The Man Who Promised to Marry Me Became a Father
Chapter 1
I’d applied to leave Doctors Without Borders a year early, all to return home and marry Nathan Rivers.
But when I got back, Nathan was already a dad.
He instructed the housekeeper, “Keep Sarah Miller overseas for a while longer. It’s best if she doesn’t come back. If she finds out I have a son, she’ll make a scene.”
That’s when it hit me: he’d deceived me.
Three years earlier, he’d said, “Go be a Doctor Without Borders for three years. Toughen yourself up. Then, with a more mature personality, you’ll be a better wife for me.”
Yes, I had matured. I didn’t cry and throw tantrums like I used to.
My tastes had changed too. I wasn’t interested in him anymore.
I arrived home, carrying gifts painstakingly chosen for Nathan, only to find the house empty except for a table laden with flowers.
Cheers erupted from the garden. I walked towards the sound, step by careful step.
“Nathan, you’re so lucky! Your son is gorgeous, and your wife is beautiful!”
A man’s jovial voice cut through the air.
My body froze. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
As I drew closer, I saw Nathan.
He held a baby in his arms; a petite woman stood beside him, her arm linked through his.
“Yeah, I am incredibly lucky. But it’s mostly thanks to little Lily,”
His eyes were filled with tenderness as he ruffled the woman’s hair.
She giggled, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
A picture-perfect family. The envy of anyone.
I stood there, stunned, like a voyeur watching them.
A banner hung on the wall behind them:
Ryan Rivers’ First Month Celebration
Ryan Rivers…
I remembered cuddling with Nathan, saying, “Nathan, I want to have a son with you someday. Let’s name him Ryan Rivers.”
He’d asked why. I’d beamed, “Ryan Rivers! It means a lucky year. I want our child to be lucky every year.”
And now, his child, with another woman, was named Ryan Rivers.
“Hey, Nathan, Sarah Miller’s almost back, right? Aren’t you worried she’ll cause a fuss when she sees you’re a dad?”
One of Nathan’s friends asked.
Nathan gently stroked the baby’s face.
“You reminded me.”
He immediately made a call, saying, “Keep Sarah Miller overseas for a while longer. It’s best if she doesn’t come back. If she finds out I have a son, she’ll make a scene.”
My breath hitched. I took a step back.
Chapter 2
Nathan had suggested I become a Doctor Without Borders three years ago.
He thought I was too flighty, that I cried at the drop of a hat and made a fuss whenever he was with other women.
He’d said, “It’s not that I don’t like you, but you’re too immature to be my wife.”
“So,” he’d continued, “go be a Doctor Without Borders for three years. Toughen yourself up. Then, with a more mature personality, you’ll be a better wife for me.”
I believed him. I studied hard and applied to Doctors Without Borders.
When I got accepted, I was ecstatic.
I thought, Once these three years are over, I can marry Nathan.
But now, here I was, and he was a father.
I realized my eyes were streaming, the tears flowing uncontrollably.
“I really don’t want her to come back,”
Nathan said casually, taking Lily’s hand in his.
“I only want to be with Lily, hand in hand, for the rest of our lives.”
“That’s awesome, man! Makes me want to have kids with my girlfriend!”
Someone cheered.
“So, Nathan, have you thought about how you’re going to explain things to Sarah?”
His face hardened at the mention of my name.
“I haven’t thought about letting her come back.”
He lowered his head to comfort Lily.
“The housekeeper will handle everything. Don’t worry, it’ll just be you and me.”
Snow began to fall.
It landed on my nose, chilling me to the bone.
The day I left three years ago, I’d asked Nathan, “Nathan, when I come back, will you really marry me?”
He ruffled my hair, his voice soft as water. “Of course, you’ll be so much more mature by then.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you. It’ll just be you and me.”
But now, I was mature.
And he was with someone else.
Why? Why deceive me?
My chest ached. Tears flowed freely.
In Africa, in Afghanistan, under fire, treating the wounded…
All I could think was, I have to survive. I have to survive to marry Nathan.
I’d applied to return home a year early. I was finally back, ready to surprise Nathan.
But he’d surprised me first.
Chapter 3
“Heard Nathan bought a yacht. He’s having a wedding ceremony with Lily on it,”
Someone whispered nearby, and I quickly hid behind a tree.
“Wow, so jealous! But what about Sarah Miller? Wasn’t she crazy about Nathan?”
“You don’t know? Three years ago, Nathan tricked her into going abroad to work for Doctors Without Borders. Whether she’s even alive now is questionable.”
“Nathan just wanted to be with Lily, but was afraid Sarah would cause a scene, so he did that.”
“So, as soon as she left the country, he got together with Lily.”
Their conversation pierced my ears.
Nathan had planned this three years ago.
And I, a fool, had believed him.
Despite the hardship in those foreign lands, I hadn’t felt burdened because I was focused on returning to marry him.
The group walked away, offering their well-wishes to Nathan.
Suddenly, someone joked, “Nathan, Sarah Miller liked you for so many years. You really had the heart to let her work in such harsh conditions abroad?”
Nathan didn’t even lift his eyelids, his gaze fixed on his son.
“She liked me, not the other way around.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that she’s my father’s adopted daughter and he really liked her, I would have broken things off with her long ago.”
“As you know, she’s seven years younger than me. There’s no way I could like her.”
“It’s been her chasing me all these years.”
Chapter 4
I was sixteen, a high schooler, when the Rivers family adopted me.
Nathan was twenty-three, already a college graduate.
He came from a wealthy family, was handsome, and surrounded by girls.
I’d always get jealous. “Nathan, could you please not get so close to other girls?”
He’d laugh, ruffling my hair.
“Whatever Sarah says, I’ll do.”
Young Sarah thought that was love.
So I tried to get closer to him, learned about his interests, and tried to become the person he wanted.
At eighteen, I wore a sexy dress and heels for the first time.
At a party, a rich kid spoke to me briefly.
Nathan dragged me to the restroom and kissed me forcefully.
His dark eyes shone through his bangs. He pressed his forehead against mine. “You’re mine.”
He’d always given me hope, showing me in various ways that he liked me.
But now, he claims I was the one pursuing him.
Disheartened, I left, tears welling up at the doorway.
My hand trembled as I opened my phone and checked WeChat.
His latest message: Sarah, happy birthday.
I was in the middle of delivering a baby, covered in blood, having worked for twenty-four hours straight.
Yet, his message invigorated me.
Chapter 5
“Sarah, what’s wrong?”
Nathan’s voice, as gentle as ever, came through the phone.
He must have found a quiet place, as it rang for a long time before he picked up.
I wanted to speak, but all I could picture was him holding the baby and standing with another woman.
“Sarah?”
He spoke again.
He always called me Sarah. I used to love it.
Now, it felt sickening.
“Nathan, I’m back.”
My voice trembled slightly, though he didn’t seem to notice. He paused for two seconds, then said, “You’re back?”
“Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
Seeing that scene in the garden, my heart had shattered.
But now, he was acting so tender.
“I’m at the front door.”
I replied softly.
Nathan had bought this house for me when I turned eighteen.
He’d said, “Sarah, no matter who you’re with, this house is yours.”
“My Sarah deserves to feel secure.”
But now, he was living here with another woman, and they had a child.
Chapter 6
By the time Nathan came out, I’d composed myself.
He walked towards me, his footsteps crunching through the snow. His eyes held a look of concern.
He pulled me into a hug, his warm breath on my ear.
“Sarah, three years apart, you’ve gotten thinner.”
The scent of peaches filled my nostrils.
His smell had changed. He used to smell faintly of tea.
I recoiled from his touch, pushing him away.
His pupils constricted, then he smiled.
“Our Sarah’s all grown up. She understands the boundaries between men and women now.”
“But I’m your future husband. Don’t be so distant, okay?”
He’d once been a shining light in my life.
I only said that because when I first arrived at the Rivers’ house, I was very introverted.
I was often bullied at school. Once, I was cornered after school.
Nathan had appeared, driving a Maybach, cornering those bullies.
He’d pulled me behind him.
I’ll never forget his cold voice, “Sarah Miller is my sister. Anyone who dares to bully her again, I won’t let them get away with it.”
But now, he felt like a stranger.
It was the same face, yet I didn’t feel the same spark.
Nathan reached out to touch my face, and I saw a ring on his ring finger.
It hadn’t been there before.
“I’m tired. Can I rest?”
I looked him in the eye.
Chapter 7
Panic flashed across Nathan’s face.
“Y-yes…”
“But we have guests tonight. A friend of mine just had a baby, and he didn’t have a place for the first month party so it’s being held here.”
“You won’t mind, will you?”
I used to think he was perfect.
Whenever I was bullied, he’d appear.
Whenever I felt unwell, he’d handle things calmly.
One winter, while buying firecrackers, we saw a couple fighting.
The guy had cheated.
He’d said, “Sarah, you need to be careful when choosing a man. Find someone like me.”
“I’ll never deceive anyone.”
But now, he was full of lies.
Perhaps because of my maturity, I didn’t want to expose him.
I wanted to see how long he could keep up the charade.
“I don’t mind.”
Nathan smiled, trying to take my hand, but I dodged him.
Surprise flickered in his eyes, then he chuckled, almost as if to reassure himself.
“You’re distant now.”
“It’s alright. I’ll always be here, to help you become your old self again.”
But I knew I could never go back.
Three years ago, he’d tricked me into going abroad.
I’d seen too much death, experienced the horror of seeing a child smile one moment, and then be a lifeless body the next.
That’s when I learned to cherish time.
Because tomorrow and accidents are unpredictable.
So now, I wouldn’t waste my time on someone unworthy.
Nathan didn’t take me to my old bedroom but to the guest room.
He explained, “My friend wants to save face. He told everyone it’s his house, so he’s temporarily using the master bedroom.”
“I’ll have the housekeeper clean it later. You can move in then, okay?”
“Okay.”
I put down my bag.
He watched me for a few seconds, then said, “You probably don’t like noisy places either. Rest here. I’ll go take care of things.”
Chapter 8
After Nathan left, I pulled out a stone from my pocket.
It was engraved with: Peace and Joy.
A little boy had given it to me during my time in Africa.
His parents were dead; he was alone.
With his dark hands, he gave me the stone and said, “Sister, this is for you. Give it to someone you love, so they’ll be safe.”
I kept it, intending to give him some candy.
But the next second, he was shot in the head and collapsed in front of me.
I cried hysterically. I tried to save him, but my colleagues pulled me away.
I opened the guest room door and surveyed the house.
In my excitement earlier, I’d failed to observe my surroundings.
There were traces of another woman in the house.
Women’s towels and skincare products were in the bathroom. There were flowers, baby bottles, and toys in the living room.
I walked towards the master bedroom.
I’d lived there once. Nathan had decorated it according to my preferences.
My hand reached for the doorknob, but a woman’s voice stopped me.
“Are you Sarah Miller?”
Chapter 9
I turned around and saw Lily, the woman Nathan called Lily.
She was plump, wearing a loose dress, but her eyes were beautiful.
Large and bright, they looked kind.
“I am.”
Many people had asked me if I was Sarah Miller during my time as a doctor.
I always answered confidently, I am.
It must have become a habit.
She looked me over, then scoffed, “Nathan hasn’t told you, has he? I’m his fiancée.”
“We have a son.”
A sharp pain stabbed at my heart, but I could conceal my emotions now.
“I know.”
“You know, and you still came back? Why?”
She glared at me.
“This isn’t your home anymore. You’re an outsider.”
She lunged at me, but I caught her hand.
“You’ve just given birth. Don’t get so worked up. It’s bad for your health.”
Shock widened her eyes.
For some reason, I couldn’t hate her.
She’d done nothing wrong.
She was only afraid I would take her love away.
“Don’t worry. Even though Nathan and I had a prior engagement, now that he has a child, I…won’t bother him anymore.”
As I finished, she abruptly pushed me away, collapsing onto the floor.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have taken your Nathan away.”
“Sarah, what are you doing?!”
Nathan’s voice echoed behind me.
Then I felt a harsh shove, followed by a sharp slap across my face.
Everything blurred. Nathan’s image wavered before my eyes.
But his words rang clear:
“Lily’s my fiancée, so what? We have a son, so what?”
“She’s gentle and kind, unlike you, who only cries and throws tantrums, resorting to such underhanded tactics.”
“Sarah Miller, you disgust me.”
“I’ll give you three seconds to apologize to Lily.”
My vision cleared. I saw Nathan holding Lily close.
His eyes were icy, filled with disgust towards me.
People downstairs were watching and whispering.
“Wow, Sarah Miller’s back.”
“She’s changed a lot. Her hair is longer, and she’s thinner.”
“I feel like her whole demeanor has changed. She’s not that little girl anymore.”
Once abroad, I’d been shot in the leg.
I lacked antibiotics and faced a life-threatening situation.
But I’d studied traditional Chinese medicine and used my knowledge to find herbs and heal myself.
I thought, Nathan would think I was brave if he knew.
But now, he wasn’t the Nathan I loved anymore.
During breaks, I’d take out his picture.
My colleagues would tease, “Sarah, you’re so calm and collected. The guy you like must be amazing.”
Yes, I loved Nathan’s excellence.
His confidence with clients, his calmness under pressure.
I learned from him; he guided me.
But now…
In that moment, I finally realized:
I no longer loved Nathan.
