The Forgotten Vows

My memory reset to ten years ago.

When my mom told me my ex-husband, Sebastian Thorne, already had a fiancée, and my son, Leo, called another woman “Mom”…

Me: ?

“Are you kidding? I’m the fiancée of the Thorne family’s golden boy, Alexander. How could I have married the family’s bastard son? And have a rude kid with him? Do I not care about my reputation? How will I show my face in high society?”

As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around.

The father and son were staring at me, eyes red with anger.

1.

The second year after my divorce from Sebastian.

My family went bankrupt. My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Before he died, he wanted to see his grandson, Leo, one last time. But Sebastian held full custody.

I called Sebastian countless times before he finally answered.

Hearing my request, he just scoffed.

“Leo is busy with chess club. Why don’t you ask your fiancé to be the dutiful son-in-law?”

The fiancé he mentioned was Alexander Thorne. His half-brother.

Alexander was the golden boy of the Thorne dynasty, the chosen one. Sebastian was the illegitimate son, unacknowledged and despised.

Growing up, he had no money, no status. Until three years ago, when Alexander ended up in a coma after an accident.

Only then did Sebastian gain control of Thorne Enterprises.

He hated Alexander deeply. Back then, he only pursued and married me because I was Alexander’s fiancée.

He once told me to my face:

“Marrying Chloe was just a means to an end. It wasn’t love.”

So, I didn’t understand why he was bringing up my past with Alexander now. Maybe he just didn’t want to grant my father his dying wish.

“Please… I’m begging you.”

For my dad, I would have knelt and begged.

He was silent for a long time.

Finally, he spoke, voice void of emotion.

“I’ll ask for Leo’s opinion.”

A moment later, a childish voice came through the phone:

“Can we go tomorrow? We agreed to pick up Auntie Sarah at the airport today.”

“Auntie Sarah” was Sarah Miller, Sebastian’s first love. The one he called “the person I wronged the most in this life.”

To get revenge and marry me, Sebastian abandoned her.

How nice.

Before we even divorced, they had rekindled their romance. Even the son I endured so much pain to birth was on their side.

Thinking of this, I felt a bitter irony.

I didn’t even notice the call had ended.

That day, my dad passed away with regret.

The day after my dad died, overwhelmed with grief, I got into a car accident.

When I woke up, I saw my mom washing her face with tears. Confused, I asked, “Mom, aren’t I supposed to be at college? Why was I in a car accident?”

2.

Sebastian had been on a business trip for a week. As soon as he landed, he heard about Chloe’s accident.

He practically flew to the hospital, ordering his assistant to pick up Leo.

On the way, memories flashed through his mind.

Five years ago.

To spite Alexander, he deliberately pursued Chloe.

Chloe fell for him hard.

For him, she defied her family and moved into his cramped apartment.

Everyone laughed at her for choosing an illegitimate son, predicting a life of misery.

But she didn’t care.

“I’m tired of the rich life. I want to taste what ordinary life is like. Besides, you won’t let me suffer, right?”

That sentence made him work even harder.

Late nights coding, he would sometimes zone out. Didn’t he not love her? Why did he listen to her so much?

As time passed, he realized he loved her desperately.

Like any male in nature, he would go through fire and water for his chosen mate.

Later, his startup took off. Their son was born.

Sebastian thought his life was finally on track. He was no longer the pitiful worm in the gutter.

Until one day.

He took her to his old neighborhood. Late at night, drunk, he reminisced about the past he couldn’t let go of.

“Just because I’m illegitimate, am I lesser than Alexander forever? I have to prove I’m better. First Chloe, then the company. I’ll take everything, piece by piece.”

…

He slumped down.

“It’s just… I’m sorry to Sarah. She was the one I loved, but for revenge, I had to marry someone else.”

Chloe had come to find him and heard everything.

From then on, he lost his happiness again.

3.

Chloe was a proud person.

After marrying him, she never took a penny from her family.

She knew people laughed at her for abandoning the Thorne heir to suffer with him.

But she looked down on them too.

“At least my husband is handsome and loves me. Unlike theirs, ugly and cheating!”

She was so confident, always thinking she wouldn’t lose.

So in that moment, how heartbroken must she have been?

If not for their son, if not for him refusing to give up custody, she would have divorced him long ago.

But even without divorce, their marriage was empty.

She never treated him well again, never acted cute, never hung on him praising his looks.

All happiness was gone.

But how could he be reconciled?

So, he used every trick. He made it look like he loved Sarah, initiated the divorce, and used Leo’s affection to force Chloe to compromise.

To force her to be a loving couple with him again.

He had had enough of being alone.

Until now, with Chloe’s accident, he realized he had gone too far.

He regretted it.

He realized that in this world, only Chloe never despised him for being illegitimate.

Even though he controlled Thorne Enterprises now, he knew no one truly respected him. They were all waiting for Alexander to wake up.

In this world, only Chloe would abandon Alexander and run to him.

He wouldn’t torment Chloe anymore.

4.

In the hospital.

The medical equipment was slowly moved away.

I opened my eyes and heard the doctor. They said I had amnesia.

I lost ten years of memories. From thirty back to twenty. I still thought I was a college student.

My mom sighed.

“Maybe it’s better to forget. At least you won’t humiliate yourself in front of that father and son anymore.”

Me: ?

Father and son.

“Who?”

Facing my blank stare, my mom told me everything. Then she ran outside to cry.

Leaving me alone to process.

Turns out, in these ten years, I married and divorced.

When I married Sebastian, he was worthless. When we divorced, he replaced Alexander as the CEO of Thorne Enterprises.

Later, Sebastian got a new fiancée. Leo acknowledged a new mom.

A happy family of three.

And I, shamelessly, kept trying to see Leo, even though he didn’t appreciate it and threw my birthday gifts on the ground.

“After all, he’s your flesh and blood. How could you not care?”

My mom’s words echoed in my ears. As if I were truly a tragic mother missing her son.

But… I had no memory of it.

I didn’t believe it. Hard to believe. And felt ashamed.

“No way—are you lying? Aren’t I Alexander’s fiancée? How could I marry the Thorne family’s bastard son? And have a rude kid? Do I not care about my reputation? How will I show my face in high society?”

After all, I grew up flaunting my status as Alexander’s fiancée.

Marrying an illegitimate son? The Thorne family doesn’t allow illegitimate children. Does that mean I lived a hard life? The circle must be laughing their heads off.

Thinking this, I felt a chill on my neck, as if being watched.

I turned around instinctively. Two people, one tall, one short, looking very much alike.

They stared at me, eyes red.