“When My Father Married the Woman I Once Loved” — A Son’s Story of Heartbreak and Forgiveness

I’m Nam, a third-year university student. My mother passed away five years ago, leaving my father to live alone in the countryside. I thought he’d stay that way forever — until one day, his voice trembled over the phone:

“Nam, come home this weekend. I have something important to tell you.”

When I arrived, my heart froze. Standing beside my father was Lan — my high school crush, the girl I once secretly loved. But this time, she was pregnant… with his child.

I couldn’t breathe. I ran to the riverbank, tears blurring everything. My father later came, his voice breaking:

“I’m old and lonely, Nam. Lan and I found comfort in each other.”

His words cut deep. Lan apologized, saying life had led her to him, not me. That night, I found my late mother’s letter urging me to “forgive and cherish family.”

On their wedding day, I left a note:

“I can’t bless you, but I can’t hate you either.”

And with that, I walked away — leaving behind my love, my father, and my youth.