Chapter 1 I almost drowned

Violet

"Between you and me, Violet, if we both fell into the water, who do you think he'd save?" Nora asked, a wicked grin curling on her lips.

"What-" I barely got the word out before she turned toward the pool, her smile deepening. And without warning, she grabbed my hand and dragged us both under.

If your partner of four years and your childhood sweetheart both fell into a pool, and neither of them could swim, who would you save?

Who would you run to first without thinking?

Most men would say their girlfriend. That's the obvious answer, isn't it?

So why... why did Matthew run past me, his girlfriend, and dive straight toward her?

His childhood sweetheart.

"Nora!!" he screamed, jumping into the water. He reached her in seconds, pulling her limp body into his arms, and he carried her out of the water.

Water rushed into my mouth and nose before I could even scream. I tried to float, but my body refused. My arms flailed, my hands slapped against the surface, but I couldn't stay up. I was sinking.

And to make it worse, he didn't even look back at me.

"Nora! Nora, wake up! Please, wake up!" Matthew shouted, his voice cracking with desperation, as if he couldn't imagine a world without her, as if she were the love of his life. And there I was, his girlfriend of four years, still struggling in the pool, about to die.

How ironic. Was I really going to die like this?

It was too cruel, embarrassing, and stupid.

People would talk. They'd whisper over my grave,

'That's the girl whose boyfriend let her drown to save another woman.'

This was so unfair. What did I do to deserve this? I've always been there for him. I sacrificed so much for him. I did everything I could to make him happy.

So why? Why would he choose the woman who gave him nothing? How does that make any sense?

"God, she's awake! Nora, are you okay?" His voice was full of relief.

Wasn't I still in the water?

I blinked through the stinging chlorine, catching one last glimpse of Matthew, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his eyes locked on her face.

"Hey, dude, your girlfriend is still in the water!" someone shouted.

Matthew turned, his gaze snapping to me, like he'd just remembered I existed.

"Violet!" he yelled, but it was too late. I couldn't breathe.

The world dimmed. My limbs went heavy. I was about to die until I felt a splash beside me.

Someone dove in.

I couldn't see his face clearly, but strong arms wrapped around my waist. Warm lips pressed against mine, forcing air into my lungs. I clung to his chest as he swam, dragging me upward until my back hit the cold, rough concrete ledge.

His lips found mine again, followed by firm pressure against my chest.

I jolted upright, coughing hard as water spewed from my mouth. Gasping for air, I tried to blink. A warm hand moved in gentle circles across my back.

I almost died.

"Violet! Are you okay?" Matthew asked.

I looked up at him. He was still kneeling, soaked to the bone. I followed his hands. One of them was resting gently on Nora's back, the other curled protectively around hers. He seemed to finally realize I was looking at his hands, because he pulled his hand away.

She grabbed it. "I-I'm so scared, Matthew. And cold..."

Without hesitation, he peeled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then he hugged her close again.

I bit my lip so hard it nearly bled.

I was cold too. My body was still shaking from the water, my teeth clattering.

Tears stung my eyes. I didn't want to cry in front of them. Especially not when she was snuggled against him like a rescued damsel and I looked like the spare.

He looked at me, and said softly, "Try to understand, Violet. Nora...she's sick."

My voice trembled. "I-Is that why you chose to save her? Is that why you let your girlfriend drown?"

He flinched, and paused.

Answer me, Matthew.

"Is that it?" I said, voice sharper. "You think her life is more important than mine? Because she's sick?"

I waited.

I wanted him to say no. To say I was wrong. To say he panicked, to say anything that made me feel like I still mattered.

Some part of me knew that he knew what he did was wrong.

If he would just admit it, if he would apologize...maybe I could forgive him.

Instead, he sighed, and looked down at her. "Don't be dramatic, Violet. You didn't die. You're alive, aren't you."

I stared at him. My words stopped working for a moment.

He went on. "Nora could've gotten worse. If she'd stayed in the water too long, she might've-"

"You think that justifies it?" I said, a little louder now. My hands were fists. "You think it's okay because I didn't actually die?"

He didn't answer. Didn't he see the wedge that had been forming ever since she came back into our lives had finally split us in two?

The late nights, the distant eyes, the lack of intimacy, we fought over nothing. And every time I brought it up, he said the same thing.

"You're just jealous."

"She's sick."

"I'm just helping."

Nora was his first love.

They met in the orphanage, they were two broken kids clinging to each other. He used to talk about her like she was the only light he had back then. But she left him when they were teenagers for someone richer.

A year later, after Matthew was adopted by the most powerful man in the country, she came back. Since then, she'd been doing everything she could to make me look like the crazy, jealous woman, and this was just another part of her scheme.

I was waiting for Matthew to finish talking to some business partners when she just walked up to me and pushed me into the pool.

My heart pounded. I was tired of everything.

Why couldn't he just see her for who she was? I looked at her and saw the small, victorious smirk on her lips, like she had won.

I glared at Matthew and yelled, "She should've thought about her health before pushing both of us into the pool."