The hospital in the final days of the year was bitterly cold. The pale white fluorescent light shone down on Hanh’s gaunt face. She lay quietly on her hospital bed, the silence broken only by her occasional dry cough. Her thin hands trembled as she clutched her phone tightly, the screen displaying the latest photo on her husband Tuan’s personal social media page.
Snow lay white everywhere, Christmas trees sparkled with lights, and a dazzling smile filled the frame. But standing beside him was not Hanh—it was Kieu, along with a little girl of about five years old, wearing the uniform jacket of a luxury resort in Switzerland.
Hanh’s tears welled up, salty and bitter. She had just received a message from her son Long’s homeroom teacher:
“Sister Hanh, the tuition fee for this month hasn’t been transferred yet.”
An invisible knife seemed to cut straight through her heart. While her husband was vacationing in Europe with his mistress and her child, spending money to maintain a fabricated happiness, his own biological son, Long, was facing the risk of being expelled from school over just a few million dong. A few days before being hospitalized for acute pneumonia, Hanh had asked about the money saved in their joint account, only to be brushed aside by Tuan:
“The money has already been invested in a new project. Just lie there and take care of your health. I’ll handle the finances. What do women know about money anyway?”
Now she understood—the so-called “project” was this luxurious trip.
After a while, the hospital room door opened. A small but resolute figure entered—it was Mrs. Loi, her mother-in-law. She had traveled from her hometown to visit, her face etched with worry. She only knew that her daughter-in-law was seriously ill; she had no idea about her son’s “fatal” trip. Seeing Hanh so weak, tears immediately streamed down Mrs. Loi’s face.
“Oh my God, Hanh… what has happened to you? Where is Tuan? I’ve been calling him, but his phone is turned off. Where could he be, not staying to take care of his wife and children?” Mrs. Loi cried, gripping Hanh’s hand tightly.
Hanh forced a reassuring smile, her voice barely stronger than a whisper.
“Mother… I’m fine. He… he had an urgent business trip abroad, so he didn’t have time to inform you.”
But Mrs. Loi was a perceptive woman. Though from the countryside, she could easily detect the lie in her daughter-in-law’s eyes. It wasn’t the look of a harmless lie, but of endurance stretched to its limit. She picked up Hanh’s phone from the bedside table, put on her fogged glasses, and the image of Tuan’s “Christmas Family” photo filled her vision. The entire room seemed to freeze.
“Switzerland. Is that where his ‘unexpected business trip’ is?” Mrs. Loi’s voice was frighteningly calm, like the surface of a lake freezing before a storm. “Kieu… that woman is Kieu, isn’t she? And that child—his own?”
She lowered the phone, her trembling hands gripping the edge of the bed. She didn’t cry or shout, but her face turned deathly pale, as if all strength had drained from her.
Hanh could no longer hold back. Her voice trembled with resentment and pain.
“Mother… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you… Long… he doesn’t have money for his tuition. He cut off all the cards. And I’m still in the hospital…”
At that moment, Mrs. Loi’s anger exploded. She couldn’t believe that the son she had given birth to, whom she had painstakingly taught right from wrong, could become so heartless. His wife was gravely ill, his child was on the verge of losing his education, yet he squandered family money on another woman. In the past, Mrs. Loi had entrusted her son with her own bank account for business purposes. Only now did she realize he had been using her money to live in luxury.
She turned around and hurried out of the hospital room.
“Just lie there and rest. I will not allow this family to be humiliated and trampled on—especially not by my own unworthy son.”
Meanwhile, at a five-star hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, Tuan raised a glass of champagne with Kieu. Laughing arrogantly, he said, “I told you, everything is under control. What can Cai Hanh possibly do? She’s spent her whole life bowing her head in obedience. When she got sick, I sent money—that’s enough. And don’t worry, I’ve had my mother’s card for a long time. How would that old woman ever find out?”
Kieu, dressed in a shimmering evening gown, sipped her wine, her cold eyes flashing with disdain.
“You’re impressive, Brother Tuan. But are you sure your mother won’t suspect anything? That’s money she saved her whole life. You promised to buy me that diamond necklace—are you getting it now, or next Christmas?” Her words were sweet, but beneath them lay naked greed and pressure.
Tuan quickly reassured her.
“Relax. I’ve already ordered it. To me, you and baby Na are my real family. The ex-wife belongs to the past.”
He didn’t know that at the very moment he said those words, his life was about to change completely.
Suddenly, his phone began vibrating nonstop, followed by Kieu’s phone.
“Look!” Kieu frowned, holding her phone out to him. Her face turned pale.
On Mrs. Loi’s personal social media page, a short video had just been posted. The video showed an empty hospital room, then shifted to Long sitting alone at an old desk, studying with sad eyes. Mrs. Loi’s voice rang out—calm but powerful, like a declaration:
“This is my daughter-in-law, Hanh, lying in the hospital. And this is my grandson, Long, at risk of losing his education. Meanwhile, my son Tuan is spending extravagantly overseas with his mistress and her child. I, Loi, as a mother, declare: from this moment on, ALL bank accounts—including those Tuan has been using without my permission—are frozen. I will use all my remaining assets to care for my daughter-in-law’s medical treatment and my grandson’s education. In the future, all my property, including my house, will be left to my daughter-in-law Hanh. Whoever dares to harm my daughter-in-law and grandchildren will have to step over my dead body first!”
Thousands of comments exploded beneath the video. A storm of public opinion erupted instantly.
Tuan’s face drained of color. He nearly dropped his champagne glass.
“Impossible! Mom… how could you… You’re just an old woman! How do you even know how to freeze accounts?” He frantically checked his phone. Warning messages flooded in: “Account frozen at the request of the owner.”
Kieu stood up, her sharp eyes now full of contempt.
“What did you say? All the cards are frozen? Are you kidding me? Where’s the money for this trip? Where’s the money for my diamond necklace? You said you had everything!”
Tuan trembled, trying to remain calm.
“Calm down, Kieu. Mom’s just angry. I’ll call her and talk it out. She’ll unfreeze everything.”
Kieu sneered.
“Angry? Read this again! She’s leaving everything to your wife! Do you think this is just anger? She’s cutting you off completely, idiot! Do you really think she’ll listen to you now? A man who cheated, stole his elderly mother’s money, abandoned his wife and child—do you think she’d forgive you?”
Her words lashed at the last remnants of Tuan’s pride.
“But… you can’t just leave! I promised you!”
“Promise?” Kieu laughed coldly. “Your promises are worth less than trash. Do you really think I was with you for love? Don’t be stupid. I was with you for money and the luxurious life you promised. Now that you have nothing left, what are you to me? Do you think I’ll stay here and comfort you on Christmas Eve with frozen cards? Goodbye.”
She packed her bags and left without looking back, leaving Tuan standing alone in the luxurious but empty room.
The next morning, Tuan boarded the earliest flight home. Instead of going home, he went straight to the hospital.
Inside the room, Hanh sat up against her pillow, drinking warm water. She was still pale, but there was a spark of life in her eyes. Mrs. Loi sat beside her, having just received confirmation from her lawyer that all asset-freezing procedures were complete.
The door opened and Tuan stormed in, furious.
“Mom! What on earth are you doing? Do you know what you’ve done? You froze all the accounts? Do you know how big my business is? Why did you post that video online? Do you want me to lose all my dignity?”
Mrs. Loi slowly raised her head. Her gaze held no maternal affection—only disappointment and contempt.
“What did you expect me to do? Do you even remember whose son you are? Do you remember you have a sick wife lying here and a child struggling to pay school fees?”
The argument escalated until Hanh finally spoke calmly:
“Brother Tuan, I don’t need your money anymore. I have a mother now. She takes care of me and Long.”
When Tuan panicked and mentioned divorce, Mrs. Loi stood up firmly.
“So be it. You are no longer worthy of being a husband or a father.”
Tuan collapsed completely. He had lost everything—money, his mistress, and most painfully, his family.
That Christmas, there was no snow, but Hanh felt warm. She recovered and left the hospital. Long returned to school, his tuition fully paid. Mrs. Loi moved in with them and bought a comfortable apartment in Hanh’s name.
In their new home, Christmas lights twinkled softly. Laughter filled the room. Hanh smiled, realizing that she had lost a deceitful husband but gained dignity, justice, and a priceless mother-in-law.
That Christmas, she finally understood the true meaning of family and happiness—not luxury or wealth, but peace, fairness, and love.