The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 465

He gently massaged her, his voice soft as he reminisced about all those moments with Eve in the Jenkins family.

He opened up about his past with Eve, admitting the hurt he’d caused her and Charlie. He shared his regrets and guilt, yearning for a chance to make things right. He wanted to start over with Eve. But the shadow of Charlie's life loomed between them, a constant reminder of what couldn’t be undone. The damage done over the years because of Dahlia wasn’t something that could just be wiped away with apologies. There was no going back for him and Eve. No chance at all.

Josephine fought to keep her emotions in check, trying not to let them spill over as she spoke to Evelyn and Adam. “Eve, Adam, give me a hand, will you?”

“Mom, your health is what matters most right now. Don’t let him get to you and risk your well-being. Let’s head back to the hospital and get some rest, alright?” Evelyn pleaded, worried about the toll Charles’s presence might take on Josephine’s health.

“I know what I'm doing,” Josephine assured her.

To Josephine, revealing the truth to Charles was paramount. Even if reconciliation between him and Eve was out of the question, she couldn't stand by and let Dahlia continue pretending to be her daughter, causing harm. As soon as she regained consciousness, she sought out Charles.

With Evelyn and Adam’s support, Josephine slowly got to her feet. She locked eyes with Charles and, without warning, slapped him hard across the face. Her eyes were filled with tears. “Charles, if I had known saving you would lead to so much suffering for my Eve, I would never have done it.”

Charles’s expression changed, the weight of her words hitting him like a ton of bricks. His mind went blank for a moment. What did Josephine just say? She claimed she was the one who saved him? Wasn’t it supposed to be Dahlia’s mom?

Some memories were shared between him and Debbie. After the pendant surfaced, knowing Dahlia had pawned it, he’d sought her out to see if she was really Debbie. Dahlia had also recalled certain moments from his past with Debbie. Some things, Dahlia claimed she’d forgotten. Debbie was young back then, so forgetting some details seemed reasonable. He hadn’t doubted it.

But now, as he listened to Josephine recount those shared memories from his time living with Debbie’s family, Charles’s breathing grew heavier, as if he’d been struck by lightning. When Josephine mentioned, “At first, you’d have nightmares almost every night. Each time, you’d run into my arms, calling me ‘Mom’…”

That was something only he and Ms. Josephine knew. Even Debbie didn’t know. So... Josephine was Ms. Josephine. Which meant Eve was... Debbie!