Broken Vows, Stronger Resolve

“For eight years, I secretly held down the fort, running my husband' s auto shop and raising our son, Caleb, while Captain Ethan Scott built his military career far away. When he finally allowed us to join him, I thought our family was complete, but he introduced us as mere "distant relatives," forcing our son to call his own father "Uncle Ethan." He was utterly ashamed of us, of the "blue-collar dust" we carried, forbidding anything that hinted at our humble origins, while lavishing expensive gifts on his elegant colleague, Gabrielle Chadwick. He watched idly as our seven-year-old son cried, humiliated by other kids who called him a "charity case," and later, when I was injured by his carelessness, he was more concerned with maintaining appearances than my pain. My heart shattered when I saw the color drain from his face as our son, following his rules, called him "Mr. Scott" to Gabrielle's face, and then watched in horror as he stood by while Gabrielle deliberately tripped Caleb, leaving him sobbing with a sprained wrist. That night, cradling my hurt son, I made a silent vow: we were leaving, and we would never look back.”