Chapter 11 — Women Don't Need To Be Chosen

At 9 am, I sat in Tinh Than Capital's office, calmly waiting for two people to arrive. The person who arrived first was Tien Ngoc Hoa. She wore a dark blue suit, careful makeup, high heels clicking on the floor with a cold sound. Behind her was Bach Khai Minh, and a person holding a camera, clearly the reporter she called. The office door was pushed straight open without even knocking. She walked in, smiling arrogantly, as if she was sure of victory. Bach Khai Minh walked behind, his face somewhat hesitant, while the reporter quickly hung up, the red light turned on.

“What do you mean?”

I glanced at the camera.

"Nothing." Tien Ngoc Hoa sat down on the sofa, crossed her legs, her voice full of provocation, "just wanted to talk to my ex-daughter-in-law a little in front of the media."

“Chat about what?”

“Let's talk about… your background.”

She took out a file from her bag, pulled out a few pieces of paper and threw them on the coffee table.

"To Niem, original name unknown, after birth was left at the door of Giang Thanh orphanage. Eight months old was adopted by a couple named To. Adoptive father To Kien Quoc, grocery store owner, graduated from high school, adoptive mother Vuong Tu Lan, housewife, completed primary school, both died when To Niem was eighteen years old."

She raised her head to look at me, her eyes as if she were showing off a trophy.

“The twenty-six-year-old business genius, who owned 47,000,000,000 yuan, turned out to be a child abandoned at birth.”

Bach Khai Minh whispered: "Ngoc Hoa, enough..."

“Shut up!”

Tien Ngoc Hoa stood up and came closer to me.

"To Niem, do you think you can hide it, change your name, wear fancy clothes and become a high-class person? In essence, you are still just someone that no one wants, why do you stand arrogantly in front of me?"

I didn't say a word. My silence made her even more pleased.

“Why, are you scared? This video will be posted online soon. I want to see if the businessmen who are flattering you know your true background, what else do they think of you.”

The office door opens. Her voice suddenly choked. At the door was a woman over sixty years old, neatly combed white hair, wearing a custom-made dark blue gown, with a cold and steady temperament like an unshakable wall. Her five senses... resemble mine in seven parts. Same high nose bridge, same slightly slanted eye corners, same thin lips. Behind is Lam Tu Phan and two bodyguards wearing black vests. To Cam Hoa walked in, her eyes glanced over each person, stopping on me. Her eye sockets turned red. But no tears.

“Nem Niem.”

Her voice was very light. I stood up.

“I am your mother.”

The whole room seemed frozen. Tien Ngoc Hoa looked at her, then at me, her voice lost.

“Who are you, who let you in here?”

To Cam Hoa didn't bother to answer and walked straight in front of me.

“Nien Niem, twenty-six years.”

Tien Ngoc Hoa stepped up to block it.

“I don't care who you are, I'm talking to To Niem—”

“Are you Tien Ngoc Hoa?”

To Cam Hoa turned his head to look at her. Those eyes were neither angry nor disdainful. Just a calmness that stands above it all.

“I am Su Jinhua, Su Group, Shenzhen.”

Tien Ngoc Hoa's face immediately changed color.

“Su… Su… Shenzhen?”

“To Niem is my daughter.”

Bach Khai Minh's legs were weak and he had to hold on to the chair. The reporter almost dropped the camera. Tien Ngoc Hoa stood dumbfounded. To Cam Hoa took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table.

“This is the test result DNA, I did it three months ago, has international legal effect, To Niem is my biological child."

She turned to Tien Ngoc Hoa.

“What did you just say, saying my daughter is unwanted?”

Tien Ngoc Hoa's lips trembled.

“I… I don't know…”

"If you don't know, you can arbitrarily trample on others?"

To Cam Hoa's voice increased a bit, but it was still scary cold.

“If he is really just a normal child, do you think you have the right to treat him like that?”

Tien Ngoc Hoa was speechless. Bach Khai Minh pulled her and whispered urgently.

“Go! Go now!”

“Put the camera back.”

To Cam Hoa said, no need to turn around. The reporter quickly turned off the camera, dropped the tripod, and ran away. Bach Khai Minh pulled Tien Ngoc Hoa to the door. At the threshold, she turned to look at me. For the first time, something I had never seen appeared in my eyes. Not satisfied. And… regret. But it was all too late. The door closed, in the room there were only me and To Cam Hoa, Lam Tu Phan and two bodyguards standing quietly outside as if they never existed. She looked at me for a long time, reached out her hand and then pulled it back, her voice lowered a bit, as if afraid of breaking something fragile.

“I'm afraid my baby doesn't want to let me touch him.”

I looked at the woman in front of me, her face was so similar to mine that I didn't need an explanation to understand the relationship.

“Twenty-six years.” I spoke up, my throat a bit dry, "You said someone was threatening..."

“Your father's family.” She sat down, her voice was still steady but her fingertips trembled slightly, "His last name is Co, a long-standing family, does not accept illegitimate children, they forced me, if I don't hand him over, he will crush my company from the bud."