The Forgotten Mother's Vow: Taking Back What's Hers

After lying in a coma for five long years, Isabelle Reed was finally able to regain control of her body and move again.

The deep, velvety voice of her husband, Kolton Reed, rang in her head.

She could still feel his hand caressing her face as he muttered, "Belle, you're useless to me now. Sleep on forever, and don't ever wake up again."

The heartless bastard!

Isabelle balled her hands tightly into fists, fighting against the wave of nausea roiling inside her.

She had first crossed paths with Kolton at the age of twelve. By twenty, she was his wife. At twenty-two, she had an accident in childbirth and fell into a coma.

The doctors had written her off, saying her body was functioning but her mind was gone-no awareness, no perception. A living shell.

But Isabelle had been fully aware. She could feel, and she could hear; the only thing she couldn't do was wake up.

And that powerless state allowed her to discover the truth about the man she loved.

A nurse knocked and entered to remind Kolton, "Mr. Reed, visiting hours are over."

Kolton's lips curved in that charming, polished smile of his as he nodded.

Before leaving, he bent down and pressed a tender kiss to Isabelle's forehead, just as he had done countless times before. "Wake up soon, Belle. I'll always be here, waiting and loving you."

Isabelle scoffed inwardly.

Wasn't it such a shame that his performance was completely wasted on her, his immobile wife?

Two nurses outside, however, were bewitched. They watched him go with dreamy eyes.

"Mr. Reed is the perfect husband," one whispered. "Five years, and he still comes every week."

"He's handsome, rich, and scandal-free," the other said with a sigh. "So many women throw themselves at him, yet he remains faithful. That's really impressive. Isabelle is truly the luckiest woman in the world to have such an ideal husband!"

An ideal husband?

Isabelle smiled bitterly at the irony.

If only they knew. He had used her brains to climb the corporate ladder, drained her worth as a mother, and then prayed she'd stay in that hospital bed forever. An "ideal" husband indeed.

Kicking back the blanket, Isabelle tried to stand. But after five motionless years, her body betrayed her. Her muscles were useless, her legs buckled, and she collapsed heavily.

She bit down on the pain and dragged herself across the floor to the window.

Outside, a sleek black Bentley waited below.

It was the anniversary gift Kolton had once given her, the plate number set to her birthday.

Back then, she had been glowing with happiness, wrapping herself in his arms and asking, "Kolton, do you really love me?"

He had smiled, kissed her sweetly, and answered, "Silly girl, you're my wife. Of course I love you. Belle, this is only our first year together; we have more years ahead of us."

So that was love? A role he could play effortlessly.

Now Isabelle watched as Kolton's secretary, Joelle Murphy, climbed out of the Bentley, carrying herself like she owned the car, strutting confidently in her high heels.

She walked up to Kolton with a grin, stumbled on something, and pitched forward. Kolton rushed in, catching her before she could hit the ground.

Isabelle had never seen Kolton wear that worry look before.

To Kolton, she was unbreakable, untouched by pain or exhaustion, and always compliant, like a pet trained to obey.

All it ever took was a single gesture, and he could have her at his beck and call.

When Isabelle graduated from college, she was offered a position at a world-renowned medical research institute.

But the moment Kolton said, "Belle, stay. I need you," she stopped at the boarding gate and walked away from her future, choosing instead to become his wife.

After they married, she threw herself completely into supporting Kolton, pushing her body to the brink until she suffered a stomach hemorrhage. In the end, she created a breakthrough drug that cemented his rise in Sky Group, earning him the title of the youngest director in the board's history.

Back then, Kolton had promised her a lifetime of care. And she had believed foolishly.

The memories pierced Isabelle like a dull blade, leaving her shuddering with agony.

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, bitter on her tongue.

Outside, Joelle put on a sweet smile, planting a quick kiss on Kolton's cheek.

The sight turned Isabelle's stomach.

Then the rear door of the car opened.

Isabelle spotted her twins, Emily and James Reed, the children she had nearly given her life for, climbing out of the car.

They looked radiant, almost angelic.

"Jim! Emmy!" Isabelle's heart swelled with aching love, her hand pressing desperately against the glass as she tried to reach them.

But the children threw themselves into Joelle's arms, kissing her cheeks with devotion.

Kolton stood next to them, his smile soft and doting, as if they were a picture-perfect family of four.

Seeing this pierced Isabelle's chest like needles.

In these five years, Kolton had scarcely brought the twins to see her.

She remembered vividly one visit when Joelle had tagged along. With no one else around, Joelle coaxed Emily into calling her "Mommy" right in front of Isabelle. Right then, all Isabelle wanted was to rip Joelle to shreds.

Isabelle planted her palms on the glass, looking out with a determined expression on her face.

She could discard Kolton like trash, but her children were her flesh and blood. She would reclaim them.

As if sensing something, Emily suddenly looked up toward the window.

Their eyes met.

Isabelle instinctively smoothed her messy hair and forced a gentle smile. But Emily's face twisted in fear. She clung to Joelle, trembling.

Isabelle's heart sank. Her daughter was frightened of her.

"Daddy, Joelle, someone's there!" Emily pointed to the window.

Kolton glanced up, a puzzled look appearing on his face.

That was Isabelle's room. But there was no one by the window.

"Emmy, maybe you imagined it?" he asked carefully.

"No!" Emily shook her head, insistent. "I saw a woman with long hair."

Kolton frowned, about to respond when his phone vibrated.

The caller was Roderick Ward, Isabelle's attending doctor.

Kolton picked up the call. "Dr. Ward?"

"Mr. Reed!" The doctor's voice quivered with excitement. "Wonderful news! Your wife has regained consciousness!"

In her hospital room, Isabelle sat upright on the bed while doctors and nurses gathered around, running checks on her condition.

She had pressed the call button to alert the nurses that she was awake.

Five years trapped in a coma was more than enough for her.

Now that she had regained consciousness, she knew exactly what she wanted-divorce.

Her younger years had already been stolen, but she was determined to take back what was hers-her wealth, her career, and most of all, her children. She refused to let Kolton, that two-faced monster, keep them.

Her endgame was to take away his custody rights and make sure he was left with nothing at all.

But after being absent for such a long time, she needed to bide her time and prepare carefully.

Out of the corner of her eye, Isabelle spotted Kolton's silhouette outside the doorway.

It was time to put her plan into motion.

"Dr. Ward, what about my eyes?" Isabelle asked, her voice trembling. "Why can't I see anything?"

Kolton stepped inside in time to hear her. He froze, a frown on his face, then hurried to her bedside, looking visibly shaken.

"Belle," he whispered softly.

The sound of his voice alone made her stomach turn.

"You're finally here, Kolton," she said, forcing back her disgust. She stretched out blindly, her unfocused eyes searching as she stumbled forward and collapsed into Kolton's arms.

Her nose immediately picked up the faint but unmistakable scent of another woman's perfume on him.

"I'm scared, Kolton. I can't see you," she whimpered.

Kolton wrapped his arms around her, soothing her with gentle words. "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll pay whatever it takes to make you better."

Roderick remarked reassuringly, "Mr. Reed, there's no need to panic. Your wife's eyes aren't damaged. After such a long coma, her optic nerves simply need time to recover."

Kolton asked curiously, "So how long until she makes a full recovery?"

Roderick hesitated, then admitted, "It depends on how her body heals. It could be two or three months, or much longer. But we can't say for sure."

Isabelle slumped lightly against Kolton, determination burning in her eyes without him noticing.

She could sense the stiffness in his body slowly relax.

It seemed her blindness made him let his guard down.

Taking advantage of the moment, Isabelle pleaded, "Kolton, I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home. When my sight returns, I want the first faces I see to be you and our children."

Roderick agreed, adding, "Mr. Reed, going back to a familiar environment might even help her recovery."

Kolton thought it over, then nodded. He would take her home.

Because her legs were still too weak to support her, Kolton borrowed a wheelchair from the hospital and wheeled her downstairs.

Thinking back to how he'd rushed to catch Joelle earlier, Isabelle couldn't help but find it bitterly ironic.

He was willing to hold another woman, yet he wouldn't hold his wife.

Inside the elevator, a mirror reflected their images. Hidden behind her sunglasses, Isabelle studied Kolton carefully.

Five years had done nothing to diminish him. If anything, he was more handsome than before, his striking face now burnished with maturity.

She, on the other hand, was a shadow of her former self-thin, drained, and lifeless.

Kolton had sucked her dry, taken everything she had, and left her hollow.

When they reached the lobby, Isabelle glanced around in secret. There was no sign of Joelle or the children; they must have already left.

Kolton wheeled Isabelle to the car and opened the passenger door. Right away, her eyes caught on an expensive lipstick tube sitting on the seat.

Kolton shot her a quick look, then smoothly scooped up the lipstick, tucked it into his pocket, and helped her into the passenger seat as if nothing had happened.

"Kolton, in the five years I was asleep, has another woman ever sat in this seat?" Isabelle asked softly once she was seated.

"Of course not," Kolton blurted out. Then, with a forced laugh, he added, "Everyone knows better than to cross you. You once faced a group of kidnappers with a gun."

The memory came rushing back.

Not long after their wedding, Kolton had been kidnapped. The police were moving at a frustratingly slow pace, and Isabelle was almost losing her mind with worry. Desperate, she pulled every string she could, using all her contacts until she finally uncovered where he was being held.

In the end, she showed up herself, armed with both cash and a gun, willing to gamble her own life to bring him back.

After she rescued Kolton, he had sworn never to let her down.

The traffic light ahead turned red, and the car rolled to a stop.

Kolton turned suddenly, watching her. "Belle, what was it like when you were in a coma?"

Behind her sunglasses, Isabelle's eyes went cold, but she kept her voice low and trembling. "Like being trapped in an endless dream. Nothing but darkness-no sight, no sound. Just terror."

Satisfied with her answer, Kolton squeezed her hand. "It's all over now, Belle. We're going home."

Isabelle gave a strained smile. "Yes, it's over."

It was over between her and Kolton. Now it was time for payback.

As the light turned green, Kolton stepped on the gas, and the car sped forward. A sleek black Maybach shot past, skimming dangerously close.

Inside, a man with a sculpted face sat shrouded in the shadows, looking cold and intimidating. His eyes narrowed instantly when Isabelle's face flickered across his view.

He rolled the window down, staring after her as the car pulled away.

Oliver Singh, seated in the passenger seat, turned to ask, "Mr. Gill, is something wrong?" He had never seen his boss look shaken.

"Nothing," Nathaniel Gill answered quietly as the Bentley disappeared into the distance.

He looked away, eyes settling on the towering Sky Group building glowing against the night.

He squinted, a faint, mocking smile tugging at his striking lips.

"Isabelle," he muttered, the name escaping his mouth coldly, yet filling him with an inexplicable nostalgia. "Was it worth it?"

The black Bentley rolled to a stop in front of a villa.

Kolton carried Isabelle out of the car and placed her into the wheelchair before pushing her toward the house.

From behind her dark sunglasses, Isabelle quietly took in the view of the house before her.

This was the home she had once shared with Kolton after their wedding, the place where they had lived before her coma. She hadn't seen it in five years; it felt like an entire lifetime had passed.

"Belle, we're home," Kolton whispered affectionately into her ear. "Can you smell it? The tulips you planted for me are still here. I've taken good care of them."

Isabelle's eyes fell on the rows of tulips blooming in the front garden. They stood tall and luminous under the moonlight, as lovely as when she first planted them.

Back then, she had planted every bulb herself, simply because Kolton had once said tulips were his favorite flower.

At that time, she had hung on his every word, never stopping to question why he liked tulips, even after filling the entire garden with thousands.

After she was trapped in her vegetative state, Joelle visited her with a bouquet of tulips, whispering with a cruel smile, "Isabelle, you don't know yet, do you? Tulips are my favorite flower. Thank you for planting so many of them in the garden. They make me happy every time I visit your home with Kolton."

...

Isabelle felt a pang of hatred. She reached down and snapped the stem of a tulip in half with a violent twist.

She didn't regret the years she'd spent loving Kolton, but he had no right to trample on that love.

Kolton wheeled her up to the front door.

The villa had been Isabelle's design. She had chosen everything, right down to the biometric lock on the front door.

As the wheelchair stopped, her hand instinctively reached out to press the lock, but Kolton's firm palm stopped her.

His hand was damp with sweat. He was nervous.

"Belle, let me do it," he said softly.

Isabelle smiled faintly and bitterly as she suddenly realized that he had gone so far as to delete her fingerprint from the lock.

She held back the bitter laugh burning in her throat. The pain was too heavy to release.

She slowly withdrew her hand, watching quietly as Kolton leaned in to unlock the door. Just before the latch clicked, a slender, manicured hand pulled it open.

Joelle stood there in the doorway, poised and confident, like she was a part of the family.

Isabelle clenched her fists on her lap, the rage burning inside her.

Had Joelle lived in this house all along? Slept in her bed? Taken her husband? Stolen her children during these five years?

Joelle pulled the door open with a smile, but the moment her eyes landed on Isabelle sitting in the wheelchair beside Kolton, she froze in place.

"Kolton, why aren't you taking me inside?" Isabelle spoke suddenly.

Out of the corner of her eye, reflected faintly in the mirror on the wall, she saw Kolton make a small gesture to Joelle to stay silent.

Realizing Isabelle couldn't see her, Joelle quietly stepped aside, allowing Kolton to wheel her through the doorway.

Behind her sunglasses, Isabelle's eyes turned icy as they landed on Joelle's hand resting against the doorframe.

"Kolton, I feel a bit cold," she said sweetly. "Could you get me something warm and cozy?"

"Of course. There's a blanket on the sofa. Wait right here," Kolton replied, moving toward the living room.

Joelle's eyes followed him unconsciously, giving Isabelle the opening she needed. She slammed the door shut with great force.

Joelle's hand, too slow to pull away, was crushed painfully in the frame. She bit down on her lip, smothering the scream in her throat.

"Kolton!" Isabelle cried out, feigning panic, her arms flailing like she was reaching blindly. "I tried to close the door, and something got caught! I'm so scared!"

Kolton headed toward Joelle to check on her, but was caught by Isabelle's frantic grasp. He had to soothe Isabelle first.

"It's nothing, just one of the kids' toys. Don't worry. You can't see right now, Belle, so let me handle doors from now on."

His tone was calm, but Isabelle caught the flicker of irritation in his eyes.

"Kolton, where are Jim and Emmy? Where are my babies?" Isabelle asked urgently.

She had picked out names for her twins long before they were born. Right now, she couldn't wait to see them and hold them in her arms. As for that shameless mistress, she couldn't care less.

Her love for her babies had been her only anchor through these tough five years.

"They have school in the morning," Kolton said softly. "They're already asleep. Don't worry, Belle. You'll see them soon once your eyesight is better."

Behind the cover of her glasses, Isabelle's eyes dimmed.

She couldn't appear too eager, or Kolton would become suspicious.

But just as she was about to speak again, small footsteps pattered down the staircase. She turned her head instinctively and saw Emily and James descending together, hand in hand.

They were dressed in matching pajamas, slippers shuffling quietly against the floor-Emily in pink, James in blue.

Isabelle almost broke into tears of excitement.

"Dad," James called when his eyes fell on Isabelle in the wheelchair. He seemed to sense who she might be. His little hand gripped his shirt tightly as he hesitated, nervous.

Emily, however, gazed up toward Joelle, her eyes shining with affection.

She parted her lips as if to call out to her, but Joelle shook her head firmly. She obeyed and shut her mouth without question.

"Are those Emmy and Jim?" Isabelle asked, her voice trembling as she opened her arms toward them. "I'm your mommy. Come here, let me hug you."

Emily shrank back, retreating in fear. James lingered uncertainly before finally inching toward Isabelle.

He reached out a small hand and brushed her cheek, as though to confirm she was real. "Are you really our mommy?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm your mommy, and Emmy's too," Isabelle whispered gently.

Her whole body ached to scoop him into her arms, but she held back, afraid of frightening him.

To them, she was little more than a stranger who had slept through their lives.

"Alright, it's late," Kolton said, stepping in. "Jim, take your sister back to your room. Tomorrow after school, I'll explain everything to you both about your mother."

James hesitated, glancing back at Isabelle again and again as he started guiding Emily upstairs.

Isabelle called out desperately, "Sweetheart, can I hold you?" Her voice cracked, a tear slipping from under her sunglasses.

James paused, torn, about to turn back when Kolton said in a firm voice, "Jim, to your room."

He placed a hand on Isabelle's shoulder, his expression gentle. "The children lost you for years, Belle. They need time to adjust."

Isabelle's heart twisted in agony. Kolton was doing this deliberately. He didn't want her to get close to them.

James tugged Emily along, obediently retreating upstairs. Emily glanced back, not at Isabelle, but at Joelle, blowing her a little kiss.

The gesture stabbed Isabelle's chest like a blade. She shut her eyes, crushed under the weight of betrayal and grief.

She could discard Kolton, but she would never let anyone steal her children.

When the twins were gone, Kolton wheeled Isabelle into their bedroom and set her on the bed.

Her eyes darted to the wall. The wedding photo that had once hung proudly was gone, tossed aside into a corner, half-covered by a cloth that concealed her face.

A bitter laugh rose inside her.

So much did Kolton hate her now that even her photo couldn't be tolerated.

"Belle, rest early. I need to finish some work in the study," Kolton said softly.

She gave him a calm smile. "Alright."

The moment he left and the door shut, her smile faded.

She didn't believe for a second that he was going to the study.

With effort, Isabelle swung her weak legs down to the floor. Bracing herself against the wall, she forced her frail body upright and began the slow journey to the window.

Every step felt like torture.

What should have taken seconds stretched into five agonizing minutes, her body drenched in sweat by the time she reached the glass.

And there, beneath the pale light of the moon, she saw it-Kolton and Joelle locked in an embrace.