On my birthday, my husband and I planned to go rafting together.

But unexpectedly, the reservoir on the mountain suddenly released water, causing our boat to overturn.

I struggled desperately in the water, and Callum Cook immediately came to my rescue.

However, as he swam toward me, I heard another cry for help not far away.

Ignoring my outstretched hand, he turned without hesitation and swam toward the other person.

In the final moment before I was swept away by the current, all I could see was him holding that person and comforting her softly.

He said, "It's okay, Lily. I'm here."

Lilly Walker was his unforgettable first love.

——

The staff handed me protective gear and seriously warned me, "There are no safety measures for this rafting trip. Please be extra cautious."

Callum carefully helped me secure my life jacket and kissed my forehead gently. "Don't be scared. I'm here with you."

Blushing, I hid in his arms, while those around us couldn't help but chuckle softly.

They said, "You two are so in love."

The heat on my face lingered for a long time.

Callum held my hand as we boarded the raft, and soon we were carried downstream.

Surrounded by towering mountains, the water was swift but still manageable.

We didn't encounter anyone else along the way, so I splashed some water at him.

"Callum, the water is so cold," I said.

He was just about to reply when suddenly, the water surged, almost forming a waterfall at the drop-off.

The boat was continuously hit by the spray, and I struggled to steady myself but still felt on the verge of falling over.

Callum shouted with difficulty, "The reservoir on the mountain has suddenly opened its floodgates!"

Water poured into my ears, making it nearly impossible to hear his voice.

I screamed, "Callum!"

The boat crashed against a rock, and I was thrown into the water.

The rushing current overwhelmed me, threatening to drown me.

Clinging desperately to the buoyancy of my life jacket, I struggled, but the water kept pulling me deeper.

Callum immediately jumped into the water. He had once been a member of the national swimming team, so even in such a situation, he remained calm.

Weakly, I waved my hands and grabbed onto some wild grass at the shore.

Water dripped down my eyelashes, blurring my vision, but I could see Callum getting closer.

I shouted, "Callum!"

Using my last bit of strength, I reached out to him, but suddenly, another cry for help rang in my ears.

"Help! Help!"

Callum froze and then swam toward that person without hesitation.

Though I was only a step away from him, I couldn't grasp his hand.

My consciousness began to fade as water filled my mouth and nose. In my last moment of awareness, I saw him cradling that person in his arms, comforting her softly.

He said, "Lily, don't be afraid. I'm here."

My mind went blank. Those words struck me heavily in the heart. Lily was his unforgettable first love.

The grass I was holding onto finally broke under the strain, and I was submerged, losing consciousness.

When I woke up again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose, almost making me choke.

My throat was burning. I tried to speak, but no sound came out.

A nurse nearby heard me stirring and walked over. "You're awake?"

She bent down to remove the IV from my arm. "You've been unconscious for a day and a night."

The nurse told me to rest and went to call the doctor.

Soon, a female doctor entered. She looked at me with pity in her eyes. "You were in the water for too long. The baby couldn't be saved."

My heart sank, and I couldn't help but cough, a metallic taste rising in my throat.

"What, baby?" I muttered.

Her face filled with sympathy. "You were already one month pregnant."

She hesitated before continuing, "And because you had a previous miscarriage, the lining of your uterus was already fragile, so...

"It's very likely that you won't be able to conceive again."

It felt like I had been struck by lightning. I shook my head in disbelief. "No..."

Tears fell unconsciously. I struggled to sit up, looking at her. "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

The doctor lowered her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

I felt all the strength drain from my body and collapsed onto the floor.

She came over and helped me up. "The police contacted your husband, but for some reason, he hasn't come."

Tears fell onto the corner of my mouth, leaving a salty taste.

I closed my eyes, shivering all over. "Please, I want to be alone."

My voice was choked, almost incomprehensible. When I was finally alone, I pulled the blanket over myself, biting my fingers hard.

But the sobs still escaped through the gaps.

The following afternoon, Callum finally came. The first thing he said when he saw me was, "Lily has been frail since childhood. If she stayed in the water too long, she wouldn't be able to handle it."

I looked at him coldly, almost wanting to laugh.

Clearly, I had been right in front of him at that moment, yet he hadn't hesitated to abandon me.

He had left me behind and killed our child. He was disgusting.

Seeing no reaction from me, he took my hand, speaking gently. "Besides, I knew you'd find a way to save yourself.

"You're always smart."

I couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea, nearly vomiting on the spot.

The doctor had told me that I was lucky to be found by fishermen downstream who brought me to the hospital just in time.

Any later than that, I would have been dead.

Callum's excuses were just to ease his guilt.

I stared at him, tears welling up in my eyes. My voice, thick with hatred, came out with difficulty.

I asked, "Why did you come only now?"

Perhaps he hadn't expected this question. He tucked me in and softly explained, "Lily was scared. She's been crying non-stop, so I had to stay by her side."

A bitter taste rose in my throat as I looked at him, suddenly finding him unrecognizable.

While Lilly had been crying in fear, I had been lying in the hospital.

While Callum stayed with her until she slept, I had lost my child.

We had been married for eight years. Yet he was still able to instantly recognize Lilly's voice.

"Go accompany her," I said.

Callum was taken aback, frowning at me. "What?"

I stared into his eyes and repeated, "I'm telling you to get out."

He was shocked and growled, "What do you want from me? I'm here with you, aren't I?"

I threw a cup at him, and it shattered at his feet.

I pointed to the door and shouted, "Get out, now!"

He was pissed off. "Jennifer Reese, I'm finding you harder and harder to understand.

"You weren't like this before."

With that, he slammed the door and left.

I looked up at the ceiling, fighting back my tears.

On my phone screen was Lilly's latest post from two days ago.

[Drifting in the mountains, an adventure for the brave. Will you be there?]

The location was exactly where I had gone with Callum.

Everything suddenly became clear. Before, I hadn't understood how it could have been such a coincidence for us to meet there.

Now, I realized that what I had thought was fate had all been orchestrated by Callum.

I closed my eyes, placed my hand on my abdomen, and finally broke down in tears.

As my consciousness faded, I dreamt of that day when I was 22—the day I found out I was pregnant for the first time.

The pregnancy report had been handed to Callum, and he had looked at me with no emotion, only saying, "Jennifer, we can't keep this child."

His words hurt me badly. "Why?"

He said gently, "Your life is just beginning. I don't want a child to hold you back."

I shook my head desperately, letting my tears fall. "No, I want to keep it."

He didn't answer, quietly waiting for me to change my mind.

In the end, we didn't keep the child. By the time I was six months pregnant, a complication during the abortion caused severe hemorrhaging, and I almost died.

I was in a coma for three days, and when I woke, Callum held me, comforting me softly, "There will be other children."

I was nearly broken, and my body was damaged too. Even though we had been married for eight years, I hadn't been able to get pregnant again.

His parents went so far as to threaten him with death to get him to leave me.

But he took my hand and said firmly, "I won't leave her. Never."

Back then, I thought everything had been worth it. But now, I wondered if Callum had ever truly wanted a child.

The next day, after the doctor finished her routine check-up, she sighed. "Ms. Reese, your body is already weak. You must not let yourself get too upset, or it will be difficult for you to recover."

I froze and then nodded. "I understand."

She gave a few more instructions before leaving the room.

But in the next second, the door suddenly opened again. I looked over and saw two familiar figures.

"Jennifer, long time no see," said the visitor.

My body began trembling, as if fear of her was embedded in my very genes.

Callum walked towards me, with Lilly by his side. He turned to look at her with indulgence.

He said, "Lily heard you were in the hospital and insisted on coming to see you."

Lilly teared up and looked at me. "Jennifer, it's all my fault.

"If Callum hadn't been trying to save me, you wouldn't have ended up in the hospital."

The malice in her words was almost blatant, yet Callum still defended her. "It's not your fault.

"Even if I saw a stranger drowning, I would save them."

He sounded like he was a hero, making me laugh.

"Lilly, your acting is so poor," I snorted.

Lily's tears began to fall uncontrollably. "Jennifer, I know you won't forgive me, but I'm truly sorry."

Seeing her cry, Callum looked pained.

He turned to me and glared. "She came to apologize to you. What more do you want?

"Do you have to make everyone so miserable?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Callum, don't you think you're acting like a wimp?

"When you had the car accident, Lilly didn't hesitate to leave the country. Now, she just waves her hand, and you're back to wagging your tail at her."

Perhaps my words hit a sore spot, and Callum was pissed off.

He snapped, "Shut up!"

He glanced at Lilly in a panic. "Lily told me. Back then, her parents forced her to leave."

I couldn't help but snicker. So, the two of them had already been in contact all along.

Years ago, Callum and Lilly were engaged, but just before their wedding, he had a car accident.

He went from being a famous athlete to someone who could never swim again.

The doctors said he might be paralyzed for the rest of his life. The night Lilly found out, she chose to leave the country.

I had silently been in love with Callum for three years, so I visited him under the pretense of being a classmate.

At that time, he found it hard to accept the reality and attempted suicide multiple times.

I stayed by his side day and night, helping him with his rehabilitation until he was able to walk again.

But I never expected that with such a flimsy excuse from Lilly, he would still blindly believe her.

I shot back, "Callum, you're disgusting."

I raised my hand towards the call button. "Are you two leaving on your own, or should I call the doctor to throw you out?"

They exchanged a glance and remained silent for a long time.

"Jennifer, you'll regret this," Callum said as he left with Lilly.

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down.

For the first time, my mind felt clear. I decided to divorce Callum.

Since I had made up my mind, I immediately consulted a lawyer.

As night fell, my phone displayed messages from the lawyer, detailing things to keep in mind for the divorce.

Since Callum loved Lilly so much, I might as well help him out. Those two deserved to be locked together.

As my fingers hovered over the chat interface, a more important thought flashed through my mind.

If I stayed here any longer, Callum would come to pester me again.

I needed to leave as soon as possible.

After a few seconds of thought, I quickly sent a message to my parents, asking them to come pick me up.

But the screen only showed a bright red exclamation mark.

Unwilling to give up, I sent a few more messages, but the result remained the same.

My heart sank, and I tried calling them instead.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable now."

They ran a breakfast shop; their phones would never be off.

I tried other contacting methods and then realized that they had blocked me.

I gripped my phone, trembling all over.

The realization was almost shouting in my mind, but I still didn't want to believe it.

I stayed awake all night, and the next morning, Callum came again.

He walked up to me calmly. "Jennifer, do you realize your mistake now?"