The Day Our Promise Breaks

"If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't have missed meeting up with Charlie. She wouldn't have been waiting alone at the amusement park for so long, and her condition wouldn't have worsened... and eventually..."

Dahlia was crying her heart out, seemingly as unable to accept the reality as he was. Charles felt a pang of heartache, too.

He knew Dahlia shared the same guilt he had about what happened at the amusement park.

"You were worried about Sandy, too."

It wasn't Dahlia's fault. She didn't know Charlie was sick. She certainly didn't know Charlie was waiting for him at the park for so long.

Charles gently patted Dahlia, trying to comfort her. She leaned into his embrace, crying even harder.

"But I really feel so guilty... That was Charlie... your daughter... I honestly wanted to treat her as my own."

She was crying, but her face, buried in Charles' chest, showed no real sadness. In fact, there was a glimmer of satisfaction.

That day, she had called Charles on purpose. Even when poor Charlie was rushed into surgery after vomiting blood. Dahlia knew Evelyn was desperately calling Charles after discovering the kidney donor was taken.

At that time, Charles was at the same hospital, comforting Sandy. He had no clue that while he was soothing Sandy, his daughter was fighting for her life in the operating room.

Dahlia had silenced Charles' phone, claiming Sandy needed quiet to rest. There was no way she would let Evelyn contact Charles.

When Evelyn called, Dahlia saw it. She deliberately blocked his phone, letting Evelyn's repeated calls go unanswered and making her feel the depths of despair until, finally, the calls stopped.

Dahlia guessed that poor Charlie probably didn't survive the surgery. She didn't delete Evelyn's missed calls; she knew Charles wouldn't notice them.

Later, Dahlia used the pretext of getting medicine for Sandy to go and see Evelyn's breakdown herself. Watching Evelyn suffer brought her joy.

She hated Evelyn and her daughter even more. If not for Evelyn, she would've secured her place a long time ago. If not for Charlie, Rosa wouldn't have forced her to leave. It was all Charlie and Evelyn's fault.

After returning home, Charlie and Evelyn still dared to hold onto what was hers. Were they looking for trouble?

"You said it yourself. Charlie was a good girl; she wouldn't blame you."

Seeing Dahlia genuinely upset, Charles tried to comfort her again. "Yeah."

Dahlia knew when to stop. She eased away from Charles' embrace, wiping the tears off her face.

"Charles, can I see Charlie? If not, I'll stand far away. Just seeing you would put my mind at ease."

Dahlia's voice was barely above a whisper.

"You're here already, so let's visit Charlie together. Just don't mention anything in front of Eve."

Charles saw Dahlia's cautious expression and gave in. As long as Evelyn didn't know, it would be fine.

"Yeah, I know. She must hate me for calling you away and probably thinks I'm to blame for Charlie's death."

Dahlia bit her lip.

"She just loved Charlie too much." Charles offered an explanation for Evelyn.noveldrama

Dahlia's grip tightened. She had brought it up to make Charles believe Evelyn was wrongfully accusing her. But she didn't expect him to brush off Evelyn's actions with just a simple sentence.

Charles, oblivious to Dahlia's reaction, continued walking. Step by step, he approached Charlie's gravestone, crouched down, and spoke softly, "Charlie, Daddy and Ms. Dahlia are here to see you."

Dahlia crouched down, too,

pretending to help Charles arrange the fruit and cakes they brought.

while Charles focused on the

gravestone, she spat on the

fruitcake she held. Charles didn't notice at all.

The wind had been strong lately, and in just one night, Charlie's face on the gravestone had gathered some dust. Charles gently wiped it away with his sleeve. When he pulled back, he tenderly caressed Charlie's face on the gravestone. His eyes stung painfully.

Even after seeing the death certificate and the gravestone, it still didn't feel real to

Charles. He wished it were all a lie, that Charlie hadn't died.

Dahlia, looking somber, silently recited a curse she learned from a fortune teller.

She wanted to curse poor Charlie to never find peace.

From the moment Charles arrived in

front of Charlie, he didn't pay Dahlia any more attention and spoke to Charlie the whole time. As time

passed Charles, with teary eyes net

softly asked, "Charlie, would you be my daughter again in another life? I will make sure you're the happiest princess in the whole world."

Evelyn also came to visit Charlie. Just as she arrived, she saw Charles and Dahlia

at Charlie's gravestone. She caught Charles' words.

Why did he bring Dahlia to ask Charlie to be reborn as his daughter? Was he suggesting Charlie be reborn to Dahlia?