Survival Diary: Stranded with Beauties on Siren Island

"Ernie, let's get a divorce!" The divorce papers were forcefully thrown onto Ernie Harris's worn-out face. "Lily, we're just going through a temporary rough patch. Give me three more months. I promise I'll turn the company around. Trust me…" Ernie was jolted at the ship's deck dining table, his eyes wide with shock as he tried to reach for the woman's hand. Yet, Lily recoiled from him as if he were a plague. "Lily, can't we talk this over again?" Ernie pleaded desperately. He was the general manager of a multinational corporation's branch in Yorkland. At just thirty years old, he was highly intelligent despite his poor background. While studying at a renowned engineering university in his home country, he had already secured several national patents and was now the leading technology figure in this overseas tech company. Lily Harris was his wife and the daughter of the chairman of the headquarters, with an elegant demeanor and a stunning figure. "Ernie, give it up. The house, the car, the company—they're all mine. You're leaving with nothing," Lily coldly declared, unmoved by Ernie's pleas. "Lily, we've been married for three years, and while my company is facing some difficulties…" Ernie's face reddened with frustration, his words faltering. Three years ago, he had lived apart from Lily shortly after they tied the knot to focus on his career. Despite their limited time together, their love for each other remained strong. Knowing Lily's love for romance, Ernie had arranged a whale-watching trip to Norsea with her, hoping to rekindle their connection. Yet, it was at this very moment that Lily brought up divorce. "Mr. Harris, I suggest you sign the divorce agreement. If you're a real man, don't waste her time. Lily has spent three years with you, but you've squandered her family's fortune and owe over thirty million. If I were you, I would have jumped into the sea." At this moment, a well-groomed man stumbled out from the cabin. He cast a contemptuous glance at Ernie before walking directly behind Lily. "Finnley, is that you?" A flicker of anger crossed Ernie's face. Rumors had circulated that this debauched youth constantly harassed Lily while he was abroad. He had dismissed them as gossip, but now he saw Finnley Powell had followed them here. "Yes, it's me. But don't get me wrong; Lily and I are just friends. Lily was worried you'd act unscrupulously, so she asked me to come along. Right, Lily?" Finnley said with a mocking tone. His hand naturally draped over Lily's shoulder, his gaze filled with lewdness and greed. Lily was a renowned beauty from Riverton with a prestigious background. She had been the object of Finnley's desire since three years ago. Finnley had even begged his father, the chamber of commerce president, to propose to the Rogers family. But Lily rejected him and married the poor Ernie, which had infuriated Finnley. Now, with a chance to win her over, he was determined not to let it slip. "Lily, what's going on between you two? Explain yourself!" Ernie erupted, standing up and angrily pointing at Finnley. He couldn't believe Lily would betray him. "Explain what? That Lily has to tell you herself that you don't deserve her? That you are nauseatingly aspiring to something far above your station? You're nobody but a loser who thinks a few small inventions can elevate your status! Lower-class people like you always have all sorts of vile and unrealistic cravings… What a joke!" Finnley became more arrogant, his hand shamelessly wrapping around Lily's slender waist. Lily showed a hint of impatience as she tried to pull away. "Don't forget. I'm here to help you," the man whispered intimately into Lily's ear. "Ernie, the facts are here. There's nothing more to discuss between us," Lily said coldly, turning her face away. "Fine, I'll sign!" Ernie could tolerate others mocking his background and the blow of business failure, but he couldn't bear his wife being entangled with another man. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the agreement from Lily's hand, signed his name without hesitation, and tossed it at her feet before storming off in anger. "Lily, now you're free. From now on, you're my woman," Finnley exclaimed triumphantly, holding the signed agreement. "So now, he won't be sued, right?" Lily asked numbly. "Of course, now that you're divorced, the company's debts are no longer his responsibility. But remember, you promised me that if I helped settle his legal troubles, you'd marry me…" Finnley said with a sinister grin, his hand playfully lifting Lily's chin as he attempted to kiss her. "Stay away from me!" Lily turned her head sharply to the side, a single glistening tear slipping from her eye. She had never intended to betray Ernie, but now Ernie was facing severe penalties abroad for contract fraud. By divorcing him and taking over the company, she could make the debt her problem, not his. In this way, he could avoid prison. This was her reason for acting this way. "Lily, don't forget, his mess isn't over yet!" Finnley threatened angrily, but Lily turned and walked into the cabin. With no one watching, Finnley pulled out a satellite phone and secretly dialed an encrypted number. The man on the other side of the line answered with a grunt but didn't speak. "Boss, Ernie has signed," Finnley reported in a hurry. "Good. Buy his company from Lily. That way, the high-tech products his company developed will be ours," came the reply. "Yes, boss. You're truly ingenious, setting up a trap that this fool walked right into. By the way, boss, you promised to give Lily to me, but she…" Finnley hesitated. "Once the company transfer is complete, Ernie must die." "What?" Finnley was startled. "Is it difficult? It's quite normal for a heavily indebted person to jump into the sea to commit suicide, or for an unfortunate accident to occur while he's traveling, don't you think?" "But…" Finnley was unscrupulous but still paled at the thought of murder. "Don't you want that woman? Ernie isn't a fool. If he finds out this is your scheme, how will he react? If he's dead, Lily will be a widow at your mercy." "Yes, boss. I understand." Finnley ended the call with a cold and ruthless look in his eyes. 'Ernie, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourself for offending the wrong person.' Finnley didn't know exactly who was on the other end of the line, but he knew that Powell family being used by them was already a tremendous honor. *** On the deck, Ernie stared blankly at the sea with red eyes. He had secured an emergency fund from his longtime friend Riley Cooper. As long as he could get through this tough time, the company's financial situation would gradually improve. But before he could tell Lily, he received the divorce agreement. Ernie looked up, trying to hold back his tears. He took a deep drag from a cigarette, coughing as the smoke choked him. The tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. "Mr. Harris, look! A whale!" At the bow of the whale-watching boat, a girl in her early twenties suddenly screamed with excitement. She pointed to the distant sea for Ernie to see. She was Myra Pearce, a finance assistant at Ernie's company. She was young with an oval face, a playful nose, full lips, and eyes like grapes that turned into crescent moons when she smiled. She spoke her mind, and if she realized she made a mistake, she would not be coy and just laughed it off. She was a natural optimist. A few months ago, Ernie's company, which had always operated smoothly, suddenly experienced a massive financial shortfall. Almost half of the nearly one hundred employees left, but Myra firmly believed that Ernie would pull through. Ernie brought her along this time partly to reward her loyalty to the company. "Hmm. Is it nice?" Ernie replied absently. Having just signed a divorce agreement with Lily, he was in a terrible mood. At this moment, he was merely forcing a smile, not wanting Myra to see through his thoughts. "Yes, it's nice! By the way, Mr. Harris, where's Mrs.Harris?" Myra asked curiously. "She felt cold, so she went back to the cabin. I'll take some videos for her later," Ernie replied. "Mr. Harris, you're really good to Mrs.Harris. Whoever marries you is lucky," Myra made a face at Ernie and then turned her attention back to the sea. Among the hundred or so employees in the company, Ernie only brought Myra to Norsea for whale watching. This stirred inexplicable feelings in her at first. Tall, handsome, diligent, and smart, Ernie was not only her boss but also her idol—the perfect male figure in her mind. Since Ernie and Lily lived apart, Myra didn't know he was already married. This time, when Ernie brought her along, she had deliberately dressed up, swapping her usual casual wear for jeans and high heels. To show off her perfect waist, she wore a semi-transparent lace top and a crystal pendant around her neck, with a small watch on her delicate wrist. It wasn't until she saw Mrs.Harris at the dock that she realized Ernie's affection was reserved for his elegant wife, and that he had no romantic interest in her. Ernie might have brought her along just to explain the company's financial situation, so she buried her romantic feelings deep inside. After searching for hours in the vast Norsea, they finally spotted whales, and the tourists on the boat rushed out of the cabin to take pictures of the whales in the distance. Dozens of people crowded on one side of the observation boat, causing it to tilt. No one realized that danger was approaching. "Smith, act now!" a harsh voice commanded from the cockpit. The whale-watching boat, which had been moving slowly to facilitate tourist viewing, suddenly accelerated toward the distant whale pod. Ernie was leaning against the railing, lost in thought, when he felt the boat tilt sharply. "Watch out, Myra!" He grabbed the railing and called out to Myra, who was taking pictures of the whales. But it was too late; the boat's high speed and sudden turn caused Myra and several other tourists to be thrown into the sea. "Someone fell overboard! Stop the boat!" the tourists on deck shouted. But the boat didn't stop; instead, it made another sharp turn, throwing more tourists into the sea. "Myra!" Seeing Myra struggling in the water dozens of meters away, Ernie grabbed a life ring and plunged into the icy water, then swam desperately toward her. He reached Myra, who was panicking in the water, and put the life ring around her. At that moment, he looked back and saw the observation boat, now far away, crash into a reef and capsize, emitting black smoke. Thinking of Lily still on the boat, he cried out, "Lily!" Ernie intended to swim back to find Lily, but the boat capsized quickly, and the strong wind and waves made it impossible for him to get close. Since the whale-watching boat was not in the shipping lane, there were no nearby vessels to rescue them. The wind and waves in Norsea were intense, and there were strong currents. Ernie soon felt exhausted. His survival instinct made him cling to Myra, drifting with the sea. Just then, a massive wave crashed toward them!