Chapter 1
My mother-in-law lived alone. A fire suddenly broke out in her home, and the situation was critical.
I called my husband, who works as a firefighter, more than a dozen times before he finally answered impatiently.
"Can't whatever drama you're manufacturing wait? I'm fixing the water pipes for Sarah!"
I told him that my mother-in-law's house was on fire and she was still trapped inside.
My husband just sneered. "To get me to come home, you'd even curse my mom! You're out of your mind!"
He hung up the phone without hesitation.
Helpless, I could only hope that other firefighters would arrive as soon as possible.
But it took a full half hour for his teammates to finally show up.
When they saw the raging fire, their faces all fell. "Didn't Captain Sullivan say Sarah was lying?"
Due to the delay, my mother-in-law perished in the flames. And because of his first love, my husband even missed her funeral.
I was completely disheartened, and I filed for divorce.
But he tore up the divorce agreement and smashed my mother-in-law's urn to pieces. "Stop putting on this act! If it weren't for my mom's sake, I would have divorced you already!"
I laughed, because he had no idea that he had lost his own mother.
*****
On Saturday, as usual, I bought groceries and went to visit my mother-in-law.
But as soon as I entered the neighborhood, I saw a thick plume of dark smoke.
My stomach dropped, and I ran as fast as I could toward the building where my mother-in-law lived.
The first floor was already packed with people.
A neighbor, Madam Ford, lunged forward and grabbed my arm. "Oh dear, your mom is still inside! Hurry up and call your husband Jason. Tell him to bring his men to put out the fire!"
I stared at the raging flames, frantic with worry.
My husband, Jason Sullivan, is the captain of the fire department. If he knew his own mother was trapped in that inferno, he would definitely rush over as fast as he could.
I called him several times, but he never picked up.
Left with no other choice, I called the emergency services to ask them to send firefighters to put out the blaze as soon as possible.
As the fire grew more and more ferocious before my eyes, I took out my phone, opened the camera, aimed it at the balcony, and zoomed all the way in, finally catching a glimpse of what was going on inside.
A figure appeared on the balcony, seemingly about to climb out the window and jump.
When I looked closely, it was my mother-in-law.
Seventeen stories up—a jump would mean instant death.
I broke out in a cold sweat from fright and immediately shouted at the top of my lungs, "Mom, don't jump! The firefighters will be here any second!"
I didn't know if she heard me, but my mother-in-law stopped trying to climb out, found a corner, and crouched down with her head in her arms.
I was so anxious I was on the verge of tears.
I called Jason more than a dozen more times before he finally bothered to pick up, his voice thoroughly impatient.
"What's your problem now, Eunice Lane? Can't whatever drama you're manufacturing wait? I'm busy right now. Sarah's water pipe broke, there's water all over the floor, and I'm fixing it. I'm hanging up!"
