The Echo of a Broken Vow

I discovered Pierse Jones’ secret in the fifth year of our marriage.On my way back from a business trip, the bus I was on got into an accident. Fortunately, I had listened to Pierse and fastened my seatbelt as soon as I got on. Aside from a minor injury to my calf, I was fine.In the consultation room, a young girl in the next seat was on the phone, crying to her boyfriend."It hurts so much… When can you come pick me up?""Okay, I’ll wait for you."She ended the call, her lips curling into a bright smile, eyes gleaming with joy at whatever sweet words her boyfriend had whispered to her.Then, her gaze shifted to me, and she spoke with innocent curiosity."Miss, you’re hurt too. Why didn’t you call your husband to come get you?"I paused for a moment. "He’s busy with work and doesn’t have time."She tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement tugging at her lips. "That’s kind of sad."She was young, and her attempt at showing off was as blatant as a child’s. I smiled, unfazed.

A wave of emotion surged through me, thick as fog, swallowing me whole. I could barely breathe. I stayed silent for a long time before finally managing a hoarse response. …Late at night, Pierse called my name softly. “Eva, are you asleep?” His voice was gentle, as if making sure I was deep in sleep before he carefully got up and stepped onto the balcony to make a call. “You saw my wife today?”“Doll, divorce isn’t as simple as you think.”“You’ve always been good, don’t start making a fuss now, okay?” Just a few steps away, separated only by a glass door, my husband was soothing his young lover. “Of course, I love you. I love you the most.” His voice was soft, affectionate, laced with tenderness. A faint curl of smoke rose from between his fingers. I stared at him, frozen. Then, as if sensing something, Pierse turned his head. Through the glass, our eyes met. He stiffened on the spot. “…Eva.” I closed my eyes for a moment before rasping, “Pierse, who are y

"You can stay as long as you want."Then we graduated and got married.The last time we planned to go to Disney, something urgent came up at work, and we had to cancel.Pierse looked at me, full of guilt, but I just gave him a reassuring smile.“It’s really not that important. Pierse, I’m not a kid anymore. Missing a trip to an amusement park isn’t going to upset me. You don’t have to feel bad about it.”He stared at me for a long, long time before finally nodding.And after that, he never brought up Disney again.Now I knew why because he had already gone with Dolly.…I kept scrolling through Dolly’s posts, reading far more than I should have.By the time I reached the bottom, a deep, suffocating ache spread through my chest, making it hard to breathe.I didn’t want to see any more.Wiping my tears away, I moved to exit her profile.But just as I did, a new post popped up.Posted just three minutes ago, it was a photo of Dolly in skimpy lingerie, with a man's hand barely visible at t

The suffocating silence lasted only a moment before I spoke calmly. “Please move aside. The doctor is expecting us.” Dolly’s eyes flickered, and in an instant, my words seemed to ignite something in her. “Drop the act. You recognized me from the start, didn’t you?” Her voice was sharp, laced with hostility. “You don’t actually think you can just ignore this and pretend nothing happened, do you?” She took a step closer, her gaze burning with contempt. “Listen, old hag—Pierse hasn’t loved you in a long time. No matter how pitiful you try to look, it only disgusts him.“Don’t think you can use your marriage to hold this over me. Love doesn’t follow morality, and besides, Pierse has wanted to divorce you for ages. You’re the one who won’t let go.” Her words grew more vicious, her voice rising with each accusation. Then suddenly, she reached for me. I instinctively stepped back. She smirked, as if she had been waiting for this, and then, she shoved me. "Eva!" A sic

Pierse never understood.I never wanted diamonds. I never cared about the rings.All I ever wanted was a love that wouldn’t change.And he failed me.A draft of cool night air slipped through the window, whistling softly as it filled the silence.I clutched the blanket tighter, and before I knew it, tears began to fall.…Three days later, I was discharged from the hospital.With my lawyer by my side, I met with Pierse to finalize the divorce agreement.His fractures were still wrapped in bandages and casts, and he looked exhausted, worn down.I glanced at him and said evenly, “So, you’ve finally made up your mind. In the end, this is still a fair deal—you were the one at fault in this marriage. “Giving up a portion of your assets in exchange for Dolly’s future staying intact? Seems like a trade worth making.”I had always been patient with him—an understanding and forgiving wife who never pushed too hard.But today, standing before him, I was distant, pragmatic, leaving no room for