Chapter 4

My back landed heavily against cement, and every part of my body screamed in agony.

Lucas’s helicopter rotated above me before flying into the distance.

Blood pooled beneath me. Terrified, I wanted to get up, but my leg seemed to be broken. It could not support me.

Those who had envied me for getting saved were all stunned. It took a long time for someone to rally them.

“Hurry, save her!”

As this call came, all those strangers, whom I had only seen once, ran over to me with all their might.

Some people helped me up while others brought water to my lips. Another kept asking how I was.

I could hear the earthquake warning going off again and tried my best to speak.

“I’m fine. You have to run.”

Just as I said this, the ground started to shake again.

Amid the noise, everyone gathered around me. No one was willing to leave me behind.

At that instant, I let go of all that I had felt for Lucas.

I could not deny that I truly did love him.

He was born with a nobleman’s grace. Every move he made was elegant and enchanting, attracting everyone’s attention.

I had grown up studying with him. Although I never said anything, I had fallen for him long ago.

When Josie suggested that we should get married, all I could feel was joy.

I thought that my secret crush was finally coming to fruition and that I would have a future with Lucas.

I thought that he might be moved after so much time spent together, even if he did not love me.

Yet, reality dealt me a great blow.

Faced with a disaster, even strangers were willing to give up their escape for me.

Meanwhile, Lucas calmly watched as Shevonne cut the rope ladder that could save me.

From start to finish, he only thought of me as a clown getting in the way of his love life.

The next quake was particularly intense, lifting loose dirt and sand as countless buildings collapsed.

In the distance, a crack appeared in the ground, and cars and trees fell inside it.

Around me, sobs and screams rang out. I had given up on escaping, but death refused to take me.

Others besides me were looking around in shock.

Everything was damaged but for the little patch of cement we stood on. It was completely unaffected.

The disaster had not taken our lives, but left us with a thread of hope.

A woman carrying a child wailed. An old person with a bad leg sprawled on the ground with a thunk. Everyone looked overjoyed to still be alive after facing what should have been obvious death.

“We’re okay. We’re okay!”

“We would have been dead if we hadn’t run over here!”

“Stop gawking around. Help Ms. Avignon up. There might be aftershocks in a little while!”

The people helped me up without waiting for my agreement. They lifted me from both sides to guide me upright, then chose the most athletic young man to carry me away.

We went all the way to an empty space without any buildings. There, everyone finally relaxed and put me down.

Right then, my phone rang.

It was Josie calling.

“Elise, are you alright? I’ve managed to get someone to save you. They will be there soon. Where are you?”

I looked around and quickly told her where we were.

Not long afterward, several helicopters arrived. In batches, they brought me and the other trapped tourists away.

Before we left, they all saluted me quietly.

“Ms. Avignon, we will remember everything you did.”

It was only after I watched everyone board that I got on the last helicopter.

Once I relaxed inside it, I noticed that my lower body was covered in blood.

The pain I had ignored came flooding back. My vision went dark, and I fainted.