Sarah worked as a modest seamstress, making costumes for performers at the local community center and taking on extra work at home to make ends meet. Linda couldn’t accept that her son chose such a bride. She had long picked out another match for Ethan—Ava, the daughter of the town’s mayor, a girl from a wealthy and respected family.
In her eyes, such a marriage would be perfect, and she was determined to do everything to break up her son’s relationship with that unworthy girl. Linda paid no attention to the fact that her chosen match for Ethan wasn’t as beautiful as Emily. Far more important to her was that the mayor’s daughter had great prospects and opportunities.
She tried to persuade Ethan to build a relationship with Ava, seeing it as a step toward a secure and stable future. But Ethan was stubborn and resolute. He firmly stated that his heart belonged only to Emily, and no amount of his mother’s pleading could change his feelings.
Since graduation, Ethan had become entirely unmanageable, which only heightened Linda’s anxiety. “You’re too hard on them, Linda,” her friend said over tea. “Young people should choose for themselves.
“I just want my son to live better than I did,” Linda exclaimed. “I’ve worked hard my whole life to give him a future.” “What can that naive girl offer him? She’s not his match.
“But what if he’s happy with her?” her friend countered. Linda paused for a moment, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit the truth. At the end of the conversation, she added, “Happiness is fleeting, but mistakes last a lifetime.”
She had big plans for her son’s future and wanted to send him to a prestigious university in the city to get a solid education and make valuable connections. But Ethan unexpectedly announced he was joining the army. He was convinced that a real man should serve, and only then decide on a career.
Linda was shocked. She tried to reason with him, urging him to reconsider, but all her efforts were in vain. In desperation, she even acted behind his back, secretly contacting the recruitment office, hoping to pull strings and spare him from service.
But she was met with an unexpected response. The recruitment officer, a man of strict principles, politely but firmly told her to calm down and stop interfering. He emphasized that Linda should be proud of raising a son who doesn’t shy away from duty and wants to serve honorably.
Those words, spoken by an authoritative figure, made Linda reflect. She realized her influence over her son wasn’t absolute and that Ethan was now an adult, ready to make his own choices, even if they clashed with her plans and expectations. Ethan chose to enlist not only out of patriotism but also with a secret hope that, during his absence, his mother would calm down and accept his relationship with Emily.
He believed that when he returned and they could marry, his mother would see how faithfully Emily waited and might finally accept their love. He had no doubts about his beloved’s loyalty, just as he had none about his own feelings. The night before his departure, they spent time together, as they had on graduation night by the river, sitting in each other’s arms, silently gazing at the stars.
In the quiet, Emily passionately whispered, “Ethan, I love you so much. If you want, we can do it right now.” Ethan only replied softly, “I want it too, but no.
Let’s wait. I don’t want to rush things. And I don’t want to hurt you either.
When I come back, we’ll get married, and everything will be as it should.” Emily smiled shyly but gratefully. In that moment, they both knew their future would be bright and pure, and she would wait for him, becoming his happy bride and later his wife.
Now, standing on the platform and hearing the harsh words of Ethan’s mother, Emily felt her heart shrink with pain and resentment. How could Linda say such things? Emily was certain of her honesty and loyalty, and no one but Ethan mattered to her. She would wait for his return.
Six months passed. Ethan, serving in the Airborne Division, felt it was his true calling. He and Emily exchanged letters often, sometimes even managing to talk on the phone.
His parents also kept in touch, though his relationship with his mother remained strained. Army life was tough, but it taught Ethan what it meant to be strong, not just physically but mentally. He learned to make decisions, take responsibility, and support his comrades.
In moments when homesickness gripped him, Emily’s letters were his lifeline in a stormy sea. Then, suddenly, Emily vanished from his life.
Letters stopped coming, messages ceased, and her phone was constantly out of reach. At first, Ethan tried to stay calm, telling himself she might just be facing some difficulties. But as time passed, his patience wore thin.
Finally, he turned to his trusted friend Tyler, who stayed in their hometown and was training to be a welder. Ethan was sure Tyler would know what was happening with Emily and why she’d gone silent. But Tyler’s response was unexpected and troubling.
Tyler admitted he hadn’t seen Emily in town for a long time. This news puzzled Ethan even more, and realizing he couldn’t wait any longer, he made a tough decision—he called his mother. He knew the conversation could turn ugly, but his worry for Emily outweighed everything.
When Ethan asked about Emily, Linda seemed prepared for the question. She sighed, as if bracing her son for bitter truth, and said, “I don’t want to upset you, son, but I was right about that girl, and I warned you more than once, but you wouldn’t listen to your own mother.” Ethan felt his heart tighten, and his mother continued her monologue.
“Your Emily, it turns out, isn’t so loyal. She didn’t wait for you,” Linda said, laying out her final cards. Ethan felt anger and disbelief boiling inside him.
“Mom, I don’t believe you!” he shouted, unable to hold back. “You’re just slandering her because you never liked her and wanted to break us up. Isn’t that right? Emily wouldn’t betray me like that.
I don’t believe you!” But Linda, unfazed, added, “She’s exactly like that, son! Not only did she betray you, but her belly’s already showing.” Those words struck Ethan, and he felt a chill run through him. “What belly?” he whispered, barely audible, unable to believe his ears.
His mother’s response was full of certainty. “She’s pregnant, son! And who’s the father? God only knows. I saw her in town myself.
She was walking, head down, eyes on the ground. Ashamed, I bet!” Every word from his mother stabbed Ethan’s heart, unleashing a storm of emotions. He couldn’t believe what he heard and didn’t know what to do.
The news made him question everything he’d believed in so fiercely. His mother went on, “What a disgrace! It’s been about six months! So, as soon as she saw you off to the army, she hooked up with someone else!” she said scornfully.
Ethan wanted to argue, to scream that she was wrong, that Emily couldn’t have done this to him. But if it was true, where did this child come from? There had been nothing between them; he’d protected her for their wedding. Apparently, that only mattered to him.