Chapter 4 — The CEO's Only Antidote

Jiang Tu Mac had a split lip, while Hoac Du An sported a fresh, throbbing bruise on his forehead. The two boys sat in a sulk, turning their backs to one another, refusing to even acknowledge the other's existence. Hoac Van Dinh had arrived earlier and was holding an ice pack against Du An’s forehead. Seeing me enter, he merely cast a fleeting glance my way, saying nothing.

"What on earth happened here?"

I walked over to Tu Mac and sat down to examine my son's injuries. "Why on earth are you two fighting again?"

Tu Mac pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes rimmed with red, looking every bit the victim of a great injustice. "He was bad-mouthing Mom!" he pointed an accusatory finger at Hoac Du An and declared loudly.

"I did not!" Hoac Du An immediately shot back. "I only said... my dad said your mom is a dummy, she can't even cook, and she’s always talking back!"

I froze. Hoac Van Dinh, you are quite something! You have a lot of nerve, telling such lies behind my back! I snapped my head up to glare at the culprit. Hoac Van Dinh’s face tightened, his eyes darting away, unable to meet my gaze.

"My dad also said..." Hoac Du An, showing no signs of stopping, drove the knife in deeper, "that he’s going to drag your mom away, lock her in a big house, and make her cook delicious meals every day so she can never run away again!"

The office fell deathly silent. The teacher coughed twice, pretending she had heard absolutely nothing. My face, however, felt as if it were burning under a sunset glare. Having heard this, Tu Mac immediately rebelled. "You’re lying! My mom isn't a dummy! My mom is the best person in the world!"

With that, he lunged from his chair, ready to square off with Hoac Du An once more.

"My dad says it’s true! Your mom is a total dummy!"

"She is not!"

"She is!"

Seeing them about to collide again, I scrambled to pull my son back. Hoac Van Dinh likewise restrained Du An.

"That’s enough. Stop the noise," he said in a low, commanding voice. The two boys finally sat still, though they continued to trade glares.

"Hoac Du An, apologize to Tu Mac," Hoac Van Dinh ordered. Du An pouted, clearly unwilling, but muttered under his breath, "Sorry..."

"Tu Mac, you apologize as well," I urged, softening my tone. Tu Mac stiffened his neck, refusing.

"Jiang Tu Mac!" I spoke sharply. The boy looked at me, then at Hoac Van Dinh—and suddenly burst into a wail. As he sobbed, he reached his arms out toward Hoac Van Dinh. "Daddy... hold me..."

Hoac Van Dinh stood frozen for a second, then immediately released Du An and stepped forward to scoop Tu Mac into his arms. "Alright, stop crying now. Daddy is here." He awkwardly patted his son’s back, soothing him with unexpected tenderness. Tu Mac buried his face in the man’s shoulder, sobbing until he could barely catch his breath. "Mom wanted... she wanted to take me away... I don't want to... I want to stay with Daddy..."

The intermittent, broken sobs echoed like explosions in the small room. I stood there, turned to stone. I looked at the son I had carried for ten months and raised for five years—and now, he was weeping in that man’s arms, saying he didn't want to leave with me, that he wanted to stay with his father. Could anything be more heartbreaking?

Hoac Van Dinh held Tu Mac and looked up at me. His gaze was complex, laced with the smug triumph of a victor, yet tempered by a flicker of pity. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. After a long silence, I opened them and said in a raspy voice, "Hoac Van Dinh... you win. I will move out."

The decision to move was difficult, but the execution was dizzying. As soon as I spoke, Hoac Van Dinh pulled out his phone and made a call. Half an hour later, a professional moving truck, which clearly cost a fortune, pulled up in front of my apartment building. Employees in crisp uniforms and white gloves hurried upstairs with professional efficiency. I watched them wrap every piece of my old furniture in bubble wrap as if they were national treasures, feeling as though I were trapped in a dream.

"You don't need to take this sofa... the leather is already peeling," I said, pointing to the couch that had been with me for five years, feeling sheepish.

"No," Hoac Van Dinh stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, his voice firm. "Everything you have used carries the value of our shared history."

I stared at him. Dear sir, it’s peeling leather, not an ancient relic! In less than two hours, my cramped little apartment was picked clean. It felt as empty as the hollow sensation in my heart. Tu Mac and Du An had already been taken down to the truck to play with new toys, sparing me the added emotional strain. I stood in the middle of the vacant living room, taking one last look at the place where I had lived for the past five years, a strange, poignant grief rising within me.

"Let's go," Hoac Van Dinh took my hand. His palms were warm, dry, and strong. "Time to go to our new home."

"Our new home"... The words made my heart flutter. Hoac Van Dinh’s villa was located in the wealthiest district on the east side of the city. As the car drove in, I looked out the window; buildings that resembled palaces appeared one after another, and I felt like a country bumpkin stumbling into a royal garden. His house—no, "our new home"—lay deep within the estate, its size staggering. The moment the car pulled up to the gate, an elderly gentleman with silver hair and a sharp butler's uniform stepped out to greet us.

"Sir, you have returned." The butler bowed respectfully to Hoac Van Dinh before turning to me with a kind smile. "Is this Miss Jiang?"

"Uncle Li, this is Thoi Vu," Hoac Van Dinh introduced me. "From now on, she is the lady of this house."

I stumbled, nearly losing my footing. Lady... lady of the house?! Wasn't this development moving a bit too quickly?

"Greetings, Madame!" A line of staff behind Uncle Li bowed in unison. The spectacle nearly caused my heart to stop.

"Please... don't do that, I..." I was so nervous I could barely string a sentence together.

"You'll get used to it," Hoac Van Dinh whispered near my ear, then turned back to the butler. "Take the young masters to the nursery and tell Aunt Truong to prepare some pastries."

"Understood, sir." Uncle Li ushered the two boys, who were excitedly running about, into the house. Hoac Van Dinh then gripped my hand and led me up the steps.

"Hoac Van Dinh, what did you mean by that? What 'lady of the house'?!" I lowered my voice to challenge him.

"Exactly what it sounds like," he looked back, smiling like a fox. "Since you’ve moved in, wouldn't it be a loss to you if I didn't give you the proper title?"

"I don't need any titles! We had an agreement—I only moved here for our son!" I said, panicking.

"I know," he squeezed my hand gently as if to reassure me. "So, this is a title I am unilaterally granting you. You don't have to accept it, but you cannot stop me from giving it to you."

What kind of predatory logic is this?! Once we entered the foyer, I truly understood the scale of super-wealthy life. The ceiling was over ten meters high, crystal chandeliers sparkled with blinding brilliance, the marble floors shone like mirrors, and the walls were covered in paintings I couldn't understand but knew cost a fortune. This wasn't a house—it was a palace.

"Your room is on the second floor, right next to mine." Hoac Van Dinh led me upstairs. My room was as large as a luxury apartment, with a bedroom, a walk-in closet, a private bathroom, and a floor-to-ceiling balcony with glass doors. The closet was already filled with the season’s latest women’s fashion, from casual wear to evening gowns. The vanity was stocked with high-end cosmetics and skincare products—all brands I had only ever seen in magazines.

"Are these... for me?" I asked, pointing at the heap of luxury items, my voice trembling.

"Yes," Hoac Van Dinh leaned against the doorframe, his expression relaxed. "Don't you like them?"

"They're too... too expensive." I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Hoac Van Dinh, what are you doing? Are you trying to throw money in my face? Let me tell you, I'm not that kind of person..."

"I know you aren't," he interrupted, stepping close and lifting my chin so I had to meet his serious gaze. "Jiang Thoi Vu, I am not throwing money at you; I am trying to make amends. Making amends for the five years you spent raising Tu Mac alone. Making amends for the five years I failed to fulfill my duties as a husband and a father."

Husband?! I immediately seized on the word. "We aren't married!" I reminded him.

"Not yet," he smiled, then pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it before me. Inside sat a massive pink diamond ring. Under the lights, the diamond shone so brightly it nearly blinded me. "Jiang Thoi Vu, will you marry me?"

I stared at him in disbelief. Who am I? Where am I? What is happening?! One second we were talking about making amends, and the next he was proposing! What kind of warped thinking moves that fast?!

"You are insane!"