The Vow of Sunflowers
I was just 23 when I met Erik Cooper.
He's the young heir to the Cooper Group, never short of women around him.
But he chose me, saying he loved the scholarly aura I carried.
We'd been together for a year, and our love was so solid that everyone was jealous.
Everything changed on a rainy day.
That day, I went to pick him up from work, and as we crossed the street, a runaway truck came barreling toward us.
Without thinking, I shoved him out of the way, but the truck's wheels grazed me.
When I woke up, the hospital's white ceiling was spinning, making my eyes ache.
Erik Cooper sat beside me with red, puffy eyes, gripping my hand tightly.
The doctor called him out, and I caught bits of a conversation—words like "uterine damage" and "unlikely to conceive."
My world fell apart in an instant.
I knew that Erik's parents had always hoped their daughter-in-law would give the Cooper Family a child soon.
I grabbed Erik's hand and, my voice trembling, said, "Let's break up."
But he pulled me into his arms and said, "I won't marry anyone else but you in this life."
And in the days that followed, he truly fought against his parents.
More than once, I overheard him arguing on the phone with Erik's mother, his tone firm.
Once, I couldn't help but tell him that maybe we really weren't meant for each other.
He covered my mouth and said I was forbidden from saying things like that again.
Not long after, he came to me holding a medical checkup report.
The report said he had undergone sterilization surgery.
I looked at the report, tears instantly flooding down my cheeks.
He smiled as he wiped my tears away, saying that now we wouldn't have to worry about having children anymore.
I asked him why he did it, and he said I was more important than any child.
That winter, we held our wedding.
The wedding wasn't grand, but every detail was infused with his heartfelt care.
At the wedding, Erik Cooper promised everyone he would love me forever.
After we got married, he truly followed through on his promises.
Every morning, he would wake up earlier than me, make breakfast, and then head to work.
No matter how late he came home at night, he always brought me a bouquet of my favorite sunflowers.
On weekends, he would cancel all social plans just to spend time with me at bookstores or watching movies.
Everyone in City A knows that Erik Cooper treated Penny Stafford like a princess.
Sometimes, I would stare at his busy back, lost in thought, feeling incredibly lucky.
Even though I can't give him a child, having his love like this is more than enough.
I thought this kind of happiness would last forever.
But on that wedding anniversary, everything began to change.
On our third wedding anniversary, Erik Cooper said he had a surprise for me.
He came home early from work, carrying a delicate jewelry box.
Inside, there was a pearl necklace—round, full pearls that shimmered softly.
He put it around my neck, wrapped his arms around me from behind, and whispered, "Happy anniversary."
I touched the necklace at my throat, warmth flooding through me.
That night, I couldn't help but take a photo and post it on my Moments, captioning it "Three years, thank you."
Soon after, while scrolling through Moments, I saw a strange post.
It was from a girl named Ella Young, showing a photo of a pearl necklace just like mine, captioned "Love it, thank you."
The post was timestamped just one hour before mine.
My heart suddenly sank, and my finger froze on the screen, not moving for a long time.
I tried to comfort myself, thinking it was probably just the same style, maybe Erik had lent it to someone else.
But that unsettling feeling wrapped itself around my heart like creeping vines.
From that day on, I started closely watching Erik Cooper's every move.
He came home later and later, always saying he had work socials.
When I called, he'd either rush through a few words before hanging up or there was no party noise at all in the background.
Once, while he was in the shower, his mobile phone was sitting on the bedside table.
Suddenly, the screen lit up with a message from Ella Young: "See you tomorrow, waiting for you."
I stared at that message, my heart clenched so tight it hurt—I could barely breathe.
I didn't dare open it or ask him about it—I just pretended I never saw a thing.
Once a seed of doubt is planted, it grows uncontrollably.
I began secretly checking his mobile phone bills.
I found that every month, there was a fixed expense transferred to Ella Young.
There were also several hotel bookings, all on days he claimed to be away on business.
My heart gradually grew cold; all those sweet moments and happiness turned into bitter mockery.
What broke me even more was accidentally finding his medical checkup report.
That day, while helping him organize the study, I found a hospital document tucked deep inside a drawer.
It was his follow-up report from the sterilization surgery, and it said, "Surgery unsuccessful, sperm motility normal."
The report was dated shortly after we got married.
I held that report, my hands trembling, tears streaming down like beads snapped from a broken string.
He actually lied to me—he never had the sterilization surgery.
He said I was more important than having children, but it was all a lie.
I couldn't believe that the man who once stood up to my parents for me and promised to be by my side forever would betray me like this.
I put the report back where it was and pretended I hadn't seen a thing.
But from that day on, I couldn't face him the same way I used to.
I started losing sleep, often staring at the side of his face at night, not knowing what was really on his mind.
Until one day, I saw the truth with my own eyes.
That day, feeling unwell, I left the bookstore early and went home.
Passing by a shopping mall, I saw Erik Cooper's car parked right at the entrance.
I thought he was there to buy something for me, and a flicker of hope stirred in my heart.
But the next moment, I saw him step out of the car and then open the front passenger door.
Ella Young stepped out, clutching his arm with a sweet smile plastered across her face.
Erik lowered his head and whispered something to her, then reached out to gently run his hand through her hair—so tender and natural.
They walked into the mall together, their silhouettes perfectly in sync.
I stood frozen, my whole body numb, like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me.
All my doubts weren't just in my head—he really had betrayed me.
I didn't say a word; I just silently turned around and made my way home, one step at a time.
The wind was fierce on the street, making my eyes sting with pain.
I knew, from this very moment, that everything between us had changed forever.
Back home, I locked myself in the bedroom.
The curtains were tightly drawn, and the room was pitch black.
I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the Sunflower Doll he once gave me.
The doll still held a faint scent of sunlight, but inside, my heart was ice cold.
I don't know how long I sat there before hearing Erik Cooper open the door.
He called my name, his voice as gentle as ever.
I didn't respond—just buried my face in the doll, too afraid for him to see my tear-stained eyes.
He pushed the door open and came in, reached out to touch my hair, and asked if I was feeling unwell.
I shook my head and said I was just a little tired.
He didn't ask any more, just told me to get some good rest, then turned and went to the study.
I heard him talking on the phone in the study, his voice soft and low.
My heart started aching again—I knew for sure he was on the phone with Ella Young.
In the days that followed, I took care of him like always, but the distance between us only grew deeper.
I stopped reaching out to him, stopped hoping he'd come home.
Then one day, I got a message from an unknown number.
There was only one photo in the message—a pregnancy test report with Ella Young's name on it, showing she was six weeks pregnant.
Below it, a sentence read: "He loves me. It's time for you to step aside."
The moment I saw the photo, the cup in my hand crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Hot water splashed onto my foot, but I felt no pain.
He hadn't just betrayed me—he'd gotten another woman pregnant with his child.
All those sweet words, those promises he'd made—they turned into the sharpest knives, cutting straight into my heart, again and again.
I knelt on the floor, staring at the shattered glass scattered all around, tears falling like broken beads.
Erik Cooper heard the noise and came rushing out of his study. Seeing the broken glass on the floor and my tear-filled eyes, he frowned and asked what was wrong.
I handed him the mobile phone, letting him see for himself.
He picked up the phone, and the moment he read the message, his face drained of color.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but in the end, all he managed was, "It's not what you think."
I looked at him and suddenly found the whole thing ridiculous.
Even now, at a time like this, he's still lying to me.
I didn't argue with him—I just quietly stood up, walked into the bedroom, and closed the door.
From that day forward, we plunged into a total cold war.
He started coming home late more and more often, and every time he did, he smelled of some unfamiliar perfume.
I stopped caring about him altogether; the house felt colder, stranger with each passing day.
One night, a thunderstorm raged.
I've been terrified of thunder since I was little. Every time it thundered before, Erik Cooper would hold me tight and soothe me.
But that night, he wasn't home.
I sat alone on the sofa, listening to the thunder outside, my heart filled with fear and loneliness.
Suddenly, his mobile phone rang.
I hesitated for a moment, then picked up the phone.
The caller ID showed "Ella."
I pressed the answer button, and from the phone came Ella Young's soft voice: "Erik, I'm scared of the thunder. Can you come over and keep me company?"
I didn't say a word, just listened quietly.
Ella seemed to sense something was wrong and asked, "Who is this?"
I still didn't say anything and just hung up.
Before long, Erik Cooper came back from outside.
He saw me sitting on the sofa, holding his mobile phone, and his face darkened.
He asked if I had answered Ella Young's call.
I nodded and asked if he was going to be with her.
He didn't deny it—just said Ella was afraid of thunder and needed someone to keep her company.
I looked at him and suddenly felt a deep disappointment.
At my most terrified moment, he was thinking about being with another woman.
He grabbed his coat and turned to leave.
I called after him, "Erik, do you still remember the promise you made to treat me well for the rest of our lives?"
He stopped, turned his back to me without a word, then walked straight out and closed the door behind him.
The moment the door closed, I couldn't hold it in anymore—I collapsed to the floor and cried my heart out.
The thunder outside grew louder and louder, as if it was about to tear the whole world apart.
A few days later, while scrolling through my Moments, I saw Ella Young had posted an update.
It was a video. In it, Erik Cooper held Ella, kissed her on the forehead, then gently stroked her belly, saying, "Baby, Daddy loves you."
The video was shot in their bedroom, with a framed photo of them hanging on the wall.
The moment I saw that video, all hope in my heart died.
I know there's no chance left for me and Erik Cooper to fix what's broken between us.
After watching the video, I threw my mobile phone onto the sofa.
I stood up and walked out to the balcony, staring at the endless stream of cars below, my heart feeling completely empty.
What I once thought would last a lifetime turned out to be so fragile.
From that day on, I started packing my things.
The Sunflower Doll he gave me, the pearl necklace, and all those photos full of memories—I packed them all into a box.
I didn't tell him I was leaving; I just wanted to slip away quietly.
During that time, my stomach always ached faintly.
At first, I thought it was just because I hadn't eaten properly, so I didn't pay much attention.
But then one night, the stomach pain hit hard. I curled up on the sofa, cold sweat soaking through my clothes.
I tried to pick up my mobile phone to call him, my finger freezing over the dial for what felt like forever, before I finally let it go.
I called an ambulance for myself and headed to the hospital alone.
The doctor ran some tests and told me to wait in the ward for the results.
The ward was deathly silent, broken only by the steady beeps of the machines.
Lying in that hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling, I was suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion.
I don't know how long I waited, but finally, the ward door creaked open.
I thought it was a nurse, but when I looked up, I saw Erik Cooper.
He was holding a thermal container. When he saw I was awake, he paused for a moment, then came over and asked how I was feeling.
I didn't answer—I just kept staring at him.
He was still wearing a suit, his tie hanging crookedly, looking hurried and distracted.
Just then, a woman's voice came from the ward entrance: "Erik, why are you still here? I'm waiting for my prenatal checkup."
It was Ella Young.
She walked in, surprised to see me lying in the bed, then quickly shifted to a smug grin.
She walked over to Erik Cooper, linked her arm with his, and gently touched her belly. "The doctor said the baby is healthy, but I'm a bit tired and want you to come with me to rest," she said.
Erik glanced at me, then at Ella Young, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'll take Ella home first, and come see you tomorrow."
I looked at him with no emotion, simply saying, "No need."
He froze for a moment, clearly not expecting me to say that.
Ella tugged at his arm, urging, "Erik, let's go quickly. I'm feeling a bit unwell."
Erik didn't say another word. He turned and followed Ella out, closing the ward door behind them.
The moment the door shut, I couldn't hold back anymore—tears started streaming down.
So, in his heart, I was never the most important.
Not long after, the doctor came in with the test results.
He looked at me, his expression heavy as he said, "Ms. Stafford, you're pregnant. You're already five weeks along."
I was stunned, thinking I had misheard. I asked the doctor, "What did you say?"
The doctor repeated, "You're pregnant, but because of your previous uterine injury and the stress triggered by your recent stomach pain, the baby can't be saved. You'll need to have a miscarriage procedure."
Pregnant?
I'm actually pregnant.
I used to think I'd never have children again. But now, the child has come—and is about to leave.
I lay on the hospital bed, tears silently rolling down my cheeks.
This child came at the worst possible time.
The surgery went smoothly. When I woke up, the nurse handed me a cup of warm water.
I took a sip, feeling as if my heart had been completely hollowed out.
I lost my child, and with it, I completely lost Erik Cooper.
On the day I was discharged, I didn't tell Erik.
I packed my things myself and went home.
I opened the door; the house was empty. He was probably still with Ella Young.
I moved my suitcase to the door, then left a note on the dining table that read: "Erik, let's get a divorce. I'll contact you soon to handle the papers. I'm leaving City A."
After writing the note, I dragged my suitcase and stepped out of what used to be a home full of happiness, now reduced only to pain.
Downstairs, the sunlight hit me—too bright, almost blinding.
I looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
Goodbye, Erik Cooper.
Goodbye, City A.
From now on, I'm going to live for myself.
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