The Day Our Promise Breaks

At that moment, Charles felt someone by his bedside. Instinctively, he turned his head, expecting to see Evelyn. But to his surprise, it was Dahlia. A strange sense of loss washed over him.

Dahlia stirred awake, startled by Charles. Her face lit up with joy when she realized he was awake. "Charles, you're finally awake," she said, her eyes red and full of concern. Tears threatened to spill as she choked out, "What happened to you? How did things get this bad?"

Her voice trembled with emotion. "Do you have any idea how heartbreaking it is to see you hurt like this?" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Charles stayed silent, prompting Dahlia to worryingly reach out and touch his face. "Charles, why aren't you saying anything? Are you okay? I'll get the doctor right now!"

She was clearly anxious, but her eyes were solely focused on him. Just as she was about to leave, Charles grabbed her hand. Dahlia paused, meeting his gaze once more. "Charles?" she whispered.

Charles looked at her and suddenly said, "Charlie is gone." It was a statement out of the blue, almost like a test. He didn't know why he felt the need to test her, especially since he trusted Dahlia so deeply.

They say you can tell a person's true nature by the time they're three, and Dahlia had always been genuinely kind-hearted. She was like a little angel, and it warmed his heart. When the neighbor's dog tragically died, she cried her heart out over it. It was just a stray that someone had poisoned and the neighbors had abandoned. Dahlia was too small to dig a grave, so she pleaded with her mom to help and cried until the dog was buried in a little grove. Only then did she smile again. She was such a kind soul-if she cared that much for a stray dog, how could she ever harm a person, let alone his daughter?

"What?" Dahlia's face was a picture of shock, disbelief etched in her eyes. "Charlie is gone? How can that be? Charles, are you sure there's no mistake? Didn't you say Evelyn hid Charlie away? How could she be gone?" Her voice trembled. "She was just five... it can't be true. #just can't be!"

Dahlia's reaction was flawless. She had been near the amusement park. She knew Evelyn had already told Charles their daughter was gone, and Charles believed it. She watched him in agony and regret, kneeling at Charlie's grave all night and even

i

dive into the hospital lake like a

madman to retrieve some broken trinket. When she saw Charles that torn up, she knew it was connected to Charlie.

Charles had taken that trinket to confront Evelyn. Dahlia's heart was in turmoil, worried Evelyn might seize the chance to tell Charles that it was her malicious act that led to Charlie's death. But then, she saw the ambulance carrying a bloodied Charles down from the building, with no sign of Evelyn. That was when she knew Charles must've been on her side, having upset Evelyn. Her anxious heart finally found some peace.

As long as Charles didn't believe the truth, what was there to fear without evidence? Evelyn, that troublemaker, couldn't do anything to her.noveldrama

"Charlie... is truly gone," Charles spoke again, his voice hoarse and eyes reddening with the mention of his daughter's death. This wasn't a test anymore; he was telling Dahlia his daughter was gone.

Dahlia's face was drenched in sorrow, and tears were flowing endlessly. "How could this happen? Poor Evelyn must be beside herself. Have Charlie's funeral arrangements been made? Is there anything I can do to help?"