His Concern for His First Love

The voice was painfully familiar to me. It belonged to Zendaya Filgen, Howard's unforgettable first love.

Ever since she returned to the country, Howard had become a completely different person.

His phone now rang at all hours, day and night. It didn't matter how late it was, as he would rush over to Zendaya without hesitation if she rang him up.

Each time I confronted him about it, our arguments would end the same way. He would snap at me with growing irritation, "Zendaya is all alone and helpless in Primrose. What's wrong with me helping her out? Why do you always have to stir up trouble?"

We started a cold war, and the cold war became his excuse to avoid coming home often.

In those days when he was never around, I tried to find proof that he was cheating on me. Alas, it didn't matter how many stones I unturned as it turned out that he really was just helping her tirelessly, night and day.

Still, over time, he grew more irritable and impatient with me.

In the past, he would always call to inform me about his plans, no matter how busy he was. If something urgent came up, he would send me a message on Snapchat.

Now, weeks, sometimes even a whole month, would pass without a single call from him. When I did call, he was either too busy, about to get busy, or he would just hang up on me.

This time, he didn't just hang up the phone. Rather, he had hung up on my last shred of hope.

I stared at my mutilated body on the ground and felt a wave of bitterness wash over me. 'If Howard knows that saving Zendaya, the woman with a mere scratch on her arm, has cost me my life, would he feel guilty? Will he come to regret it?'

I shook my head in self-mockery. 'Probably not. My death will only clear the way for him to be with her. But…'

I glanced down at my abdomen, where I had carefully protected it. My heart aches terribly. 'If he learns that, in the process, he has also unintentionally killed the child he longs for, will that break him?'

My breath hitched in my throat as I struggled to stand, only to realize my body had started to float.

I didn't know how long I floated like that, but somehow, I ended up near Howard.

He was cradling Zendaya in his arms as he made a run for the emergency room. "Make way, please! Move aside!"

The patients waiting outside the emergency room shot him cold, irritated looks, and one of them muttered, "What's the rush? She won't die with such a minor surgery. Look at those people in front of her who are covered in blood."

Howard's face hardened as he glared back and justified his actions. "She was injured outdoors, and she could get tetanus. If you have no knowledge about this, refrain from talking crap."

The patient hadn't expected him to argue back. The patient's eyes were wide with disbelief as he raised his voice. "That's barely a scratch! By the time you get here, it'll probably be healed then! Do you think it's okay to waste public resources like this?"

Howard's face faltered slightly as if the words were hitting him hard, echoing the very things he had once told me. He said nothing more and quietly moved to the back of the line.

Zendaya leaned gently against his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "It's alright, really. You can just bandage it for me when we get home."

"But I don't have any supplies at my place," she added coyly, "Maybe I could go to your house instead?"

He stiffened, his face flushing a deep red. "That's…fine."

"Do you think Wendy will mind?"

At the mention of my name, his tone turned sharp. "Don't worry about her. I'll take you home now."

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh as I watched the two of them glued to each other like they couldn't bear to be apart. 'I'm curious to see how they plan to bandage her wound in my house,' I thought bitterly.

...

Howard drove recklessly, the car speeding down streets. The journey, which should have taken twenty minutes, took just ten. He hurriedly opened the door, scooped Zendaya up into his arms, and raced up the stairs.

The moment the front door clicked open, the frail Zendaya suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and tore at his clothes with wild desperation. Her voice dripped with lust. "Howard, I miss you…"

They Discovered Two Corpses

Howard frowned and raised his hands high in an awkward attempt to create some distance between them. He said dryly, "You need to disinfect that wound immediately, or it could get infected. I'll go grab the first aid kit right now."

As he tried to push Zendaya away, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Her voice was sweet and mingled with an unmistakable hint of seduction. "I do not need bandages. You really do not understand what I mean?

"All this time, never once did you feel something for me?

"Look, Wendy isn't here. I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret between the two of us. Okay?"

She stood on her tiptoes and was about to plant a kiss on his lips. However, he turned his head away to avoid it and carefully pried her arms off him. He was about to explain when the shrill ringing of his phone interrupted him.

He quickly answered the call, and without even having the time to utter a word, an urgent voice came over the line, "Captain, we have found two bodies in Mount Kina. It looks like they were mauled by wild animals. We need immediate assistance!"

Howard's face clouded as he hastily smoothed out his attire and then turned to make his way to the door, but Zendaya caught hold of his arm. "Take me along with you!" she insisted.

He freed his arm and looked back at her sternly. "Don't be ridiculous!"

She was so upset that she rushed to a window. "If you don't take me, I'll jump out this window right now."

She fixed her gaze on him. But when he didn't budge, she started to climb the window frame, using both her hands and feet to hoist herself up.

As she climbed, she glanced back at him. "Are you really this heartless that you'd rather watch me jump than take me with you?"

He furrowed his brows and stared at her. After he hesitated for a long while, he reluctantly nodded.

She grinned triumphantly and clambered down from the window. Then, he began to lecture her about the dangers of the rescue operation solemnly, pointing out everything she needed to be cautious about. A heavy ache settled in my chest upon seeing the two of them in deep conversation.

Was what they meant when they said, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease"?

I could still recall the early days of our marriage, back when things were still good between us. I had pestered Howard to take me along to a rescue site just to see what it was like. Alas, he would always wear a stern expression as he refused me each time, unwilling to make any exceptions.

Years later, I brought it up again, and his response was even harsher. He snapped at me, reminding me he was the team leader and had to set an example. Therefore, I should not push his limits.

Although Zendaya was making threats, it was obvious to anyone that she wasn't really going to die. Yet, he didn't even dare to take that risk and immediately abandoned all of his principles.

If I had pulled a stunt like her, threatening to jump from a window, he probably would have just scolded me and called me crazy.

It turned out the difference between being loved and unloved was painfully obvious.

By the time Howard and Zendaya arrived at the rescue site, the remains of Andrew Holland had already been put together.

The rescue team clearly did what they could to make Andrew's body appear whole again, but there were too many missing pieces. Hence, it was practically impossible to piece them together.

The grotesquely chewed-up remains of Andrew were a result of getting eaten by a tiger. One could only imagine how horrifying my own body would look after being torn apart by a pack of wolves.

One of the rescue workers covered his mouth, running from the cave. He started to vomit in front of the opening for some time before turning to Howard. "Captain, it's… it's horrific. We need you to take over and try to piece it together."

Howard's expression darkened. He put on his protective gear and entered the cave.

As soon as he stepped inside and saw the grisly scene, his body stiffened, and he continued walking inside with heavy and reluctant steps.

The moment he spotted the mobile phone on the ground, he visibly freaked out.

He picked up my phone in a moment of panic. When his eyes landed on the cartoon wallpaper displayed on the screen, his body swayed, and he nearly lost his footing.