The Day Our Promise Breaks

Wesley thought back to the diary Charles had shown him-the one Sandy had written.

She'd hidden it herself, wedged deep between the mattress and box spring.

Aiden had found it when he'd hired someone to clean out the lake house.

He gave it to Charles.

Charles read it, and then passed it on to Wesley.

Wesley could never forget how much his heart ached as he read Sandy's words.

Sandy had grown crooked.

But it was Dahlia who had twisted her.

She was just a child.

A little girl desperate for her mother's love.noveldrama

From the moment she could remember, her biggest wish was for her mom to love her the way other moms loved their children.

She'd thought, if she just did everything her mother asked, if she was good and obedient, maybe one day her mom would love her.

If her mom didn't love her enough, it had to be because she wasn't good enough, because she hadn't done enough to make her mother proud.

So, when Dahlia told her to set up Charlie, she listened.

When Dahlia told her to frame Evelyn, she did it without question.

When her mother asked her to fake an illness and trick Charles into coming over, she did that, too.

Each time Sandy followed Dahlia's instructions, each time she did it well, her mother would reward her a new dress, maybe her favorite cinnamon rolls, or just a rare, approving smile.

It only reinforced Sandy's belief that making Charlie miserable, hurting Evelyn and her daughter, was the right thing to do.

Under Dahlia's constant, poisonous influence, Sandy's sense of right and wrong had become completely warped.

It was Dahlia who had destroyed Sandy.

Who had driven her to her death.

The more Wesley thought about it, the colder his eyes became.

He remembered the final line in Sandy's diary: Mom, I love you so much. Will you please love Sandy too?

"Dahlia, you heartless witch," Wesley spat, voice trembling with rage. "I wish I could cut your heart open and see if it's as black as everyone says."

The blade pressed against Dahlia's chest suddenly dug in.

The sharp tip sliced through skin and flesh.

Dahlia could feel, with terrifying clarity, the knife splitting her flesh bit by bit.

Agony crashed over her, cold sweat pouring down her body.

Her face drained of color.

Her scream tore through the silence. "Ah!"

But she didn't dare struggle, terrified that the slightest movement would send Wesley's blade plunging straight into her heart.

"Wesley, I know I was wrong... I swear, I know I was wrong... Please, just forgive

me this once, please?"

Wesley didn't even blink.

His hand was merciless, dragging

the knife deliberately, leaving a deep,

bloody gash above her heart.

gushed out, soaking her

button-down shirt in crime

By the time the first cut was over, Dahlia's hair and shirt clung to her, drenched in

cold sweat.

She gasped for breath, shaking.

She thought it was over, that the pain had ended-but it had only just begun.

When she saw Wesley pick up the knife again, terror flooded her eyes, memories

of the agony she'd just endured making her tremble even harder.

Her whole body shook.

She didn't dare move too much.

Tears streamed down her face.

When she realized their past meant nothing to Wesley, that she couldn't stop him by reminding him of what they once had, Dahlia switched tactics-she tried to use Sandy.

As Wesley dragged the blade for a second

speake, Dahlia forced herself to

speak, Voice trembling with pain, "Wesley, you can forget about us, but think of our daughter, Sandy!"

"You know how much she loved me... If she can see you from heaven, she'd

never rest in peace knowing you're doing this to me."

"You love Sandy so much you wouldn't want her to be sad because of what you're doing, would you?"

"Dahlia, how dare you even say Sandy's name!"

Her words didn't soften Wesley's heart at all-instead, they only made him

angrier.

He couldn't believe, after all Dahlia had done to Sandy, she still had the audacity to use her daughter as a shield.