The door closed.

I remained standing beneath the living-room light, holding the paper Luc Bac Than had signed without reading.

For five years, I had been his hidden wife.

Tonight, with one careless signature, he had finally given me the freedom I had once begged for.

The irony almost made me laugh.

The next morning, I submitted everything to the Military Law Department.

Marriage certificate.

Property agreement.

Divorce petition.

His signature.

The officer examining the documents looked surprised.

—Captain Luc agreed?

—He signed personally.

There was nothing more to discuss.

Our marriage had always been simple financially.

The house belonged to me.

Our accounts were separate.

We had no children.

I requested nothing from him.

I only wanted my name returned to me.

Meanwhile, the entire military region was still discussing Luc Bac Than’s public declaration of love for To Linh Nhi.

For ten years, I had waited for him to acknowledge me once.

He never did.

Yet he publicly introduced To Linh Nhi as his beloved in a single night.

Strangely, it no longer hurt.

Three days later, Luc Bac Than finally received official notice.

He appeared at the hospital before noon.

The door to my office slammed open.

—Lam Phi Van!

I continued writing the patient’s notes.

—Captain Luc, this is a hospital.

—What did you make me sign?

I looked up.

—You didn’t read it?

His face darkened.

—You knew I was worried about Linh Nhi!

—And therefore you signed something without reading it.

I closed the file.

—How is that my responsibility?

He stared at me.

—Withdraw it.

—No.

One word.

His expression changed completely.

Perhaps this was the first time he understood that I wasn’t trying to frighten him.

—Phi Van, stop making trouble.

I smiled faintly.

—You publicly announced another woman while legally married to me, brought her into my home, and then signed the divorce petition yourself.

I looked directly at him.

—Which part is my trouble?

He went silent.

Then his eyes moved toward my desk.

There was another document there.

Marriage application materials.

His face hardened.

—Giang Da?

—Yes.

—You’re actually marrying him?

—That’s the plan.

His fingers tightened.

—You barely know him.

I almost laughed.

—I’ve known you for ten years.

—That didn’t help me much.

He froze.

At that moment, Professor Giang appeared at the doorway.

He didn’t challenge Luc Bac Than.

Didn’t posture.

He simply looked at me.

—Lunch?

—Give me five minutes.

—I’ll wait downstairs.

Then he left.

That tiny exchange affected Luc Bac Than more than any argument could have.

Because Giang Da didn’t order me.

Didn’t question me.

Didn’t decide for me.

He asked.

After he left, Luc Bac Than said quietly:

—Were you already involved with him while we were married?

My expression cooled.

—No.

—Then why is he willing to marry you immediately?

—Because he knew I was married.

Luc Bac Than stopped breathing for a second.

—What?

I nodded.

—Giang Da knew from the beginning.

—And unlike some people, he understood that another person’s marriage deserves boundaries.

That ended the conversation.

A week later, something else happened.

To Linh Nhi was accused of manipulating documents connected to the same security case that had destroyed my first life.

This time, I wasn’t the convenient target.

I had already preserved my schedules, medical records and access logs.

When investigators asked questions, I cooperated calmly.

I didn’t accuse her of anything I couldn’t prove.

I didn’t need to.

The evidence spoke for itself.

Luc Bac Than came to see me again afterward.

This time, he wasn’t angry.

—You knew something would happen.

I looked at him.

—Why would you think that?

He stared at me for a long time.

Then asked:

—Phi Van… did you also come back?

My hand stopped.

Finally.

He remembered.

Not everything.

Fragments.

A field hospital.

My desperate phone call.

His cold words.

“Handle according to military regulations.”

And eventually—

my death.

His face became pale.

—That happened?

I didn’t answer.

He already knew.

—In that life… were you seriously injured?

—Yes.

—And I didn’t come?

—No.

His voice became hoarse.

—Why didn’t you tell me?

I almost smiled.

—I did.

That hurt him more.

For the first time, Luc Bac Than understood why I had changed overnight.

Why I no longer fought with To Linh Nhi.

Why I had calmly announced that I would marry someone else when he offered to introduce me to eligible men, even though he himself had secretly been my husband for five years.

He whispered:

—Can we start again?

—No.

—I’ll tell everyone you’re my wife.

I looked at him.

Those words had once been my greatest wish.

Now they sounded meaningless.

—I’m not your wife anymore.

His eyes reddened.

—The divorce isn’t final yet.

—It will be.

—Phi Van—

I interrupted him.

—In my first life, I spent years asking you to choose me.

My voice remained calm.

—In this life, I finally understand that being chosen after begging isn’t love.

He had no answer.

The divorce was finalized twenty-three days later.

Luc Bac Than didn’t contest it.

Perhaps remembering the previous life had finally taught him one thing:

holding someone legally wasn’t the same as keeping their heart.

A month later, I didn’t marry Giang Da.

Not yet.

When I told him I needed time, he simply nodded.

—Then we’ll take time.

That answer was precisely why, one year later, when he asked again, I said yes.

Our wedding was small.

No military spectacle.

No proving anything to anyone.

Before the ceremony, someone unexpectedly delivered a package.

Inside was my old wedding ring.

The one I had hidden for five years.

There was also a note from Luc Bac Than.

Only one sentence:

“In two lives, the greatest mistake I made was believing you would always wait.”

I folded the note.

Then placed it back inside the box.

Giang Da appeared behind me.

—Do you need a moment?

I turned toward him.

—No.

And I meant it.

I walked outside.

Toward the man who had never asked me to disappear so that he could appear single.

Toward a marriage that didn’t require secrecy.

Toward the life I had chosen for myself.

In my previous life, I died still wondering why five years as Luc Bac Than’s wife had never been enough for him to acknowledge me.

In this life, I finally discovered the answer didn’t matter.

Because when Luc Bac Than eventually wanted the entire world to know I had once been his wife—

I was already standing beside someone who had never been ashamed to call me his.