Drowned by Betrayal

When I woke up in the hospital bed, the first thing I heard was Elara laughing.

She was showing Everett a video on her phone. "Look at Tessa kicking. Doesn't she look like a turtle flipped onto its back?"

Everett murmured something, and they both laughed, lowering their voices.

The sound grated on my nerves. I tried to speak, but before I could get a word out, I coughed several times.

Elara noticed I was awake and immediately put away her phone, her expression changing to one of concern.

Her eyes turned red in an instant as she rushed to my bedside and took my hand. "Tessa, you're finally awake. You had me so worried. It's all my fault. If I hadn't accidentally pushed you into the water fifteen years ago, you wouldn't have developed a fear of water. And this time, I was so eager to help you overcome it that I almost caused another accident."

Everett immediately put an arm around her shoulders and spoke gently. "It's not your fault. You were only ten back then. What could you have known? And you were only trying to help her this time."

After comforting Elara, he turned to me, a faint note of reproach in his voice. "Tessa, look how scared you've made Elara."

I opened my mouth, but I did not know what to say.

I could only sit there silently, watching the two of them back each other up.

It was always like this. I had nearly drowned, yet somehow Elara was the one who ended up looking like the victim.

The doctor came in for his rounds and asked what had happened.

Elara quickly answered for me. "She has a fear of water," she explained softly. "We were trying to help her get used to it, but she got too nervous."

The doctor frowned. "Desensitization should be gradual. You can't just make her choke on that much water."

Elara's eyes reddened again. "I didn't think it through. I was just too eager to help her overcome her fear."

Everett took her hand, signaling for her to stop blaming herself. "It's also because Tessa's too timid. We're both swimming champions. It's not like we'd actually let anything happen to her."

The doctor seemed about to say something else, but in the end, he only shook his head and left.

…

After the doctor left, Everett sat beside my bed and adjusted the blanket around me. His tone was gentle, almost as if he were soothing a child who didn't know any better.

"Tessa, this was an accident. But you need to think about this, too. I'm on the swim team, and you're so afraid of water that you won't even get in. How are you supposed to fit into my life?"

I had not even had a chance to answer before he was already getting to his feet.

"I'm taking Elara home. She swallowed quite a bit of water trying to save you."

Then, the two of them left.

I watched them walk away before taking out my phone and opening the transfer notice from HR.

Headquarters wanted to transfer me overseas to head its Norridge regional office. HR had sent me the notice yesterday, but I had been hesitating because I did not want a long-distance relationship.

I stared at the email for two minutes before clicking "Accept".

A confirmation box appeared.

I clicked Confirm.

Three days later, I would leave this city and these people behind.