The latest episode of Vo Chong Son (Newlyweds) aired the love story of Tran Thi Yen Nhi (30, from Can Tho, a businesswoman) and Michael Martinez Vega (from Cuba).

Michael has lived in Vietnam for 10 years and currently works in business. He first met Yen Nhi at a hotel in HCMC three years ago. He had a Cuban band and frequently performed at this hotel.

At that time, Yen Nhi was a single mother of a 4-year-old girl. During their first meeting, she was not particularly impressed by the Cuban man because he had a shaved head. Michael, on the contrary, was deeply attracted to Nhi’s sweet beauty, so he took the initiative to start a conversation and ask for her contact number.

After getting her phone number, he frequently called and texted to check on her. On some days, he was willing to stand outside her house in the rain, bringing flowers and waiting for a chance to see her and give her the bouquet.

“The first time I met her, I told my friend, ‘This girl will be my future wife.’ My friend asked, ‘Why do you think so?’ I still insisted, ‘I bet she will be my wife one day.’ I don’t know why, but I clearly felt it,” Michael recalled.

Yen Nhi admitted that after a previous failed relationship, she was cautious about Michael’s feelings. However, when her daughter fell ill and had to undergo surgery under anesthesia, Michael’s care and concern deeply moved her.

“At 6am, he was already at the hospital but didn’t dare to come upstairs. He texted me: ‘If anything happens, call me. I’ll sit here and wait.’ He waited until 3pm, when my daughter finished surgery, before going to eat.

From that day on, I felt his genuine care for my daughter. That’s when I accepted his feelings,” Yen Nhi shared.

Michael said he had never particularly liked children and found the idea of raising a child daunting. Yet when he first met Yen Nhi’s daughter, he felt something special. A paternal instinct made him want to love and protect the little girl.

However, the girl strongly opposed the relationship. She feared that if her mother had a new partner, she would no longer receive the same attention, and that a stepfather might not truly love her.

For a year, Michael and Yen Nhi tried various ways to nurture their bond and reassure the child so she could feel secure in her own home, but to no avail. The girl continued to say “no” to Michael.

Feeling stressed and helpless, Nhi once considered breaking up to set Michael free. He was also heartbroken and shed many tears.

“One thing I truly admire about him is his persistence. He said he would spend his whole life proving his sincere love to my daughter,” Yen Nhi said.

Seeing Michael’s determination, Yen Nhi chose to stand by him. One day, Michael decided to pack up and return to Cuba. Before leaving, he said an emotional goodbye to Nhi’s daughter.

As Michael walked away with his suitcase, the girl broke down crying: “Mom, Dad has left. I’m sorry. I won’t be like that anymore. I’ve lost Dad.” In that moment, both Yen Nhi and Michael realized how important he had become in her heart.

“At that moment, I realized I truly had a daughter,” Michael said emotionally.

The couple married in 2024. For more than a year now, Michael has been a devoted husband and father, a strong pillar for Yen Nhi and her daughter.

Every morning, he wakes up early to take the child to school, even if he worked late the night before. Yen Nhi says she feels fortunate to have found a man who truly loves her daughter.

On Vo Chong Son, Michael sent a message to his stepdaughter: “You know that Dad loves you very much. I want you to know that I care about everything in your life. I am very lucky that you came into my life. You have made my life so happy. I pray that we can live together every day.”

Yen Nhi’s daughter, Phuong Anh, was visibly moved by her stepfather’s heartfelt words.

Ha Nguyen