The evacuated townspeople had already returned, and Mayor Thompson, seeing me, kept thanking me profusely. He then asked,
Alex, where are your in–laws? I haven’t seen them.”
I replied grimly, “They refused to leave with me. They even locked me out of the house. With the avalanche moments away, I had
no choice but to leave.”
Mayor Thompson stomped his foot in frustration. “That old Thorne! Why wouldn’t he listen to you? They might not have made it!”
I said nothing, joining the arriving rescue teams to assist. Two hours later, the rescue team pulled two frozen bodies from the deep
snow, Elara’s parents were dead, just like that! Even more tragically, they were the only two fatalities in the entire avalanche
Chapter 2
10.07
Mayor Thompson patted my shoulder. “You should inform their daughter, Elara. Oh, when that girl finds out, who knows how devas-
tated she’ll be!”
I nodded, then called Elara. However, each time I called, it indicated her line was busy, but I knew she had blocked me. I had no
choice but to text her.
Elara, your parents died in the avalanche. Come back quickly!
Fearing she wouldn’t believe me, I even took a photo of her parents‘ bodies and sent it along. Yet, after half an hour, there was still
no response from her. It seemed she was still having a grand time with Chris.
I had already decided to divorce Elara, so naturally, I wasn’t in a position to handle her parents‘ remains. I said my goodbyes to
Mayor Thompson and drove back to the city.
Many things happened next. Because of the avalanche, Director Miller and the superior I’d contacted were both dismissed. As for
me, the Director of the Center personally invited me back to work, promoting me by one rank. When reporters swarmed to intervi-
ew him, Mayor Thompson spoke of me without hesitation, calling me Willow Creek Town’s savior. He declared that without me,
countless more lives would have been lost. I instantly became a hero lauded by the media. But I felt nothing about it. I had simply
done what I believed was right, to the best of my ability.
Elara returned home two days later, with Chris by her side. Chris, seeing my expressionless face, taunted me maliciously. “Why the
long face, buddy? Did someone die in your family?”
I ignored him, turning instead to Elara. “Did you see the messages I sent over the past two days?”
A flicker of guilt crossed her face, almost imperceptible. Chris chuckled, pulling out Elara’s phone and waving it in front of me. “You
mean this phone? I powered it off for Elara ages ago, just to spare her from your constant harassment.”
Elara gave him an adoring look, then turned to me, her eyes filled with cold disdain. “Alex, have you spent the last two days reflecti-
ng? Do you know what you did wrong?”
She hadn’t contacted me for two days, and it was to make me reflect? If it hadn’t been for her utter foolishness, her parents wouldn
‘t have died! Elara, without waiting for my answer, pulled Chris away. She led him to the master bedroom. A moment later, the sou-
nd of rushing water filled the air; they were showering together.
I couldn’t stand it for another second. I strode quickly into the bedroom and yanked open the bathroom door. Sure enough, beneath the shower spray, those two were locked in an embrace. Elara saw me and visibly panicked, trying to pull away from Chris. Chris, however, held her even tighter, then looked at me defiantly. “See, buddy? Elara and I are the real couple. Who are you, anyway?”
I tossed the divorce papers onto the washing machine, my voice devoid of emotion. “Elara, we’re getting a divorce.”
Elara clutched Chris even tighter, then looked at me with cold arrogance. “Are you sure, Alex? If we divorce, you’ll be left with absol-
utely nothing.”
“I’m absolutely sure,”
“You said it yourself!” She seemed infuriated. She snatched a pen from my hand, swiftly signed the divorce papers, then flung them
hard at my face. Seeing her signature, a profound sense of relief washed over me.
However, there was one more thing I needed to tell her. “Elara, when do you plan to handle your parents‘ remains? Mayor Thomps- on said if you don’t go soon, they’ll be sent to the funeral home.”
