The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 100

Just then, the phone screen on Rhys's chest lit up.

The waterproof bag caused some refraction in the water, but Clara was too close. She saw it too clearly.

A message notification popped up.

Only half the sentence was visible: [Margot is feeling unwell again, she's been...]

Rhys felt the vibration too. He let go of Clara's hand.

Clara floated in the water, watching him quietly.

They were barely five meters down with plenty of air left, but she still felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Didn't he say the phone was on just to contact the boat crew?

Rhys read the message, hesitating.

He looked back at Clara, urgency in his eyes, and made the hand signal for "Ascend."

They had been down for less than twenty minutes.

Clara laughed inside the water, though no one could hear it.

The regulator in her mouth tasted bitter.

She didn't want to go up.

Why should she?

Margot doesn’t feel well, so her dive has to be aborted? The slightest thing happens to her, and Clara’s whole world has to grind to a halt?

Clara turned and swam toward deeper water.

Rhys panicked. He chased after her, grabbed her around the waist, and forcibly dragged her toward the surface.

The moment they broke the water, Clara ripped the regulator from her mouth, gasping for air, her eyes rimmed with red.

"Are you crazy?" Rhys pulled off his mask, his tone severe. "What were you doing running off down there? Do you know how dangerous that was?"

Clara wiped the water from her face and looked at him coldly. "Dangerous? Isn't that perfect? It would free up the spot for someone else."

"Clara!" Rhys frowned deeply. "Can you stop being so dramatic? Mom just messaged saying Margot's heart is acting up. I'm going to call and check on the situation."

"So I have to go up with you?"

"Have some water," his voice was softer now. "I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier. Mom said it's fine now. Just some chest tightness from the cold weather. She took her medicine and is sleeping."

Clara ignored him.

"Shall we go back down?" Rhys asked tentatively. "This tank isn't empty yet."

"No." Clara stood up, pulling the towel tighter. "I'm not in the mood anymore."

"Clara," Rhys reached for her hand helplessly. "Don't throw a tantrum over such a small thing. We haven't even seen the shipwreck yet."

"It's not a small thing to me."

Clara dodged his hand, her eyes calm. "Rhys, you still don't get it. The moment you let go of my hand underwater to check your phone, this whole trip was done."

The number one rule of the buddy system: Never abandon your buddy.

That is a diver's life-and-death contract.

He abandoned her once underwater.

And in life, he had abandoned her countless times.