Love Story Lifetime Commitment
They had just started university. Both came from remote rural areas, and when others mocked them for being “country folks,” they comforted each other. Over time, their hearts drew closer.
Like most couples, they ate together, strolled in parks together. They didn’t have much money, so often, they would spend time in the library, writing little notes to each other. Though they were poor, the light in their love was just as bright. Naturally, they fell in love.
Because of their financial situation, they had fewer experiences than other couples—no movie theater dates or extravagant Valentine’s gifts. He rarely bought her anything. Once, she fancied a pair of red gloves for 10 yuan. He checked his pockets and found only 7 yuan, smiling awkwardly. Later, she bought yarn and knitted two pairs of red gloves. He held her close and promised to love her for life.
In their third year, they started working part-time, improving their financial situation. Through tutoring, he earned some money. He saved two months’ salary to buy her a necklace because she had admired it in a store once. It was a silver chain, finely crafted, and it looked stunning on her. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but wearing that necklace, she looked radiant. He gave it to her as a birthday gift, and she said, “I have a gift for you too.”
Her gift to him was her first time. In a simple motel room, they were tender and passionate. He said, “I’ll always love you. Let’s love each other for life, no matter where we are or how far we go. Let’s never part, okay?” She curled into his arms, tears streaming down her face, believing this man would love her forever.
Two months later, she began to feel nauseous. She was pregnant. It was terrifying, so she turned to him. “Get rid of it,” he said. “We’re still students. If the school finds out, we’ll be expelled. We graduate next year. Let’s not take that risk.”
“No,” she said firmly. “I want this baby because it’s ours, and I love it. I must have it.”
A month later, she took medical leave and returned to her hometown. He wrote to her almost daily, asking about her condition. By the time he graduated, their son had been born.
She didn’t return to school, and he stayed in Shanghai. He could have gone back to the rural area where she waited, but he didn’t. She hadn’t told her family, raising the baby alone and working for a small company, earning just enough to get by. She waited for him to graduate so they could live together, but he didn’t come back. He said, “Shanghai has more opportunities. Once I have money, I’ll bring you and the baby here.”
That promise was never fulfilled.
In reality, he only visited her once. When he saw her, he was shocked: her hair was a mess, her eyes crusted with sleep, her clothes shabby and stained with milk, while their child cried uncontrollably. Compared to his polished appearance, she seemed like a woman still trapped in the mountains. Fear gripped him—did he still want her? Did he really want to take her with him?
She still depended on him, asking about his life in Shanghai. “Not great,” he lied. “Wait a little longer.” In truth, he was already a department manager earning seven to eight thousand yuan a month, while she earned just a few hundred. As he left, she handed him a thousand yuan, saying, “You have big expenses in Shanghai, take this.” Tears welled up as he realized how much he had wronged her. On the train, he opened the money—a collection of small bills, painstakingly saved.
He decided to repay her with money.
Soon after, he sent her 20,000 yuan along with a letter. He said only that he was too busy to marry her right now, not daring to admit he wanted to break up. She returned the money, with a note: “I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait. I’m married now. We promised to love each other for life, but I’ve married.”
He wept. She was so considerate, marrying only for his sake. She had given him his freedom. He no longer had the courage to return to her hometown. He thought, maybe her husband was a better match for her.
At that time, another woman loved him—beautiful and stylish, from a wealthy and influential family that could help him. Soon, he and this woman went abroad to study. In the U.S., he started his own company, amassing wealth, villas, and cars—everything he and she had once dreamed of. He knew he was a bad man, too bad, so he chose to return to her hometown after Labor Day and invest in a company there, hoping to help her.
By then, she was a teacher at a local middle school, nearing 40. Her hair had turned gray, and her body had grown heavier. Her eyes, swollen from overwork, had lost their sparkle. When they met, they were stunned into silence. Time had given her weariness and him a mature charm.
He saw their son, a 17-year-old boy who looked just like him, already accepted into Peking University. He wanted to thank her, but words felt hollow. He wanted to apologize, but felt he didn’t deserve to. After sitting in her modest office for a long time, he finally asked, “What does your husband do?”
She smiled faintly, the wrinkles around her mouth moving. Quietly, she said, “I’ve never married.”
In that instant, he stood up, tears falling uncontrollably. His heart broke—she had waited for him all this time, so faithfully.
“You fool,” he scolded. She trembled, tears in her eyes, and said, “You said we’d love each other for life. I believed it. You said it.” He covered his face and slowly knelt. In love, he realized, he was inferior to this woman. He didn’t understand what a lifetime promise meant. He couldn’t be with her now, but he knew she was the pearl of his heart, priceless and irreplaceable. On the plane back to the U.S., he opened a bag containing the old red gloves, faded and unraveling. He tried to slip his hands into them, but the threads broke—they were too old, worn by the years. Only her pure, unwavering gaze remained unchanged, just as when she first said those moving words: “Love each other for life.”
Now he finally understood. Loving someone for life wasn’t just a phrase; it required a lifetime of dedication, heart, and love. But he had failed. He knew that in this lifetime, he had not only let her down but also betrayed love itself.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
