Chapter 1

On the day of the earthquake, Malachi, the leader of the rescue team, chose to leave me trapped under the rocks and went to rescue Selene, his beloved.

Hartwell said, "Vaela, you know, the first time I laid eyes on you, I knew I was doomed.

"Selene's been fragile since childhood. She's always needed me."

After I was rescued, I decided to move on from him.

I agreed to join the national Chip Project and headed deep into the mountains to start my research at the bureau.

My leader, Rowan Ashwick, was thrilled and grabbed my hand. "This is fantastic, Vaela. With you here, our chip research is sure to succeed.

"But it's a six-year stint. Are you sure your husband is okay with that?"

I nodded. "Don't worry, Rowan. He'd never stop me from doing my duty for the country."

Rowan gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. "Good, that puts my mind at ease. Time's tight. Will a month be enough for you to say goodbye to your family?"

I smiled and nodded. A month was plenty.

*****

In the hospital's back garden, I heard Malachi's familiar voice.

He asked softly, "Selene, you've been through a lot. The doctor said you need to rest. Why are you out here?"

As he spoke, he draped the coat over Selene's shoulders. That coat was the one I'd bought for him with a whole year's salary.

Now, he was wrapping it around another woman right in front of me.

Malachi looked at Selene with genuine concern. "Let's head back inside. It's windy out here," he said.

With that, he gently helped Selene as they walked back toward her room.

On Malachi's face was a tenderness and gentleness I'd never seen in all our years of marriage.

Suddenly, I remembered that every time I was sick, I was always alone.

I remembered the first time I got injured and ended up in the hospital. I asked Malachi to bring me some food.

But his face was full of impatience. He snapped, "Vaela! My time is valuable, it's not meant for catering to you.

"You're always acting like a hero, right? So where are all those people you saved? Why aren't they here to take care of you?"

Back then, I thought he was just mad at me for getting injured while saving someone. But now, I realized he simply never loved me.

I was about to head back to my room to rest when I ran right into Malachi and Selene.

Malachi was practically glued to Selene's side, helping her walk.

Selene gave me a smile. "Vaela, I heard you got hurt again on your mission. Are you okay?"

Hearing thiat, Malachi rolled his eyes at me. "Who are you putting on this show for?

"I was just a few minutes late to save you. You're a soldier. Are you seriously that weak?"

I didn't want to deal with either of them. I started to wheel myself away, but Malachi's voice rang out behind me.

He sneered. "Some people are just meant for a lowly fate, can't help it. Not like Selene, she's a screenwriter, actually makes a living with her brains."

My hand paused on the wheelchair. So, in Malachi's eyes, I was just someone with a lowly fate?

I turned around to face him. "So, in your eyes, I really mean nothing at all?" I asked.

Malachi let out a derisive snort. "Did I say anything wrong? If you think you're so smart, why don't you try earning a living with your brains, like Selene?

"If you can't, stop acting all sensitive around me. It's not like you ever hesitated when it came to risking your neck."

I gave a bitter smile as I watched my husband helping Selene, the two of them slowly walking away together.

"Never again. I won't have another chance to risk my life like that," I murmured.

I remember when Malachi and I first met, he always said being a soldier was the most honorable thing.

He'd say, "Being a soldier is great! You get to protect the country, achieve something big, and it's so full of pride."

As we teamed up again and again, we became more and more in sync. I started falling for this bright, cheerful guy.

Later, I managed to get him a coat from overseas. Malachi was so happy when he tried it on, admiring himself in the mirror over and over.

He asked, "I've never worn a coat this nice before. Does it look good on me? Is it too fancy for me?"

"It looks great on you. As long as it makes you happy, it's worth it." I told him.

That was the day we made it official between us.

When the higher-ups found out, they waved their hand and just like that, Malachi was promoted to leader of the rescue team.

It wasn't some big fancy title, but it meant he didn't have to work himself to the bone anymore, and he could spend more time with me.

When he got the news, Malachi rushed over and hugged me, barely able to contain his excitement.

He cheered, "This is awesome, Vaela. I'm a squad leader now. I'm finally in charge."

Those days, we really were happy. When did it all start to fall apart?

It felt like everything started to change the moment he began mentioning Selene all the time.

That was when I realized Malachi had always kept his beloved hidden away in his heart.

Selene was just a junior screenwriter in the crew. Back then, the organization was planning a movie about rescue missions.

So they sent a bunch of writers to the rescue team to get a taste of real life and jot down what the rescuers went through every day.

Selene was one of them, and she ended up assigned to Malachi's squad.

At first, Malachi didn't really seem to like Selene much.

He'd say, "Vaela, we've got a new member in the rescue squad. She's from my hometown. Her name's Selene Fairwind."

And he'd complain, "Vaela, Selene is so annoying. She's always holding us back."

But little by little, all those complaints and grumbles started to disappear.

Instead, he said, "Vaela, Selene is hilarious. She always says I act like a feisty little cat when I get all riled up.

"Vaela, it's Selene's birthday today, so I won't be home for dinner.

"Vaela, Selene..."

Selene became a constant presence in our lives, and Malachi talked about her more than anyone else.

I tried to warn him to keep his distance, but he just went off on me, totally freaking out.

He snapped at me, "Vaela! Can you stop acting so paranoid? Selene and I are just friends, okay?

"Vaela! If there was really something between me and Selene, do you think you'd even still be around?

"Vaela! I just had dinner with Selene. Are you seriously going to nitpick over that?"