Chapter 292

Charles finally noticed Dahlia sitting in a wheelchair, his voice laced with concern as he asked, “What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said I’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” Dahlia replied, her voice trembling with fear. Even though she knew Charles would move heaven and earth to find a specialist, the fear gnawed at her. What if there was no cure? Was she doomed to spend her life in a wheelchair?
“No way, I won’t let that happen,” Charles reassured her softly, gently wiping away her tears. He had vowed to protect her as long as he was around, to keep her safe from any more suffering.
“Charles, I trust you. I know you won’t let anything happen to me,” Dahlia said, feeling the warmth of his promise slowly lift her heart from the depths of despair. She held tightly onto his hand, and Charles didn’t pull away.
Fighting back tears, she continued, “Charles, I know Charlie is gone, and I can’t make it up to her anymore. But every first and fifteenth of the month, I’ll light a candle and say a prayer for her happiness in the next life. I’ll keep doing good deeds, accumulating blessings in her name. Whatever I can do for Charlie, I will.” “Please, don’t try to make things right with Evelyn by sacrificing yourself. I can’t bear to lose you.”
“You promised me you’d marry me, only me.” Dahlia pressed his hand to her cheek, her eyes filled with tears, full of pleading. Since last night, Charles’s sudden decision had left her feeling unsettled. She desperately needed his
reassurance.
Yet, Charles stayed silent. His silence said it all, hinting that he still intended to make amends to Evelyn by being with her. What did all her efforts mean then? Frustration welled up inside Dahlia.
Charles, still weakened, soon drifted back into a restless sleep. Dahlia sat beside him, her heart heavy with unresolved bitterness.
Evelyn!
…
Evelyn wasn’t doing well, especially
after hearing that Charles had passed the critical stage. Brooks had already lined up a lawyer to help Evelyn, but surprisingly, neither Charles nor Dahlia had contacted the authorities.
That evening, Brooks walked in with a warm mug of milk, finding Evelyn absorbed
in her phone. It was rare to see her so focused, so he asked, “Evelyn, what’s caught your attention?”
Hearing Brooks’s voice, Evelyn finally looked up from the screen. “Brooks, I want
to visit a chapel and light a candle for Charlie.”
She had stumbled upon an online
group by chance and decided to join. The group was filled with parents who had lost their children, discussing a nearby chapel known for its miraculous blessings. Many had lit candles there for their kids, and there were clerics who offered prayers for the departed. Some parents, unable to find closure after tragic losses, found peace through these rituals, dreaming of their children moving on to a better place.
Evelyn had once been skeptical about faith and the afterlife. But ever since Charlie’s death, burdened by guilt and loss, she sought solace in any way possible. Dahlia’s
desecration of Charlie’s resting net
place had left her shattered. Now, with Charlie’s ashes scattered, she feared her daughter’s spirit was restless, caught in a void. Her mind was a whirl of anxious thoughts. The messages in the group felt like a lifeline; she could still do something for Charlie!