The Day Our Promise Breaks

When Wesley saw it with his own eyes, his mind flashed back to that haunting video of Sandy standing all alone in the snow. He couldn't wrap his head around how much pain Sandy had to bear from her own mother over these seven long years.

As her dad, he felt completely in the dark. He'd always thought Dahlia was smitten with Sandy, that she showered her with love.

"Zifeng, what are you talking about? How could I ever hurt Sandy? She's our daughter! I love her more than anything; there's no way I'd ever lay a finger on her!" Dahlia snapped, her eyes blazing with defiance.

Every time she disciplined Sandy, she made sure no one was around to see. She was convinced no one knew.

"Sandy..."

Dahlia's eyes darted over to Sandy, and she rushed to her side, tears spilling down her cheeks as she looked at her with a heart full of sorrow. "How did this happen? How did Sandy end up with all these bruises?"

"My Sandy, my sweet girl!"

Her hands shook, unsure of what to do.

"It must be her teachers at school. Tomorrow, when Sandy wakes up, I'll ask her...

I have to fight for what's right for my Sandy. If I find out who hurt her, I won't stop until they pay."

Dahlia was a master at playing the victim. Her performance nearly convinced Wesley. Watching her heart-wrenching display of grief, it seemed too genuine to be fake.

Could he have gotten it all wrong?

But then, the snow video replayed in his mind. Sandy, barefoot and shivering in a thin nightgown, in the middle of a freezing winter. How could a mother be so heartless?

You might blame the bruises on the teachers, but what about that video in the snow?

Just as Dahlia's sobs hit a crescendo, Wesley thrust the snow video in front of her.

"And what about this?" he demanded.

Dahlia's eyes went wide. She instantly remembered it was from when she was trying to teach Sandy how to win over Charles. But Sandy just wasn't getting it.

Frustrated, she sent Sandy outside, telling her to "clear that muddled head of hers." The house was warm, so she wore just a nightie. Dahlia refused to let her wear a coat, forcing Sandy to brave the cold in that flimsy gown.

Half an hour in the snow did the trick. After that, Sandy remembered every lesson.

Sometimes, a tough lesson was

what it took for her to rememberet

every word. To perform perfectly. To read the room. To know how to act.

Sandy's ability to charm Charles was, in large part, thanks to her.

"And why is Sandy sleeping like a log?"

Dahlia was struggling to explain the

questcident, and now Whet

snow

about Sandy's deep

caught her off guard again

No matter how deep a child's sleep with their loud argument and a's crying, and even Wesley

Sandy earlier...

Sandy didn't even flinch.

Sleeping so deeply.

This was way off.

"Did you drug Sandy?"

There wasn't any other reason for her to be sleeping so deeply unless she was drugged.

"Tell me, did you drug her?"

Wesley grabbed Dahlia's shoulders, shaking her with all his might.

His heart felt like it was breaking apart.

The woman he loved most was mistreating their daughter, not caring that she was

just seven, giving her sleeping pills.

No loving mother would do such a thing.

She really didn't love Sandy.

She didn't love the daughter they'd brought into the world together.noveldrama