Steven had not yet ended the call, so I could still hear Wendy's faint voice.

"Stevie, is Yelena also trapped? Then, you should go ahead and rescue her first. I… I can wait."

Steven's brows furrowed even deeper. He turned away from me, and instead, asked Wendy how she was doing.

She started sobbing. "I'm in a department store at the city center. It's pitch black here, and I think my arm is pinned down. Stevie, it really hurts…

"Am I going to die here, Stevie? I'm really scared. I don't want to leave you when I haven't spent enough time with you…"

Steven's eyes immediately turned red-rimmed as he heard her heartfelt confession.

"You won't, Wendy. I won't let anything happen to you. I'm going over to rescue you right now!"

With that, he abandoned me and led the team over to save Wendy.

Reuben was still worried about me, so he stood in Steven's way.

"Steven, what about Yelena? Her situation is precarious right now. What if there's an aftershock? And she's pregnant too—"

However, Steven only coldly interrupted him with a scoff while looking at me.

"Yelena, I've already checked. You're clearly in the Triangle of Life right now, so you won't die even if you wait for a while.

"Frankly, I think you're doing this on purpose. You know Wendy has claustrophobia, so you're just using your pregnancy as an excuse for me to save you first, and in turn, have her killed.

"You're a doctor yourself, so I'm sure you know how important hands are to doctors. Yet you don't have an ounce of empathy! You vile woman, I won't let you get what you want!"

Each of his words were like swords plunging into my body, but my heart had already turned as numb as my pinned hand.

I stared at him calmly, not making a fuss.

The agonizing experience from my past life had allowed me to see this man—whom I had loved for over ten years—for who he truly was.

He did not love me. And even if he did, it was only for a short while.

My child and I would never be able to compete with the love of his life. In that case, I would no longer have any more expectations for him.

In this life, I would do as he wished and not bother him or fight for his attention.

Reuben refused to desert me and remained adamant about saving me first.

Steven's tone was growing more and more impatient. "Reuben Landolf, why are you still standing there? We have limited resources, and Wendy's location is closer to the epicenter. She's in greater danger."

I persuaded Reuben to leave me behind and go with Steven. Then, I turned toward a shocked Steven and told him, "Go. If I survive this, let's get a divorce."

After saying those words, I suddenly felt all the strength drain from my body.

Steven assumed I was joking, so he left with a look of disdain on his face.

I subconsciously used my free hand to caress my slight baby bump. As I watched Steven hurry off, tears started falling from the corners of my eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby. It's Mommy's fault."

I knew there was an aftershock coming, and I could also feel a warmth spreading around my lower half.

I was likely going to lose my baby.

Reuben chose to stay behind to rescue me. He desperately tried to remove the debris from above me, but his strength alone was not enough. It was like trying to put out a blazing fire with one cup of water at a time.

But he still continued to encourage me and told me to not worry.

I was moved by his warm actions.

After who knew how long, Steven ran past us frantically while carrying Wendy. The woman was lying in his arms looking weak but seemingly no worse for wear.

The only person he cared about was Wendy, and he had completely forgotten about his still-trapped wife.

Reuben, who had bloody nails from lifting the debris, furiously grabbed hold of Steven and pointed at me.

"Steven! Your pregnant wife is still trapped under the rubble, but all you care about is rescuing Wendy? Are you even human?"

Truth be told, I didn't know Reuben that well. I'd only run into him a few times when I visited Steven at his dorm. The young lad was always cheery and would always greet me enthusiastically.

However, in the next second, a stone-faced Steven roared, "Wendy's fingers are injured. Do you not know how important hands are to a doctor? This could potentially ruin her career! Also, that is my wife and child. What have they got to do with you, exactly?"

His gaze landed on me before returning to Reuben, a sneer spreading across his face.

"You seem quite concerned about Yelena. Surely, you're not having an affair with that woman behind my back?"

I nearly snorted in anger. How could he possibly say such indignant words while carrying another woman and refusing to save me?

Reuben was also so angry that he was rendered speechless.

However, he still couldn't leave me behind and insisted on having others come assist in my rescue.

Steven warned him icily, "Reuben, you're only a rookie on this team. Your whole career is in my hands. If you dare disobey me again, I'll transfer you to the borders right away. I'm sure you know how difficult life is over there."

Reuben was unfazed, not when it came down to my safety.

Seeing this, Steven lowered his voice even more. "If you don't want to consider your own position, then at least think about your parents who are still working for the Hough family."

Reuben's mother was a housekeeper, and his father was a security guard. Both of them had been working for the Houghs for the past 20 or so years.

Steven's words hit a nerve. Reuben's face immediately paled, and hesitation colored his eyes.

Steven felt smug seeing his subordinate fall in line.

"You're so concerned about her, but you really shouldn't be fooled by the act she puts on. She has always been an arrogant person who behaves like a punk, going around bullying others just because her family is wealthy.

"She once locked Wendy in an abandoned classroom just so she would miss an important competition, despite knowing Wendy had claustrophobia.

"As a result, Wendy fell ill for an extended period of time. She not only missed the competition but also missed the chance to secure a spot in the postgraduate research program.

"Also, when Wendy got mad at me and left, Yelena took advantage of the opportunity to become pregnant with my child, then forced me to marry her. Now, she's pulling the same stunt again to have me save her, all because she's not satisfied and wants Wendy dead!

"She's truly a calculative person. Since she enjoys putting on a pitiful act, then let her stay in the rubble for now!"

Then, with Wendy firmly nestled in his arms, he turned around without so much as another glance back.

Reuben was so frantic that there were tears in his eyes.

"Yelena, don't be scared. I'll think of a way to get you out!" he said with a trembling voice.

Not long after, I felt the earth shake again. Debris started to cave in around me, and dust fell into my eyes and mouth.

A slab of concrete fell on me hard, and I think I heard the sound of bones breaking. My organs felt like they were being crushed to nothing.

I felt a warmth spreading from my head and my lower body, and my breathing became labored.

I could hear Reuben yelling frantically from somewhere close by, but I didn't have the strength to respond anymore.

The world around me turned dark, eventually swallowing my consciousness with it.