The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 527

Dahlia looked at Sandy, her tone icy and distant.

"Do you want to?" she asked.

Sandy nodded vigorously.

She couldn't stand living in this cramped, run-down apartment, and she didn't dare imagine what life would be like without her dad-her mom probably wouldn't even bother to smile at her anymore.

"Mom, can you teach me? What should I do so Daddy will come back to us?" Sandy knelt at Dahlia's feet, looking up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

"What do you think?" Dahlia shot back, her voice sharp.

Sandy hesitated, understanding what her mother meant.

But...

"Mom, Dr. Carter said I can't get sick..." Sandy's voice trembled with fear.

She remembered overhearing Dr. Carter warning her parents: she couldn't afford

to get sick now, any infection could be dangerous-no one, not even the best doctors, could save her then.

She didn't want to die.

*Slap-*

Dahlia's hand flew up, striking Sandy's face.

"If dying was that easy, would you still be alive now?"

"Sandy, you need to understand without Charles, you're nothing."

"You've already been expelled from St. Catherine's Academy. From now on, you'll have to live in this shabby apartment and call Wesley, that useless man, your father."

you had

her head

wasn't what she

couldn't get expelled from

man-could never be her dad. Only

Whatever it takes to make Daddy

by her

everyone looked up to her. She couldn't bear even a single day of

to be afraid of? Mom was right-how could she die so easily? She'd survived kidney failure

water before. She'd ended up in the hospital-sure, it was awful, but in

made her sick. When she woke up, the look of worry on Daddy's face was burned into her

Daddy loved her.

really bad, Daddy would be heartbroken. And if he was heartbroken for her, he'd forgive

back to the

happier days. Each time she recalled Charles doting on her,

fell, Sandy took off her clothes and

own.

turned on

no bathtub, just a narrow shower. Gritting her teeth, Sandy stepped

was still only seven. The freezing water hit her skin and she shrieked darting away from the stream, her

herself

at her trembling daughter, Dahlia's face hardened. She knew she

the shower," Dahlia

Sandy edged backward, stepping under

herself tightly. But her arms did nothing to keep out

water stung her skin, making her injuries swell and her face turn deathly pale, her lips slowly shifting

pretended not

a panic-there were no more chances to make mistakes. This was her last

wouldn't move Charles. Only