Chapter 5 — The Fateful Oath

For my own safety, I hired two female bodyguards. They followed me everywhere, trailing me step-for-step, refusing to leave my side even when I went to the restroom. I had to be prepared; the Thuong family was like a cornered beast, capable of anything in their desperation. Yet, before the Thuongs could make their move, I received an unexpected phone call.

"Hello, is this Thanh To? This is Officer Ly Nhan Bang from the XX City Detention Center, badge number XXXXXXX. Your father, Minh Cuong To, has submitted a request for a final meeting before his execution. The request has been approved. Please arrive by 11:00 AM tomorrow. Any later and the request will be voided."

I replied with cold composure. "Hello, Officer. Please convey a message to Minh Cuong To: our bond as father and daughter has long since reached its end. There is no need for us to meet."

"Understood. I will pass that along."

My mind drifted back to ten years ago. Immediately after bringing me to the city, the first thing my father did was take me to the hospital. The air was a suffocating blend of disinfectant and medical alcohol, filling me with an overwhelming sense of dread. I gripped his hand tightly, whispering, "Dad... why are we here?"

He led me into a secluded, quiet patient room. There was only one bed. Beside it sat a beautiful woman. The moment she saw me, she bolted upright and rushed forward to pull me into an embrace. My arms remained stiff, hovering awkwardly in the air, unsure of where to rest.

"This is your Aunt Dao," my father introduced her once she let me go.

"Hello, Aunt Dao," I greeted her politely, acting on instinct.

My father pointed to the young boy lying in the hospital bed. "Thanh Thanh, this is your younger brother." Ignoring my look of bewilderment, he continued, "He has a very serious heart condition. Only you can save him. Will you help your brother?"

I was stunned by the question. I nodded instinctively, then shook my head, looking at him honestly. "I want to help, but I'm not a doctor..."

He stroked my head gently, his voice as warm as a lullaby. "It’s alright. I’ll take you for a check-up first."

I craved a father’s love, but I was not a fool. Everything I had learned told me that without a heart, a person dies. My father clearly intended to trade my life for that boy’s. Betrayed by my closest kin, I felt as though my heart were being physically torn apart. Great, heavy tears fell uncontrollably. Pain, despair, and resentment surged over me like a violent wave, swallowing me whole.

Seeing me frozen, my father began to urge me. "Thanh Thanh, hurry now! Your brother is waiting for you to save him!"

I feigned anxiety, asking in an innocent voice, "Dad, if I give my heart to my brother... will I get heart disease too? What will happen to me after that?"

He faltered for a moment. He clearly hadn't considered what would happen to his daughter if the son lived. His eyes flickered with hesitation before he stammered, "What... what are you saying? Would I ever mistreat you? This entire fortune—all of it will belong to you in the future."

I looked him straight in the eye and shook my head. "I don't believe you."

He grew impatient. The transplant surgery had already been arranged; they were only waiting for my compatibility tests. To force my cooperation, he closed his eyes and lied through his teeth. "I swear to the heavens, my entire estate will be left to Thanh Thanh, my good, obedient daughter!"

"I also swear to the heavens that all my money will be left to Thanh Thanh!" Aunt Dao chimed in, not hesitating to play her part in the charade to coax me toward my death.

They made their oaths without specifying any punishment for breaking them, but that didn't matter. I wiped my tears and looked at them with a smile, my words cold enough to cut through bone. "I permit your oaths... to become reality."

As I spoke, a wave of exhaustion hit me. Perhaps because I was older now, I didn't faint this time. My father and Aunt Dao paid no mind to my words. They were about to drag me to the lab when the clock struck midnight, marking the start of a new day.

At that exact moment, they were overcome by a strange, uncontrollable compulsion. Ignoring the dying boy in the bed, they became obsessed with my well-being. They guarded me like a priceless treasure, rushing me to the police station to issue an ID card, buying me a phone, registering a SIM card, and taking me to the bank to open an account. Once the paperwork was done, they began a fire sale of every asset they owned with the speed of a whirlwind. They even returned to the hospital to confront the surgeon.

"Dr. Trang, you wouldn't want people to know you were prepared to harvest a heart from a living person, would you?" They forced the surgeon to return the twenty million yuan they had already paid him.

Looking at them as they left in triumph, Dr. Trang was so livid he nearly bit through the recording pen he had purchased with that blood money. Within ten days, my bank account was filled with 430 million yuan in cash. Every transaction was clearly labeled: "Voluntary Gift."

When my father finally called, screaming and asking what dark sorcery I had used on him, I knew they were completely bankrupt. I went straight to the police station to report their actions. The officer slammed his hand on the desk in fury. "This is attempted murder!"

As they prepared the arrest warrants, a new report came in. My younger brother’s condition had plummeted. Dr. Trang, using the excuse of unpaid fees, had delayed treatment. The boy died. Driven mad by the loss of everything, my father and Aunt Dao pushed Dr. Trang from the fifth floor, killing him instantly. In the end, they were both sentenced to life in prison for intentional homicide.

The noise in the hospital corridor startled me, pulling me back from my memories. Stepping out of my room, I saw a scene I truly wished to avoid. Thuong Vi, his parents, and his younger sister were propping up Co Minh Nguyet, shouting and causing a scene.

"Why won't you deliver the baby?!"

"Exactly! This hospital is heartless!"

"Call the director! Get him out here now!"

A nurse, her patience at its breaking point, tried to explain. "We have told you many times, hospital admission requires a deposit. Your case is not a life-threatening emergency that qualifies for 'treat now, pay later' status."

"We don't care! The baby isn't even born yet and you're demanding money?!" The Thuong family doubled down on their thuggery. The nurse finally gave up, glared at them, and walked away. A hospital isn't a charity; if every patient lived on credit, the place would have folded long ago.

I stood in the crowd of onlookers, watching with a cold smirk. I knew they didn't have a cent for the fees. Sure enough, Thuong Vi pulled out his phone and started tapping away. I thought he was looking for a high-interest online loan, but then my own phone began to ring. I immediately declined the call and performed the familiar ritual: block the number.

"Damn it!" Thuong Vi shouted, nearly throwing his phone. When he tried to call back and realized he was blocked, his face contorted. I saw him look into his front-facing camera, opening his mouth and tilting his head—he was performing the facial recognition for an emergency online loan.

After much struggling, he managed to scrape together enough for the deposit. Only then did the doctors take Co Minh Nguyet in. Thuong Vi ran back and forth handling the paperwork, ultrasounds, and blood tests. As the crowd began to disperse, I was about to leave when a group of doctors and nurses, their faces dark as thunder, rushed out to speak with the four members of the Thuong family.

Though the doctor spoke in a low voice, the Thuongs didn't know the meaning of discretion.

"What?! HIV?!"

"Co Minh Nguyet, you filthy woman! Since when do you have HIV?! Where did you go to catch that thing?!"

*Smack!*

Thuong Vi delivered a thunderous slap to Co Minh Nguyet’s face. She screamed and collapsed to the floor, red blood beginning to seep out from under her skirt. The sight sent the remaining onlookers fleeing like a disturbed hive of bees. Thuong Vi panicked as well, frantically checking his hands; seeing no blood, he cautiously wiped his palms on his shirt anyway. The doctors scrambled into protective gear and rushed Co Minh Nguyet into emergency surgery.

"Save the baby first! Doctor!"

"Yes, yes! Save the child!"

My former in-laws immediately abandoned the mother, caring only for the survival of their "precious" grandson.