His Worthless Vows

Under the weight of his betrayal, I felt my heart grow cold, wrapped in an icy numbness. The urge to rip apart Zachary's mask of righteousness consumed me.

"Give her proper treatment? How will you treat her? Do you even realize that because of you, she's already—"

Before I could finish, a voice rang out. "Zachary! Come quickly. Something's wrong with my mom!"

It was Ella calling desperately for him. Zachary's face immediately tightened with concern. He didn't even listen to the rest of my sentence before rushing off to her mother's ward.

I couldn't stop a bitter smile from tugging at my lips as tears spilled down my cheeks. In my mind, I could see Zachary's self-righteous expression, the one he always wore when lecturing me about "fairness." And in that moment, I realized I never truly knew him.

As the medical staff called me again and again to sign the paperwork for my mother's remains, I fought to hold myself together. Somehow, I managed to gather the strength to handle her affair and prepare to have her buried beside my father.

I chose a photo of them from their younger days, both smiling so brightly. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at it. My mother had once told me that if she passed, she wanted this photo to be her memorial portrait. "That was the happiest time of my life," she had said.

My mother came from an intellectual family, but she fell in love with my father at first sight. It was a love that defied tradition, and her family had never approved of her marrying a man who had nothing. But my mother stood firm, even taking my father's surname as her own.

I traced my fingers over the photo and burst into tears. My father died young, and my mother, once a lady from a wealthy family, had to shoulder the burdens of our household alone. Although she suffered hardships in life, she felt happy because of the love shared between her and my father.

When Zachary and I got married, she repeatedly emphasized that she didn't need us to live in wealth or luxury but to just love each other, support each other, and live a peaceful life.

Zachary had sworn to her that he would treat me as my father had treated her, with unwavering love for a lifetime. But those vows felt so hollow now, shattered by the harsh reality I had witnessed.

The night my mother died, Zachary had messaged me, saying he had surgery and would be staying at the hospital. Not long after, Ella posted on Facebook with the caption, "As long as you're here, I have all the confidence in the world."

The photo she attached was of a man's back, carefully selecting flowers for her. That back looked so familiar, and it belonged to none other than Zachary, the man who was staying in the hospital overnight for surgery.

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

From that day forward, I stopped questioning his whereabouts. He became busier as time went on and would constantly update me when he was staying overnight at the hospital. Occasionally, he would even ask about my mother's dialysis. I simply found it laughable.

If he had truly cared, how could he not know that my mother passed away some time ago?

One by one, I packed up my things, removing any trace of myself from our home. The love I once had for Zachary faded, little by little, until there was nothing left.

I didn't know how long I slept on my mother's bed, but when I woke, I saw I had several missed calls from Zachary.

When I didn't pick up, he sent a message. 'Where are you? What's the meaning of this?' Attached was a photo of the divorce papers I had left on the table.

'So, he has finally come home,' I thought.

While I was debating whether to respond, my phone rang again. His voice was laced with impatience when I answered. "What are you making a fuss about again?!"

He didn't even wait for a response before continuing, "Stop being so unreasonable, will you? I'm exhausted. Ella told me you want a divorce, and she's been feeling guilty, thinking it's because of her. Why don't you take some time to explain things to her?"

I asked, "Explain what?"

He sighed, annoyed. "Stop this, okay? I know you're worried about your mother, so I'm letting this slide."

It hit me then that Ella must have told him about the phone call, but he hadn't cared enough to dig deeper. He couldn't even imagine I was serious about the divorce.

He thought it was just another one of my emotional outbursts.

"Zachary, sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. I've already arranged for a lawyer to contact you. If you refuse, I'll take it to court."

"Margaret!" he shouted, his voice full of frustration. "Are you done yet? You're threatening me with divorce over this? It's not even a big deal!"

'Not a big deal.'

His tone felt so casual. I thought of my mother's hopeful gaze on that fateful day and how it had turned to despair. That kind of powerlessness and helpless disappointment tore at me daily, piece by piece.

My husband took the kidney meant for my mother and gave it to another woman's mother. As a daughter, I felt guilty toward the woman who had given everything to me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I brushed them away. "Just sign the papers. There's no need to make this messier than it already is."

"Margaret, when will you stop being so selfish? I'm responsible for countless patients every day, and I have to come home and deal with this nonsense from you? I'm exhausted.

"If you want a divorce, fine. Let's do it. But I'm telling you right now, your mother won't agree to this. I've been the one treating her, and once we're divorced, I won't be helping either of you anymore!" he vented before hanging up.

For some unknown reason, I felt at ease when I saw him like this.

Actually, his relationship with Ella was suspicious, and it wasn't the first time I had noticed.

He Discovers My Mother's Death

When Ella first started appearing around Zachary, his behavior changed in ways that were impossible to ignore. He would sit at home, eyes glued to his phone as if waiting for something. Then he went and bought a privacy screen protector for his device. When I asked, he claimed it was to stop people at the hospital from snooping because some people liked to do so.

I didn't say much at the time, but a woman's intuition was rarely wrong. Little by little, the name Ella began slipping into Zachary's conversations. That was when I knew something was off.

What I never expected was that he would go so far as to bend the rules and sacrifice my only living family member for her.

After that call, Zachary stopped contacting me altogether. I knew what he was waiting for. He was waiting for me to give in and admit my fault. Unfortunately, I had no time to talk to him because I was too busy planning my mother's funeral.

My mother had always told me she didn't want anything extravagant. As long as people could come and say their goodbyes, she would be satisfied. So, the memorial hall was decorated simply, but I made sure it was filled with magnolias, which were her favorite. A few close friends came, and they each offered a flower she loved.

What I didn't expect was for Sean to show up. He was there with Teresa Pearson, his mother. It had been a long time since I saw him, but he looked the same. He was still as handsome and imposing as ever, with that air of aloofness that kept people at a distance.

My mother and Teresa had once been the best of friends, but as time passed, and with us living in different cities, they lost touch. On top of that, Sean's business had grown, and it wasn't on par with our family's social status. Therefore, my mother became hesitant to continue the relationship.

When people gained power and wealth, certain things would inevitably change. Rather than test human nature, she chose to discontinue the relationship.

Teresa's eyes were red from crying, and she kept lamenting the years they hadn't seen each other. Then, she gripped my hand tightly and spoke of old memories.

She said she understood my mother's nature, but she couldn't help feeling upset. After all, my mother should have known her better. How could she ever let material things come between them and forget their sisterhood?

Looking at Teresa, I felt a sense of warmth wash over me. There was still someone in this world besides me who remembered my mother.

Upon seeing how exhausted I was, she insisted that Sean help me.

"I can manage on my own…" I said, trying to decline.

Before I could finish, Sean placed a firm hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me into a chair.

There was no room for argument as he quietly took over.

His expression remained as stoic and distant as ever, but his actions were respectful and considerate.

Moreover, my mother always used to praise him, always pointing out how much more capable he was than I ever could be.

After bidding farewell to the last of the mourners, Sean handed me a glass of water. I smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Don't be so dramatic," he replied, just as bluntly.

'He really hasn't changed at all,' I thought.

Once the funeral was over, I felt a strange weight lift from me, like the energy drained from my body all at once. I barely made it a few steps before I felt dizzy. Thankfully, he caught me before I fell.

"Margaret!" A voice called out.

I looked up and saw Ella standing not far away, her arm linked with Zachary's.

Zachary ignored the pallor on my face and kept his eyes fixed on Sean beside me. He yanked his arm free from Ella and took a few steps toward me. "Is this why you're divorcing me, Margaret?"

The word "divorce" caught Sean's attention. He raised an eyebrow, glancing at me before turning his gaze toward Zachary, an expression of calm confidence crossing his face.

I denied it. "No, that's not it."

Subtly, I stepped back, putting some distance between Sean and me. After all, Sean had been helping out at the funeral, and I didn't want Zachary to get the wrong idea.

I started walking back toward the hall, but Zachary grabbed my arm. "Aren't you going to explain? Why were you with him? What were you two doing? Margaret, do you have any shame? You're a married woman!"

I really didn't want to make a scene in front of Teresa and Sean. It was disgraceful. However, Zachary wouldn't let it go, and Ella stood by with a sneer, her tone dripping with mockery as she implied I was cheating on him.

With a sigh, I turned, gripped Zachary's wrist firmly, and pulled him into the memorial hall.

Inside, my mother's photo sat among the flowers. She had a gentle smile and a soft and kind expression.

Teresa looked surprised as we entered. I dragged Zachary right up to my mother's memorial.

"You want to know what I'm doing here? I'm here because I'm holding a funeral for my mother!" I snapped, my voice breaking.

Zachary froze as if struck by lightning. He shook his head in disbelief and muttered, "That's impossible. She was on dialysis. She was fine. No one told me she passed away! Why didn't you tell me she had complications?"

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "How was I supposed to tell you? Were you going to pick up my call?" I demanded. "Weren't you too busy doing surgery for her mother by using my mom's kidney?"

I pointed accusingly at Ella as I questioned him.

He was still a little sad at first, but when I mentioned the kidney source, he frowned instantly.

He glanced around nervously, lowering his voice. "Keep it down! I already explained this to you. Why can't you just let it go?"

I laughed coldly, staring at the man who was supposed to be my husband. "Zachary, are you seriously this spineless? Let me tell you the truth. It's because you stole my mother's kidney that she had a complete emotional breakdown and died of heart failure. She didn't even get to say a final word before she passed!"

He stared at my mother's picture and stumbled back. "No… That's not possible… How could this happen?"