The Day Our Promise Breaks

"Did you see it clearly? Owner: Evelyn! Not Dahlia!" Aiden thrust the freshly

minted property deed right under Dahlia's nose, the name 'Evelyn' glaring back at her, igniting a fiery jealousy in her eyes.

After all the time she spent there, Charles never considered putting the villa in her name. Now, it was under Evelyn's. It felt like a dagger to her heart.

"Planning to cling on, are you? Tried to swipe Ms. Evelyn Debbie's identity, and now you're eyeing the villa too?" Aiden taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Dahlia's chest tightened with anger, but she felt powerless. The house wasn't hers, and she knew she had to leave. Swallowing her pride, she wheeled herself towards the exit, her face flushed with humiliation.

For years, Charles had covered all her expenses. Nothing in the house had been bought with her money. Now, with Charles pulling the plug, she was left empty- handed.

Aiden and his entourage left, while the butler, citing rules against trespassers, practically shoved Dahlia out of the villa grounds. She was pushed out like unwanted trash.

With nowhere else to go, and unwilling to end up on the streets, she returned to the dingy apartment she had rented for Wesley before his stint in prison. The lease was still valid.

She fished out the key from under the doormat and entered. The small, run-down apartment, furnished with second-hand items, had been empty for a while and smelled musty. The stench nearly made Dahlia gag as she stepped inside, deepening her frown.

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was Sandy's school, she was in no mood to deal with it and tossed the phone aside. The teacher didn't call again but sent a text message.

Checking the message, Dahlia felt irritated at first, but then her eyes lit up. It was like a lifeline thrown her way.

Sandy had been beaten up, and it was serious.

Replying to the teacher, Dahlia set off for the school in her wheelchair.

...noveldrama

When Dahlia arrived, a dozen parents were crowded in the principal's office. Sandy's injuries had been tended to by the school nurse, but her face was still swollen, with a small patch of hair missing. Her torn school uniform revealed bruises on her arms.

"Principal, our children can't be in the same school as this little terror. She needs to be expelled immediately," one parent insisted.

In this elite school, Sandy's background was the least

prestigious. But Charles treated her like a beloved daughter, and in the Capital no one dared cross Charles. Parents warned their kids to avoid conflict with Sandy, even if she bullied them.

Riding on Charles's protection, Sandy became a schoolyard tyrant. If someone rubbed her the wrong way, she'd bully them, mimicking TV scenes by dragging kids into the bathroom to slap and pull hair, acting like a little demon.

Parents knew but instructed their bullied children to bear it, too scared to fight back. They loathed Sandy but felt powerless.

But suddenly, everything changed.

Word spread quickly in their social circles. As soon as Charles announced. Dahlia's fall from grace everyone knew. With Dahlia out of favor, Sandy's status plummeted too Adults wouldn't touch achild, but they encouraged their kids to stand up to Sandy.

Unaware of the shift, Sandy, upset from a scolding by Charles the night before, went to school seeking to vent. She picked a target, had them dragged into the bathroom, and was about to unleash her fury when her victims turned on her, giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Despite Sandy's cries for mercy, they fell on deaf ears.

...

Ignoring the other parents, Dahlia focused on Sandy's injuries, saying nothing as she took Sandy's hand and left.

"Mom..." Sandy whispered.

Dahlia maneuvered her wheelchair down the school corridor, telling Sandy, "We're going to see your father."

"Do you know what to say?"

"Yes!" Sandy nodded eagerly at the mention of Charles, eager to see her dad.

Mother and daughter hailed a cab to Charles's company. When Charles finally appeared, Sandy burst into tears, rushing to him. She dropped to her knees, clinging to his leg, her bruised face turned up, pleading heart-wrenchingly, "Daddy..."

One cry of "Daddy" could melt even the hardest heart, especially one that had once truly cherished Sandy.