"Have you lost your mind?" Logan's voice trembled as he spoke. "Natalie is already crippled. She cares about her appearance so much, yet you're letting her get amputated. Do you want her to die?"
Jayden replied, "I know you love Natalie, Logan. But don't forget who was the one who saved us from the fire five years ago. Both of us would've been dead if it wasn't for Clara, who fought to save us!"
Natalie's eyes widened amidst the rubble.
She was the one who'd risked everything to drag the two of them out of that fire five years ago. But they'd mistaken her for Clara. Was that the reason they'd favored Clara all along?
In the end, they finally reached a consensus after a heated argument. "Save Clara first!"
In the dark, Natalie opened her eyes and watched as the rescue team's light gradually faded into the distance. They carried Clara away in such a hurry that they didn't even spare a glance at the rubble behind them.
The ceiling came crashing down when the aftershock hit, and with it, she lost consciousness completely.
…
Natalie opened her eyes in the midst of the searing pain. The bright fluorescent light on the ceiling hurt her eyes, making them water.
She instinctively reached down to touch her legs, relieved to find that they were still intact.
"We wouldn't have been able to keep your legs if you'd arrived half an hour later." While changing her bandages, the nurse said, "You're so lucky to be alive, Ms. Carter."
Natalie stared at the white ceiling as she smiled bitterly. She would rather die in that earthquake than be alive.
Suddenly, the door to the ward burst open, and Jayden and Logan rushed in, their faces etched with faux worry.
"Natalie!" Jayden grabbed her hand. "It was too chaotic back then, and we couldn't see you—"
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