The moment I realized the baby in Tong Duu Ninh’s arms was my daughter, I stopped asking why my husband didn’t love me.
Because the truth was much crueler.
He had never intended to love her either.
My hands were still shaking.
But my mind became strangely calm.
For three days.
I had believed that the greatest happiness of my life was finally arriving.
My daughter.
My little Uc Ninh.
The child I carried for nine months.
The child who made me endure every pain.
I thought that when Co Tu Vien saw her…
he would finally understand.
He would finally become a father.
But I was wrong.
The first time he held a baby with tenderness…
was not my daughter.
Tong Duu Ninh looked at me with a worried expression.
“Ngon Tam…”
Her voice was soft.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
I looked at her.
“Misunderstand what?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I know Tu Vien only wants to help me.”
Help her.
Those two words sounded ridiculous.
Because the person being sacrificed was my daughter.
Co Tu Vien frowned.
“Kieu Ngon Tam, why are you making this difficult?”
I looked at him.
“Making what difficult?”
His expression darkened.
“Everyone is tired. The children just came into the world. Don’t create problems now.”
Children.
Plural.
I almost laughed.
Because in his heart…
there were already two children.
Mine.
And hers.
I walked toward the two babies.
Tong Duu Ninh immediately stepped forward.
“What are you doing?”
I looked at her.
“Checking my daughter.”
Her hand tightened around the blanket.
“My daughter is here.”
The room became silent.
Co Tu Vien’s face changed.
“Ngon Tam.”
His voice became cold.
“Don’t say things without evidence.”
Evidence?
I looked at him in disbelief.
“My daughter was born three days ago.”
“And you are telling me I need evidence to recognize her?”
At that moment, the nurse suddenly entered.
“Mrs. Kieu.”
I turned.
“The doctor asked you to confirm the newborn records.”
My heart moved.
The birth records.
The bracelet.
The footprints.
Everything.
Everything was recorded.
I looked at Co Tu Vien.
“Let’s go.”
His expression became strange.
“What?”
“Let’s verify.”
For the first time…
I saw panic flash across his face.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
The nurse brought us to the newborn information room.
The doctor opened the file.
“Baby Kieu Uc Ninh.”
“Born at 8:16 p.m.”
“Weight: 3.2 kilograms.”
“Mother: Kieu Ngon Tam.”
“Father…”
The doctor paused.
I looked up.
“What’s wrong?”
The doctor frowned.
“Nothing.”
But his expression was strange.
He continued:
“Father: Co Tu Vien.”
I looked at the document.
Then at my husband.
Everything seemed normal.
Too normal.
Until the doctor turned the page.
“However…”
He stopped.
“What?”
“There is an unusual record.”
My heartbeat accelerated.
“What record?”
The doctor looked at Co Tu Vien.
“Three days ago, someone requested a temporary modification of the newborn identification information.”
My entire body froze.
“What?”
The doctor continued:
“The request was made before discharge.”
“Someone wanted to change the bracelet identification.”
The room became completely silent.
I slowly turned my head.
Toward my husband.
Co Tu Vien’s expression changed.
“That’s impossible.”
The doctor looked at him.
“Mr. Co, the authorization signature…”
He placed the document on the table.
“Is yours.”
I felt something collapse inside me.
Not because I was surprised.
Because deep down…
I already knew.
I looked at the signature.
The handwriting.
The date.
Everything.
My husband had not accidentally made a mistake.
He had planned it.
I stepped backward.
“Why?”
My voice was very quiet.
Co Tu Vien avoided my eyes.
“Ngon Tam…”
“Why?”
This time my voice broke.
“Why would you change your own daughter’s identity?”
Silence.
Then Tong Duu Ninh suddenly appeared at the door.
Her face was pale.
“Tu Vien…”
She whispered.
“Tell her.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She bit her lip.
Then tears appeared.
“The truth is…”
A pause.
“Xiao Bao has a serious illness.”
I froze.
“What does that have to do with my daughter?”
Tong Duu Ninh cried.
“The hospital said…”
“Only a child with the right blood type can help her.”
My hands turned cold.
No.
Impossible.
I looked at Co Tu Vien.
“You wanted to use my daughter?”
He didn’t answer.
And that silence…
was the answer.
The man I loved.
The father of my child.
The person who promised to protect us.
Was willing to take my daughter’s identity…
for another woman’s child.
I laughed.
Quietly.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
Why he cared about Tong Duu Ninh.
Why he protected her.
Why he looked at her child differently.
Because to him…
my daughter was not a child.
She was a solution.
I wiped away my tears.
Then I took out my phone.
Co Tu Vien frowned.
“What are you doing?”
I looked at him.
“For the first time…”
“My daughter and I are going to protect ourselves.”
I pressed one button.
A call connected.
“Hello, lawyer Lin.”
My husband’s face changed.
“Lawyer?”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
“Because from this moment…”
“I need someone to explain to my husband…”
what happens when he tries to steal my daughter’s identity.”
But I didn’t know…
that before I made this call…
someone had already discovered the hospital records.
And that person was on the way.
Because the truth about Tong Duu Ninh’s child…
was much more complicated than anyone imagined.
TO BE CONTINUED…
