After a few days of non-stop work, the team of lawyers discovered that the woman in the interview did not have any official labor records related to the Nhieu family, and when they tried to contact directly for verification, this person continuously avoided, eventually completely cutting off contact with the editorial office.

"This is almost certainly a hired witness," the company's lawyer concluded in an emergency meeting with Bach Duy, Tang Ninh and Lam Nha Thu. "But we need more concrete evidence to prove it to the public, not just speculation. Otherwise, even if she lies, the public will still be skeptical because of the lack of clear counter-evidence."

Tang Ninh sat quietly, her hands clasped together, a feeling of helplessness rising in her heart. "I tried to protect him for six years, and now, because of me, he has to face the biggest scandal of his career," she said, her voice choking. "Maybe… maybe the only way to protect him now is for me to disappear from his life again."

"No," Bach Duy said immediately, holding her hand tightly, his voice harder than ever. "I promised you, we will face everything together, you won't have to retreat alone. If you give up now, those behind this will win, and Uncle Trong Khai will continue to occupy what doesn't belong to him without paying anything."

Lam Nha Thu looked at them both, a decisive decision formed in her mind. "If we can't immediately prove that the witness is fake, we can at least find out who paid for this interview. Money always leaves a trace, no matter how well people try to hide it. I will hire an independent financial investigation unit to trace the source of payment to the newspaper that published this article."

The next day, Vom La restaurant had to close early because a group of strangers stood waiting in front of the door, holding video phones, waiting to take pictures of Tang Ninh to post online with malicious comments. Ha Thuy Duong had to close her flower shop to help her friend deal with it. She stood in front of the shop and firmly asked the group to leave.

"You have no right to harass others like this," Thuy Duong said, her voice rarely expressed steel. "If this continues, I will call the police."

The group of strangers finally dispersed, but Tang Ninh sat crouched in the corner of the kitchen, holding her head in her hands, feeling like the whole world was turning its back on her again, no different from the nightmare she experienced six years ago, only this time the scale and level of cruelty were even greater because of the attention of the whole society.

That decision marked an important turning point in their fight - from simply defending against the accusations, all three people now turned proactive, determined to find the source of the sabotage plot, knowing full well that the person behind it all, once feeling cornered, may act even more recklessly and dangerously.

Meanwhile, at the office of the Nhieu family company, Trong Khai closely watched the developments in public opinion with cold satisfaction. He repeatedly watched comments attacking Bach Duy on social networks, feeling that his plan was working as expected. But when the accountant informed him that Bach Duy's entertainment company had hired an independent financial investigation unit to trace the origin of the payment for the interview, the smile on his face disappeared.

"Can they trace it?" he asked, his voice suddenly tense.

"We have tried to hide transactions through many layers of intermediaries, but if they have enough resources and time, there is nothing that cannot be detected," the accountant replied, his voice unable to hide his concern. "Maybe we should pause all action for a while, wait for things to calm down."

"No way," Trong Khai growled, slamming his hand on the table. "If we stop now, they will have time to organize a counterattack. We must press harder and finish before they can find anything that can turn the situation around." That reckless decision, born from a mixture of fear and greed, would soon push him to increasingly bolder and more dangerous actions in the following days.

Late that night, Bach Duy went to the restaurant as soon as he heard about the group of harassers, despite the risk of being discovered. He sat down next to Tang Ninh in the corner of the kitchen, saying nothing, just quietly holding her hand, passing on to her the little warmth and stability he could bring. "We will get through this," he said softly, "just like how you taught me to be resilient through loss."

Tang Ninh leaned her head on his shoulder, letting the tears finally fall freely, no longer trying to suppress them like before. In that rare moment of weakness, she clearly felt that, no matter how cruel the storm of public opinion was, she no longer had to face it alone, and that alone was enough to give her the strength to move on. Outside the glass window, the streetlight shines on the vines that have turned to the withered color of late autumn, like a quiet reminder that no matter the season, they will pass as long as they persevere in holding each other's hands.