With every ounce of strength she had, Dahlia shoved Evelyn away.

Evelyn, exhausted from trying to force Dahlia into a humiliating apology to Charlie, was caught off guard. The sudden push made her stumble back, and she ended up crashing to the ground. This gave Dahlia a precious moment to regain her composure.

Using Charlie's headstone for leverage, she pulled herself up. Dizzy but determined, she fixed her gaze on Evelyn, who lay sprawled a few feet away, with eyes burning with anger.

Evelyn was such a miserable woman. How could she dare treat her like this?

Dahlia's eyes flickered to a bottle filled with a dark liquid nearby. A wicked grin spread across her face. She quickly grabbed the bottle, twisted off the cap, and without a second thought, poured its contents over Charlie's headstone.noveldrama

"No!"

Evelyn had just managed to get on her feet, only to witness this gut-wrenching scene before she could even steady herself. She lunged forward to stop Dahlia, but it was too late.

By the time she reached the headstone, the dark liquid had already soaked it.

Evelyn's heart pounded as Dahlia's venomous words echoed in her mind. "With these charms and this blood, you'll be trapped forever. No other life awaits you."

The idea of Charlie being trapped forever, without hope for another life, was unbearable. Evelyn's knees buckled, and she collapsed in front of Charlie's headstone.

She always felt she owed Charlie so much. Picking a perfect spot for the burial was her way of hoping Charlie might have a chance at a better life next time around. Even though she knew superstitions were just that-superstitions-what if they were true?

She couldn't risk it. Charlie couldn't be doomed to an endless cycle. Charlie deserved to be reborn into a loving family, to have all the joy, health, and happiness that was missing from this life.

"No..."

Dahlia, seizing the chance to escape, was no longer Evelyn's concern.

Evelyn saw the headstone stained with blood and her tears fell in torrents. She frantically tried to wipe it away, her heart racing. "Charlie..."

Her hands alone couldn't clean it, so she used her clothes, getting herself covered in the mess, yet it refused to vanish.

A night patrol security guard noticed Evelyn's distress and quickly approached her. "Ms. Evelyn, what's going on?"

Since Charlie's burial, Evelyn's

frequent nighttime visits made her a familiar face to the guards on duty. As the guard came closer, the sight of the blood on the headstone made his expression harden.

Their night patrols were meant to prevent such incidents-people sneaking in to commit acts of vengeance. What kind of grudge would drive someone to curse such a sweet child like this?

"Ms. Evelyn, I'll get you some hot water right away. Hang in there."

He knew how deeply Evelyn cherished her daughter. Without wasting a second, he dashed off.

In no time, the guard was back with hot water Evelyn, barely holding it together, couldn't find the words to express her gratitude, but her eyes said it all as she continued to clean the headstone. en

The guard went back and forth, fetching more water. Evelyn knelt there, scrubbing again and again, terrified that any delay might harm Charlie.

She lost track of time, not stopping

uj

until every trace of the liquid was gone. Only then did she collapse front of Charlie's headstone, he fingers gently tracing the engraved name: Her heart was aching with silent sobs.

The guard saw Evelyn's fragile state and kept his words to himself. He quietly left and planned to check

the surveillance footage to help Evelyn find some peace.