Chapter 3 — The Engagement Ordeal

The door had barely swung open before a group of people surged into the house, catching the entire Phuong family completely off guard.

What are you doing?

Ruey, my daughter!

The moment my mother saw me huddled on the floor, my face bruised and swollen, tears erupted from her eyes like a spring.

Auntie, Uncle, why are you here? Phuong Van stammered, his composure crumbling the instant he saw my parents.

My mother rushed to pull the duct tape from my mouth and untied my bonds, her face wet with tears. Ruey, it is all my fault. I should never have let you come to their house alone! I clung to her tightly, all the bitterness and terror I had been suppressing finally breaking through as I sobbed uncontrollably. Mother! Every agonizing second I had spent in this house felt like hell; I had prayed for my parents to arrive quickly. Thankfully, I had always made it a habit to call them whenever I arrived at a new destination; otherwise, they would not have sensed that something was wrong and arrived in time to save me.

So it is the in-laws, she said, the mother of Phuong Van forcing a stiff, artificial smile. You arrive so late without a word, leaving us no time to prepare a proper welcome.

But it was plain for everyone to see—she could no longer maintain that facade of indifference.

Ruey, why are you crying so pitifully? Your parents might think our family is bullying you!

Even now, she still thought she could deceive me?

In-laws, little Ruey hit herself against the wall; we did not lay a finger on her!

My father’s face turned darker by the second. I wiped my eyes and helped my mother stand up. Father, every single wound on my body was inflicted by Phuong Van.

His whole family wanted to lock me away, demanding I get pregnant before they would allow a wedding! They even wanted to seize the two hundred thousand in dowry you and Mother gave me!

That is not true! Do not listen to Ruey’s nonsense! Phuong Van’s mother quickly defended herself. She slapped Phuong Van first, so he only fought back. Husbands and wives argue, it is normal! And I have already scolded Phuong Van for it!

Phuong Van nodded frantically beside her. Even at this stage, they still thought my family had come to reason with them. My father looked at me with an expression of extreme fury—if it were not for the fact that we live in a society governed by law, those people would have been finished. My father growled, his voice freezing. Who are your in-laws? You have beaten my daughter into this state, and you think I would still marry her into your family? By now, many neighbors had gathered outside. The Phuong family tried to shut the door, but my family’s party blocked it firmly. Phuong Van’s mother began to lose face, yet she stubbornly persisted. You cannot say that. Your daughter has loved my son for ten years; she is a thirty-year-old spinster now. If it weren't for my son’s kindness, who would even want to marry her! My father’s face turned purple with rage. Whether my daughter can get married is none of your concern!

Even if she never marries, I am capable of supporting her for the rest of her life!

I was choked with emotion at my parents’ love, but I had no desire to waste another word on this family. Father, do not say anything more, just act!

Agreed, my father replied sharply.

The Phuong family began to panic. What are you planning to do? This is a society governed by law! My mother helped me stand before Phuong Van. He was still trying to threaten me, his voice booming. Truong Ruey, you dare to hit me... I gathered all my remaining strength and slapped him across the face with everything I had. I hit you, so what!

Phuong Van, you are nothing but a beast!

Let me tell you this clearly—it is over between us!

I never imagined that things between Phuong Van and me would end this way. It is true what they say: a woman with a blessed fate should never set foot in a family that lacks one. I turned to my father. Father, tear this place apart!

Yes! Smash this house to pieces! my father commanded his group.

I did not fear them calling the police. Let them call; no one would profit from it. At that moment, I only wanted to vent my rage to find peace. The sound of furniture being shattered, the screams and pleas of the Phuong family, and my father’s voice echoing through the house as he broadcast their filthy secrets through a megaphone—everything merged into a sour, chaotic symphony. The one who started it all, Chau Dinh, hid away from the very beginning. The look in her eyes as she watched me was filled with sheer terror. No one in the Phuong family dared to move, leaving only Phuong Van, who was beaten black and blue, collapsed on the floor. Before I left, I patted his face gently. Phuong Van, your vision was always limited to those eighty-eight thousand.

And by the way... have you ever wondered if it is actually you who is infertile?

On the way home, my parents comforted me incessantly, their hearts aching for my pain. Even after giving the Phuong family a lesson, their anger remained. My father looked at my face, gently probing. Ruey, do not let that old woman’s words bother you. You are so capable, how could no one want to marry you?

Even if you never marry, your mother and I will provide for you forever!

I was both touched and amused, quickly reassuring them that I had never worried about that. Seeing that I was genuinely alright, they became curious about why I had claimed Phuong Van was infertile. I told them the truth—a classmate of mine had once passed away suddenly from an illness, and the shock caused me to fall into a state of deep anxiety and insecurity. Because of this, I had dragged Phuong Van to get a full physical examination with me. I had seen the medical reports; his sperm count was low, and conception would be very difficult. To avoid hurting his pride, I had once cautiously asked him if we could potentially live without children. He had agreed. Thinking back, he was truly a master of deception, appearing to indulge me in everything. It wasn't until everything exploded that I realized I had never truly understood the person he was! My mother scoffed. Good, a man like that doesn't deserve children! Back home, I rested for a few days before throwing myself back into my work. I used to worry that it would be hard to balance my career and a marriage. Now, that worry was gone, and I felt a sense of relief. Even the research project I had been stuck on for so long began to show progress. I loved this feeling—shining in the field where I excelled. To my surprise, a month later, my best friend from high school, Du Tinh, sent me a message. She told me Phuong Van was smearing my name online. She knew everything that had happened and spoke with indignation. Phuong Van is truly shameless! He is a master actor; those who don't know the truth believe every word he says. Had it not been for her message, I, with my habit of never checking social media, would never have known. No wonder my supervisor had recently reminded me not to focus solely on work but to remain vigilant against petty people. I opened the platform she linked and saw a video Phuong Van had posted. The content was: a ten-year girlfriend who, the moment she finished her PhD, dumped him to chase after a wealthy man and drive in luxury cars. He claimed that because he had to support her education, he never dared to eat a good meal. Only on the day of the breakup did he dare to indulge himself, eating... a single serving of chicken with mushrooms. Accompanied by a photo of the meal and a sappy, melancholic soundtrack, it drew countless netizens who flooded the comments with sympathy. Some high school classmates recognized him and tagged me in the comments. He did not reply, only silently liking their posts. Many deemed him a true warrior of love, and by the next day, brands were already inviting him to livestream and sell products. In this way, while he did not directly slander me, he deliberately steered public opinion, prompting netizens to dig up my identity. However, some began to doubt him. After all, netizens discovered I was highly educated, regularly winning scholarships and participating in prestigious projects. I clearly didn't need anyone to support me. They demanded he show his bank statements. Phuong Van began to evade, saying he had deleted me and thus had no records. Netizens countered that even if one deletes a contact on chat, the transfer history remains in the bank statement. Phuong Van then concocted another lie, claiming he had changed his phone. But the netizens wouldn't let go, explaining that even with a new device, the data remained accessible. Eventually, Phuong Van shifted to an emotional appeal. We have broken up; I do not want to affect her life anymore. His army of "love warriors" pitied him even more, turning their hostility toward anyone who dared to question him. My parents' car was keyed, and their workplace forced them to take indefinite leave. As for me, I received continuous formal complaints at my university, accusing me of having poor moral fiber and being unfit for an educational environment. Fortunately, my professor, who deeply trusted my character, stood up for me and suppressed the noise. But my parents were not so lucky.

My parents' lives were severely impacted. They frequently received hateful messages and even death threats. The Phuong family dared not go to the police, but they resorted to underhanded tactics. As for a person like him, even if I wanted to involve the police, I had no concrete evidence. Hmph, did he think he could use social media to subject me to cyber-bullying? Then he would have to prepare himself for the backlash that same network could unleash. I immediately registered an official account and used my real name to respond. I did not need to prove anything; I simply demanded he provide evidence of exactly how much money he had spent on me. At the same time, I released the video from the day I went to his house. Phuong Van dared to fabricate stories to smear me online because he was certain I lacked evidence. Even if he could not produce bank statements, who could really say who supported whom? In the end, it was just a few days of arguing, and he could still continue his livestreams to make a living off the internet. But he never expected that I would have the proof in my hands. I had intentionally bought a small camera to record everything, and to make the video appear more authentic, I had attached it to my chest. Looking back, it was truly ironic. I had thought my ten years with Phuong Van were sincere, and I had assumed that if a man were like him, his family would be decent. That was why I wanted to record the moment I first met my future in-laws, intending to edit it into a commemorative video. Who could have known that the last ten years were merely Phuong Van’s performance, and I had been deceived by him without the slightest suspicion! When the video was uploaded, the internet exploded.