The Day Our Promise Breaks

Evelyn stood just inside the doorway, clutching Charlie's teddy bear, as she watched Charles crumble to the floor. Bright red blood seeped from the gash on his forehead, forming a steady drip onto the hardwood. In no time, he was sprawled in a crimson pool, a sight as haunting as the day she had rushed to the amusement park, only to find Charlie in a similar state. But this time, her emotions were different. When it happened to Charlie, her heart shattered, and her grief was unbearable. Today, her face was emotionless, and her gaze was distant. She didn't move to help him or call for help. She just watched.

Downstairs, Aiden leaned against his car, smoking. His eyes were fixed on Evelyn's apartment window. When the motion sensor light flicked off, he assumed Charles had left. He stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into a nearby trash can, but Charles didn't appear, and the light stayed off. Sensing something was wrong, especially considering Evelyn's hostile attitude towards Charles earlier, Aiden grew anxious. Knowing Charles had arrived in poor health, Aiden didn't hesitate to rush upstairs. The old elevator was too slow, so he bounded up the stairs, two at a time until he reached Evelyn's floor. The motion sensor light turned on as he arrived, revealing Charles lying in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

"Mr. Jenkins!" Aiden shouted, rushing to his side and dropping to his knees. The shattered vase around them painted a clear picture of what had happened. Without wasting a second, he called 911, pressing his suit jacket against Charles' bleeding forehead. Charles looked more vulnerable than Aiden had ever seen, while Evelyn stood there like a cold statue, watching.

Fury flared in Aiden's eyes as he turned to her. "Ms. Evelyn, do you realize that you're letting Mr. Jenkins die by doing nothing?"noveldrama

Sure, Evelyn had every reason to be angry with Charles for his past mistakes, especially regarding Charlie. But refusing even to call for help after attacking him was beyond Aiden's understanding.

"Doesn't he deserve to die? It'd be better if he did!" Evelyn's words grew colder, more heartless with each sentence, stabbing into Charles' still semi-conscious mind. It felt like a dagger twisted in his heart, and with a final burst of blood from his mouth, he succumbed to unconsciousness.

In the hospital, Charles slowly opened his eyes to a sea of white. He was back in the hospital. It was his second time here. The first time was five years ago when he had just taken over Jenkins Enterprises. His relentless work schedule had finally caught up with him, landing him in the hospital. As he lay feverish and dazed, he remembered someone caring for him through the night. Only when he awoke the next day to find Evelyn asleep by his bed, seven months pregnant and exhausted, did he realize it was her. In that moment, he felt a flicker of warmth towards her. But, at that time, memories of how she had drugged him, forced Dahlia away with her schemes, quickly snuffed out any lingering affection, leaving only a chilling distance between them.