Chapter 270 The Truth
Harmony raced through the city, ignoring countless red lights in her desperate dash to the mall where Jennifer's phone was last tracked, which only took her a third of the usual time.
As she pulled up to the curb, a chaotic scene unfolded before her. A fire raged in the distance, drawing a large crowd. A shiver ran down her spine, a woman's intuition whispering a warning. Heart pounding, she drove towards the commotion.
"Excuse me, coming through!" Harmony called out, pushing through the throng of onlookers.
As she approached closer, the clarity of the scenario intensified. A building was consumed by flames, the severity of the heat being palpable even at a considerable distance.
"What happened? Why are there so many people here?" Harmony asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
"It's a fire," a man sighed, his face etched with worry. "That's an elementary school tutoring center. I heard there were more than ten kids inside. It's awful."
"The teachers managed to get most of them out," a woman nearby added, "and some hero just pulled out three more. Hopefully, there aren't many left. That brave soul went back in, God bless him!"
"He's taking a huge risk," a young man interjected. "That fire is intense! It's practically suicide. Saving people is one thing, but this is just reckless."
"I've never admired anyone like this before," another voice boomed. "The heat is unbearable even from here. It takes real guts to run into that inferno."
A wave of melancholy and reverence swept through the crowd. The heroic deed had unequivocally moved each individual present.
The gravity of the situation wasn't lost on anyone. The endeavor was not a routine rescue; it required extraordinary courage to confront a violent inferno. Everyone knew they wouldn't have the strength to do the same.
A group of students stood nearby, their faces stained with tears, hands clasped in prayer. "Please, God, protect the hero," they pleaded. "Let him save the children. Please!"
"Don't let him die, God! Please, we beg you!"
Their heartfelt pleas resonated with the crowd, and soon, many others joined in, their voices a chorus of hope for the hero's safe return.
In that moment, the inherent goodness of humanity shone through.
Harmony's unease intensified. She pressed forward, a silent prayer escaping her lips. "Please, let it not be him. Please."
Finally, she broke through the last layer of onlookers. Her eyes widened in shock, her heart doing a painful dance of relief and terror.
Standing there, her profile etched with worry and tears streaming down her face, was Jennifer.
It all clicked into place. The hero was James.
Harmony's blood ran cold. She recalled the conversations around her and the danger James was in. Her legs trembled, threatening to give way.
She dug her nails into her palm, willing herself to stay strong. With a surge of determination, she approached Jennifer.
Jennifer, entirely engrossed in the evolving spectacle, failed to detect Harmony's arrival.
"Jennifer," Harmony called out softly.
Jennifer's body jolted at the sound of her name. She turned, her eyes meeting Harmony's guilt-ridden gaze.
"Harmony," she breathed, her voice tight with apprehension.
"Did James tell you everything?" Harmony asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Jennifer stared at her, confusion swirling within her. The situation was overwhelming. Anger and betrayal warred with a primal fear for James' safety.
All she could think about was him, trapped in that inferno. She desperately clung to the hope of his safe return.
Jennifer had convinced herself that this incident would help her move on and that she could finally forget James. But the truth was a bitter pill to swallow. She still cared, more than she dared to admit.
The thought of a life without him was unbearable.
"I'm so sorry, Jennifer," Harmony choked out, tears streaming down her face. "I was selfish. I knew he was your husband, knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. I... I fell for him."
Overwhelmed by guilt, Harmony raised her hand to slap herself, but Jennifer caught her wrist.
"Stop it, Harmony!" Jennifer cried, her voice thick with anger. "This isn't your fault! It's that bastard James who took advantage of you!"
Harmony's eyes widened in shock. "Jennifer, what are you talking about? I confessed my feelings to him, but he rejected me. He chose you, said he wanted to stay loyal to his wife."
Harmony grabbed Jennifer's hand, her voice desperate. "I was the one who was selfish, shameless! You should be angry with me, hit me!"
"What?" Jennifer whispered, utterly bewildered.
She gasped audibly as the import of Harmony's words registered. Her mental faculties seemed to blank out, her body listing dangerously.
Harmony paused, her gaze searching Jennifer's face. Realization dawned on her, and her expression shifted. "Jennifer, did James not tell you the truth?"
Jennifer's carefully constructed composure crumbled. Her lips trembled, her legs gave way, and she sank to the ground, her face ashen.
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