The moment my neighbor burst into my home, his voice a frantic mix of panic and urgency, I felt my stomach drop.

"Maya, your factory's on fire!"

I didn't stop to think. Throwing on the nearest coat, I bolted outside and ran. The dark smoke billowing in the distance was unmistakable.

When I reached the entrance of the factory, chaos greeted me. My cousin Lucia and my mother-in-law, Evelyn, stood near the locked entrance. Both were frantic and Evelyn even pounded her fists against the electronic door.

"Break the door down!" Evelyn's voice cracked, hoarse from screaming. Her face was streaked with tears as she hit the door again and again.

Lucia stood beside her, arms flailing, her face flushed with panic and streaked with sweat. She paced like a caged animal, her hands trembling as she shouted toward the growing crowd of onlookers.

"Someone's inside! We need to open this door now!"

The moment Lucia saw me approaching, her eyes widened with a mix of desperation and anger. She stumbled forward as if her legs could barely hold her weight, grabbing my arm for balance before pointing at the fire.

"Harvey is inside!" she screamed, her voice raw and breaking. "Hurry up and save your husband! You have the card and only you know the password!"

Sweat dripped down the back of my neck as I turned my gaze toward the factory. My throat tightened and my chest felt heavy, but I shook my head helplessly, my voice oddly calm amidst the hysteria.

"Let's call the fire department for help," I suggested, pulling out my phone. My fingers glided over the screen with a slowness that seemed to contrast sharply with the frantic energy around me.

Evelyn spun to face me, her face twisting into an expression of pure fury. Her voice trembled as she jabbed a shaking finger at me.

"He went in there to find the accounting records for you and now it's on fire! But you're just standing here? Watching? Are you even human?"

I held her gaze, unmoving. Her wild eyes searched mine for something—remorse, fear, panic—but I shrugged instead, my shoulders rising and falling with a casualness that only seemed to inflame her further.

"The fire's too big," I said. "What if I get hurt?"

——

Evelyn gasped. Her face contorted into something primal—a mix of grief, disbelief and pure hatred.

"You..." she sputtered, barely able to form the words. "What kind of excuse is that? You're afraid of getting hurt? My son's risking his life for your damned records and you just... don't care? Like it's nothing to you?"

Lucia's face turned a deep crimson, a stark contrast to the white of her clenched knuckles. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks, her voice trembling with barely contained fury.

"Maya, Harvey is in there!" she shouted, her voice shrilled with desperation. "He's your husband! How can you stand here and act like this doesn't matter? What is wrong with you?"

"I've already called the fire department," I replied evenly, holding up my phone. "They'll be here soon. Don't worry—they'll put the fire out."

Lucia took a step closer, her eyes burning with disbelief and frustration. "Do you even hear yourself?" she began. "Your husband's life is hanging by a thread and all you can say is to wait?"

"What else can I do?" I asked, my tone flat, unmoved. "Do you want me to run in there and die with him? That wouldn't save anyone."

"Open the door! Now!" Lucia shouted, her voice laced with frustration. "The fire trucks will take forever! Can't you understand? It's a life! Your husband's life! How can you just stand there?"

"You venomous woman! Are you trying to kill my son?" Evelyn shrieked, her hand a blur as she lunged to slap me. I quickly moved out of the way.

"I'm not trying to kill him," I explained calmly. "But I'm not a firefighter. I can't put out that fire. Going in would be suicide."

Our argument caught the attention of the onlookers, who had gathered to watch the fire. Some of them pulled out their phones and began recording or live-streaming the scene.

Noticing this, Evelyn turned to the crowd and shouted, "Look at her! My son is in there and she won't open the door to save him! Isn't she heartless? Evil? Oh... my son!"

Lucia grabbed my arm then, her nails digging sharply into my skin. She shook me roughly, her face close to mine as she spat out her words.

"Did you two fight? Is that why you're doing this?" Her voice dropped, low and angry. "Do you want him to die? Is that what you want, Maya?"

I yanked my arm free, the sting lingering where her nails had bitten in. My face remained impassive.

"You're overreacting," I said softly.

"She wants Harvey dead!" Evelyn wailed, lunging again, but I dodged her. Turning to the crowd of onlookers, whose phones were already filming, she cried, "What wife would let her husband burn? She's killing him herself! She's a venomous creature!"

The murmurs grew louder. The crowd's whispers surrounded me, like ghostly accusations that I couldn't swat away. Some shook their heads in disgust; others muttered darkly, their voices blending with the rising noise of crackling fire.

Lucia stepped in front of me again, her voice trembling but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Why won't you save him? You have the card! What is wrong with you, Maya?"

There was no hatred between me and my husband. On the contrary, our relationship was quite good. We had been together since university, going from school uniforms to wedding attire. After five years together, he had always treated me well.

The reason I had been able to run the factory my parents left me so successfully was also thanks to his considerable help. I remembered the nights we spent planning, his patient voice as he broke down financial strategies for me and the way he reassured me when I doubted myself. Honestly, I was quite grateful to him. At one point, I genuinely believed he was my destined soulmate.

But now, looking back, I realize how pathetically naive I was...

More people had gathered, their murmurs filling the air like buzzing insects. Some of them, upon hearing what Evelyn and Lucia were saying, began to chime in, their voices dripping with blame and disdain.

"It's simply too dangerous," I said, my tone even. I crossed my arms, turning slightly away from Evelyn's gaze. "If I go in there, I'll die."

The words were barely out of my mouth when Evelyn erupted, "Did you hear that? Did you hear what she just said? Is she even human?"

"How can you be so heartless?" Lucia interjected, her voice trembling with both frustration and grief. She took a shaky step closer, her dark eyes shining with tears as she stared me down. "If it weren't for you insisting on getting the accounting records, would your husband have gone in? He's inside because of you, trying to retrieve those records. Now the factory is on fire, he's trapped and you're just standing here acting indifferent. Do you even have a conscience?"

Lucia's words struck the crowd like a match thrown onto dry grass. The murmurs grew louder, more accusatory.

"If you don't unlock that door, he'll burn alive! Are you just going to let him die?"

"I think she's hoping my son dies!" Evelyn screamed suddenly. Her eyes blazed with such hatred that, for a moment, I thought she might lunge at me again. "Now that I think about it, I don't even believe the factory fire was an accident. Who's to say she didn't set it herself?"

At this, the crowd erupted into chaos.

"What?" a man exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look at me. Others exchanged uneasy glances, their whispers growing louder.

"If that's true, I suggest you call the police. This could be murder!"

"Yeah! Call the police immediately! Who knows if her husband is already dead in there?"

"This is terrifying—murdering her own husband? That's a crime! You must report it!"

"Did the husband have life insurance?" someone asked suspiciously, their voice low but loud enough for the others to hear. "Why is the wife acting so calm? Could this be... planned?"

"Madam, you should call the police right away."

"Yes, call the police!"

The collective weight of their accusations pressed against me like a storm surge. Evelyn hesitated, clearly bolstered by the mob-like fervor of the crowd. Her eyes bore into mine with a loathing I had never seen before.

"Maya, what do you say?" she hissed, her voice thick with venom. "Should I call the police? Don't come crying and begging for mercy later!"

I met her gaze evenly, my face an expressionless mask. The tension between us stretched taut, broken only by Lucia's furious shout.

"What is this?" Lucia screamed. She turned sharply toward the crowd, her eyes blazing with frustration. "Now isn't the time for police or some conspiracy theories! We're wasting time! We need to save him!"

The crowd fell into a brief, stunned silence. Some lowered their phones, shifting awkwardly as if realizing how absurd the scene had become.

Lucia spun back toward me, her lips trembling with suppressed fury. "I'm asking you—are you going to use the card to open the door or not?"

I paused, then slowly reached into my bag, my movements deliberate. Pulling the access card out, I held it out toward her. "If you're in such a hurry, you go open it."

Lucia stared at me as though I had slapped her. Her mouth opened slightly, disbelief flickering across her face. "How... how can you be like this? I thought you loved Harvey! He gave you everything, he loved you! And... this is how you repay him? With complete indifference? You're unbelievable."

I looked at her calmly, my voice devoid of emotion. "So? Are you going in or not? What's the hold-up? You have the card. Or are you scared too?"

Lucia let out a cold snort, grabbed the access card and snapped, "What's there to be afraid of? I'll go! I'm not a heartless monster like you!"

Her bravado faltered as she turned toward the blazing factory. Her shoulders stiffened and she swallowed hard as the sheer heat rolled over her, nearly forcing her back.

A group of bystanders moved to help her. "Here—soak this cloth in water," one man said, rushing forward with a bucket. "Wrap it around your face."

Another person handed her a soaked jacket. "This will help protect you from the flames."

Pale and breathing unevenly, Lucia forced herself to cover her mouth and nose with the damp cloth. Her trembling hand fumbled for the access card, swiping it quickly through the reader. Then, she punched in the security code on the keypad.

With a sharp click, the lock gave way and Lucia thrust the door open. A wave of searing heat blasted outward, but with a determined cry, she plunged inside.

At that moment, the fire truck screeched to a halt. The firefighters leapt into action with practiced precision. Thick hoses uncoiled like serpents and water gushed out in powerful arcs.

The firefighters, clad in heavy gear, moved swiftly and with purpose. Two of them disappeared into the factory, while others continued battling the fire.

When the two firefighters led the Harvey and Lucia out of the factory, the crowd burst into cheers. Even those who had been filming and livestreaming let out shouts of joy, their phones trembling in their hands as they documented the moment.

I stood apart from the chaos, my arms crossed as I watched. My eyes followed Harvey as he stumbled forward, supported by Lucia, who gritted her teeth with effort.

"Harvey!" Evelyn's cry pierced the air. She surged through the crowd and threw herself into Harvey's arms, embracing him tightly. "My son! You've suffered so much!" Cupping his face in her trembling hands, tears streamed down her own as she choked out, "Look at you... look at what you've been through. I thought I'd lost you!" She then dissolved into uncontrollable sobs.

Then, with sudden viciousness, Evelyn's gaze snapped to me. Her finger shot out, trembling with rage as she pointed straight at me. "You! You don't know how much he's suffered! He was trapped in there and you, his wife, wouldn't even open the door!"

The crowd stirred uneasily, murmurs rippling through them like a rising tide. "Look at the kind of woman he married!" Evelyn's voice cut through the growing unease. "She's just standing there, waiting for him to die!"

Several people turned their cameras toward me, their lenses gleaming with the eagerness to capture my reaction. I could feel their eyes bore into me—cold, accusing, relentless. I stood still, my face an unreadable mask, refusing to shrink under their stares.

"Come on, everyone, take a good look at this heartless woman!" a man shouted.

"She wouldn't even unlock the door!" another voice added, laced with disgust.

"This is horrifying. She probably hoped her husband would burn to death in there."

"She's probably got another man," someone muttered darkly. "Why else would she act like this?"

The whispers swelled, a torrent of cruel accusations, each one more ridiculous and cutting than the last. Harvey, still leaning heavily on Lucia, lifted his head slightly. His face was pale, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. He stared at me, his expression a mixture of confusion and pain.

"Maya..." His voice was weak, barely audible over the crowd's noise. Lucia, her arm still supporting him, looked at me with bitter scorn.

"If I had been a moment later," she spat out, her tone sharp, "he might've been burned alive. If he'd died, would you have been satisfied then?"

"Hmph! I think she's been plotting to kill my son all along!" Evelyn shrieked, her face contorted with rage. Her wild eyes darted between me and the crowd as though searching for allies. "Who knows what kind of woman she really is? That fire—maybe she set it herself!"

Harvey blinked weakly, his lips curving into a faint, bitter smile. "Maya... I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. "I couldn't get the accounting records. This whole thing is just an accident. I don't blame you. You don't need to feel guilty."

Evelyn's head whipped around. "After everything that's happened, you're still defending her?" she screeched. Her voice cracked with disbelief. "Worried she'll feel guilty? Let me tell you—she won't! She doesn't care. She refused to help you, do you understand? She stood there and watched! She said she was afraid of getting hurt! Do you think a woman like that would ever feel guilty?"

The crowd rippled again, their disdain thick in the air.

Finally, a middle-aged woman stepped out of the crowd and approached me, her expression caught between confusion and contempt. "I don't get it," she said, her voice firm. "Your husband is still speaking up for you. You don't seem like the kind of couple who'd fall apart. Or is it..." She hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "Do you hate your husband?"

I shook my head slowly, my voice soft but clear. "Actually, I love him very much."

The woman froze, stunned by my words. Her brows furrowed and she blinked at me as if trying to decipher a riddle. "If you love your husband and your relationship with him seems good, then why..."

"Stop it," Harvey murmured, his voice faltering. His eyes fluttered closed and his body slumped suddenly, all strength leaving him.

"Harvey? Harvey!" Evelyn shrieked, her hands shaking him as panic filled her voice. "My son! My son, what's wrong? You can't leave us! Please, I'm begging you! Somebody, help us! Save him!"

Evelyn's wails rang out as Harvey's unconscious body sagged against her. People in the crowd gasped, shouting for someone to call an ambulance. A few people rushed forward to help, but Evelyn clung to Harvey desperately, nearly pulling him to the ground.

I stepped forward instinctively, reaching a hand out toward Harvey, but Lucia spun toward me, her face a mask of fury.

"Don't you dare act like you care now!" she hissed, shoving me roughly aside. Her eyes, dark with disdain, burned into mine.

The wail of sirens cut through the tension as an ambulance screeched to a stop. Paramedics poured out, expertly navigating the chaos as they reached for Harvey and loaded him onto the stretcher.

I took a step to follow them into the ambulance, but Evelyn turned sharply, her tear-streaked face blazing with hatred.

"Stay away from him!" she snapped, her voice shaking. Lucia blocked my path as well, stepping between me and the open ambulance doors.