Chapter 2

I watched Penelope's and Arthur's silhouettes until they disappeared from my line of sight before I hastily put a plan together to save myself.

Although the yacht was sinking, there was still a lot of useful equipment. I rushed into the cabin as the water level continued to rise, looking for the lifebuoys and lifejackets.

I didn't know how to swim in my past life, but I still wanted to play on the beach, so I had prepared several lifebuoys beforehand. Fortunately for me, they would come in handy at that moment.

I grabbed all the lifebuoys before hastily putting on the lifejacket. After inflating all the lifebuoys, I tossed them over myself. I then grabbed several packets of chocolate and bottles of water.

When the yacht was nearly submerged in the water, I took a deep breath before starting to swim toward land. Even though I was in a deep-sea area, fishermen often appeared nearby to catch fish, so I wasn't in a completely deserted place. I would be saved if I managed to come across a fishing boat.

Unfortunately, it was the middle of the night. Even if a fishing boat were to show up, its loud engines may drown out my cries for help. But I wasn't willing to give up and continued swimming in the beach's direction.

However, I was faced with another unexpected event. There hadn't been a single cloud in the sky in the afternoon, but now, storm clouds were beginning to gather above me.

It had been the same in my past life. The storm that arrived not long after had increased the rescue efforts' difficulty, which ultimately ended with Arthur's death when the coast guard failed to save him.

In this life, I swam with all my might even as I gazed at the ocean that stretched endlessly into the horizon. After swimming for about an hour, I finally spotted another yacht moving languidly along the ocean's surface.

I swiftly raised my arms and started yelling at the people on the yacht, "Help me! Can anybody hear me? Help me! Help me, please!"

Rain began to fall from the sky as I raised my voice. The drizzle rapidly turned into a rainstorm in a matter of minutes. Hopelessness gripped my heart as I watched the yacht move further and further away from me, but I didn't give up and continued to scream for help.

"Save me! Somebody save me!"

Just as I was about to fall into a pit of despair, a person appeared on the yacht. The woman switched on a torchlight and aimed it at the ocean's surface. She had heard my cries for help. I was about to be saved!

Unbridled joy surged through my heart in an instant. I hastily swam in the direction of the torchlight's rays, still yelling, "Help! Help me! Save me, please!"

Using the last of my strength, I kept swimming until I reached the side of the yacht. A ladder was dropped down for me. I nearly slipped from the rungs several times as I struggled to climb it.

My legs turned boneless the moment I climbed onto the yacht. My entire body crumpled, and my knees nearly hit the deck when a pair of gentle hands supported me and kept me on my feet.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked.

I breathed a long sigh of relief before answering, "I'm fine. Thank you."

I was leaning my whole body against her. Swimming for an extended period of time had stripped me of my strength.

The woman frowned upon hearing my words, giving me a once-over. She continued supporting me as she guided me into the yacht's cabin. She led me into one of the rooms before offering a clean set of clothes for me to change into.

"You're completely soaked. You should change your clothes."

"Okay."

I stripped myself of my wet pajamas after she left the room. The yacht had started sinking too suddenly, so I didn't even have time to change into proper clothes.

There was a series of knocks on the door after I was done changing. I walked over and opened the door.

The woman entered the room while carrying a bowl of soup. She placed it on the table and gestured for me to eat it.

I took a good look at her then. She had pretty and defined features, and she carried herself with a gentle but firm demeanor. She also seemed to be surrounded by a righteous air.

I was starving, so I only addressed her again after I was done scarfing down the soup. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Charlie Brant. Thank you very much for saving me."

The woman introduced herself as Sophie Frendell. She then scrutinized my wet hair and the barely visible cuts on my hands.

"I'll dry your hair and bandage your wounds for you," she said.

I was confused by her sudden offer.

"The ocean is filled with bacteria," she explained. "If we don't disinfect your wounds in time, they may get infected."

"I see. Thank you."

Sophie grabbed a towel and draped it over my head before beginning to dry my hair gently. When she was done, she dabbed at the wounds on my hands with iodine.

I watched her dry my hair and bandage my wounds, warmth suddenly spreading in my heart.