I’m Nam, a third-year college student. Since my mom passed away five years ago, my dad lived alone in the village. I thought he’d be alone forever, that he’d never remarry.

But one afternoon, the phone rang.

“Nam, come back this weekend. I have something important to tell you.” Dad’s voice was deep and determined.

My heart fluttered. Something important?

Dad is reserved and rarely calls, except to ask how I’m doing. That night, I couldn’t sleep; I was restless.

On Saturday morning, I took the car back home.

The familiar streets, the rows of trees, the old tiled roofs suddenly seemed strange. I hurried toward the market. The door of the house opened…

There was Dad. Beside him, a woman. I froze for a moment. Then I looked down… Her belly—round, large—seemed to hide an undeniable secret.

I sighed, my heart pounding:

— “No… impossible…”

The woman looked up. And I was speechless.

It was Lan—my old classmate. Lan—the girl I had secretly loved and remembered during my high school years, but never had the courage to confess.

My legs went cold, my mind spun. The scene in front of me seemed to take everything away from me. Dad stood up and said in a firm voice:

— “I… Let me talk…”

But I didn’t hear him. Tears began to fall, and I turned and ran away, ignoring Dad’s sad calls behind me.

I ran straight to the riverbank, where I used to fly kites as a child and sit with my mom on cold afternoons.

Sitting with my hands on my head, I screamed senselessly. Why Lan?

The person I only vaguely remembered from my youth was now next to my dad, carrying a drop of his blood.

God and heaven, Dad found me. He sat down and sighed.

“Nam, I know you’re confused. But I don’t want to hide anything from you. Godfather has been alone for years, lonely. It was a coincidence that Dad met Lan and they confided in each other. Lan loves her dad very much, and… she loves you too.”

I stood up, looked straight into my dad’s eyes, and said in a bitter voice:

“But you know? Do you like her now? I’ve considered her my entire youth. Is she my dad’s wife… do you understand what that means?”

Dad remained silent. His eyes turned red, but he remained firm:

“I don’t know. If you knew… Maybe Dad thought differently. Nam, you must understand that… the feelings of youth are memories. Now Lan and her baby need a home.”

I laughed bitterly. His words were like a knife twisting in my heart.

The next day, Lan came to see me. She looked at me, her eyes doubtful, her voice trembling:

— “Nam… forgive me. I know you had feelings before, but we were both young. I love you very much, but I didn’t think we’d be together. Life leads us… In the end, I’m with my dad. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I stopped, closed my eyes, and clasped my hands:

— “I told you I didn’t want to, but I chose my dad. Do you know how much this hurts, a thousand times more?”

Lan cried, hugging her belly as if protecting the baby. Seeing that scene, I felt hatred and sadness, anger and helplessness all at the same time.

That night, I looked for the old drawer where I kept my mom’s letter. The familiar handwriting appeared:

— “Nam, I just wish you to live with kindness, love people, and value your family. If you ever walk again, forgive him and don’t abandon him.”

My tears ran all over the page. My heart was broken and saved at the same time.

On the wedding day, I stood outside the door, looking at my dad in his simple suit, at Lan in her white dress, gently stroking her bump. My heart was beating fast. I wanted to rush in, shout “No!”, but my feet felt glued to the ground.

In the end, I left only an envelope:

— “I can’t bless you, but I can’t hate you either. I’m leaving, I hope you’re happy.”

I turned and walked away. The wedding music echoed behind me, and every step seemed to step on my own heart.

My youth, my family—everything shattered in that moment.