Under the intense effects of altitude sickness, Bella didn't even have the strength to call for help.
After Kori left with her friends, there was only Bella left in the cold place.
Her outer coat had been violently stripped away, and the thin layer underneath was instantly robbed of all warmth.
Her exposed limbs quickly lost heat, and soon she began to lose feeling in them.
Bella grew conscious, with the cold wind slicing at her like knives.
No. She couldn't just sit there for death.
In a few hours, she would surely die.
She struggled to turn her head and saw the satellite phone that had been kicked away. It hadn't fallen into the water but had instead landed on a block of ice.
In what seemed like a last burst of strength before death, Bella crawled to the lake's edge and reached out for the satellite phone.
Thankfully, luck was on her side. She took it in her trembling hands. As her vision blurred, she managed to dial an emergency number.
"Help... me..." she whispered.
But before she could finish, her hand slipped, and she fell into the bottomless, icy lake along with the phone.
When Bella awoke again, it was five days later.
From Juliana's explanation, Bella learned about what had happened after she passed out.
She had just set out for the snowy mountain when her brother, James Shaw, who had just returned to the country. As soon as he received the news, he rushed to the mountain in a frenzy.
Fortunately, he was there. Upon receiving the distress call, he immediately dispatched a helicopter to search the mountain.
When they found Bella, she was submerged at the lake's bottom, barely alive.
She was resuscitated for 12 hours, receiving multiple critical condition alerts.
Martin was furious. He whipped Brad severely and forced him to be on his knees at the hospital room door to pray for Bella's recovery.
Juliana sighed, "Brad must have been bewitched by Kori. Even when he was on his knees at the door, he kept defending her, insisting that it was an accident due to your inexperience..."
"Juliana." Bella quietly interrupted her complaints. "Is there something wrong with my legs?"
Since waking up, Bella could feel that her legs seemed completely numb.
Juliana's face froze, and she dared not speak.
Her silence confirmed Bella's worst fears. She seemed to have been struck by lightning.
She had learned classical dance since childhood, and she joined the prestigious national dance troupe at ten. She dreamed of performing at Vienna's Golden Hall. How could she lose her legs?
"The doctor says the frostbite is severe and has damaged the tendons and nerves in your legs. They might not be able to recover for some time..." Seeing Bella's tearful face, Juliana quickly reassured her. "Don't worry. James has gone abroad to find the best doctor. It's said that the doctor specializes in treating frostbite. As long as you take good care of your legs, there's hope."
Bella let out a sigh of relief. She gently touched her legs and couldn't imagine how devastated she would be if she could never dance again.
Perhaps because of the mess Brad had made this time, the Simpson family covered all expenses during her recovery. They even brought a lot of expensive supplements to her hospital room.
Brad visited Bella on the sixth day after Bella woke up.
His injuries hadn't healed. He grimaced in pain as he sat down. But he still tried to reach for Bella's hand. "Bella, I'm sorry for what you've been through. I'll be more careful next time..."
But before he could touch her fingers, Bella expressionlessly moved her hand away. "There won't be a next time."
Brad's smile froze. "Come on. Don't be mad. Kori was careless this time. She thought you were faking your altitude sickness to slack off and wanted to go down early. You're generous. Please don't hold it against her. She's just immature..."
He was clearly showing blatant favoritism towards Kori.
He didn't even make a sincere apology or explain why Bella had been left on the mountain alone.
He seemed to be certain that Bella wouldn't be angry with him. He spoke as casually as if they were discussing the weather.
Bella suddenly found it absurd. "Do you know that I almost died?"
Brad paused and then grinned. "But you didn't, right? Stop jinxing yourself. Okay, okay, I know you're upset. I'll make it up to you later."
Seeing Bella remain silent, he assumed she agreed with his request and leaned in with a smile. "But you have to put in a good word for me with Grandpa. He's furious because of you and says I can't go out with Kori anymore. This whole thing started because of you, so you have to help me fix it..."
Bella stared at Brad in disbelief. She couldn't believe he could say such things.
"Brad, Kori abandoned me halfway up the mountain. She even took all my supplies and stripped me of my winter clothes. I'm lying here because of her, and you want me to speak for her?" Bella let out a cold laugh. "Sorry, but I can't do that. And don't drag me into your extreme sports anymore. I can't afford to risk my life."
Brad froze.
Bella had always spoken to him with gentle and accommodating words, going along with his every wish. No matter how serious his mistakes were, the mere semblance of an apology from him would be enough for her to meekly make amends.
It was the first time she had spoken to him so coldly.
Brad believed that he had already humbled himself. He had felt disgruntled by Martin's scolding before. So his anger flared. "Fine. You just don't like Kori, don't you? You make it sound all high and mighty. Aren't you just jealous and deliberately picking on Kori?
He sneered, "If it weren't for the arranged marriage between our families, I would never be so patient with you, such a pampered woman."
As Brad stormed out, Bella found herself questioning for the first time whether the marriage between the two families is really necessary.
