Chapter 1
Alison Bradley was alone for her prenatal checkup when a massive earthquake struck. The disaster trapped her and another pregnant woman in the examination room.
A heavy machine slammed into her belly, the pain so sharp that she almost blacked out.
In the pitch-black room, the other pregnant woman broke the silence. "My name is Iliana White. Let's hold on together. Someone will come to rescue us."
Alison was in so much pain that she could barely speak, her voice coming out in broken gasps. "Please call my husband. He's the captain of the rescue team."
Iliana struggled to reach Alison's phone from under the bed and dialed the number labeled "Husband" in Alison's contacts. She called nine times in a row, but no one answered.
Finally, the phone died and went black.
Iliana tried to comfort her. "Don't worry. My husband is a legend in the rescue team too. He'll come for me."
Iliana put the phone on speaker, and it was answered after one ring. "Honey, help me."
She let out a single sob, and the voice on the other end immediately reassured her. "Don't be afraid. I'm coming right now."
The sound of heavy cranes and the rush of people heading toward the hospital filled the air, but Alison felt like she was falling into an icy abyss.
It was because the deep voice on the other end sounded exactly like her husband, Harrison Potter.
Shocked, her hand, which had been bracing against the heavy object, slipped for a moment, sending a sharp pain through her belly.
But gritting her teeth through the pain, Alison tried to reassure herself that it was probably some guy who happened to sound like Harrison.
After all, as the rescue team's captain, he was so busy that he rarely replied to her texts.
Whenever he got a break, all he'd send were a few numbers. 1 meant he was safe. 2 meant he'd be home that day. 3 meant they'd have sex tonight.
Their chats were as cold and distant as customer service, with no warmth at all.
Whenever Alison felt upset or wanted to complain, Harrison's mother, Stella Potter, would remind her that Harrison was a hero whose mission was to save lives, and she ought to be considerate.
Alison endured it all for seven years.
The noise outside pulled her back to reality. Someone was moving the rubble above her, and a sliver of light slipped through the cracks.
"Captain Potter, the beam is crushing two pregnant women. If we save one, the other might get buried alive," someone shouted.
Alison looked up, and her gaze met Harrison's face as he suddenly appeared before her. "Harrison," she murmured.
Their eyes met, and Harrison's gaze froze for a split second, shock flickering across his face.
"Captain Potter, we're out of time. We can only save one of them," the rescue team member said again.
On the other side, Iliana choked out a sob and whispered, "Honey."
Her voice was nearly drowned out by the roar of the machinery, but Harrison immediately picked up on it.
"Save her." Harrison pointed straight at Iliana, instead of Alison.
As Iliana was being pulled out, suddenly a shower of rubble came crashing down on Alison.
Alison screamed. Her belly was wracked with a searing, gut-wrenching pain, as if an invisible hand was yanking her down from the inside.
She could feel warm blood oozing out of her, and then everything went black.
When Alison opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital room.
Her once-swollen belly was now flat, and the doctor let out a heavy sigh.
"Can you get in touch with your family? Your abdomen was badly injured. We couldn't save your baby, and we had to remove your uterus. You need someone from your family to take care of you now," the doctor said.
Alison thought of how Harrison had made his choice without hesitation, and her heart froze over.
She forced back the sting in her eyes. "I don't have any family."
The doctor gave her a sympathetic look. "Take care of yourself. Captain Potter's wife was also injured, and he has asked all the doctors to help look after her."
As the doctor left, he muttered under his breath, "It's crazy how two pregnant women can end up with such different lives."
His words hit Alison like a punch, echoing in her ears. Before she knew it, tears were rolling down her cheeks.
'Why? Why would the man I loved with all my heart betray me?' Alison thought. 'When did Harrison build a second home behind my back?'
The door to the hospital room swung open. Harrison stood there, staring at Alison. Her tears had dried.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple shifting. "We'll have other kids. In a rescue, we always go with whoever has the best shot at making it. Don't make a fuss about it."
Alison managed a bitter smile.
She'd just crawled back from death's door, but Harrison never asked if she was hurting. His first words were about having other kids, and the next thing out of his mouth was telling her not to make a fuss.
Her heart hurt so much that it felt like she could barely breathe. She looked up at him. "Why did Iliana call you her husband?"
The moment those words left her lips, Alison caught a flicker of defensiveness in Harrison's eyes, as if he was afraid that she'd turn on Iliana.
"Iliana is the widow of a teammate. She has been battling depression and has tried to end her life more than once, so I've been looking after her," Harrison said.
"So, you went after her and kept her on the side like your mistress?" Alison shot back.
"She's not a mistress!"
It was the first time Harrison had ever let his guard down in front of her, but it was to protect another woman.
He realized he'd gone too far, so he took a deep breath. "Don't show up in front of Iliana again. Take care of yourself. I have rescue work to do."
He then turned and walked out.
Alison couldn't hold back her tears. "Harrison, let's get divorced."
Harrison rushed out so fast that he didn't hear it when Alison said she wanted a divorce.
"Harrison!" Alison threw off the blanket, clutching her belly as she followed him out.
Anger boiled in her chest. 'Why is it always me who has to compromise? Why can't I ever make a scene for once?'
Harrison didn't go far. He stopped at the next room, beside Alison's.