I found myself trapped in a flood with Sophia Hart, my husband’s first love. My husband, Lucas Reed, a usually calm and steady firefighter, was unusually anxious at this moment. He told me, “There’s not enough room on the boat. You can swim, Ava, but Sophia can’t. I have to save her first.” In a moment of desperation, he forcibly broke my fingers and pushed me into the raging floodwaters. After years of marriage, he didn’t even know I couldn’t swim. The flash flood swept through like a fierce beast. Sophia and I struggled with all our might and finally managed to climb onto a precarious boulder. I turned to Sophia, trying to comfort her, “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. Lucas will definitely come to rescue us.” Sophia just glanced at me contemptuously, a cold smile curling her lips. “Of course he’ll come to save me. As for you… well, that’s another story.” My heart sank, but I still tried to maintain my composure, unwilling to show weakness in front of her. “We’re married. Of course he’ll save me.” Soon, we heard rescue calls in the distance. It was Lucas! He was maneuvering a rescue boat, struggling to get closer to us. A glimmer of hope rose in my heart, until he spoke, “Ava, Sophia can’t swim. There’s not enough room on the rescue boat. You’ll have to find your own way.” “What? I…” Before I could finish, he cut me off. “Jump down and swim to that big rock. Wait for the next wave of rescuers.” Lucas’s tone was uncompromising, as if I were just an insignificant burden. “But I’m pregnant, Lucas. I can’t…” I pleaded, my hands gripping the edge of the rescue boat tightly. “That’s exactly why the boat is unstable!” He yanked hard, almost pulling me into the water. “Didn’t you swim back to shore alone last time? It’s the same this time.” “That was in shallow water, and…” Before I could finish, a sharp pain shot through my fingers. He had forcibly broken my fingers and pushed me into the cold flood waters. “Lucas!” I struggled in the water, shouting his name, but all I got in response was his resolute back and Sophia’s smug smile. “Ava Wilson, you’re always so redundant,” his voice drifted with the wind. I swam desperately towards the big rock, but my body felt heavier and heavier, and my consciousness began to blur. I recalled the moments I shared with Lucas, all those sweet memories and promises, now shattered like bubbles. “Why… why are you doing this to me?” Finally, I gave up struggling and let myself sink into the water. In the last moment before losing consciousness, I took one last look in the direction Lucas had gone, my heart filled with bitterness and resentment.
My soul seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, floating in this cold world. Suddenly, an anxious voice came through the walkie-talkie, “Captain Reed, we still haven’t found Ms. Wilson. Should we continue searching?” Lucas’s cold voice clearly reached my ears through the device: “No need. She might have been taken away by another rescue team. We’re short-handed and can’t waste time.” I was stunned, a chill running through my heart. This was the man I loved deeply, showing no concern for my life or death. The subordinate seemed to want to say something more, but was cut off by Lucas, “Execute the order. Don’t mention this again!” I silently followed him to the hospital. Through the window of the ward, I saw Lucas. He was tenderly watching over Sophia’s bedside, his eyes filled with a gentleness I had never seen before. Sophia sobbed, her voice weak and fearful, “Lucas, I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again.” Lucas gently patted the back of her hand, his voice dripping with tenderness, “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. I’ll always be by your side, protecting you.” I stood by, watching this scene, my heart breaking. So, his love for me was nothing but an elaborately woven lie. My tears fell silently, unnoticed by anyone. I could only watch helplessly, listening to their conversation, feeling that tenderness that didn’t belong to me. “Lucas, I know I’m willful, but I was really terrified this time,” Sophia’s voice had a hint of coquettishness. Lucas chuckled, his eyes full of doting affection, “Whether you’re willful or coquettish, I love it all. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” Listening to these words, my heart was filled with bitterness and despair. I closed my eyes, letting the memories of Lucas and me flood my mind. We once had an engagement. I thought it was the beginning of happiness, but I didn’t realize it was the prologue to his coldness. “Lucas, do you remember the day we got engaged?” I asked softly, as if he could hear me, “You said you’d love me forever, but now?” I recalled the complex look he gave me after his brother, Leo, became a vegetative patient. “Lucas, why didn’t you believe me?” These words I could never say out loud, as they had long been drowned in his cold silence. That night, his tenderness when he was drunk made me mistakenly believe it was a true revelation of his inner feelings. “Ava, I’m sorry…” His slurred words, thinking back now, were nothing but an illusion caused by alcohol. A month ago, I went for a prenatal check-up full of anticipation. The sound of the baby’s heartbeat excited me beyond words. I wanted to share this good news with him immediately, but accidentally saw his intimate photo with Sophia on Instagram, with a short but piercing caption – “Finally found you”. At that moment, my heart shattered. “Lucas Reed, how could you do this to me?” I sat alone on the sofa, from dusk to midnight, and then to dawn. Finally, he came back, reeking of alcohol, stumbling. “Lucas, you know I’m pregnant! You and Sophia…” I tried to grasp the last thread of hope, but was ruthlessly pushed away. “Enough, Ava Wilson.” His voice was cold and resolute, “You don’t need to know about me and Sophia.” I was stunned. “Lucas Reed, I understand now. I’ve always been just a substitute for Sophia.” That night, I was completely awakened. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I could never enter his heart. All his tenderness and care were reserved only for Sophia. “I give up, Lucas Reed,” I said silently in my heart, “I’ll leave and no longer interfere with your pursuit of your true love.” Now, my soul floats in the air, watching him take meticulous care of Sophia. My heart has frozen to the extreme. 4 That cruise party was the biggest turning point in my life. That night, Leo and I accidentally fell into the water. I desperately grabbed onto a piece of driftwood, while Leo… he struggled in the water, gradually drifting away. When I was finally rescued and learned that Leo had become a vegetative patient, my heart shattered. What was even harder to accept was that Lucas actually believed I intentionally didn’t save Leo, just because I “could swim”. The way he looked at me was full of coldness and misunderstanding. “Ava Wilson, why didn’t you save him?” His accusation was like a knife, stabbing deep into my heart. I tried to explain, but each time I opened my mouth, I was cut off by his coldness. Days passed, and I thought time would wash away everything, until that night when he suddenly proposed to me, reeking of alcohol. At that moment, I almost thought we could go back to how we were before. “Ava, marry me,” his voice echoed in my ears, with a hint of tenderness that was hard to detect. But after marriage, his attitude took a sharp turn, becoming as cold as a stranger. After I became pregnant, I was full of anticipation to share this joy with him. However, when I asked him to accompany me for a prenatal check-up, he refused without hesitation. “I don’t have time. Go by yourself,” his tone showed no hesitation or concern. On the day of the check-up, I sat alone on a bench in the hospital, my heart a mix of emotions. When the doctor told me the baby was healthy, I almost laughed through my tears. I couldn’t wait to share this good news with him, but then I saw his intimate photo with Sophia on his Instagram. At that moment, my heart completely froze. “So, I’m not even qualified to be a substitute,” I murmured, tears falling silently. Back home, I waited for him, wanting to get to the bottom of this. When he finally appeared before me, I gathered my courage to confront him, “Lucas, why are you treating me like this when I’m pregnant?” He glanced at me, his eyes showing no guilt or tenderness, only coldness and annoyance. “Ava Wilson, that’s enough. Stop making a fuss,” he pushed me away forcefully, turned around and went back to the room, leaving me alone in the empty living room. I recalled how tenderly he cared for Sophia, in stark contrast to his coldness towards me. “Lucas Reed,” I said softly to myself, “Perhaps if I die, I won’t be an obstacle between you two anymore.”
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