He Left Me to Die, I Left Him to Ruin

Chapter 2

Ava's POV:

Luke came charging toward me with a shout, convinced I was about to hurt Beatrice.

Without a second thought, he shoved me straight off the sheltered rock ledge.

"Ava!" he roared. "Don't you dare lay a finger on Beatrice!"

The rest of the team immediately rushed over, but instead of helping me, they all gathered around Beatrice and began criticizing me.

"Ava, no matter what happened, you shouldn't have gotten physical," one teammate scolded.

"You've still got plenty of strength. You don't look like someone who's about to freeze to death. Why are you fighting Beatrice over supplies?" another chimed in, shaking their head.

"Beatrice is the charity ambassador for this expedition. If anything happens to her, the entire company could be thrown into crisis."

I was only trying to take back my own belongings, yet somehow, I was being treated like a thief.

The expedition project I had fought so hard to secure had somehow become nothing more than another opportunity for Beatrice to polish her image.

Beatrice hid behind Luke and spoke in a trembling voice filled with fake concern.

"Luke, maybe I should return everything to Ava," she said softly. "I can endure a little hardship. Reaching the summit for the promotional campaign is more important."

Luke immediately pulled her closer and wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said gently. "Those supplies were practically meant for you anyway. Ava's tough. A little cold won't hurt her."

Then he turned toward me, his expression hardening instantly.

"Ava, is this really necessary?" he demanded. "Beatrice has already sacrificed a lot to help promote the company. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

Before I could answer, Beatrice quickly interrupted.

"Luke, don't blame Ava," she said, lowering her eyes. "It's my fault for taking..."

The more innocent she acted, the more protective Luke became.

He snatched the last chocolate bar from my hand and personally fed it to her.

The soft sigh she let out felt like a knife scraping across my nerves.

Then Luke rounded on me again.

"What if Beatrice gets sick because of this?" he barked. "Can you take responsibility for that?"

He scooped up a handful of snow and threw it directly at me.

"Get out of here!" he shouted. "Stop standing around making everything worse!"

Snow filled my mouth and throat, making me choke violently until I couldn't force out a single word.

My hands and feet had long since gone numb, and the edges of my vision were beginning to blur.

Not a single member of the team stepped forward to help; instead, they all huddled inside the shelter, watching from a safe distance.

The moment Luke looked away, however, Beatrice shot me a smug smile.

My frozen fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack, every joint in my hand stiff from the cold.

"Give me some oxygen," I pleaded weakly. "I can't hold on much longer."

Beatrice immediately shook off my hand.

She planted her trekking pole into the snow and leaned close enough for only me to hear.

"You're the one who insisted I carry that oxygen tank before we left," she whispered. "That makes it mine now."

My stomach twisted. The truth was that before the expedition began, Beatrice had pretended she wanted to help by carrying some of my gear, and I'd fallen straight into her trap.

Just then, Luke rushed over and positioned himself protectively in front of her.

"Stop blaming Beatrice!" he snapped. "You're the one slowing everyone down. What right do you have to take her oxygen?"

I stared at him, the sight of him shielding Beatrice with his entire body making my chest ache.

Before the expedition began, he had stood before everyone and proudly declared, "We look after each other," Luke had said, his voice strong. "We leave no one behind."

Now I was suffering from severe hypothermia, and he was standing there watching me die.

"Luke," I said hoarsely, struggling to stay conscious, "who was the one who promised nobody would be abandoned?"

I swallowed painfully before continuing. "I'm freezing to death right now, and you're just going to stand there and watch?"

Luke lifted his chin stubbornly.

The storm whipped around him, making his voice sound even colder.

"Be reasonable," he said. "Beatrice has to reach the summit. Her oxygen can't be wasted. If you can't continue, stay here."

"Just don't hold her back," he added, not meeting my eyes.

Understanding. That was always the word he used.

He wanted me to be understanding enough to tolerate Beatrice's presence.

Back then, he'd convinced me that his special treatment of her was purely business.

Her father was an important investor in Callahan Global Holdings.

That was his excuse. But now? How understanding was I supposed to be—understanding enough to quietly accept my own death?

I scooped up a handful of snow and shoved it into my mouth. It tasted exactly like Luke, cold, bitter, and heartless.

My consciousness slowly began slipping away.

The last thing I heard was Luke's voice drifting through the storm.

"It doesn't matter whether Ava reaches the summit or not," he said. "Why waste oxygen on her?"

The ringing in my ears grew louder and louder. Then Beatrice approached, holding a thermos, and for a brief moment, hope flickered inside me.

But just as I reached for it, she deliberately moved it out of my grasp.

"Aren't you a skiing champion?" she mocked. "Afraid of a little cold?"

Her smile widened. "You're obviously faking it."

The laughter of the team members blended with the howling wind.

My foot suddenly slipped, and I desperately grabbed the icy rock beside me.

The sharp surface sliced into my fingers, sending a burst of pain through my hand.

"Leave her," Luke said without even looking back.

He started walking away. "It's not worth delaying the summit for her."

The wind rushed down my throat, and I couldn't make a sound.

My grip weakened little by little as darkness crept along the edges of my vision, and my consciousness sank into an endless void.

Just as I was about to lose awareness completely, a crushing pain exploded across the back of my hand. Someone had stepped on it hard.

I forced my eyes open to see Beatrice's boot grinding down on my frozen hand. She smiled.

"Did you really think the oxygen tank leak was an accident?" she asked.

My pupils contracted instantly.

Beatrice pressed down harder with her heel. "I loosened the valve myself last night."

Hatred surged through me so violently that it briefly cut through the haze clouding my mind.

"You..."

Beatrice kicked my frozen leg contemptuously, then she laughed.

"Stay right here." Her eyes glittered with cruelty. "Even if you freeze to death, nobody will ever know."