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Following several unsuccessful relationships, the 38-year-old from Da Nang had spent more than a decade accepting the idea of staying single. When her father developed Alzheimer’s disease, she left her job in Ho Chi Minh City and returned home to care for him.

Anticipating lifelong singlehood, she saved money, intending to stay close to family, help look after her nieces and nephews, and move into a nursing home in her old age.

In early 2024, when Trinh planned to study in France, her two sisters living there saw a chance to solve two problems at once. They created a dating profile for her, hoping to help her practice French with native speakers while encouraging her to look for love again.

Because of her limited French, the two took charge of the initial chats to screen potential matches before handing over the account.

On learning about Trinh’s true intentions and that the account was managed by others, most men abruptly stopped chatting. The only one who persisted was Guillaume Jean Jacques Debas, 39, of Coulommiers in France.

Having gone through a divorce, he had joined the app looking for a serious relationship. He says: “On social media, many people try to appear flawless, but Trinh chose to be authentic. That’s why I decided to persist.”

Trinh took great care to sustain the conversation, looking up every word before drafting a response. Though she often struggled with French and replied off-topic, Guillaume always responded with patience.

Despite living five or six time zones apart, they chatted daily. Guillaume taught French to Trinh, while she guided him through basic Vietnamese greetings.

Their conversations soon moved from language practice to deeper topics. She spoke about her rural upbringing in a family of eight, while he opened up about his divorce.

In a gesture that deeply moved Trinh, he moved out of the home he had shared with his ex-wife to show respect for their growing connection. “He paid attention to the feelings of someone he had only just met on social media,” she says.

Guillaume admired Trinh’s devotion to her family, as well as her resolve to leave her comfort zone in Vietnam to pursue a new chapter in France.

The turning point in their relationship came from a translation mishap. When she sent an incorrectly worded message, he mistook it for a profession of love. As she scrambled to clarify, he simply smiled and said, “Je t’aime.”

To prove his sincerity, he visited one of her sisters in France, who was impressed by his courtesy and even sent photos to Trinh.

After eating dinner at her sister’s house, he bought a pair of chopsticks and a rice cooker to learn how to cook rice properly and practice eating with chopsticks. He also began learning Vietnamese language and culture.

In February 2025, after six months of daily conversations, he flew to Vietnam to meet Trinh for the first time. At the airport in Da Nang, he was surprised to see her waiting with a bouquet of flowers. “She was even more beautiful than in her photos and video calls,” he says.

While eating with her family, he used chopsticks with ease, enjoyed every Vietnamese dish, and helped clear the table and wash dishes afterward. “Every 10 minutes he would ask whether I was tired,” Trinh says. “Whatever I did, he wanted to help.”

Guillaume even learned how to greet Trinh’s mother in Vietnamese, as she was the only one in the family who didn’t speak another language.

Trinh and Guillaume at their wedding in 2025. Photo courtesy of Trinh

Watching him stay up through the night to help feed her father milk drop by drop and look after her nieces and nephews changed Trinh’s perspective on marriage, prompting her to give it a chance.

After three trips to Vietnam, Guillaume and Trinh eventually exchanged vows in Da Nang in August 2025.

Rather than settling in France, he relocated to Vietnam in early 2026 to teach at schools in HCMC, quickly integrating into both the French expatriate community and local circles. He flies to Da Nang every weekend to care for his father-in-law alongside his wife.

“Our unexpected romance taught me that anyone can change the course of their own life,” he says. “If you make the effort to look, you will eventually find the person who brings you happiness.”

Trinh hasn’t abandoned her plans to study in France, but for now, her priority remains staying in Vietnam to care for her father. Nearly a year into marriage, she has come to realize that tying the knot doesn’t mean giving up her freedom. “If you find the right person, every choice leads to happiness,” she adds.