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In the fifth year of her marriage, Eileen Greymoor discovered the boy she had raised for four years–Archie Swanton–was not her biological son.
She stood just outside the doctor’s office when she overheard her husband, Julius Swanton, speaking with the attending physician.
“Mr. Swanton, the child’s blood type is extremely rare. It’s best if his biological mother can come to the hospital as soon as possible.”
Julius pressed his fingers to his brow, his voice heavy with tension. “Understood. I’ll make arrangements right away.”
A loud ringing filled Eileen’s ears, as if she’d been struck by lightning. Her mind went completely blank.
Biological mother? Wasn’t she Archie’s biological mother?
Eileen stood outside the door for a long time, slowly piecing together the truth from their conversation.
It turned out the man who had sworn to love and cherish her all his life had cheated on her before they were even married. He had even swapped her child with someone else’s.
But why?
They had grown up together, childhood sweethearts. She had given up her own career just to marry him, choosing to stay by his side as a full- time wife.
She remembered Julius kneeling before her, tears of gratitude streaming down his cheeks. “Eileen, you’ve sacrificed so much for me. I swear I’ll
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never let you down!”
His vows still echoed in her ears, but reality had slapped her hard across the face.
She stumbled back to the hospital room, her heart feeling as if it were bound tight by a thin wire, the pain almost unbearable.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Archie. She was terrified she’d rush him off for a DNA test, or worse–lose control and make a fool of herself
Turning sharply, she ran out of the hospital.
Just as she reached the entrance, her brother, Victor Greymoor, was stepping out of his car. He saw her pale, frantic face and rushed over, grabbing her arm. “Eileen, where are you running off to?
“How’s Archie? I came to see him.”
Ever since Archie had fallen ill, the entire Greymoor family had been on edge. Victor had even canceled an international conference and flown back to the States overnight.
Eileen’s eyes were bloodshot, tears spilling over her lashes. “Victor, I need you to help me find something out.”
“What is it?”
“Archie…” She looked up at him, her voice hoarse with grief. “He might not be my child”
***
“Eileen, where did you go? Archie’s awake and asking for you.”
Staring at Julius’s text message, Eileen’s tears splashed hard against the
screen.
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Every year–end, Julius would take Archie up to their mountain villa for a week, saying it was to strengthen their father–son bond.
For four years, she had never doubted him.
Now, she realized what a fool she’d been.
He hadn’t been nurturing their bond–he’d been taking Archie to see his real mother.
If she hadn’t overheard that conversation today, she might have gone on being deceived forever.
Eileen scrolled madly through her phone, watching photos of the three of them flash by. Outside, the summer sun blazed, but she felt ice–cold, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Maybe she should have known all along–men’s promises were nothing but empty words.
Faithlessness was in a man’s nature, especially for someone like Julius, who stood at the top and had his pick of anyone.
So he had cast her aside, along with her child.
But he had promised–he had promised never to betray her…
Eileen’s heart felt as though it were being sliced open, inch by inch, with a dull blade, the pain curling her up into a ball.
They had been together for years. Everyone in their circle knew how deeply he loved her.
When she was 14, she’d been harassed by some punks. To avenge her, Julius fought off more than a dozen guys alone, ending up with broken bones and a face so swollen it was unrecognizable. Even then, he managed to ask her if she felt better.
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When she was 18, she went out to dinner with friends and forgot to text. him back. He nearly turned New York upside down looking for her. When he finally found her, he cried like a child.
At 22, he asked his mother for the Swanton family heirloom–an emerald ring.
He said, “Eileen, marry me. I swear I’ll never let you down.”
The fire in his young eyes had outshone even the fiercest summer sun,
and Eileen had agreed to be his wife.
