The CEO's Broken Promises

When Harbor City's night sky was lit up by fireworks, I leaned on Yale Gabriel's shoulder. On the huge electronic screen across the river, our wedding photos played in a loop. He held my hand, his fingertips warm, his voice deep and gentle. "Nancy, with you and Andy, I'm the happiest man in the world." I nodded with a smile, but an imperceptible emptiness flickered across my eyes. This marriage, admired by everyone, felt more like an elaborately staged play to me. I was the lead actress, destined to play the perfect role of "Mrs. Jones". The Jones family was a prominent clan in Harbor City, and Louis Jones was a rising star in the business world, highly sought-after. As for me, Nancy Shawn, I was the eldest young lady the Shawn family had found three years earlier. No one knew that before returning to the Shawn family, I was just Nancy, a girl who had done heavy labor in the remote mountains of northwest for over a decade. The Shawn family didn't retrieve me out of familial affection. It was merely because the Jones family needed a daughter-in-law from a matching background, and I was their only option. The wedding was grand and magnificent. Dressed in a white wedding dress, I felt like a marionette. In the second year of our marriage, Andy was born. Louis doted on Andy endlessly, and the entire Jones family grew to acknowledge me a little more because of the child. I thought, perhaps such a life could be endured. Until that afternoon, a phone call shattered all peace. "Is this Andy's mother?" On the other end of the line was Andy's kindergarten teacher, her voice anxious. "Andy fell down the stairs and is now in the hospital undergoing emergency treatment. Please come quickly!" My blood ran cold instantly, and my hands trembled so violently I could barely hold the phone. When I rushed to the hospital, Louis was already there. By his side stood a woman in a pink dress—his distant cousin, Vivian Lincoln. Vivian's eyes were red and swollen. She clung to Louis' arm, her voice choked with sobs. "Cousin, it's all my fault. I didn't keep an eye on Andy..." Louis patted the back of her hand, his tone gentler than I had ever heard. "It's not your fault. Andy was just being careless." I rushed over and grabbed Louis' arm, asking anxiously, "How is Andy? What did the doctor say?" Louis frowned, pulled his hand away, and his tone carried a hint of irritation. "The doctor is in there performing emergency treatment. Calm down." His gaze swept over my pale face, showing no trace of concern—only blame. At that moment, something in my heart began to crumble. The light above the emergency room door stayed on for a long time. I stood in the corridor, cold all over, like a statue. Vivian leaned against Louis' chest, letting out occasional sobs. Louis comforted her patiently, as if I were the outsider. Finally, the doctor walked out. "Who are Andy's family members?" Louis and I stepped forward simultaneously. The doctor sighed: "The child is out of danger for now, but he needs a blood transfusion. Who among you has type O blood?" I immediately replied: "I have type O blood. Take mine!" Louis also nodded: "So do I." A nurse led us to have our blood drawn. The wait for the results felt like torture, every second dragging on endlessly. Suddenly, the nurse approached with the test results, her expression solemn. "Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, there's something we need to tell you." My heart sank sharply. "What's wrong?" Louis asked. "According to the test results, neither of your blood types matches Andy's."