The Day Our Promise Breaks

In truth, he had fallen for her ages ago. Even Andrew noticed it and pointed out that he had changed. But Charles was in denial, unable to face the fact that he'd betrayed Debbie. So, he buried his feelings for Evelyn deep inside, wrapping them up in layer upon layer of emotional armor, refusing to confront them.

Now, realizing that Debbie was the one who truly held his heart, the feelings he had for Evelyn broke free, surging like an unstoppable wave. Charles looked at Evelyn with eyes full of deep, unwavering passion. But his intense emotions were met with a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.

This wasn't the first time Evelyn had looked at him like that. Ever since their son Charlie died because of his entanglement with Dahlia, Evelyn's heart had been filled with resentment toward him, often shooting him looks of sheer contempt. But none had ever felt as gut-wrenching as this moment. Knowing that she was the real Debbie and seeing her glare at him as if she wished him dead felt like a knife slowly carving into his heart.noveldrama

His lips moved slightly. Charles wanted to call out to Eve, to step forward and pull her into a tight embrace. But his legs felt like they were weighed down with lead, unable to move even an inch. Though they were just a step apart, it felt like an unbridgeable chasm lay between them.

Was there any hope left for him and Eve? Charles was no longer sure. Not only had he failed to keep his promises, but he'd deeply hurt Eve by mistaking her for someone else. Memories of the past came flooding back. He'd mistakenly thought Dahlia was Debbie, and in every situation involving Dahlia and Eve, he was biased. He always sided with Dahlia, never giving Eve the chance to speak for herself. Even when she did, he never believed her.

He wasn't blind to his favoritism in dealing with Dahlia. He didn't think much of it; he loved Debbie, and his devotion was his way of cherishing her. To him, Debbie was the best woman in the world. She was kind, and in his eyes, she could do no wrong. No matter what happened, he should have trusted Debbie, stood by her without question, and protected her. That was his promise.

But it turned out everything was wrong. From the start, he'd been defending the wrong person. Every injury he'd caused Eve by favoring Dahlia came back like a boomerang, hitting him hard. The pain was all-consuming, seeping into every part of his being! It hurt so much that even breathing was painful!

He hated himself for being so blind, for mistaking someone else for her. He hated Dahlia even more for stepping into Debbie's place. He couldn't see and recognize Debbie, but what about Dahlia? Over the years, she had countless chances to tell him the truth-that she wasn't Debbie, that he was mistaken. If she'd come clean, he would have kept searching. Maybe he and Eve would have found each other again much sooner. Charlie wouldn't have suffered so much from his misplaced trust and wouldn't have died on the operating table for lack of a kidney donor.

Thinking of Charlie made Charles tremble with pain. It was the deepest wound in Eve's heart and an eternal scar in his own. She might never forgive him. Charles's eyes were bloodshot as he slowly turned to look at Dahlia, sitting in her wheelchair. Through clenched teeth, he coldly uttered her real name, "Dahlia Greene!"