Sharing her story about her unexpected event with Lao Dong, Ms. Phuong Hoa (49 years old, Hanoi, character name has been changed) said that the peaceful life of her family was turned upside down by a stepchild.
On that fateful day, an unexpected phone call disrupted Ms. Phuong Hoa's seemingly peaceful life.
On the other end of the line, the nephew who was at Ms. Hoa's parents-in-law's house recounted the story he had just witnessed.
I asked her if she knew that today Uncle brought a sister to his grandparents' house. Everyone said it was Uncle's child," Ms. Hoa recalled.
The husband has been with her for more than 20 years of marriage, raising two sons to adulthood, and also has a daughter that she has never known.
I was extremely shocked. When I answered the phone, my hands and feet went numb, I couldn't believe my ears," Ms. Hoa shared.
In her eyes, her husband is a hardworking, hardworking and responsible man to the family. He often comes home early to prepare meals, take care of the children and has never made her doubt his private life. Therefore, she has never asked too deeply about her husband's past.
I think everyone has things before marriage. The important thing is how that person lives with me now," she said.
After facing her husband, Ms. Hoa learned that the man next to her had been married before.
When he was a student, Mr. Hung (character name has been changed) married a woman in his hometown during summer vacation. After that, he returned to Hanoi to continue his studies.
At that time, communication between the two mainly came through letters. Over time, the ex-wife became less and less in contact.
When returning to his hometown, Mr. Hung discovered that the marriage could not continue. The two later divorced, but they had a child together. Mr. Hung went to Hanoi, continued his private life and still supported his child.
For more than 20 years of living together, he has never told his wife about his old marriage or his own children. According to Ms. Hoa, what hurts her the most is not that her husband used to have a wife and children.
That's his past. If it happened before meeting me, I can't blame the past," she said.
But she could not accept becoming the last person to know the truth. In particular, her husband took his own child to meet his parents without informing his wife.
He didn't say a word to me. I knew about it through someone else. The feeling at that time was like for 20 years I didn't really understand who was lying next to me," Ms. Hoa shared.
The story further made Ms. Hoa fall into crisis when she learned that recently, her husband's ex-wife had contacted her again. According to Mr. Hung, this woman wanted to mend their old relationship.
He said he did not agree to return but also made Ms. Hoa worried because many issues had not been resolved clearly.
While still not knowing how to face her husband, the first thing Ms. Hoa thought of was her two sons. She decided to take her children home and tell them the truth directly.
In my head at that time, I just thought I had to tell my children. I was afraid that the children would hear from others and be psychologically hurt," she recounted.
Ms. Hoa's decision surprised many people. Because instead of trying to prevent her husband from recognizing the children or asking the children to stay away from her half-sister, she chose to tell the truth.
What she has not been able to overcome is the silence that has lasted for two decades.
If you had told me from the beginning, things might have been different. I am hurt not because you used to have a past. I am hurt because for the past 20 years, I have not known a very important part of my husband's life," Ms. Hoa said.
To this day, Ms. Hoa still does not know if she can forgive her husband or not. More than 20 years of marriage, a secret that seemed to belong to the past suddenly appeared and shook everything.
Readers can leave comments under the article, share perspectives and advice so that Phuong Hoa can have more references in the current situation.
