The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 267

Only Evelyn knew he was in the hospital. But when Charles looked up, there was Rory, pushing the door open and walking right in. Charles's grip on his pen tightened visibly. Seeing Rory made him think about Charlie's kidney donor. He hadn’t gone to confront Rory; Rory had come right to him.

Rory, unaware of the storm brewing, noticed how worn-out Charles looked. He stepped forward and tried to offer some comfort, saying, “Let the dead rest.” The words weren’t just about Rosa; they were about Charles’s daughter too. Rory had only just heard about the loss of Charles's other daughter.

The words hit Charles like a punch. His heart clenched painfully. Mentioning Charlie's death was like ripping open a fresh wound. Overcome with emotion, he suddenly threw off the hospital covers and got out of bed. He marched up to Rory, grabbed him by the collar, eyes blazing with anger, and demanded, “Rory, how could you say that?”

Rory met Charles’s furious gaze, completely puzzled. “What do you mean? What did I do?”

“What did you do? Don’t you know who was supposed to donate a kidney to Sandy?”

Charles had asked Rory to keep an eye out for a kidney donor for Sandy. If a match was found, Rory was supposed to make sure Sandy got it first. Rory had agreed, and he was the one handling everything.

“Yeah, I know. It was a little girl named Charlie. I didn’t mean to keep it from you…”

“Charlie was my daughter!” Charles’s voice was a mix of grief and anger. “Rory, why on earth did you decide to give Charlie’s kidney to Sandy without telling me? Why?!”

If Rory had told him, even if he had his issues with Charlie, she was still his daughter. He would never have let Charlie die for Sandy’s sake!