Chapter 7

The murmurs of the guests reached Jennifer's ears loud and clear. A sharply dressed man lowered his voice. "I went to college with Mr. Faron and Ms. Miller. Back then, the way he spoiled her was pretty intense. He nearly proposed to her before they even graduated." Someone beside him exclaimed in realization. "No wonder! A first love will always be a first love. Even without being his wife, she'll always be the most important one." Another guest cast a disdainful glance at Jennifer. So what if someone schemed their way into marriage? Even if she gave birth to his kids, she still couldn't win his heart. She's destined to live a lonely life." Jennifer listened quietly. Her heart felt like it was wrapped in layers of ice. It was heavy, but she could no longer feel the pain. She took a deep breath and turned toward the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, a hand suddenly reached in to stop them. Samantha stepped in on her heels, and she smiled faintly at Jennifer. She locked eyes with Jennifer and said, "The divorce cooling-off period ends in three days. You'll stick to our agreement and leave, right?" Jennifer pressed the button for the first floor. "Of course. No one wants to leave more than I do." Samantha finally smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of this family for you. Leonard and the kids don't like you anyway. They'll slowly forget you." Jennifer said nothing as the elevator descended slowly. Suddenly, there was a deafening noise, and the elevator jolted violently before plunging into complete darkness. Samantha shrieked and fumbled for her phone. "Leonard! Help! The elevator's malfunctioning!" Jennifer slammed hard into the wall. Pain tore through her head and warm liquid trickled down her cheek. After some amount of time, frantic footsteps could be heard outside. "Is everyone okay in there?" A rescuer's voice came through the elevator doors. Samantha banged on the door. "Help us, quick! My leg's trapped!" The shrill screech of metal being pried open pierced the air, and a blinding beam of light spilled in. A rescuer peeked inside with a grim expression. "Mr. Faron, both women's legs are pinned by the collapsed door. But time is tight, and we can only save one. Who do you want us to help?" Through her blurred vision, Jennifer saw Leonard standing just behind the rescue team with the two children beside him. His eyes went straight to Samantha, and he said without the slightest hint of hesitation, "Save Samantha." "Save Aunt Sam first!" Yvonne and Yannick sobbed as they clutched the rescuers' sleeves. "Please hurry!" The rescuer frowned. "Mr. Faron, the other lady's injuries are more severe. We recommend saving her first." "I said, save Samantha!" Leonard's tone was as cold as ice. The rescuer sighed and reluctantly reached for Samantha. Jennifer watched them carefully pull Samantha out. Meanwhile, the elevator door, which was now missing half its support, gave off a terrifying creak. The twisted metal slammed down onto Jennifer's leg, and agonizing pain ripped through her like a wildfire. The last thing she saw was Leonard walking away, carrying Samantha in his arms. The two children skipped along behind him, cheering. Then, darkness swallowed her consciousness.