Chapter 5
854 Words
But Irene grabbed his arm. "Raymond! I'm scared! It's so dangerous here, let's get out quickly, okay?"
She clung tightly to Raymond's arm, her tear-filled eyes full of trust.
Raymond's steps halted. He glanced at Serena trapped under the slab, then looked down into Irene's fearful eyes. He swallowed hard, and finally reached out to shield Irene, turning to run toward the exit.
At that moment, Serena's heart completely sank.
Despair washed over her like a tide. She gritted her teeth, crawling forward inch by inch, the concrete slab on her back scraping her skin painfully, each inch felt like it was sapping her strength.
Just as she had crawled less than a meter, a familiar figure suddenly rushed in.
It was Raymond!
Hope instantly ignited in Serena's eyes, her voice choked with tears. "Raymond! Help!"
But Raymond didn't even look at her, his gaze quickly scanning the ground as if searching for something.
Soon, he bent down and picked up an object—it was Irene's emerald pendant, which had somehow fallen there.
He put the pendant in his pocket before reaching out to pull Serena.
But just then, Irene's heart-wrenching cries came from outside. "Raymond!"
Raymond's brow twitched, his hand paused in midair, and he hastily said to Serena, "I'll call someone to save you," before turning and sprinting toward the sound.
Serena lay on the ground, watching his figure disappear at the doorway, finally fully awake.
In their seven-year marriage, she felt like a fool, thinking she could warm the ice with sincerity, forgetting that ice is inherently cold.
He had never had feelings for her, not even for a second.
She didn't know how long it took, but the shaking of the ceiling gradually stopped.
Her assistant rushed in with several workers, their faces changing dramatically when they saw Serena lying on the ground. They quickly worked together to move the concrete slab and lifted her onto a stretcher.
As she was carried out of the construction site, Serena's gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Raymond not far away.
He was clumsily holding a tissue, wiping Irene's tears, his actions full of concern.
"I'm sorry, Raymond."
Irene leaned against his chest, her voice choked with sobs, "It's all my fault. If it weren't for looking for the pendant, you wouldn't have risked going in. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live either. Actually, I liked you seven years ago, but when I saw you were going to marry Serena, I went abroad to avoid you."
"How could I lose this pendant? It's our token of love." Raymond held her tightly, his voice full of guilt. "It's my fault for not recognizing you back then, making us miss seven years. I will never let you suffer again."
The sunlight was blinding, and Serena watched the tightly embraced couple, her vision slowly blurred until it finally plunged into darkness.
Later, Serena woke up in the hospital.
The doctor's voice was grave. "Three ribs on the right side are fractured, and there are extensive soft tissue contusions on the back. You'll need at least a month of rest."
After the doctor left, she lay in bed staring blankly, overhearing the nurses chatting outside the ward.
"Mr. Scott, the CEO of Scott Group, is downstairs. His wife's hand got slightly scratched, and he was so worried, personally running around, not even allowing anyone else to hand her water."
"Isn't his wife the daughter of the Williams Group's president? I saw Mr. Williams come too, carrying a large bag of supplements. He dotes on her so much.."
"Wow, she's so lucky! A president father who dotes on her and a husband like Mr. Scott who spoils her, she's truly winning at life!"
Serena listened and suddenly let out a laugh, filled with indescribable self-mockery.
It turns out that, in the eyes of others, Irene had already become "Mrs. Scott", regarded as the Williams family's treasured daughter.
Meanwhile, she, the true Williams family daughter and Mrs. Scott for seven years, lay unnoticed in a hospital bed.
With effort, Serena picked up the phone from the bedside table and called her lawyer. "Jason, what's the fastest way to get a divorce certificate?"
"If both parties agree, we can go through court mediation. It can be done in two weeks."
Serena closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was only determination. "Then let's do that."
She hung up, placed the phone back by the pillow, and sighed softly as she gazed out the window.
A few days later, she insisted on processing her discharge despite the doctor's advice.
She needed to wrap up her affairs in the country quickly and leave this place that had consumed her heart.
As she reached the hospital entrance, a sudden scream arose from the crowd.
Instinctively, she stepped back a few paces, only to see Irene being tightly held by a man, a gleaming fruit knife held against her neck.
Not far away, Raymond, usually standing tall, had a slightly tense posture. Serena could even see his hand trembling slightly at his side.
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