Chapter 70: Abandonment in Danger
Evelyn bit her lip, forcing herself to remain outwardly calm. “Even with the lawsuit, I won’t let Sophie face this alone.”
Sienna reached out and patted Evelyn’s cheek. “You can barely take care of yourself, yet you want to help others? Damian said if you cause any more trouble, he’ll make sure Sophie never finds another job.”
She leaned closer to Evelyn’s ear. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Damian said after the photographers leave, he’s taking me to that new, exclusive couples’ attraction here at Luna Park. I’m so excited.”
Evelyn clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms, but the pain barely registered. Sienna admired Evelyn’s pale face, chuckled softly, adjusted her skirt, and glided out of the restroom, leaving Evelyn alone.
Evelyn leaned against the wall, her mind filled with Sophie’s trembling voice and Sienna’s vicious words. She forced herself to calm down and walked out. The harsh sunlight and the amusement park’s noise made her momentarily disoriented.
Not far away, Damian was leaning against an ice cream cart, looking impatient. His brow relaxed slightly when he saw Sienna, but impatience returned when he saw Evelyn following behind.
“What took you so long?” he demanded of Evelyn, casually thrusting the teddy bear he’d won for the sake of the photo-op into her arms.
Sienna hooked her arm through Damian’s. “Evelyn might not be feeling well. Let’s go on the rollercoaster, okay? I’ve been wanting to try it.”
Evelyn said nothing, clutching the ridiculous bear, following behind them.
Just then, a shriek of grinding metal ripped through the park’s noise. “Screeech—” followed by a massive crash, as if something enormous had snapped. Everyone froze for a second. Then, screaming erupted like an explosion.
“Ah! The rollercoaster! The track broke!”
“All visitors, evacuate immediately!” an emergency announcement blared over the speaker. “The rollercoaster has a mechanical failure. Please exit the park quickly!”
The crowd erupted. Everyone rushed toward the exit in a frantic stampede. Screams, shouts, and the sounds of trampling feet mixed together.
Before Evelyn could steady herself, she was shoved forward by the surging crowd. She instinctively tried to grab something, but a man slammed violently into her shoulder.
“Ah—” Evelyn stumbled and fell to the ground. A searing pain shot through her ankle, stifling her scream. The crowd didn't notice her, continuing to surge forward.
Evelyn lay on the ground, her ankle swelling rapidly, the skin already turning a dark purple. She struggled to get up but was stepped on repeatedly by the human tide. In her panic, she subconsciously screamed his name. “Damian!”
A sudden flashback hit her: the unexpected earthquake in college. The building shook violently, and ceiling debris rained down. Damian instantly threw himself over her, shielding her with his body, letting the rubble hit his back. “Evelyn, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
I won't let you be harmed as long as I have breath in my body. That’s what he had promised.
But now... Evelyn gritted her teeth, ignoring the intense pain, and searched for his familiar figure in the chaos.
She saw him. Damian was close by. His first reaction was to pull Sienna tightly into his embrace, using his large body to shield her from the impact. His hand protected the back of her head, his face etched with concern and anxiety.
He didn't look back at all, completely missing his wife lying on the ground behind him. He continued to shield his treasure, rushing Sienna toward the safety exit.
Evelyn’s gaze locked onto his retreating back. The man who had once shielded her from disaster was now protecting another woman. The memory of him desperately protecting her during the earthquake fractured against the reality of him abandoning her now.
A pain sharper than the one in her ankle tore through her heart.
Feet stamped on her arm and leg several times. She knew if she didn't get up, the child and she would be trampled to death. Evelyn bit back a cry, using every ounce of strength to pull herself up on her mangled ankle. She watched Damian and Sienna disappear around the corner, never looking back.
All illusions, all lingering attachment, turned to ashes in that moment.
Alone, she limped toward a different exit, moving against the panicked flow of people. Each step sent a fresh spike of agony through her ankle, but the emptiness in her chest was worse.
It was dark by the time Evelyn dragged herself back to the mansion. She kicked off the dusty, soiled shoe. Her right ankle was swollen like a balloon, with terrifying purple bruises spreading beneath the skin.
She used the wall for support, inching toward the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror in the living room. The woman in the glass was pale, her hair messy, her skirt dirty, and her eyes hollow. She let out a soft, broken laugh.
“In the end… I was just redundant.”
A single hot tear hit the cold marble floor, shattering into a tiny splash. A torrent of tears followed, blurring her vision.
Just then, her phone screen lit up. A message from Sienna.
She opened it: several high-resolution photos.
The first showed Damian in a hospital corridor, anxiously gripping Sienna's hand and talking to a doctor.
The second showed Sienna lying in a hospital bed, with Damian sitting beside her, peeling an apple, his profile tight with worry.
The third was a close-up of the VIP room nameplate.
Below the photos was a text line:
[Damian said I was traumatized and needs constant care. He also promised to protect me forever and never let me be harmed again!]
Evelyn stared at the screen, her fingertips trembling. The image of her screaming his name at the park, only to see him carry Sienna away without a backward glance, clashed violently with his long-ago promise: “I won’t let you be harmed as long as I have breath in my body.”
It was ridiculous. It was a joke. His protection, his kindness, all of it could be given to someone else. She was nobody.
Evelyn turned off her phone and curled up on the sofa, clutching her knees. The pain in her heart far outweighed the pain in her ankle. The cold, bright light of the living room illuminated her, but couldn't reach her soul. She closed her eyes, tears falling silently.