The Day Our Promise Breaks

"Damn it, bitch! Are you asking for trouble?"

The man's eyes blazed with rage as he lunged at Evelyn. She lay sprawled on the ground, watching him charge, feeling too weak to fight back. Her only defense was to curl up tightly, clutching Charlie's locket to her chest like a lifeline. "Hand it over!"noveldrama

The man was used to hard labor, and had a grip like a vise. His hand clamped down on Evelyn's arm, trying to pry it open. But he wasn't ready for Evelyn's fierce determination. Despite his bulging veins and all the strength he could muster, he couldn't make her let go. Furious, he snarled, "Damn it! I'm gonna show you!"

He stood up, swearing under his breath. When he couldn't pry her hands apart, he resorted to kicking. His foot came crashing down on Evelyn. He was used to coming home drunk and hitting his wife, so he had no qualms about being rough. Fueled by anger, his kicks were even more brutal.

Each blow sent waves of pain through Evelyn, forcing her to curl up tighter. As her consciousness started to slip away, she held onto the locket for dear life, not letting go even in her delirium.

Her mind flashed back to the day Charlie died. During countless sleepless nights, tossing and turning, she'd often wonder if only she'd caught Charlie's lies sooner, if she'd checked on her at the amusement park earlier, maybe her condition wouldn't have worsened. Maybe she wouldn't have... died. Evelyn loathed Dahlia, resented Charles, and never forgave herself. The guilt of not protecting Charlie weighed heavily on her.

"Charlie, don't worry. Mommy will keep you safe this time."

She couldn't let the locket be taken and discarded in some forgotten place. Charlie would be scared.

However, the man was relentless, and the pain was overwhelming. Evelyn fought with everything she had, but as her strength ebbed away under his assault, her body went limp, and she couldn't even stay curled up.

Sensing her weakness, the man stopped kicking. He crouched down and easily pried Evelyn's body open. She lay there, powerless, still gripping the necklace. He thought she'd be an easy mark, but... "What a real pain," he grumbled.

He used his knee to pin her down, had one hand pressing her shoulder, and didn't care if he hurt her as he pried her fingers open, one by one. "No..." Even as darkness threatened to overcome her, Evelyn tried to fight back, but it was hopeless. The man yanked the necklace free. "No..."

When the necklace was finally torn away, Evelyn felt a hollow emptiness inside her. As the man turned to leave, she reached out with the last of her strength, grabbed his pant leg, and pleaded, "Please, give me back my daughter..."

Before she could finish, the man impatiently kicked her hand away. Evelyn had no strength left and was forced to watch helplessly as Charlie's locket was taken.

The man weighed the necklace in

his hand. In the moonlight, he examined it, unsure of its value. He

wasn't savvy enough to recognize its worth, but Evelyn's desperate reaction suggested it was priceless. He believed she was still trying to fool him, claiming it was worthless.

He tucked the necklace into his pocket, thinking maybe this find would finally make him rich.