Chapter 2

2.

After a brief blackout, I heard heavy pounding on the door. Every strike was my hope for survival.

The firefighters outside kept shouting, "This door is jammed!"

I even heard a familiar voice. It was Colton's friend, Garrett.

"Isn't this Colton's place? I just helped him bring up some curtains a few days ago."

"I didn't see him when we dispatched. He must have taken the day off!"

Did he take the day off? Yes, for Amberley.

Before long, the door was busted open. A firefighter found my weak body, scooped me up in his arms, and ran.

His thick turnout gear rubbed against my badly burned back. It hurt so much I gasped in pain.

"Damn, I'm sorry for hurting you, ma'am. Just hold on a little longer. The ambulance is right downstairs!"

I truly couldn't speak, so I only nodded.

Garrett carefully carried me down the stairs. But no matter how careful he was, the bumps still jolted my wounds painfully.

After Garrett got me into the ambulance, he spoke breathlessly to the paramedics, but I couldn't hear him clearly.

I didn't even notice the blood on Garrett's arm or the blood soaking my lower half.

I only saw thick black smoke pouring out of my condo windows, with a crowd of bystanders gathered below.

I was extremely exhausted and felt like I would pass out in the next second.

But I still used my last ounce of strength to protect my belly with my hands.

"Don't worry, ma'am. The fire is contained, and there are no casualties."

Inside the ambulance.

The nurses and EMTs carefully applied medication to my burned back. The used cotton swabs were soaked in dark red fluid.

The paramedic said I had extensive burns on my back, and it was severe.

I wanted to ask if my baby was okay, but my smoke-damaged throat couldn't utter a single word.

As soon as he got in the back, Garrett frowned deeply.

"Didn't Colton go home? Why did he leave you alone in the house?"

Saying that, he pulled out his phone to call Colton.

"Colton, something happened to your fiancée. Get back here right now. Your house caught fire, and she's in the am―"

Before he could finish the word ambulance, Colton coldly cut him off.

"Why the hell are you playing along with her act? What kind of benefit did she give you?"

Even now, when a life was on the line, Colton still thought everyone was deceiving him.

"She is really burned, Colton! It's serious!"

"Why do you care so much about my woman? Are you two fooling around behind my back? No wonder you were so eager to help with the renovations."

"Playing the good guy, huh? I said she's fine, so she's fine."

Before Garrett could react, the call was disconnected.

He had the speaker on, so everyone in the ambulance heard Colton's exact words.

He wanted to call back and curse him out, but then he received another call.

Garrett frowned the entire time, seemingly hearing some major news.

After the call ended, his eyes locked onto me. He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up.

"Ma'am, the captain just called. They found the cause of the fire. It started because the wiring wasn't properly connected during the renovations."

That was when I remembered the contractors saying the circuits weren't fully wired yet. If we needed to use other appliances, we had to shut off the sub-breaker.

Before Colton boiled the water, I told him to go flip the switch. But after he took Amberley's call, he just left in a hurry.

An indescribable feeling surged in my chest.

It turned out the main culprit behind all this was Colton.

Yet not only did he not care, he even thought this was just my trick to get him to come home.

I closed my eyes in pure exhaustion.

I only hated myself for loving the wrong man and trusting the wrong person. A new life that was just about to unfold was smothered in the cradle just like that.

"Sweetie, why are you keeping a man like that around? You need to leave him ASAP!"

The female paramedic, who looked to be in her forties, advised me earnestly.

She was right. I couldn't keep him. Thank god I hadn't married him yet.