Chapter 3

The island was a small, brutal society. There was the wreckage, a small stash of emergency supplies, and fifteen scared, hungry people. The supplies were inventoried by Liam, who was the natural leader, and Mike, who appointed himself second-in-command. They rationed everything: a few bottles of water, some high-energy biscuits, and a first-aid kit.

The first distribution was a tense affair. Everyone got their small share. I took my single biscuit and half-bottle of water and retreated to a corner, wanting to be alone.

But Sarah, Mike' s girlfriend, followed me. "Hey," she said, looking at my small portion. "You look like you could use some more. I' ll trade you my water for your biscuit. I' m not really hungry."

I knew she was lying. Everyone was starving. She just wanted the solid food. "No, thank you," I said flatly.

"Come on," she wheedled. "Don' t be selfish. We all have to share."

Before I could answer, Ethan' s voice cut in from behind me. "Give her the biscuit, Chloe."

I turned to see him standing there, Tiffany clinging to his arm. His face was set in a hard, disapproving line. He was still weak, but he carried himself with an authority that no one questioned.

"What?" I asked, stunned.

"Sarah is dehydrated," he said, though Sarah looked no more or less thirsty than anyone else. "You have water. Give her your biscuit."

It wasn' t a request. It was an order. He was using his power over me, the power of our shared past, to publicly humiliate me and strip me of my meager resources.

I stared at him, my heart pounding with a fresh wave of disbelief and anger. "This is my share," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "Everyone got the same."

"Don' t be difficult," he said, his voice cold. He took a step closer, towering over me. "Give it to her. Now."

Tiffany watched from behind him, a smug, triumphant smile on her face. She was enjoying this. She was enjoying seeing me put in my place.

My hand holding the biscuit felt heavy. I looked from Ethan' s cold, unforgiving face to Sarah' s greedy one, and then to Tiffany' s victorious smirk. I felt a hundred pairs of eyes on me. I was being judged, condemned.

Slowly, I held out the biscuit. Sarah snatched it from my hand and scurried away, not even a word of thanks.

Ethan gave a curt nod, as if I had finally done the right thing. "Good," he said, before turning and walking away with Tiffany, leaving me alone and empty-handed.

I stood there for a long moment, the water bottle feeling cold in my hand. The shock was so profound it left me breathless. He had always been my protector. Now he was my tormentor, siding with strangers against me, all to appease his fiancée.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But I did neither. I just felt a cold, hard knot of resolve tightening in my stomach. I would not let them break me.

I turned my back on the group and started walking into the jungle. I needed to be alone, to think, to find a way to survive on my own terms. My mind was sharp, focused. I remembered the lessons my foster dad taught me. I found a vine that I knew held fresh water and drank my fill. I found a patch of edible ferns.

The group was planning. Liam was organizing a team to build a large signal fire on the highest point of the island. Another team was tasked with reinforcing the shelters. It was a good plan, a plan for survival.

I walked back to the camp, my mind made up. I found Liam. "I want to help with the signal fire," I said.

He looked surprised. "It' s a long, tough climb, Chloe. And you' ll need to carry heavy wood."

"I can do it," I said, my voice firm.

He studied my face for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. We need all the help we can get."

As the group assigned for the climb gathered, Tiffany' s voice piped up. "I' ll go too! I want to help."

Ethan immediately protested. "No, Tiffany. It' s too dangerous. You should stay here where it' s safe."

"But I want to do my part," she insisted, looking around with a martyred expression. "I can' t just sit here and do nothing."

I knew she had no intention of doing any real work. She just wanted to be near Ethan, and she wanted to make sure I didn' t get any time alone with him.

Liam, ever the diplomat, agreed. "The more the merrier."

As we prepared to leave, Liam handed me a sturdy pair of hiking boots that had been recovered from the wreckage. "Here," he said quietly. "These should fit you. They' ll be better than those flimsy shoes you' re wearing."

I looked down at my torn sneakers. "Thank you, Liam," I said, genuinely grateful. He was the only one who had shown me any kindness.

"Don' t mention it," he said with a small smile. "We have to look out for each other."

As I was lacing up the boots, I saw Ethan out of the corner of my eye. He was talking to Tiffany, and he subtly passed her a small, sealed packet of high-energy protein bars that he had clearly hidden away from the communal supplies. They were meant for her, a secret stash to make her journey easier. He hadn' t offered any to me, or to anyone else. It was another small, sharp betrayal. Another reminder that in his eyes, I was less than nothing.

I finished tying my laces, my movements precise and angry. I stood up and met Liam' s gaze. He had seen it too. He didn' t say anything, but the look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He understood. He was on my side.

It wasn't much, but it was enough. I wasn't completely alone. And that gave me the strength to face the climb ahead.