Chapter 3 — The CEO's Only Antidote

Huo Van Dinh and I sat in the lounge area outside, each with a coffee in hand. The atmosphere was thick with an awkward silence.

Speak, I said, taking the initiative to break the tension. You said you wanted to talk; what exactly is it that you want to say?

Huo Van Dinh set his coffee cup down and looked at me, his expression gradually turning grave. First, I want to give Tu Mac a legitimate identity.

What do you mean?

I want him to be recognized by the family lineage and registered officially under the Huo family name.

My heart suddenly felt heavy. Absolutely not!

Why not? He frowned, his brow furrowing in irritation. He is my son. Are you saying he must carry the Giang family name forever, live as a fatherless child, a… bastard?

The word bastard felt like a blade piercing straight into my chest. He is not a bastard! He has a mother! I retorted, agitated.

Is having only a mother enough? Huo Van Dinh’s voice went cold. Giang Thoi Vu, have you ever thought about it? He will grow up, he will go to school, and he will face all kinds of people. When they ask him, Where is your father?, what do you want him to say? That his father is dead? Or that… his father abandoned him?

I was left speechless. It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered these things. It was just that I had been lying to myself, thinking that if I loved my child enough, it would compensate for everything.

Furthermore, Huo Van Dinh continued, what kind of life can your current job provide for him? Will you have him live with you in an apartment that is less than sixty square meters? Send him to the most mediocre public kindergarten? Giang Thoi Vu, my son deserves the absolute best.

His words were like sharp knives, each one striking a vulnerable spot. It was true. I was just a low-level employee at a design firm, my salary was modest, and I spent my days squeezed into crowded subway trains. What I could offer Tu Mac was truly meager compared to Huo Van Dinh, a man who could command the entire financial landscape.

Then what are your conditions? I looked at him, my voice raspy.

Very simple. Huo Van Dinh leaned forward, his words crisp and clear. You and Tu Mac will move in with me.

I jerked my head up, unable to believe my ears. What did you say?

I said, move into my villa, he repeated, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. It has plenty of space, including a dedicated nursery, a playroom, and a backyard with a pool and a soccer field. There is a nutritionist and a family physician on call twenty-four-seven. That is the environment Tu Mac should have.

I listened as he painted an idealized vision, feeling as though I were hearing a fairy tale. And what about you? I asked.

Of course, I will live there too, he replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The three of us… living together?

We are the child’s parents. If we don’t live together, are we supposed to live apart?

He countered with a question of his own. I was completely stunned. This was not the scenario I had imagined. I had thought he might try to take the boy away, or perhaps throw a pile of money at me to make us disappear. But now… he wanted the three of us to live under one roof? What kind of insane development was this?

Huo Van Dinh, have you lost your mind? I muttered.

I haven’t. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a rare seriousness. Giang Thoi Vu, I am giving you, and myself… a chance. A chance to start over.

Start over? I scoffed as if I had just heard the joke of the century. Huo Van Dinh, have you forgotten? It was I who left five years ago. I don’t like you, and I certainly don’t want any sort of beginning with you!

My words were firm, but inside, I was trembling like a leaf. Did I not like him? If I hadn’t been obsessed with his face and his physique back then, would I have gone so far as to steal his genetic material? Huo Van Dinh looked at me deeply, his eyes complex—a mix of helplessness, indulgence, and perhaps… even a touch of affection.

Whether or not you like me isn’t something decided by words, he said. He suddenly reached out and placed his hand over mine. Your body’s reaction… is the most honest thing of all.

His palm was large and warm, sending a powerful surge of electricity straight through me. My heart felt as if it were being squeezed. Startled as if burned, I pulled my hand back. What are you doing! My face flushed, and my heart hammered against my ribs. Seeing my panic, he smiled faintly. See? Isn't that reaction clear enough?

I was speechless. What a scoundrel! Shameless! Thick-skinned! In all my life, I had never seen a man… so utterly devoid of shame!

Mr. Huo, please have some self-respect! I gritted my teeth.

I have plenty of self-respect, he said, leaning back in his chair and watching me leisurely. I am simply helping you recognize the truth. Giang Thoi Vu, it’s not that you have no feelings for me.

That’s because you scare me!

Really? He arched an eyebrow. And what about five years ago?

I was immediately struck dumb. The scene from that night flooded into my mind uninvited. My face burned even brighter.

In short, moving in with you—it’s out of the question! I cut him off firmly, pushing away the memory and standing my ground.

This is not up for negotiation, Huo Van Dinh’s voice gradually hardened. Either you and Tu Mac move in with me, or I take Tu Mac, and you can visit him once a month.

You wouldn’t dare! I shot up from my seat, eyes blazing.

Watch me, he replied. His gaze darkened, and the pressure radiating from him made the air feel suffocating. Giang Thoi Vu, if we go to court, you won’t have even a one-percent chance of winning. In terms of finance, social influence—what do you have to fight me with?

I stood frozen in place, my whole body going cold. He was right. What did I have to compete with him? My meager salary? My bank account that was constantly in the red? Seeing my face drain of color, Huo Van Dinh’s voice softened.

I’m not forcing you; I’m just stating the facts. He stood up, walked over to me, and gently patted my shoulder. I’ll give you three days to think about it. Three days from now, give me your answer.

With that, he turned and walked toward the playground to pick up the two children who were drenched in sweat. As for me, I stood rooted to the spot, feeling as though the world were spinning.

The next three days were a blur; I lived like a hollow shell. At work, I would stare blankly at my blueprints, nearly making fatal errors several times. When I returned home and saw my son’s lively laughter, my heart would clench in waves. I consulted a friend who was a lawyer, and the results were exactly what Huo Van Dinh had predicted. If we truly went to court, in a situation where the father desired custody and possessed overwhelming advantages, I had almost no chance of winning. Unless… I could prove that Huo Van Dinh had a flawed character or habits detrimental to a child’s development. But he was Huo Van Dinh! His personal life was so spotless that not even the most aggressive paparazzi could dig up a single scandal. My only option… seemed to be compromise.

That evening, after I finished reading a story to Giang Tu Mac, he refused to go to sleep.

Mommy… He hugged his small pillow, his bright eyes fixed on me. Do we really have to move?

I felt my heart tighten. For the past few days, Huo Van Dinh had visited every single day. In the morning, he brought breakfast; in the evening, fruit and toys. On the weekend, he even took the two children for a picnic in the suburbs. Within just a few days, Giang Tu Mac had been completely won over. Now, he called him Dad even more sweetly than he called me Mom.

Does Tu Mac not want to move? I probed. He shook his head, then nodded.

I want to live with Dad. His house is huge, and it has a swimming pool! His eyes sparkled as if they contained an entire galaxy. But I also want to live with Mommy. He frowned, looking as if the whole world were about to collapse. If… if only we could all live with Dad in that big house, that would be wonderful.

He whispered his wish. The innocent words of a child hit my heart like a sledgehammer. I remained silent. Perhaps, for my child’s sake, I should compromise. Living together is just living together. He wouldn’t eat me alive, would he? At most, I would treat him like a… landlord, and my son and I would be the tenants. Yes, that was it! Once I had thought it through, my heart felt significantly lighter.

All right, sleep well now, I said, tucking him in. Tomorrow, I will give you an answer.

The third day arrived—the final deadline set by Huo Van Dinh. All day long, I was restless and uneasy. As the workday was coming to a close, I received a call from the teacher at the daycare center.

Is this the mother of Giang Tu Mac? Please come to the school immediately… Tu Mac is… he is fighting with Huo Du An again!

My head pounded. Fighting again? I raced to the daycare center, and the moment I stepped into the office, I saw the two little ones with bruised faces.