"Caroline, why are you calling again?" Derrick Glover's familiar voice came through the line.

He continued, "Emery already told me everything! Don't be so petty. It's just one trip.

"Why make up nonsense about your house catching fire? That's bad luck! Young people need to stop messing around with stuff like that!"

Derrick was one of Emery's closest friends from the fire department and a die-hard supporter of Emery's first marriage to Sasha Woods. To him and others like him, I was just the wicked woman who had come between their "fairytale love story."

Since Sasha suddenly returned to town, Emery had been spending less and less time at home. Even when Luna had a high fever a few nights ago, he still refused to leave Sasha's place, where he was staying.

Emery had gone out of his way to make me look like a nagging, controlling wife. In my past life, I always wondered why his friends hated me despite how well I treated them—cooking meals, buying groceries, and giving them all the space they needed to hang out.

Yet, his circle always carried this unspoken hostility toward me. This time, I did not waste time arguing with Derrick. I hung up and immediately called a more distant fire station. I begged for their urgent assistance.

The fire continued to spread uncontrollably. I could hear the faint sound of furniture cracking and exploding inside the house.

Paula came running toward me. Her face was full of panic. "Caroline, thank goodness you're here! What are we going to do?"

"Luna and Liam are still napping. I'm scared that waking them up suddenly will frighten them, but leaving them asleep is just as bad!"

I followed her gaze to the flames, which had started in the north wing of the house—right where the kids' bedrooms were. To make matters worse, there was a strong wind today, causing the fire to dance wildly in every direction.

My anxiety soared. Although Luna and Liam were Emery and Sasha's children, Sasha abandoned them shortly after giving birth and disappeared without a trace.

She only resurfaced recently, claiming she had been battling a severe illness and did not want to burden Emery and the kids. Emery had been heartbroken when she handed him an old medical document as proof. He blamed himself for not being there for her and swore he would do everything he could to make it up to her.

I was the outsider in this tangled web of emotions—the "bitter wife" who had simply filled in for five years while Sasha was gone. However, my bond with Luna and Liam went deeper than that.

I had poured my heart into raising them, not just because I loved Emery, but because the countless nights spent caring for them had forged an unbreakable connection. Though the kids knew I was not their birth mother, I could feel their love and trust in me.

That was exactly why I could not just stand here waiting. I scanned my surroundings anxiously. The fire trucks still had not arrived, and time was slipping away.

In my past life, Emery had used his training to rescue them. Now, I tried to recall every move he had made.

I glanced up at the neighbor's balcony. Our apartment was on the fifth floor, but years of climbing practice had made scaling that height manageable for me.

I grabbed a large cleaning bucket from the building's maintenance area, filled it with water, and soaked myself from head to toe. Then, I removed my silk scarf, dampened it, and tied it around my nose and mouth.

After borrowing a thick rope from the maintenance crew, I slung it across my body. Seeing my intentions, the neighbors began to object.

One shouted, "Caroline, you can't do this! It's too dangerous!"

"Yeah, just wait a bit longer. The fire department will be here any minute!"

"Let me go instead! You shouldn't risk your life like this."

Hearing their worried voices, I clenched my teeth. Emery might be out there enjoying his life right now, but Luna and Liam were my responsibility. They called me "Mom," and I could not let them down.

I smiled gently and shook my head. Without hesitation, I began climbing the building while using the iron window frames and air conditioning units for support.

As I steadied myself on a third-floor unit, a sudden explosion erupted above me. Thick, black smoke billowed out. The air around me was scorching.

I instinctively recoiled as burning debris flew past my face. Furniture fragments crashed to the ground with a loud thud, causing the crowd below to scatter in fear.

"Caroline, come down now! Don't go any higher!"

"You're important too. Please, don't risk your life like this!"

Their pleas echoed below, but I simply smiled in response. I took a deep breath to steel myself before pressing forward.

Soon, I finally reached the fourth-floor window. One more step, and I would be at our balcony. I reached out for the metal railing but jerked my hand back instantly as searing heat burned my skin.

Within seconds, blisters formed on my palms. A neighbor noticed and attempted to throw a pair of gloves at me, but the distance was too great.

Determined, I bit down on the pain and gripped the railing tightly. Ignoring the stabbing heat, I used my momentum to leap onto the balcony and climb inside. Cheers erupted from the crowd below as they celebrated my small victory.

I rushed into the bedroom, desperately trying to wake Luna and Liam. Yet, no matter how hard I shook them, they would not stir. With no other option, I tied the rope tightly around my body. I secured one child to my front and the other to my back.

As I prepared to run back to the balcony, a crystal chandelier came crashing down, narrowly missing the three of us by a second. I froze for a moment, catching my breath, before pushing forward. Behind me, I could hear the chaotic sounds of furniture collapsing and explosions echoing through the apartment.

Time was running out. If I did not get out in a matter of seconds, the heat blast could send us all hurtling from the building.

When I reached the balcony, I was startled by the voices calling from below. The fire department had arrived while I was inside and had already set up an emergency rescue cushion.

"Jump! Hurry, jump down!"

Relief washed over me. Tightening my grip on the children, I threw myself off the balcony without hesitation.

The moment we landed safely on the air cushion, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. As I lay there, tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. It was a moment of release—a bittersweet victory.

In this life, I had sought to take revenge on Emery and Sasha. Nonetheless, my priority had always been saving these two innocent children.

The firefighters quickly cleared a path and carried the unconscious kids to a waiting ambulance. I followed them to the hospital, then collapsed onto a bench outside the emergency room. My body felt drained of all strength as I finally caught my breath.

"Caroline! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you explain the situation better earlier?"

I looked up to see Derrick storming toward me. His expression was somewhere between annoyance and disbelief. I could not help but find it amusing.

I had no intention of engaging with him, but Derrick was not one to back down. He snarled, "You planned this whole tragic stunt just to make yourself look like a hero, didn't you?

"You wanted everyone to see how much effort you put in and bash Emery for being heartless, right? And since those kids aren't even yours, you felt no guilt putting them in danger for your little spectacle!"

His eyes were filled with contempt as he mocked me. He was still trying to pin this entire situation on me.

"So you're saying I orchestrated this fire—risked the lives of two children—just to grab Emery's attention and turn people against him?" I asked. My voice was calm despite my exhaustion.

"Of course! Isn't that exactly what you did?" Derrick puffed out his chest, glaring at me like he had solved a mystery.

"Good," I said, locking eyes with him. "Remember those words because you won't deny that you ignored my emergency call earlier, will you?"

"Of course not. Emergency resources aren't something people like you can manipulate at will," he retorted smugly.

"Good to know," I muttered. Just then, the doctor emerged from the emergency room.

"Doctor, how are the children?" I rushed toward him. Concern flooded my voice.

"They're still unconscious," he said while shaking his head solemnly. "Both of them inhaled a large amount of smoke. They're suffering from severe carbon monoxide poisoning, and we'll need to monitor them closely."

"There's one other matter I need to discuss with you," the doctor added.

My heart sank at his words, but I braced myself. Something about his expression told me there was more.

"Doctor, please, do tell," I urged.

"Well..." The doctor hesitated. Then, he glanced nervously at Derrick.

I could tell he was worried about confidentiality and the risk of Derrick spreading information. However, in this life, I was determined to expose Emery and Sasha for who they truly were.

Hence, if Derrick wanted to meddle, I would make sure he helped broadcast the truth far and wide. I gave the doctor a reassuring nod and replied firmly, "It's fine. You can speak freely."