Nguyen Thi Tiep, from Da Nang and now living in Mo Cay Commune in Vinh Long Province, once thought her life was like a sad movie. In 2007, she entered her first marriage and had two children. Over 11 years, she went through many ups and downs, at times feeling miserable and desperate because of her unhappy marriage.

In 2018, she divorced and took her two children to live in rented accommodation while making a living on her own. She worked various jobs, mainly selling fruit juice and smoothies to raise her children.

“Despite the hardships, I kept trying every day to make sure my children could go to school. Now my older child is 19 and has entered university, while my younger one is 16 and in high school. I am still doing my best to provide them with everything they need,” Tiep said.

After her failed marriage, Tiep lost faith in romantic happiness. It was not until she met Tuan Vu, a Vinh Long native who is 10 years younger, that she opened her heart again.

“Perhaps I was only ready to seek new happiness after my children had grown up,” Tiep shared.

One evening in May 2025, Tiep was singing and livestreaming on TikTok. Vu happened to join the livestream and repeatedly interacted with her.

She wondered, “Who is this man to be so enthusiastic?” and later happened to discover that they had several mutual friends.

“One of them was Vu’s cousin. He once jokingly told me, ‘Maybe you’ll become my sister-in-law someday?’ I just laughed. I never expected that it would actually come true,” Tiep recalled.

Another day, Vu messaged Tiep to ask how she was doing, and the two began talking more. She told him about the “low points” in her life and was also honest about being a single mother of two.

Vu did not mind that. He continued to confide in her and even admitted that he had grown to “like” her as more than a friend.

At the time, Vu was working in HCMC, while Tiep lived in Vinh Long, about 7km from his parents’ home. A month later, Vu used a visit to his hometown as an excuse to go to Tiep’s house to meet her. When they came face to face, both felt shy and awkward.

“He looked younger in real life than in his photos, yet he still insisted on addressing himself as ‘anh’ and me as ‘em.’

“I used our age difference and circumstances as reasons to turn down his feelings. He told me, ‘Age doesn’t matter to me. I care about your difficult, uncertain life, and I admire you because no matter how hard things get, you still make sure your children have everything they need,’” Tiep said emotionally.

Tiep knew she had developed feelings for the man 10 years her junior, but she worried that she might not be able to have children with him, so she was hesitant to take the relationship further.

Eventually, she decided to undergo a premarital health checkup at a hospital. If she was still capable of having children, she would accept his feelings; otherwise, she would firmly turn him down.

“The results were positive, so I agreed to date Vu,” Tiep said with a smile.

A happy wedding

From the beginning of her relationship with Vu, Tiep was open about it with her children. Her older son told her, “You’re still young. You should get married. I’ll be happy if you find someone who’s right for you.”

Tiep’s parents initially objected because they feared their daughter would suffer again. However, after talking with Vu over video calls, they came to trust him and gave the couple their support.

“Vu’s mother passed away many years ago. His father is a very kind man who only wants his children to be happy,” Tiep said.

During their year-long relationship, Vu devoted himself to caring for Tiep. He texted and called her every day to check on her. Every month, he drove from HCMC to Vinh Long to visit her and showed his care through even the smallest things.

In September 2026, after more than a year of getting to know each other, the couple decided to get married. Their wedding was held in Vinh Long on September 12, with Tiep’s father, maternal aunt and siblings attending on the bride’s side.

Thanh Minh