Broken Dreams

Medical intern Robert Morley is distraught after his wife dies in childbirth, leaving him with a deep sense of grief. He abandons the newborn boy and travels to Europe to pursue his medical career, trying to escape the pain by throwing himself into his work.

Six years pass and his aunt Hilda visits, bringing his son Billy. The boy immediately believes the aunt and uncle are his parents, creating a delicate tug between chosen family and the real father.

During this visit, Billy attends his 6th birthday party and spends happy time with his father. Robert tells his fiancée Martha to have lunch without him, signaling a shift toward integrating Billy into his life.

Martha meets the aunt and uncle and is not pleased that Robert has a son. The awkward encounter underscores the widening gap between the life Robert claims and the life Martha envisions.

Robert recounts how he lost his wife and the pain that lingered. The conversation softens tensions and they begin to reconcile.

They discuss having children, and Martha reveals she doesn't want more. Robert argues that a child could bind them, and she suggests Billy living with them instead.

Robert asserts that Billy should live with him, while his aunt and uncle refuse to surrender the boy. He takes the dispute to court to fight for custody.

At the custody hearing, the judge grants Robert full custody of Billy. The boy cries as he faces leaving his beloved aunt and uncle.

Billy goes to live with Robert and Martha. He begins French tutoring with a tutor, and Robert takes an afternoon off to take Billy to the zoo, strengthening their father-son bond.

Martha leaves for an evening out and returns late, confessing that she feels left out of Billy's life. She promises to try harder with Billy and later buys him a small dog to win his affection, though the gift backfires as he remains unhappy.

The aunt and uncle visit again, bringing a cake and the dog Billy had asked for, renewing the sense of extended family in Billy's life.

Robert is called away from town for an emergency operation, leaving Billy in Martha's care. Billy hides his food for the dog and lets a pet monkey into his room, then feeds them cake. The tutor finds the monkey and hurries to fetch Billy's mother, who arrives to find the chaos, but the dog remains.

Paul, Martha's suitor, tells her Robert has no time for her and suggests she should leave. He tries to kiss Martha, but Billy intervenes to stop him; Paul shoves Billy, causing a concussion.

At a hospital, the doctors reveal that Martha's blood helped save Billy, revealing the bond she shares as his biological mother. Realizing she is Billy's mother, Martha decides to stay with Robert and Billy.

A year later, the family celebrates Billy’s seventh birthday with friends, his dog, and his monkey. The moment signifies a fragile, evolving bond that reconciles their past with a hopeful future.