Chapter 216: With Heart
Hearing my voice, Brad froze up and spun around, eyes wide like he'd seen a ghost. When he spotted me, he started shaking, and his eyes screamed panic and urgency. He looked like he wanted to say something, even took a step my way. But then he glanced at the girl in his arms and just said, "You go back with Larry, I'll take her to the hospital first."
Right there, in front of everyone, Brad ditched me for another girl. First time ever.
I kept telling myself, Brad wouldn't do me like this. He had to have a reason. That girl was hurt, how could he just leave her? Brad's just that kind of guy.
But no matter how many excuses I made, I couldn't shake the feeling of being let down. Tears just kept coming.
It felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over my head, leaving me cold and full of this deep, gnawing sadness.
From the moment I knew he was stuck, I was losing my mind with worry, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. I even thought if something happened to him, I'd never marry, just stay by his side forever.
To save him, I got covered in mud, my knees were killing me, and my fingers were all cut up and bleeding.
But what did he do? After getting rescued, knowing I was there, he just ignored me. Didn't even look back, just walked away with that girl in his arms.
I read somewhere that people who go through tough times together end up with deep feelings for each other.
Brad and that girl didn't just go through tough times, they went through life and death.
Would Brad fall for her?
No way, he wouldn't.
Yeah, he wouldn't.
Brad promised he'd love me forever, said his world couldn't fit anyone else. He valued his promises most and wouldn't break his word.
But damn, my heart really hurt just now.
Turns out, I was so used to his undivided love, I couldn't handle even a little bit of neglect.
I watched Brad's hurried, stumbling figure disappear, crying my eyes out from the hurt.
I thought, with jealousy, it must've been tough for him, trapped for two days and nights without food, yet still holding her so steady. His determined steps splashed muddy water on his already filthy pants, adding more dark spots, but he didn't seem embarrassed at all.
He must care so much to endure all that.
"Let's go, we'll talk later." Daniel grabbed my elbow and started dragging me forward.
"Leave me alone." I tried to shake him off, but he held on tight, and I couldn't break free, getting dragged through the mud and water.
Feeling helpless sucked.
I stubbornly refused Daniel's help, but he stubbornly insisted. We tugged back and forth in the narrow passage, catching the quiet attention of everyone around.
Larry probably knew the drama between me, Brad, and Daniel, and also knew Daniel and Brad's relationship, so he didn't get involved. He just stood by my side, making sure I didn't get hurt, and gave a look to Adam.
Adam was sharp. He stepped in front of me, separating us with his hands, one grabbing my wrist and the other grabbing Daniel's. With a forceful twist and shove, Daniel stumbled back a couple steps before barely regaining his balance.
"You okay?" Adam let go of me and looked worriedly at my wrist, which was bruised from Daniel's grip.
I shook my numb hand and ignored Daniel. "Larry, let's bounce."
Larry nodded and led the way, with Adam and me trailing behind, and Daniel and Hugh bringing up the rear.
We retraced our steps. Even though the weather had cleared up, the road was still a mess, making it tough to walk.
I slogged through the mud and water, my shoes and pant legs heavy and cold, feeling numb and wiped out, every step a struggle.
For a moment, I thought about just plopping down and not moving anymore. It seemed better than facing whatever was coming next.
I was exhausted when I went into the mountains too, but back then, I was worried about Brad. No matter how tired I was, I pushed through, driven by the thought of bringing him home.
But now, that drive was gone. My mind was stuck on the image of Brad walking away with another woman in his arms, not even glancing back. That moment would haunt me forever.
I just walked, numb and mechanical, running on autopilot.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it was evening, and it had been twenty-four hours since we got off the plane. In those twenty-four hours, I had seen the brutality of natural disasters and ridden an emotional rollercoaster.
The extreme highs and lows left me utterly drained.
I went into the bathroom to shower, washed my dirty clothes, and collapsed on the bed, my whole body aching. I found several bruises and various injuries on my fingers, some bloody and painfully raw.
No wonder it hurt so much; they say the nerves in your fingers are super sensitive!
After slapping some ointment on my fingers, I heard a knock on the door.
I opened it to find Daniel standing there, looking cold, hands in his pockets. He asked indifferently, "We're heading to the hospital, you coming?"
"Yeah."
Of course, I was going. Even though Brad left with another woman without a word, he was still my Brad, the one who promised me forever. I couldn't just abandon him.
Emotionally, I couldn't handle it, but rationally, I told myself to trust him.
Besides, didn't they say that what you see isn't always the truth? You gotta feel with your heart.
My heart told me Brad wouldn't hurt me. Jealousy and other stuff were just my petty thoughts.
Even if promises were unreliable and he did hurt me, he had to tell me himself, not leave me guessing.
Plus, after being trapped for two days and nights, I didn't know if Brad was hurt. I had to see him to be at ease.
So, I had to go to the hospital.
The emergency room was chaotic. Several kids were dehydrated from being trapped without food or water. Three or four seriously injured people were getting IVs. The principal, with a head injury, was lying on a narrow bed, already bandaged and asleep. A young guy was sitting beside him, keeping watch.
Luckily, the mudslide wasn't too bad and didn't cause much damage to the village and school in the valley. Apart from three or four serious injuries, there were no fatalities.
The tension of the past two days eased, and the families of the injured gathered, talking about the accident with lingering fear and relief for their loved ones' safety.
I scanned the crowd, searching for Brad.
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