The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 416

Andrew was tearing down the road, his heart pounding as he hung up the phone with Charles. Worry etched deep into his face, he was racing against the clock to get to the hospital.

Josephine had seemed to be on the mend, so why on earth had she gone into shock all of a sudden? Having just gone through major surgery, she was already in a fragile state; a shock now was incredibly dangerous. If they didn’t get to her in time, she might not pull through. And even if they did manage to stabilize her, she could slip into a coma and never come back.

These terrifying thoughts fueled Andrew’s urgency, and he pushed the pedal to the metal, determined to reach the hospital as fast as he could. Every second mattered in such a dire situation; even the tiniest delay could be critical. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Josephine.

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At the hospital, just outside the emergency room, Evelyn stood pale and tense, her anxiety evident. Adam had suggested they take turns looking after their mom, so Evelyn had sent him home to catch some rest, planning to swap shifts the next day.

That evening, Evelyn had started feeling the familiar ache of her period cramps. She’d let the nurse know before popping over to the grocery store across the street to grab some tampons. She was gone for less than half an hour, but by the time she returned, everything had gone sideways—her mom was in shock and rushed into emergency care.

Evelyn stood there, dazed and helpless, as time seemed to stretch into eternity. Finally, the doors swung open, and Andrew appeared.

Evelyn couldn’t move, her feet felt like they were stuck in cement. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged.

“Dr. Nelson, how is Ms. Josephine?”

The nurse broke the silence, stepping forward with concern etched all over her face. She needed to know what had happened. Surely... she hadn’t survived, right?

“Ms. Evelyn, I’m so sorry. Your mother was in shock for too long. I managed to keep her alive for now, but whether she wakes up is up to her.”

In other words, Josephine was likely facing a long road ahead, potentially remaining in a vegetative state.

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In the stairwell, the nurse wrestled with a storm of emotions after hearing about Josephine’s vegetative state. Fear, worry, guilt—and yet, a strange sense of excitement.

Having worked in the hospital for nearly ten years, she’d seen plenty of life-and-death situations. Death didn’t shake her much anymore. But this time was different; she felt afraid, worried, and guilty because she’d been the one to meddle.

But the money was impossible to ignore. Half a million dollars was an enormous sum, something she’d only earn after ten long years of hard work. As a nurse, she was often stuck with the dirtiest, toughest jobs, dealing with the rude and dismissive patients who didn’t see her as human.

She was fed up with it all. So when someone dangled half a million to pull Josephine’s oxygen tube while Evelyn wasn’t around, the temptation was too great to resist.