The Day Our Promise Breaks

After Charles left, Evelyn stood there, feeling like her heart might burst. The words Charles had said- supposedly an apology to Charlie-felt more like a knife twisting in both her and Charlie's hearts, leaving her breathless.

She clutched her chest, knowing something was wrong. Using the couch to steady herself, she managed to get up, her hands shaking as she rummaged through her bag for her medication. She unscrewed the bottle, but nothing came out. It was empty.

The bottle slipped from her fingers, and she sank to the floor, utterly spent. Her mind spun wildly, guilt wrapping around her like a tight net. She wished she had been honest with Charlie about her father's indifference. Her desire to shield Charlie from the truth had led her to create a fantasy of a loving father, which only made Charlie love Charles all the more.

If she hadn't spun that fairy tale, maybe Charlie wouldn't have adored Charles so much, and without that love, she wouldn't have suffered so deeply. It was all her fault. As a mother, she had failed, letting her daughter face so much pain in life. And even after Charlie's death, she couldn't bring Dahlia, the one responsible, to justice. Would Charlie ever find peace?

The guilt and heartache were overwhelming, and tears flowed freely down her face. In a daze, Evelyn got to her feet, left her home, and drove off.

Forty minutes later, she pulled up at the cemetery. It wasn't the first time she'd come here at night since Charlie was buried. On many sleepless nights, even after taking her meds, she found herself here, keeping Charlie company.

She got out of the car and carried a bag with Charlie's favorite fruits and dumplings in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The cemetery was dim and eerily quiet, but Evelyn felt no fear. Every soul

here was loved by someone Still living, just like Charlie. There was nothing to be scared of.

As she walked through the graveyard, she spotted a figure standing by Charlie's grave from a distance. Even from afar, she knew it was Dahlia. Her heart skipped a beat, her face paling. Dahlia's presence could only mean trouble.

As Evelyn had feared, Dahlia's

intentions were far from kind. That

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troublesome girl had been a thorn in her side from the very beginning. Rosa wouldn't have pressured Charles to stand by Evelyn if it hadn't been for her pregnancy. Nor would Dahlia have had to leverage that against her.

Dahlia was forced to take Rosa's money and leave the Capital. She had gone abroad, not daring to return until two years ago when Rosa slipped into a coma. Once she returned home, she took every chance to cut the ties between Charles and Evelyn.noveldrama

But even in death, Charlie meddled with her plans. She had carefully orchestrated events with Sandy's help to finally secure her place, and Charles had agreed to make things official with her and Sandy. Yet, in the end, Charlie, that pesky girl, had gained the upper hand.

Dahlia hadn't meant to bear a

grudge, but tonight, everything had been set for her to spend the night, with Charles and possibly conceive his son to cement her status. But thanks to Charlie, Charles had turned her down. Dahlia was enraged and stormed out, heading straight to the cemetery, seething with fury.