Empty Promises
Chapter 1
Before I died, I learned that Gregory had
gotten a vasectomy before our wedding.
He said apologetically,
“I know you always wanted children. But
Claire had a son for me, and I promised her
that regardless of who I married, our estate
would go to her child.”
“Having another child would break that
promise.”
“You know I value my commitments above all
else.”
Half a century later, I realized my life had
been a joke.
I’d helped him rise from humble beginnings to
the peak of power.
He’d once held me close, whispering
promises of forever.
Yet all that paled in comparison to a vow he’d
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made to his first love.
Then, I woke up, back on our wedding night.
He whispered in my ear, “Bethany, give me a
child. I’ll cherish you forever.”
1
Feeling his warmth beside me, I felt a strange
sense of déjà vu.
Those familiar words, Gregory had said them
in my past life, too.
Back then, I blushed, shyly nodding my
agreement.
My heart was full of anticipation for our life
together.
But the sweetness lasted only a few months,
dissolving into chaos and disappointment.
The day after the wedding, Gregory’s mother,
my mother–in–law, hinted that I should
quickly give them a grandson.
I knew Gregory’s father had passed away,
leaving him as the sole heir.
His family was traditional; wanting a child was
understandable.
I loved children and wasn’t opposed to the
idea.
in fact, I diligently tracked my ovulation
cycles, hoping to conceive a child with
Gregory.
But despite countless attempts, even trying
every bizarre remedy his mother found, my
belly remained stubbornly flat.
Over time, my mother–in–law’s attitude
soured.
“You could hatch chicks by putting stones in
a bed, but your belly won’t even produce an
egg!”
Later, as Gregory climbed the corporate
ladder, his mother openly suggested he take a
mistress to bear him a son.
“If she can’t have one, should he be forbidden
from having a child with another woman?!”
I cried, recounting my mother–in–law’s insults
to Gregory.
He just sighed, “Bethany, she’s my mother.”
“Try to understand her. Isn’t it just us two? In
the end, it’s only you by my side.”
“Haven’t you been eyeing that new handbag?
I’ll have someone get it for you tomorrow,
okay?”
He always did this a slap followed by a
candy, leaving me nowhere to vent.
I desperately wanted to unleash my anger, but
whenever Gregory looked at me with pity, I
wilted.
I always believed it was my fault that I
couldn’t conceive.
This left me unable to argue with Gregory.
Eventually, as we grew older, Gregory’s
mother passed away.
Our relationship improved somewhat.
But my belly remained stubbornly empty.
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child.
Around this time, Gregory’s first love, Linda
Claire, returned with her son.
I knew Linda; we were college roommates.
We weren’t close, but we were friendly.
Linda’s husband had died, leaving her and her
son.
Seeing young Liam and his heartbroken
mother, I felt sympathy and occasionally
helped them.
Later, Linda asked me to be Liam’s
godmother.
I poured all my unfulfilled maternal desires
into this child.
I wholeheartedly nurtured him, watching him
grow into a successful man.
But as I lay dying,
frail and elderly in my hospital bed,
as the elegant Linda Claire, arm in arm with
the silver–haired Gregory, and their now
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grown–up Liam visited,
I finally understood that my life had been a
terrible mistake.
A colossal error.
Gregory’s wrinkled face held a tender
expression for Linda Claire, and he looked at
me with apology.
“Bethany, I know you always wanted children.
But Claire had a son for me, and I promised
her that regardless of who I married, our
estate would go to her child.”
“Having another child would break that
promise.”
“You know I value my commitments above all
else.”
Because of this commitment, my entire life
became a cruel joke.
All the scorn and whispers, all the suffering,
were because Gregory had gotten a
vasectomy before we married.
<
I died in humiliation, full of resentment.
I hated myself for my poor judgment, my
weakness, and my foolishness!
Thank goodness fate gave me a second
chance.
2
I gently pushed Gregory away, getting
dressed.
He paused, then smiled and approached me.
“What’s wrong, Bethany?”
I moved away.
Every second spent near him felt disgusting.
Contaminating.
I looked at him emotionlessly, coldly asking,
“Gregory, without a child, wouldn’t you still
cherish me forever?”
Gregory thought I was nitpicking and being
unreasonably angry, and he laughed
nervously.
He reached out to grab me.
<
“Bethany, that’s not what I meant.”
“You love children, don’t you? Have a child
with me, okay?”
“Don’t worry, even without a child, I’ll cherish
you forever.”
“You know me, I value my commitments
above all else.”
I coldly shrugged off Gregory’s touch.
He was right; he valued his commitments.
He’d promised Linda Claire, so he’d gotten a
vasectomy before the wedding..
He’d promised to cherish me forever, and
indeed, in my previous life, he’d never
deprived me of material comforts after he
became successful.
He had indeed stayed with me until my death.
He only told me the truth as I was dying.
But if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have
suffered at all.
He was like an observer, coldly watching me
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suffer at the hands of his mother because of
his selfishness.
Watching me torment myself, trying strange
remedies to conceive our child.
Watching me be mocked, watching my youth
fade, watching me devote myself to him and
Linda Claire’s son.
All of this.
Because of Gregory!
Taking a deep breath, I steadied my trembling
body, and smiling at Gregory on our wedding
night, I said, “Let’s get a divorce.”
“Gregory, I regret this.”
3
Gregory was shocked by my request for a
divorce.
He jumped out of bed, pulling me into his
arms.
“Bethany, we just got married! Why? Why
would you say that?”
<
“Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry, I
apologize, okay? Marriage isn’t a game, don’t
say these things.”
“We’ve already had the wedding, received
blessings from so many friends and relatives,
how can we just talk about divorce? It’s so
inappropriate.”
“My mom finally held her head high in front of
our relatives, she finally got a breath of relief,
and the day after the wedding we’re talking
divorce? What do you want me to do with my
mom?”
“Bethany, be good, okay? Let’s not say such
hurtful things. If you feel pressured about
having a child, we can take our time, okay?”
Gregory kept trying to coax me, analyzing the
pros and cons.
But I remained unmoved.
Seeing my resolve, he pushed me away, his
face hardening.
