All Chapters of Swapped My Safety Clip for a Plastic Ring: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

My girlfriend, Zelda Malone, frowned. "You said you couldn't swim. Why mess with that worthless gadget?"I'd told her about the device before, but she never believed me, convinced I was just pulling her leg again.This time, I ignored her, pressing down firmly on the alarm.By then, the cold, murky floodwaters had risen past my chest, swirling with mud and debris. Every surge threatened to knock me off my feet.On the soft ladder, Zelda had climbed about a third of the way up, straining to pull herself higher. Ryan Hyde trailed right behind, hauling a massive waterproof suitcase. Two gleaming safety clips dangled prominently from his harness."Zelda! Give me back my clip!" I shouted upward, my voice hoarse and feeble against the thundering helicopter rotors.She glanced down with irritation. "Edwin, enough already! I told you the next chopper would pick you up. Why are you being so unreasonable?"Ryan poked his head out. "Buddy, don't be petty. Remember how heroic you were savin

Chapter 2

Zelda reacted instantly, stripping off her jacket and wrapping it around him. "Ryan, are you okay? Did the cold water give you a chill?""Nah, I'm not that weak," he sniffled. "Don't fuss. Edwin is watching.""So what?" She shrugged. "You're his buddy. It's only right that I look out for you. Yet he has to make a big deal out of who goes first."Her words dripped with accusation, aimed squarely at me. But she didn't know the truth: I could not swim anymore, not after that rescue.That day, she'd stubbornly ventured into deep water and gotten caught in a rip current. No one else dared go in; I plunged ahead without a second thought, pushing her inch by inch toward the shore.I finally got her to safety, but in that last desperate moment, the undertow slammed my calf into a jagged rock, tearing the ligament instantly. Agonizing pain overwhelmed me, and I sank helplessly.If the shore lifeguards hadn't spotted me in time, I'd have drowned. The doctors confirmed permanent damage to

Chapter 3

I flailed wildly in the murky depths while Zelda and Ryan watched like spectators at a twisted performance.Survival instincts surged; I thrashed with every limb, grabbing the lifesaving eave just before the current swept me away. Gasping as I surfaced, laughter echoed from above."Told you," Ryan chuckled. "He can swim. He just loves joking around."Relief washed over Zelda. "Alright, Edwin, I get you're a jokester, but now's not the time. Ryan and I are heading up first."They continued to climb up, and the ladder drifted farther from my grasp."Wait! I'm still down here!" I screamed with my last reserves of strength.Ryan glanced back, spotting me on the eave, and malice flashed in his eyes. Swaying on the ladder, he deliberately dislodged a loose tile from a nearby roof.The shard, heavy with mud and water, hurtled toward my face. I dodged sharply, but it grazed my ear, slicing a bloody gash.The evasion cost me my grip, and the flood pulled me under again. Burning pain rad

Chapter 4

"Are you just watching me die for your career and your boss's relative?" I shot back, shivering from the icy water or her heartless words.We'd been together for three years. I'd supported her rise from nothing to project manager. Knowing her humble background and fear of judgment, I'd concealed my wealth and embraced frugality alongside her.She had no idea her boss bowed and scraped to my dad. Nor did she realize the man she sacrificed to appease Ryan was far beyond her reach."The guy you mention is my dad's assistant," I said flatly. "My dad owns the Gilbert Group, and I am the only heir."They looked down at me at the same time, both shocked. After a stunned silence, Zelda erupted in hysterical laughter. "Edwin, has the water driven you nuts? Spinning this fantasy for attention? If you're the Gilbert heir, then I'm the President."Ryan piled on. "This guy is hallucinating. If you're the heir, I'm royalty. So desperate to one-up us with these lies."I didn't waste breath expl

Chapter 5

From the horizon, three sleek black helicopters sliced through the rain in a tight V-formation, exuding unyielding power. Their downdraft forced Zelda's rickety rescue chopper to wobble precariously.The lead helicopter hovered overhead, its massive rotors carving a vortex in the floodwaters below. A cable descended swiftly, and a rescuer in black tactical gear rappelled down like a guardian angel, precise and efficient.Ignoring the gawking pair nearby, he reached me instantly. "Sir, apologies for the delay."He draped his thermal blanket over me with care, then secured me to his harness with expert rescue clips. The process was fluid, over in seconds.Zelda's chopper hovered awkwardly at a distance, dwarfed by the display."Hey! Who are you? Can't you see we're in the middle of a rescue?" Zelda protested, her voice shredded against the rotor din.No one acknowledged her.I was hoisted free from the icy muck. Warm air enveloped me as I entered the cabin, transformed into a comp

Chapter 6

Zelda's smile froze, and Ryan shrank back."Mr. Gilbert, it's a misunderstanding," Zelda stammered. "I didn't know Edwin couldn't swim anymore. And Ryan is my boss's...""What, you'd sacrifice my son for them and for your stupid career?" Henry advanced step by step, rendering her speechless.He snorted, snapping his fingers. At the signal, a bodyguard hauled in Ryan's massive suitcase and dumped it on the floor."Didn't you claim it's full of colleague gifts?" Henry loomed over Ryan. "Open it. Show me what's worth more than my son's life."Ryan blanched, his lips quivering wordlessly. Zelda, sensing doom, tried to intervene. "Mr. Gilbert, it's just cheap stuff..."It was too late. Another bodyguard pulled out a military knife and sliced open the waterproof case.The contents spilled out, but there were no gifts and no stuff for me. Just wrinkled knockoffs, unpacked bargain cosmetics, and spare underwear.Silence descended like a shroud. Every eye was fixed on the sordid pile, i

Chapter 7

Zelda froze like a statue, her final lifeline severed.Ryan, snapping from terror, lunged at her. "This is your fault, you useless fool! If not for you, I wouldn't have crossed Edwin. You said he was an ordinary guy from a poor family. You lied to me!"Scratched and bruised, Zelda shoved him back. "You have the nerve to blame me? If not for your demands on that clip and your manipulations, would I have abandoned Edwin? You ruined me, you scum!"They tore into each other, tumbling in the mud, which elicited jeers from the crowd.Blank-faced, I switched off the tablet.Marco asked softly, "Sir, want me to teach them more of a lesson?"I shook my head. "No need. The real show has just begun."Back in the city, a well-crafted plan quietly rolled out. The flood incident morphed into multiple versions and was leaked through various channels.Version one was tragic. The Gilbert heir concealed his identity for love, dating an ordinary girl for three years, only to be abandoned by her a

Chapter 8

Zelda's father, Milton Malone, fidgeted awkwardly, his tone ingratiating. "Yes, you two shared three years. For old times' sake, give her a chance.""Old times?" I stood up, approaching them. "When she swapped my clip for Ryan and that junk suitcase in the flood, did she consider old times? When she kicked me into the water, claiming I'd survive, did she?"I paused, adding, "And you... After I saved her life, tearing my ligament and being bedridden for a month, did you visit once? You fussed over her minor ordeal with soups, but not a single thanks to me. Now you invoke old times?"They flushed with shame. "The doctor said you were fine. We thought it was minor.""Minor?" I scoffed, hiking up my pajama leg to reveal the gruesome knee scar. "It's permanent damage. I can't run, jump, or swim like before. I got crippled for her, and what did I get? Her betrayal in crisis. Now you have the nerve to show up and plead for her?"Milton's facade cracked into anger. "We apologized. What el

Chapter 9

Federica reached for my hand, but I sidestepped. "Ryan and I are no longer friends."She froze, her tears intensifying. "It's all our fault. We failed as parents. He's just a clueless kid. He envied your successes and let jealousy cloud his judgment. He always preferred playing with girls growing up. We never imagined he'd covet Zelda and harm you.""Is that so?" I moved to the projector and grabbed the remote. "Since you're framing it that way, let's watch something together."I pressed play, and the screen flickered to life with footage from the helicopter's onboard recorder. The high-definition video captured every damning detail: Ryan, equipped with two gleaming metal clips, clutching his suitcase as he watched me flail desperately in the floodwaters below.It showed the precise moment I clung to the ladder, only for him to slip deliberately and stomp viciously on the back of my hand, sending me tumbling back into the depths.It also captured Zelda's momentary guilt, Ryan's sa

Chapter 10

Zelda and Ryan ended up even worse than I imagined.Zelda found herself utterly destitute, her life crushed beneath the weight of that staggering debt. Her parents sold their old house, but it barely covered a fraction.Blacklisted from any respectable job in her field, she was relegated to the most grueling manual labor.On construction sites, she hauled sacks of cement, covered in dirt and bossed around by the foreman. In late-night streets, she rummaged through alleyway dumpsters for leftovers.The once-sharp, suited project manager had devolved into a pariah, shunned by society. Even her old friends avoided her like the plague.Washing dishes in a fancy restaurant, she ran into her former colleagues. She tried to hide but got spotted."Well, if it isn't Zelda Malone, our star manager. Reduced to dishwashing now?""Heard you snagged the Gilbert heir. How did you fumble that into this mess?""Poetic justice, really. Abandoning him in the flood for some fling and a suitcase of

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