The Day Our Promise Breaks

Staring into Evelyn's eyes, blazing with hatred, Charles felt his voice vanish. It took him a long, shaky moment to find it again. When he finally spoke, his eyes were red, his voice hoarse. "Eve, I know I was blind and selfish before. I hurt you and Charlie more times than I can count. I'm not asking for forgiveness right away, but-for the sake of our child-please, just give me one more chance."

"I swear, I won't ever let anything happen to you or the baby again. Let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you both-please. I promise, I'll be a good husband, a good father-"

"Charles, stop kidding yourself," Evelyn cut him off, her tone icy.

"The second Charlie died, you lost any right to make things right. This child isn't Charlie. Charlie is gone—she died, carrying all the pain you and Dahlia caused her. Nothing you say now can change that."

Her words sliced through his desperate vows.

"The dead don't come back, and she'd never want to be your daughter again."

"If you're looking for redemption, you won't find it here. I won't give you another chance, and neither would Charlie. You deserve to live the rest of your life with that guilt and pain. That's all you've earned."

Evelyn refused to let him hold on to any comforting illusions.

She would never pretend her unborn baby was Charlie, never let him use this child as a way to make up for his failures as a father. That wasn't fair-to Charlie, or to the baby she carried.

Charles's pain deepened; every breath felt sharp, every word like a fresh wound.

Her words dragged him back through the last few years-his coldness, the awful things he'd said, the way he'd ignored Evelyn and Charlie. The memories spun in his mind, each one a dagger he couldn't pull out.

He could see, just by looking at her, that Evelyn wasn't playing games. She wasn't doing this just to punish him. She truly didn't want this child.

children, was determined to

him

last tie between

chest tightened until he could

himself. He deserved

But-

I was wrong. Hate me if you want, blame me-fine.

but there was no room for

into a cold smirk. “Charles, what gives you

the father

hate me all you want.

take a

you need. But the

ét

you the baby

stays. That's non-negotiable."

to her stomach, eyes

see right through her, as

That was his Charlie.

him