But I barely took a few steps before a beam crashed down, striking my leg.
The pain hit me like a tidal wave, and I crumpled to the ground, helpless. All I could do was shout, desperate to be heard, hoping someone would come.
The smoke choked me, the air thick and suffocating as it stung my throat.
Then, out of the haze, a pair of hands reached for me, warm and firm, pulling me into safety.
They seemed to be asking how I was, but I couldn’t answer. My voice had abandoned me, hoarse and weak. Through my blurred vision, I could barely make out the person’s face.
Before I lost consciousness, all I could hear was the frantic shout of someone above me,
"She's seriously injured! Get her to the hospital immediately!"
When I woke in the hospital, the world outside buzzed with news. Mathias had pulled Nathalia from the flames, and their love story was now a legend.
"Ten years of devotion, unwavering until death."
"True love reveals itself in times of crisis."
"Only death can tear them apart."
The comment sections were flooded with praise, while others couldn’t hide their venom, calling me a homewrecker who had schemed my way into his life.
Hiding behind the banner of “true love conquers all,” they called me a shameless woman, determined to tear Mathias and Nathalia apart.
Even the nurses who tended to me couldn't help but throw disdainful glances my way.
Some even whispered just outside my hospital room.
"Did you hear? Mathias ran out of his engagement party straight into the fire for her."
"Everyone's saying his fiancée's position is about to change hands."
"I’d say it’s a done deal."
"Well, it’s what Irene deserves. She shouldn’t have meddled."
"She was just deluding herself. The two women are in the same hospital, only one floor apart. But how many times has Mathias been here? Nathalia barely got a scratch on her, and he’s called in the best doctors, staying by her side day and night, treating her like she’s the world’s most precious gem."
"Sigh, if only I could meet a man as devoted as Mathias…"
Their voices faded, drifting down the corridor like the remnants of a storm.
I simply closed my eyes, letting silence wrap around me like a suffocating shroud.
My ankle was shattered, the pain sharp and relentless, and a stubborn respiratory infection clung to me like a shadow.