Since she was little, the girl had been accustomed to poverty, a dilapidated thatched house next to a windy field. Her mother died in a sudden accident when she was only eight years old, leaving a big void in her heart and a heavy burden for her hunchbacked, blind husband. Her father, despite his poor health, still tried to work for hire, without a word of complaint. Every morning, he carried bundles of firewood to the market to sell, his thin shoulders and hunched back seemed about to break. Looking at his back, the little girl felt both pity and told herself that she would never let him down.

One time, because he loved his daughter so much, he trembled and said: “Don’t drop out of school, you hear? Your mother suffered enough while she was alive, I don’t want you to suffer anymore.” She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, burying that advice deep in her heart. For many years, she persevered in her studies, patiently overcoming her inferiority complex of poverty to stand firm. Teachers loved her, friends loved her, but what kept her strong was her father’s disabled but bright eyes. The day she received the university admission notice, she ran home and hugged him, crying like a child.

“Well done, my daughter,” he smiled, his teeth chipped but his eyes bright, “Your mother in heaven will be very happy.” That night, he sat on the porch for a long time, looking up at the sky as if he wanted to tell his wife the good news. As for her, both happy and sad, she promised herself to do everything to give her father a better life. During her university years, she worked part-time, tutored, worked at a coffee shop, and saved every penny to send back home for her father’s medical expenses. The small house was not much better, but his pride grew.

After graduating, she was lucky to be accepted into a private company, with a stable job and a salary just enough to cover expenses and support her father. Every time she sent money home, he called and said: “Dad, you don’t need it, I’ll keep it for myself.” But she still sent it regularly, because she knew that his back was bent, his legs were getting weaker, and he couldn’t do anything heavy. Occasionally, he came down to visit, standing and looking at his daughter in a neat suit, his partially blind eyes still sparkling with pride. She was happy because she knew she hadn’t let her father down.

Then she met him – a tall, educated, well-off man from the city. He appeared mature and caring, making her heart flutter after many years of keeping her heart closed. The father listened to his daughter’s story of love and just smiled: “I’m happy to see you, as long as no one looks down on you.” She held her father’s hand and affirmed: “He loves me, no one dares to look down on us.” Deep down, she was also afraid, but love made her believe.

The wedding day was approaching, the groom’s family was preparing lavishly, the bride was meticulously groomed, her white dress was gorgeous. Her father, in an old suit lent by relatives, was thin but his eyes were filled with happiness. He followed the bride’s family, trembling as he walked, muttering: “As long as my daughter is happy, I don’t need anything else.” The guests were in full force, the wedding party was brightly lit. She was nervous and happy, not expecting that fate would bring her into a new storm.

When the MC introduced the gift-giving ceremony, the microphone rang out clearly: “Please invite the groom’s parents and the groom’s grandmother to come up on stage to present the gift to the young couple.” The whole hall applauded, the lights shone towards the groom’s family. Her father stood still, bewildered, his heart in turmoil because he did not hear his name. She turned to look at her fiancé, only to see him smile awkwardly, avoiding her. For a moment, her heart ached, sensing something bad was going on.

She asked softly, her voice trembling: “Why didn’t you invite my father?” Her fiancé frowned, and softly replied: “My mother said… well, your father… people will laugh at you, so let it go.” Her ears were ringing, unable to believe what she had just heard. Her father – the man who had worked hard all his life to raise his children – was being seen as a blemish on his daughter’s happy day. Her eyes stung, anger welling up.

She couldn’t help but jump up, the veil falling to the floor. Everyone was shouting and gossiping, but she didn’t care. She ran straight to her father, hugging him as he stood silently at the table. “Father, I’m sorry, they despise you, I won’t marry anymore.” Her words echoed loudly, firmly and trembling.

He was stunned, his one-eyed eye glistening with tears: “Don’t be foolish, don’t let your father…” She interrupted, her voice sobbing but determined: “I’d rather not get married than let people look down on my father.” The guests were in an uproar, the future mother in law paled, and the groom bowed his head, unable to say a word. The naked truth had been revealed, turning the luxurious party into a stage of humiliation. But for her, it was a moment of liberation.

“You want to marry me, but your whole family despises my father, so there’s no need for a wedding,” she shouted, staring straight at her fiancé. His eyes evaded, his hands trembling, not daring to respond. Her father was crying, the rare tears from the corners of his remaining blind eyes falling down his thin cheeks. He hugged his daughter, trembling: “My daughter… I don’t need anything but you.” Amidst the chatter, she tightly held his hand, leading the entire group of brides away.

Outside, the rain was drizzling, each drop seemed to wash away the shame. Father and daughter walked side by side, their warm hands tightly holding each other as if there had never been any distance. The father had a hunched back, but in his eyes, she saw a glistening pride. As for her, tears welled up but her heart was light. Even though her love had ended, she knew she had kept her filial duty.

In the following days, relatives gossiped, some sympathized, some blamed. Father just smiled, patted his son’s shoulder: “When you did that, I was both hurt and happy, but in the end, I know you are strong.” She told herself, her husband could be found again, but her father was the only one. If she accepted, she would live in humiliation for the rest of her life. It was better to lose her love than to lose her self-respect.

Her work then became busy again, friends asked, everyone admired her decisiveness. A close colleague said: “The person worthy of you will never let your father be looked down upon.” Hearing that, she was silent, realizing that happiness cannot be built on contempt. Her father often encouraged her: “My child, my life is over, but you still have a future.” Every time she heard it, she held his hand, feeling extremely warm.

At night, she often lay down and recalled the image of her father standing silently at the wedding, his hunchbacked figure lost in the luxurious crowd. That image haunted her but also became a strength, reminding her that family love was the only shore. Her father was getting older and weaker day by day, his hair turning white, but he still believed in his daughter. She understood that she did not have much time left, and she had to live happily to make up for her father. The loss of love was perhaps just a turning point for her to grow up.

One day, as the two of them sat on the porch, the father asked softly, “Do you regret it?” She shook her head, smiling through her tears: “No, father, I regret being humiliated, but protecting you is my pride.” He was silent, his trembling hand clasping his daughter’s hand. The wind blew through the fields, carrying the gentle scent of rice, like a mother’s comfort from afar. At that moment, she felt she had chosen the right path.

And then, in the hustle and bustle of life, the girl continued walking, stronger and more confident than ever. People still called her “the bride who abandoned the wedding”, but she smiled, not bothered. Because only she understood, that day was not about leaving, but about keeping – keeping self-respect, keeping her father. The tears her father shed became precious gems, shining forever in his daughter’s heart. Their story, though sad, still shone with an unobstructed light.