The Day Our Promise Breaks

"That's not true. You're lying. You love children-you'd never have the heart to go through with this!"

Charles just couldn't believe it.

He refused to accept that Evelyn could be so ruthless.

She had to be making this up.

...

Just then, the doctor who'd performed Evelyn's surgery stepped out of the operating room.

He spotted Evelyn and started walking over, probably to remind her to take it easy.

But Charles intercepted him, gripping the doctor's shoulder.

"Tell me the truth-Eve didn't actually have the abortion, did she? My baby is still alive, right?"

Seeing Charles suddenly lose it and interrogate the doctor, Evelyn clung tighter to Adam's arm without even realizing it.

Adam gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, silently telling her it was okay, she could relax.

Then Adam stepped between Charles and the doctor, his voice ice-cold. "Charles, let go. Harassing the staff and lying to yourself-what good does that do anyone?"

But Charles wouldn't back down.

He stared the doctor down, desperate for any scrap of hope.

"Mr. Jenkins, I'm sorry," the doctor said quietly, "but by the time the director called, the procedure was already underway."

"The baby... is gone."

Those words hit Charles like a punch to the gut. His vision swam with pain and fury. It was real. The baby was gone. The grief inside him had nowhere to go.

He let go of the doctor's arm.

Turning away, eyes red-rimmed, he looked at Evelyn and choked out, "Eve, how could you be so cruel to me?"

"You know I'm sorry! I've done everything I can to make it up to you and Charlie. Why can't you give me one more chance? Why can't we just start over?"

Charles's chest heaved with emotion.

Losing the right to be a father-again-it was agony.

His gaze at Evelyn was sharp with blame.

He wanted to hate her for being so cold.

But deep down, he knew he had no right.

Everything that happened was because of his own mistakes.

"Because you don't deserve it!"

Evelyn didn't even flinch.

Between them, there was nothing left-no path except to become strangers, forever.

"Charles, you're not fit to be a father."

"Not every mistake comes with a second chance."

"Some wounds are too deep for an apology to heal."

"I can't forget or forgive what you did

hot now, not ever. I

time

you, I remember it af

swho

over

"Every moment with you is pure torment. I hate you more than you can imagine.

Why would I ever go back to you?"

Adam slipped an arm around Evelyn to steady her and turned to Charles. "If you really want to make things right, Charles, let her go. Stop dragging her back into your mess. Leaving her alone is the best thing you can do for her now."

With that, Adam led Evelyn away.

This time, Charles didn't try to stop them.

He just stood there and watched Evelyn's figure retreat down the hallway, smaller

and smaller, until she vanished from sight.

He'd always known, deep down, that Eve had never forgiven him. Not even a little.

But when she'd gotten pregnant by accident, he'd let himself hope.

He'd wanted to believe that her love for the baby might save them.

He'd thought maybe, like those

Ples who try to fix everything by having another child, they could use this baby to mend what was broken.

All he'd wanted was one more chance.

But after today, Eve's resolve made it clear:

He'd run out of chances.noveldrama

He'd lost all hope of making things right the day he ruined Charlie's life.

His heart twisted with pain.

His vision went dark. Charles's knees gave out and he crashed to the floor.