Chapter 5

Vivian Shaw POV

I walked to the bed, took out the medicine kit from the drawer, and treated my wound.

The antiseptic stung fiercely on the wound, but my face showed no expression.

After treating the wound, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

Unlike usual, I didn't make milk for Ethan, didn't wait for him to finish working, didn't say goodnight to him.

I just went straight to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I was choked awake by thick smoke.

I opened my eyes. The room was full of smoke, making me cough violently.

I hurriedly got out of bed and opened the door. The hallway was ablaze with fire.

A fire!

I held onto the wall, moving step by step toward the exit, but after just a few steps, from inhaling too much smoke, my legs gave out and I fell to the ground.

The floor was scorching hot. I struggled to get up but had no strength.

Just when I thought I would die here, a figure rushed into the sea of flames.

It was Ethan!

He wore pajamas, his face covered in soot, anxiously looking around.

I wanted to call out to him, but my throat was too choked by smoke to make a sound. I reached out my hand, wanting him to see me.

But Ethan didn't even look at me. He rushed straight toward the corner of the room.

Snowball was curled up there, trembling.

He scooped up the dog in one motion, turned and left, not even glancing back at me.

I watched his figure disappear into the firelight and suddenly laughed.

Laughed until tears fell.

He had come to save the dog.

In Ethan's heart, I wasn't even worth as much as a dog!

The smoke grew heavier. As I breathed it in, my consciousness began to blur.

I gritted my teeth, braced myself against the wall, and stood up shakily, stumbling toward the door.

But the doorway was already blocked by a fallen beam. There was no way out.

I looked at the burning beam in despair, then turned and rushed toward the window.

I pushed open the window. Cold wind rushed in, clearing my head a bit.

I looked down and happened to see Ethan rushing out the front door with the dog. Quinn threw herself into his arms.

"Ethan! I was so scared!" Quinn was in tears. "I thought Snowball would die in there... We raised this dog for so many years. It witnessed our relationship..."

Ethan's body stiffened. He seemed to want to push her away, but seeing her cry so heartbrokenly, in the end, he still raised his hand and gently patted her back, softly comforting her. "Don't cry. It's okay now. The dog is fine, and you're fine too."

I watched this scene, my heart feeling as if it were being violently squeezed by an icy hand, then suddenly released, leaving only boundless, numb emptiness.

I no longer counted on anyone.

I climbed onto the windowsill, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped.

The time my body fell through the air was very short. I didn't even have time to be afraid before I crashed heavily to the ground.

BANG.

Intense pain instantly swept through my whole body. I lay on the ground, warm blood spreading beneath me.

"Oh my God! Vivian jumped!"

The maid's scream rang out. Ethan whipped around.

He saw me lying in a pool of blood.

"VIVIAN!!!"

The expression on his face was one I had never seen before. Shock, disbelief, and a trace of... panic.

I looked at him, opened my mouth wanting to say something, but only coughed up blood.

Then I passed out completely.

When I woke up again, the smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils.

I opened my eyes and saw the white ceiling.

I moved slightly. My whole body ached. The pain was excruciating.

"Vivian!" Ethan's voice rang out.

I turned my head and saw him keeping watch by the bed, his eyes completely bloodshot, blue stubble on his chin. He looked haggard.

He grabbed my hand, his voice trembling slightly. "You're awake? How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?"

I didn't answer his question. I just slowly but firmly pulled my hand from his grasp.