The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 1

My daughter Charlie was suffering from kidney failure, and before the surgery, her biggest wish was to spend her birthday with her dad at an amusement park, just the two of them alone.

I knelt before Charles, begging him to fulfill our daughter's wish, and he agreed.

But on the day of her birthday, she waited for him in the cold until she fainted from coughing up blood. Still, he never showed up.

Her condition worsened, and the emergency rescue failed.

Before she passed away, with tears streaming down her face, she asked me, "Mom, why does Dad like Ms. Dahlia's daughter and not me? Am I not good enough?"

She left us with regrets.

A video was playing on the cellphone that slipped from her small hand. In the video, her dad had rented out the largest amusement park, celebrating the birthday of his and Dahlia’s daughter.

...

Only Evelyn was present before the cremation to bid farewell to her daughter’s body.

She was dressed in an oversized black down jacket, but it still couldn't hide her emaciated figure. Her eyes, swollen and red from crying, were filled with reluctance.

She took out a pair of hair clips from her pocket, leaned over, and gently placed them on her daughter. These clips were birthday gifts she had designed for her darling girl.

"Happy Birthday, baby. Mommy will always love you."

Evelyn bowed her head and gently kissed her daughter's forehead. The cold touch brought another surge of tears.

Time was running out.

A male staff member came over kindly and reminded her, "Please accept my condolences. Has the child's father arrived yet?"

The records showed that the child had a biological father.

"He won't come!" A flash of coldness passed through Evelyn's eyes.