Stranded on a Deserted Island with My Ex-Girlfriend Who Cheated on Me

Chapter 3

William stood still, lost in thought for a moment.

Even if he ignored them, he still needed to focus on preparing for long-term survival here.

Since that was the case, they could say whatever they wanted. It didn't matter to him.

William walked to the edge of the jungle, picked up five branches, and fashioned a small clothes rack, which he then stuck into the sand on the beach.

Eric and Ruby looked at him with puzzled expressions.

Eric frowned and asked, "Hey, I told you to find food. What are you doing?"

William replied coldly, "Hanging wet clothes to dry so we don't catch a cold."

On a deserted island with no emergency medicine, catching a cold could be very dangerous.

But Eric wasn't impressed. He stood up impatiently and snapped, "Are you f*cking deaf or something? We need water! Food! What's the point of messing with this useless cr*p? Ruby's wearing a dress. How's she supposed to take it off?"

"Fine, keep your clothes on if you want to," William said, unwilling to waste time arguing with someone like him. He turned to leave.

Eric stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "You st*pid security guard, how dare you talk to me like that? If it weren't for Ruby, I would've fired you a long time ago!"

"William, hurry up! Mr. Stone's going to get mad!" Ruby chimed in, pretending to mediate. "Mr. Stone, my cousin's just a clueless ex-soldier. Don't stoop to his level."

William glanced at them and sneered. "Humph, so what if he gets mad? Wanna fight?"

Eric's eyes flicked to William's 6'1" frame, his muscular build evident even without his shirt, and he hesitated for a moment.

But then Eric reminded himself that he was the company's deputy general manager. 'There's no need to be afraid of a lowly security guard acting tough,' he thought. Then, he snapped, "Believe it or not, I'll fire you the moment we get back!"

William casually waved him off and put his shirt back on. "Do whatever you want."

Eric's face turned red with anger. "What the f*ck? You're pretty tough, huh? Ruby, don't blame me for this. Your cousin's the one who doesn't know his place!"

Ruby immediately chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, William, are you st*pid? You're the company's security guard. It's only natural for Mr. Stone to ask you to do some work. He's not asking for much—just to find some food and water. Besides, you need to eat and drink too, don't you?"

Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, Ruby lowered her voice to a "whisper" loud enough for everyone to hear. "William, think about it. Take this chance to serve Mr. Stone well, and you'll definitely be rewarded when we get back."

"Reward him?" Eric pointed at William and cursed. "Does this d*mn security guard even deserve it?"

Ruby leaned closer to Eric, her voice dropping to a true whisper. "Oh, Mr. Stone, he's a special forces soldier. His survival skills on a deserted island must be better than ours! Let's not offend him for now. Once we're back, you can fire him or beat him up however you like. It'll all be up to you!"

Eric's eyes lit up. "You're right. Ruby, you're so smart!"

Clearing his throat to sound more composed, Eric said, "William, it was all a misunderstanding earlier. For Ruby's sake, let's forget about it. Here's the deal: from now on, you'll take care of me and Ruby. First, go find some water, then make us something to eat. As long as you serve us well, I'll promote you to head of security when we get back and raise your salary to eight thousand dollars per month."

William felt like he was watching a comedy show.

'Eight thousand bucks for me to serve you two?' he murmured inwardly.

If it weren't for the need to prepare for long-term survival on the island, he wouldn't have even bothered making that clothes rack for them.

William walked back to the pile of dry wood, picked up a sturdy branch, and began sharpening one end with his military knife. Once satisfied with its shape, he tested the weight and balance in his hand, then headed toward the rocky shore.

When William was washed ashore, he noticed a large number of fish darting in and out of the crevices.

It was spawning season, and every year these fish would gather near the rocks to lay their eggs. He figured he could catch a couple to roast for dinner tonight.

As for Ruby and Eric, still waiting helplessly for rescue, William had no intention of sharing his catch with them.

What difference did it make that Eric was a deputy general manager of a public company? On this deserted island, the harsh reality would soon teach them who the real ruler was.

With a sense of pride and determination, William strode toward the shore like a warrior, gripping his sharpened branch tightly. He planted his feet firmly on two large rocks and crouched down.

The fish, unaccustomed to human presence, swam calmly in place, oblivious to the danger.

Focusing intently, William's gaze sharpened. In a flash, he struck.

A large, greenish fish was skewered clean through. It looked to weigh at least three or four pounds.

Dinner was secured.

Not far away, Eric noticed William's triumphant expression. Wrapping his arm smugly around Ruby, he sneered, "Look at your cousin acting like he's conquered the world for securing a job worth eight thousand bucks."

Ruby scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What do you expect from someone who grew up in a small village? Poverty makes people desperate. Mr. Stone, looks like we're having fish tonight!"

William, oblivious to their mocking, continued fishing.

He usually ate a lot, and one fish wouldn't be enough. However, his earlier strike had scared the rest of the fish away, forcing him to move to another spot.

Just then, something caught his eye. Among the rocks, he spotted a person lying motionless.

It was a woman. Her skin was fair and smooth, faintly glowing under the setting sun.

She wore a sapphire-blue dress paired with high heels, and her eyes were closed. Crabs crawled over her still body.

"Miss!" William called out, startled to find someone else washed ashore. Forgetting about the fish, he immediately jumped down to check on her.

As he got closer and saw her face clearly, he froze in shock. "What? It's her!"

It was Tina Lambert, also an actress from Topline Films. Though she had entered the film industry around the same time as Ruby, her career had been lukewarm over the past three years, relegated to minor roles. William had crossed paths with her a few times before, but he never expected to see her here, stranded like the rest of them.

Without hesitation, William carried Tina in his arms and laid her down on the beach. He began performing CPR, pressing on her chest rhythmically.

"Cough, cough..." Tina spat out a few mouthfuls of seawater and slowly opened her eyes.

Through her blurry vision, she saw a handsome face leaning over her, filled with concern.

"Ms. Lambert, are you okay?" William asked, his voice steady but worried.

"What... What happened to me?" Tina's voice was weak and soft, carrying a fragile quality that stirred pity in anyone who heard it.

Before William could respond, Eric and Ruby approached.

The moment Ruby saw Tina, her expression darkened. She pointed at William and shouted angrily, "William, I finally caught you! You were taking advantage of a vulnerable lady. Are you even human?"

"I was saving her!" William shot back, his tone firm.

"Bullsh*t!" Ruby yelled, her voice shrill. "Does saving someone mean squeezing her chest? You're nothing but a pervert! I can't believe I misjudged you all this time!"

Tina glanced down at her chest, noticing the faint marks of compression and the dull ache in her sternum. Her face turned pale as panic set in. "No!" she screamed.

Seizing the moment, Eric stepped forward and pulled both women protectively into his arms. He glared at William with disdain and spat, "You b*stard! You're a godd*mn pervert! When we get back, I'll make sure you're handed over to the authorities. Just you wait!"