The Day Our Promise Breaks

She said with such sadness, "Why doesn't Dad believe me?"

Seriously!

She was his own flesh and blood, yet he was completely taken in by Sandy's lies, ignoring everything Charlie tried to explain. It never crossed his mind that Sandy might not be telling the truth. Charles couldn't even begin to imagine how many lies Sandy had spun over the years, and how much had been hidden under the guise of his trust in her.

"Dad..."

Sandy was genuinely panicked, her face stinging from the slap. It wasn't even a hard slap, especially compared to the ones her mom used to give. But to Sandy, this one hurt the most-right in her heart. This was her dad, the one who doted on her, who could hardly bring himself to scold her. Yet, here he was, hitting her because of Charlie.

Today, he chose to be with Charlie on her birthday, and now this. She didn't blame her dad, though. All her resentment was aimed squarely at Charlie. She was consumed with jealousy, regretting not locking the door, which allowed her dad to discover her secret.

Ever since Charlie showed up, Sandy had been making voodoo dolls, learning from her mom. For years, it had gone unnoticed by her dad. If only she had thought to lock up, she could've kept it hidden. But now, her dad knew, and he was furious. She needed to find a way to defend herself, but with evidence in her dad's hands, how could she possibly argue her case?

The more Sandy tried to think, the more her mind turned to mush. Until she could find a way to calm her dad down, all she could do was cry and look at Charles with pleading eyes.

"Sandy, don't call me Dad anymore! I don't have a daughter like you!" Charles's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. What he'd seen and heard made all those years of loving Sandy feel like a cruel joke.

"Dad, you promised you'd always be my dad, that you'd never leave me!" Sandy cried, realizing that Charles was cutting her off. Without him as her father, she'd fall from her pedestal and become like the very people she looked down on. She couldn't lose him.

"My promise was to the sweet and kind Sandy. Is that who you are?" Charles's question pierced through her, making her sob even harder. She wanted to say yes, but the words wouldn't come under his frosty stare.

In the next room, Charles's loud arrival had woken Dahlia. Already upset with Charles for breaking his promise, she was now seething with resentment toward Sandy. The noise in the middle of the night only added fuel to her fire. Angry, she moved from her bed to her wheelchair, ready to confront Sandy. noveldrama

But when she heard Charles's voice, she paused. Listening for a moment, she realized what was happening and cursed Sandy in her mind-calling her a useless troublemaker. Dahlia knew her only chance with Charles hinged on Sandy. She couldn't let him be truly disappointed in her daughter.

After a moment, Dahlia pushed her wheelchair into the room, throwing herself at Charles's legs. "Charles, you've got it wrong about Sandy! she cried, seizing the moment to take the blame. "It's all my fault. I was jealous of Evelyn being Debbie, and in my madness, I took it out on Charlie."

"I'm the one who made the voodoo doll. Sandy just copied me. She doesn't know better-it's my failure as a mother. Please, don't blame Sandy."

"She looks up to you so much. If you keep her close and teach her, she can grow

up to be as good as you. She's only seven, a blank slate. You can shape her into something wonderful."

Dahlia pushed Sandy toward

Charles, hoping to keep her daughter

in his life. Even if she couldn't be with Charles herself, having Sandy legally adopted by him would be a victory in its own right. It would be a thorn in Evelyn's side, knowing her daughter's killer's child was now part of her family. Charles looked at Dahlia, taking in her words. She was claiming it was all her doing, and

Sandy was innocent?