LOGINJennifer's POVThe next morning, Mr. Wright dropped by the clinic to pick up his son's medication. Before he left, he said, "Dr. Sutton, the young man who came to look for you stood in the rain all night. Around dawn, he boarded the first truck out of here.""The driver said he was joining some kind of civilian search-and-rescue team in the wilderness. The team often has to venture into completely uninhabited areas, and those areas are incredibly dangerous," he added.As I continued to sort through patient records, I gave him a noncommittal hum and replied, "I see. That's his choice. It's none of my business."…Life in the mountains remained peaceful.One afternoon a few days later, the clinic's landline suddenly began to ring.I picked up the call without thinking, and a hysterical woman's voice suddenly blared through the receiver.It was Sierra."Are you happy now, Jennifer? Are you happy now?" she screamed at the top of her lungs.Her voice was shrill and painful to list
Jennifer's POVDrenched from head to toe, William was kneeling like a statue in front of the clinic's battered wooden door.His orange rescue uniform was gone. Instead, he was wearing an old, faded jacket. He had lost a considerable amount of weight. His once-straight shoulders were now hunched slightly. His wet hair clung to his forehead, and his face was completely pale.The moment he saw me approaching, his body jerked, and he staggered to his feet. However, after kneeling for so long, his legs gave out beneath him, and he nearly collapsed into the muddy water."Jen! Jen, you're back!" he cried as he rushed toward me.With a trembling hand, he reached out and tried to take the medical bag from my shoulder.I tilted my body to avoid his touch. Then, I took out my keys and unlocked the door."Don't touch my things," I said coldly.Looking as if he'd been abandoned, William followed me indoors in a meek, pitiful manner. He stopped at the entryway and didn't dare to step ont
Third-Person POVWilliam slapped himself so hard that blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth. He rushed downstairs like a madman and frantically rummaged through the massive trash bin outside the apartment building. The residents around the area all stared at him as if he had lost his mind. Eventually, he found the bloodstained gauze and the ER report Jennifer had thrown away in a crumpled-up paper bag.He could still clearly make out the words that were printed on the report. "The patient sustained extensive lacerations to the forehead, right upper extremity, and bilateral lower extremities caused by broken glass. Wounds were cleaned and sutured…"The report was dated the day after the hurricane struck the city.Just then, William received a call from Sierra.In her typical sweet, coquettish voice, she asked, "Will, can you take me to that restaurant I like for dinner? My foot is still a little sore…""Sierra Langley." William cut her off in a cold voice. "Jenn
Jennifer's POVWilliam's voice echoed through the loudspeaker and filled the entire clinic. Upon hearing the commotion, some of the village residents who were passing by grew curious and peered inside.Mr. Wright looked slightly bewildered. He glanced at me before offering me the receiver. "Dr. Sutton? Is he… looking for you?" he asked. "He claims that he's your fiance and has been calling the village committee office like a madman. He's made nearly 50 calls."Standing next to Mr. Wright, I stared at the black receiver with an exasperated expression. "William. It's me," I said flatly.The moment William heard my voice, he fell completely silent. Moments later, his ragged breathing and frantic cries filled the room. "Did you actually go there, Jennifer? Have you lost your mind?" he roared. "You terminated our lease and threw out everything in the apartment! When I went back with the gifts Sierra bought, the entire place was empty!"He added, "You blocked me on social media—
Jennifer's POVSierra immediately teared up. William slammed his fist on the table and snapped, "What the hell are you talking about? We signed a three-year lease. Now, you're telling me you're moving out?"I remained unfazed. "I heard the voice message last night, William. We're all adults here, so please don't treat me like an idiot. If you believe that taking care of her is your top priority, then let's stop wasting each other's time."William was fuming. "Jennifer Sutton! Can you stop being so unreasonable? I told you I dropped the watch by accident! Why do you have to be so harsh?" he barked.Sierra began to cry. Her shoulders shook with every sob as she said, "This is all my fault, Jennifer. I shouldn't have come here to use your bathroom. I didn't know you'd be so bothered by it."After a brief pause, she cried, "I'm leaving right away! My apartment has no water or electricity, but I'm going to go back home anyway. Even if I end up dying out there, I won't inconvenien
Jennifer's POV"Jennifer! Can you bring me a clean set of clothes?" William called from the bathroom.I grabbed a clean set of gray loungewear and walked over to the bathroom. Then, I cracked the door open and passed him the clothes through the gap.William took the clothes from me and said, "Thanks."I didn't walk away immediately. William had placed his dirty clothes on a small rack outside the bathroom. His phone lay quietly on top of the pile.Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and the screen lit up.Sierra had sent him a voice message.I played the voice message out loud, and Sierra's sweet, coquettish voice instantly filled the room."Will, you left your waterproof dive watch next to my pillow. Did you forget to take it with you because you left in such a hurry? Are you coming over again tonight?"The sound of running water abruptly ceased. The bathroom door flew open, and William rushed out in nothing but a towel. He snatched his phone away and stared at me, his face flush







