The Day Our Promise Breaks

A crushing terror enveloped Dahlia.

Her hands shaking, she fumbled her phone out of her pocket and hurriedly dialed 911.

After quickly explaining Sandy's condition and their location, she hung up.

Lowering her eyes to the girl limp in her arms, Dahlia reached out and patted Sandy's face, warning her sternly.

"Sandy, hold on. You're not allowed to leave me, do you hear?"

Sandy hadn't completely lost consciousness. She heard Dahlia's words, but lacked the strength to respond.

While waiting for the ambulance, Dahlia frantically pounded on the iron gate.

"Charles! Sandy's dying, please, I'm begging you, come out and take her to the hospital!"

There was still time-Dahlia hadn't given up hope that Charles might come out.

She still foolishly believed that if Charles saw Sandy like this, he would soften, that he would care.

But the heavy door was tightly shut; the soundproofing was excellent.

Inside, Charles heard nothing.

By the time the ambulance arrived, Sandy was already in shock.

The siren wailed as the ambulance raced through the streets toward the hospital.

In the back, the paramedic worked with a grim expression, desperately trying to keep Sandy alive.

When they reached the emergency room, Sandy was rushed inside.

"Doctor, please, you have to save my daughter. She can't die, she just can't!"

Dahlia clutched the doctor's arm with desperate strength.

The doctor wanted to snap at her-now she was worried?

Why hadn't she brought her daughter to the hospital at the first sign of fever?

After a successful kidney transplant, any competent surgeon would have warned the family about the risks.

Was it carelessness, or did she just ignore the medical advice?

As a doctor, every time he encountered families like this, he was left speechless and frustrated.

But those were things he couldn't say.

Forcing down his irritation, he said in a low voice, "Ma'am, you need to let go."

But Dahlia, frantic and unmoored, only tightened her grip.

She wouldn't let go without a promise. "Doctor, my daughter's going to be okay, right? You have to make sure she's okay!"

To her, the doctor was her last hope her lifeline.

The sight of Sandy's heart monitor in the ambulance had terrified her.

It was clear Sandy was barely hanging on.

She could die any second.

All Dahlia had wanted was for Sandy's condition to be serious enough to win Charles's sympathy-and maybe, just maybe, get back to the comfortable life she'd had before.

She never really thought Sandy might actually die.

The doctor was at his wit's end.

His tone grew sharp. "Ma'am, every second you hold me back puts your daughter in more danger."

At his words, Dahlia finally released him, as if his sleeve had burned her hand. Without another unnecessary word, the doctor turned and hurried into the ER.

Dahlia waited outside the emergency room, every second stretching into eternity.

It wasn't that she couldn't bear to lose this daughter.

If Sandy died, she would be devastated, yes.

But more than that, she feared her own ruin-feared there would be no coming back for her if Sandy died.

When she first had Sandy, she'd been afraid.

Before she was with Charles, she'd already slept with Wesley more times than she could count.

After she got together with Charles, she'd intended to break it off with Wesley for good.

But even though she was already an adult, Charles had always refused to touch her.

She'd tried to test the waters a few times, but each time Charles avoided her.

He said she was too young.

Since Charles said that, she couldn't be too forward.

But after tasting passion, after knowing what it was like to be loved by a man, she couldn't bear to go without.

And Wesley, with his natural gifts, always knew how to please her.

She simply couldn't resist for long-she wanted it, needed it.

So, she slipped back into Wesley's arms.

She lied to Wesley, told him that Charles had fallen for her at first sight, but that

her heart belonged to him.

She said she was only with Charles

for his

oney. Once she'd gotteme

run

she'd leave Charles a away with Wesley. Content Belongs to

They'd buy a house, a car, get married, have kids-live their dream.

Wesley was hopelessly in love.

He believed every word she said.

When she

komised she'd never l

was

Charles touch her, that she keeping herself pure for him, he believed her too.

Seeing her work so hard for their future, Wesley only loved her more, did whatever she wanted.

In those days, Dahlia had everything-Charles's financial support and affection, Wesley's physical devotion.

She was living the dream, happy as could be.

But right before her anniversary with Charles, she discovered she was pregnant.

It had happened one weekend while Charles was away on a business trip; she and Wesley had gone wild.

They'd gone camping for two days and nights.

One time, caught up in the heat of

the moment outdoors, they hadet

d to go back to the tent fornoveldrama

protection.

Afterward, swept up in the excitement, she completely forgot about it.

By the time she remembered, it was already the third day.

She took the pill, but by then it was too late.

She'd thought, what were the odds?

But that time, she'd gotten unlucky.

She'd planned to get rid of it quietly.