In the wedding hall, the beautiful bride, wearing a pristine white gown and a thin veil covering her face, looked even more graceful and elegant.
Beside her, the dashing, proud man stood in a matching suit.
The two linked arms and slowly walked in.
All around them were sounds of congratulations and crisp applause.
Here and there, there were a few whispers, but they immediately fell silent when someone deliberately looked their way.
The officiant looked at the couple before him and happily began to speak:
"Today, we are gathered here to witness and bless this couple."
A round of applause echoed again in agreement.
He looked at the two before him again:
"Quoc Thinh, do you agree to marry Thanh Dan and take her as your wife? To never let go of her hand, no matter what happens in this life?"
The groom, Quoc Thinh, without hesitation, immediately replied that he did.
After hearing the officiant's question, the bride, Thanh Dan, remained silent for a moment before softly voicing her agreement.
The officiant nodded and smiled at them, then declared Quoc Thinh and Thanh Dan husband and wife.
Everyone in the hall simultaneously stood up and applauded, congratulating the young couple.
After the reception with friends and guests, Quoc Thinh, completely drunk, stumbled into the car, while Thanh Dan silently sat beside him.
Upon arriving at the pre-booked hotel, she struggled to help Quoc Thinh into their room.
Thud…
Quoc Thinh collapsed onto the bed, which was strewn with romantic rose petals.
Thanh Dan wearily looked at her new husband, only now able to see him clearly.
Seeing Quoc Thinh uncomfortably fumbling with his tie, Thanh Dan reached out to help him.
Quoc Thinh immediately brushed her hand away, turned his face away, and let out a heavy sigh.
As Thanh Dan withdrew her hand, she stared blankly out the window.
Quoc Thinh was the CEO of Thinh Vuong Company, known for being a cold and unpredictable man.
He had once been in love with a girl, but they had broken up early on, and since then, he hadn't pursued any other relationships.
He had a twin brother named Quoc Hai, who didn't want to rely on their father's company and had started his own business, which, though smaller, he was quite satisfied with.
All matters concerning Thinh Vuong were entrusted to Quoc Thinh, yet Quoc Hai felt no envy.
As for Thanh Dan, she was a final-year student at Z University.
Five years after her mother passed away, her father married another woman.
When the woman moved into their home, Thanh Dan learned she had a son, three years younger than her, named Tan Hao.
Tan Hao was a frivolous and dissolute person, and on many occasions when no one else was home, he would tease and even threaten Thanh Dan.
Not wanting to see him, and partly out of fear, Thanh Dan asked her father to let her live in the school dormitory.
That day, when Thanh Dan returned home for a visit, she found her father looking dejected in the living room.
She worriedly asked him and learned that Tan Hao, following his friends' advice, had taken money to gamble on cryptocurrency and lost everything.
The current debt exceeded what Thanh Dan's father could afford.
Mrs. Hoa, Tan Hao's mother, tearfully said to her husband:
"Save my son! You must save him."
"But the debt is too large; even if I sold this house and the company, I couldn't cover it!"
"So you're just going to stand by and watch them demand money from Tan Hao? He's my son, after all!"
Thanh Dan didn't know what to say and just sat there, watching her stepmother cry and argue with her father.
The next day, the debt collectors came to Thanh Dan's house, dragged Tan Hao into the middle of the living room, and took turns beating him.
Tan Hao's mother stood screaming and begging them, then turned, sobbing, to look at her husband.
Tan Hao, clutching himself and enduring the blows, cried out, "Mom, save me!"
When she could no longer bear it, Tan Hao's mother rushed forward and embraced her son, pleading:
“One week, just give me one more week! I’ll pay you all back!”
The leader signaled his group to stop, smirked, and then walked away.
Qin Hao staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Qin Hao’s mother looked at her son with anguish, a pang of guilt striking her as she recalled impulsively asking for more time.
Now, how could she possibly earn that much money in just one week?