The Echo of a Broken Promise

In the final year of an arranged marriage, Amber has stopped waiting for her husband Jason, stopped arguing about his first love, Sera Thompson. A car accident and unstoppable bleeding bring her to a hospital where a hysterectomy is advised. Jason bursts in, tears up the consent form, and demands every blood bank save her uterus. As she is wheeled away, she remembers her last time here: a miscarriage, when Jason stood beside Sera.

Waking after six hours, Amber hears nurses praise a devoted husband downstairs. Jason denies the rumors, then Sera arrives, visibly pregnant, and he carries her to the sofa. At lunch he serves Amber seafood she is severely allergic to; rather than explain, she swallows a sip of the bisque. When Sera's phone rings, Jason takes her hand and leaves, and Amber's body goes into shock.

Amber recalls how the marriage began, the kiss that changed Jason, and the roses he planted. Then she found him with Sera again, and learned she was pregnant. She wanted to save the family. He only said he felt sorry for Sera.