The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 517

As Dahlia expected, Charles was moved by Sandy's tears and paused, his eyes slowly dropping to meet hers.

Sandy, noticing Charles's attention, let her tears flow even more freely. Her eyes, red and puffy from crying, were locked on Charles with a look full of longing and yearning. She clung to his leg with one hand, reaching out with the other, pleading for a hug. "Daddy, I really know I messed up. Please don't leave me. Without you, the other kids at school pick on me. Look, they beat me up so badly. It hurts, Daddy."

When Charles didn't pick her up, Sandy sobbed harder and opened her coat to reveal her tattered school uniform underneath. Her skin, exposed and bruised, was a shocking sight. These injuries were her ace in the hole. Whenever she was bullied at school, her father would explode in anger, defending her fiercely, ensuring those responsible faced consequences.

That day in the hospital, he had cradled her so gently, calming her tears and promising to officially recognize her as his daughter. Sandy had basked in Charles's love for years, truly experiencing his fatherly care. She couldn't believe Charles would abandon her over something as trivial as making a voodoo doll of Charlie. It was just a way to vent her jealousy. Charlie was gone, after all, and a doll couldn't hurt him.

She was sure her dad was just upset temporarily. Leaving her last night was because he was mad, but beneath it all, he must still care. Seeing her bullied like this at school, surely he'd feel sorry for her again.

face unreadable. In a low voice, he asked, "Why did your

as an easy target without a dad to protect me, so they hit me for

help. She had no awareness, or perhaps no guilt, for being the bully who was now facing retaliation. She only chose to share the bits that would

away coldly. With her support gone, Sandy fell to

confused. She couldn't understand why he was unmoved by her injuries, why he

was beyond saving. If it weren't for her teacher reaching out after Sandy was beaten, checking his reaction, he wouldn't have known that Sandy, who seemed so sweet

herself in kindergarten, instead of learning empathy, she tore down

her classmates, he realized he'd unknowingly been an accomplice to her bullying. As a father, the thought of his own child, if Charlie were still alive, enduring such bullying made him regret his past indulgence of Sandy. With every bit of self-hatred, his aversion to Sandy

alive,