Ding!
A message alert appeared in Jenna’s phone coming from Rex her husband.[Go to the hospital to donate blood now.]Jenna was momentarily taken aback upon seeing the message and felt as though she had suffered from a fatal heart blow.Ding!Another SMS was sent right after that. It was a notification from the bank informing her of a fund transfer of $500,000.Jenna scrolled up to view her conversation with Rex for the past 2 years of them being married.[Come to the hospital now to donate blood.][You have received a Fund transfer of $500,000.][An emergency happens; please donate blood now.][You have received a Fund transfer of $500,000.] [Visit the hospital right away to give blood.][You have received a Fund transfer of $500,000.]During their two years of marriage, the only time that Jenna's husband, Rex Hidalgo, got in touch with her was those times when he urged her to visit the hospital to sell her blood, specifically to Alice Florence.Over the course of their marriage, Rex treated Jenna like a stranger.Jenna had already given blood three times this month alone, which was more than her body could handle.Jenna reclined on the sofa as her eyes began to consciously droop and blur. She stood in the rain for over an hour yesterday as she waited for Rex to finish work, so today she stayed home since she felt sick and lightheaded. Most likely, Rex was unaware that she was feverish as well.She coughed and held her phone as she deliberated her response. She was about to give up when an unknown number abruptly texted her, crushing her last resolve and self-respect.Ding![Even if you are Mrs. Hidalgo, you're just a nominal wife that shamelessly occupy this position for 2 years. Have you ever caught Rex's eye? He stayed with me last night. If I were you, I would look for a rope to hang myself. You're just a vile home wrecker!]Home Wrecker?Jenna experienced a sudden sense of suffocation, depression, and unease. The official wife of Rex Hidalgo was Jenna. She sacrificed her relationships with her family and friends to marry this man for two years, yet she was labeled a vile home wrecker.Her chest felt as though it were being crushed once more. All of her sentiments for Rex that had been building up throughout her lowly days as his wife now broke into pieces.A photo was then sent to her phone after that message. Rex's peaceful sleeping face was there. This face, which was like an intricate work of art, was the reason she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. This image served as proof of the preceding message.Alice Florence was the woman who was resting on Rex's shoulder. The corners of Alice's mouth curved up, indicating her wakefulness even though they both had their eyes closed.They appeared to be an affectionate couple in the photo.Suddenly, her phone rang. A call came in from Hidalgo Villa.The moment Jenna took it up, as usual, Dianne, Rex's mother, curtly ordered her around.Did you forget what day it is, Jenna? Come over as soon as possible to cook for us as the maids are off today!Jenna scoffed and hung up the phone silently.She had been trying to hold onto this frail marriage by being cautious with Rex Hidalgo.She was underappreciated at work, but she still tried her best to play Rex's secretary.Rex's mother and sister at home despised her due to her "unknown origin." Every chance they got, they picked on her because they were rude. They gave her chores like cooking, doing the laundry, and even cleaning the house. Jenna, who was intended to be the Hidalgo family's young Madam, was treated like a subservient slave. She remained submissive and meek. She also avoided bothering Rex or placing him in a tough situation by never complaining about any of this to him.She had been through so much suffering that she was immune to it.Jenna was prepared to persevere and put up with everything, no matter how much the people around her loathed her for the sake of Rex Hidalgo.Rex didn't appear to have any recollection of her being his wife for the previous two years, though. The only times he spoke to her were to assign her tasks at work, urging her to give blood, and send money to her.Jenna felt worn out at that precise time. She was unable to continue holding on.She had experienced Alice Florence's provocation before. Jenna used to be able to shrug off those insulting remarks in the past, but this picture absolutely crushed her self-esteem.She was overcome by shame, loneliness, and biting cold.‘Was my marriage of two years a joke? 'Jenna's expression was really dejected at that very time. Finally, she had made up her mind.‘All right, this joke needs to end.’Jenna sent Rex a message after quickly scrolling through her phone.[We should divorce.]She was still feeling lightheaded, but she knew this was the right decision.Rex immediately gave her a call. At this point, Jenna had already anticipated his anger. "Jenna, what are you making a fuss about? How much do you want? Just state a price. The doctor told that Alice is in critical condition," the man remarked in a cold and harsh tone.Jenna abruptly cut him off after struggling to control her dizziness. “Rex Hidalgo, I'll see you at City Hall in an hour, or you may watch her die” she added with a chilly smile.After saying that, she disconnected. The next instant, she got another message.[You have received a Fund transfer of $1,000,000.]“Hahahahaha…”Jenna roared with laughter as she sobbed uncontrollably.'This is absurd! It's just too ridiculous...'The jungle pressed close, its shadows stretching long and sharp as the last light of day bled into dusk. The survivors circled tighter around the fire, their bodies tense, eyes darting at every rustle in the undergrowth.They had buried Ramon hours earlier, but his death still hung over them like a curse. The smell of ash and salt clung to their skin. Now the forest returned the favor, whispering with leaves, promising unseen horrors.Jenna She kept her shoulders square, though her insides quaked. The others needed strength, not more fear. Her fingers traced the edges of a jagged stick she had sharpened into a makeshift spear. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Anything was better than standing empty-handed.They want us b
The dawn broke with a dull gray light, heavy clouds smothering the horizon. The survivors had barely slept, startled awake by every crack of branches and whisper of waves. When morning finally came, it brought no comfort. The air was thick, sour, and tasted of fear.Jenna pushed herself up from the damp sand, her body aching. Her eyes scanned the huddled forms near the dead fire. She counted instinctively—one, two, three… Her stomach dropped. Someone was missing.“Where’s Ramon?” Steeve’s voice was hoarse, cracking the fragile silence.Heads lifted slowly, confusion rippling through the group. Mateo’s fingers tightened around his rosary, his lips parting but no words coming. A heavy dread pressed down before anyone moved.
The fire had burned to a low glow, its embers crackling softly as the night pressed in. The survivors huddled close, their faces drawn and hollow, eyes darting to every flicker of shadow that moved beyond the circle of light. The jungle loomed like a wall, dark and impenetrable, whispering with unseen life.Then came the sound.A steady beat, faint at first, like distant thunder. Boom. Boom. Boom. Each pulse carried on the humid air, deliberate and chilling. It echoed through the trees, vibrating in their chests, reminding them of a heartbeat—only slower, heavier, unnatural.Jenna stiffened, her eyes scanning the black horizon. “Do you hear that?” she whispered.Mateo clutched his rosary, his lips moving silently before words escaped. “Dios mío… It’s drums. Someone’s out there.”SteeveThe rhythm crawled under his skin, icy and unrelenting. He remembered an article he once read, half-dismissed at the time: stories of isolated islands, untouched by civilization, where tribes preserved
The sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of copper and ash as the small band of survivors stumbled back to the beach after their tense scouting mission. Exhaustion had carved deep shadows beneath their eyes, but hunger and fear gnawed sharper than fatigue. The ocean offered no mercy, its waves dragging wreckage back and forth with a cruel rhythm. The island’s silence, broken only by distant animal cries, pressed in like a curse.They had brought back meager findings: a handful of strange fruits, bitter but edible, and a few fish caught in the shallow tide pools where wreckage had trapped them. The food was shared among trembling hands, enough to dull the sharpest edge of hunger but not enough to satisfy. It was survival in its weakest form—just enough to remind them how much further they had to fall.On their way back,
The dawn came reluctantly, gray light peeling back the night to reveal the island in fractured pieces. Mist hung low over the jungle, clinging to trees like ghostly shrouds. The tide whispered against the sand, warning them not to venture further.Jenna stood first, her body aching like her bones had been soaked in lead. Every muscle screamed from the night’s ordeal, but survival had no patience for rest. Steeve stirred beside her, his hair plastered to his forehead, his face drawn and hollow. The others still lay in broken heaps across the sand, clinging to what little warmth their exhausted bodies could muster.Jenna pressed her hand against Tiara, whose glow had faded to a dim pulse. The AI chirped faintly: Energy low… environment hostile… proceed cautiously.
The horizon was no longer a dream but a jagged shadow in the distance, and with each agonizing paddle of their limbs, the survivors dragged themselves closer. Jenna’s arms trembled with every movement, her body screaming for rest, but the outline of land urged her forward. Every wave that rose seemed designed to push them back, every undertow another hand dragging them toward the abyss. Sharks still circled, their fins occasionally slicing the water, reminders of the death waiting below. Terror had not vanished, but exhaustion and hunger had dulled it to something even more dangerous — numb acceptance. The only thing sharper than the cold was the will to survive.Steeve Evans clung beside her, his once-pristine celebrity veneer stripped down to bare humanity. His face was gray with fatigue, his lips cracked, but his eyes clung to Jenna’s determination like a lifeline. His chest heaved with every stroke, but unlike earlier, he no longer asked if they would make it. He simply followed h