Saving Another With My Life

There's an earthquake. I'm trapped underneath the debris with another young woman.

"This woman's chest has been pierced by a steel bar. We have to save her immediately."

The rescuers start to approach me when my husband, Quintus Ford, suddenly darts in the other direction. "She's pregnant! Save her first!"

I look at him to see him staring at the other young woman in panic. He doesn't know I'm pregnant, too.

The doctor who's trying to stop my bleeding shouts, "I can't stop her bleeding! I suspect she has a blood clotting disorder!"

I force myself to nod and look at Quintus desperately. However, he says, "I'm her husband. I'll bear the responsibility if anything goes wrong."

At Quintus Ford's command, the rescue workers hesitated briefly before turning away.

Since he had taken responsibility, it hardly mattered to them who they saved first.

Meanwhile, I lay amidst the rubble, my body drained of blood. My mind reeled at his words, leaving me momentarily dazed.

The nearby doctors and nurses couldn't help but mutter their discontent.

"People today are unbelievable! His wife is in far worse condition, yet he rushes to save another woman!"

"The worst part is that the woman isn't even badly hurt. She just has a few scrapes, yet she insists on competing with critically injured patients for an ambulance."

"Marriage really is a matter of fate. Her chest is punctured by steel, and her husband doesn't even seem to care."

Their words pierced through me clearly. I turned my head and saw Quintus gently cradling the woman named Vanessa Lincoln in his arms.

On his face, I saw a look of deep concern, guilt, and sorrow.

That expression was something I had never once seen in seven years of marriage.

It wasn't that he was heartless. His heart was simply too full of Vanessa, leaving no room for me.

A creeping coldness spread through my body. If this continued, I might not even be able to save my child.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I grasped the nurse's hand and pleaded, "Please save me first. I'm pregnant…"

At that moment, Quintus approached with Vanessa still in his arms. Upon hearing my plea, he looked at me with visible disdain.

"Even now, you're still trying to play the victim for attention? How pathetic. I already said Nessa is pregnant, and now you're making up a lie just to compete with her?"

He turned to the doctor sharply. "Don't worry about her. She's fine. Nessa's the one who's hurt. She needs a full medical examination."

At that moment, whatever strength I had left drained away. My grip on the nurse's hand slowly slackened.

She gasped in alarm. "No! She's fading fast!"

Quintus didn't even look at me. He sharply said, "I told you—I'm her husband. If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility. She's just putting on a show. She won't die. Focus on Nessa. If anything happens to her, which one of you is going to take the blame?"

With that, the doctors who had been tending to me hesitated, then turned away, redirecting their attention to Vanessa.

Only the nurse remained, gripping my hand tightly. "Miss, hold on. We will save you."

I fought to keep my eyes open, refusing to let myself slip into unconsciousness.

However, my awareness began to fade, and I could feel the warmth of my blood draining away.

A tear slipped from the corner of my eye, and in that final, fleeting moment before darkness took me, I wondered why it hurt so much.

Despite spending seven years as his wife, when it came down to life and death, he chose someone else without a second thought.

In the haze, I heard someone calling my name.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the emergency room.

"Ms. Jackerman," the nurse said softly.

Her eyes were red, and her voice trembled as she choked back sobs. "Do you have any other family members we can contact? We need a signature for the anesthesia. We tried calling your husband multiple times, but he won't pick up."

A dull ache swelled in my chest. Quintus was probably too busy taking care of Vanessa. He didn't have time for my calls.

"I'll do it myself," I whispered, forcing out the words.

Using every ounce of strength left in me, I gripped the pen and scrawled my name.

The pain was overwhelming, threatening to pull me under. As my consciousness blurred, I overheard the nurses murmuring in the background.

"Marriage really is a gamble. That pregnant woman we brought in earlier had a husband who treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world."

"In contrast, this one is on the verge of death, yet no one is here for her."