Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Oliver almost dove at the same time, but he missed her and ended up jumping down too.

I was totally freaked out!

Giselle, the one who initially wanted to jump, was still standing on the railing, screaming like a lunatic.

Ethan took a few steps forward, yanked her down, not exactly gently, and tossed her aside.

My legs turned to jelly as I rushed to the edge of the railing to look down.

A big crowd had gathered below, and there was an air cushion in the middle. Two people were lying on it, completely still.

"Are they still alive?" My voice was shaking.

Ethan looked down, his face serious. "They're probably alive but definitely banged up."

I turned and bolted downstairs.

As we left the rooftop, Giselle was still sitting on the ground, looking totally out of it.

I figured she wouldn't jump again; a one-person show was hard to keep going.

In less than a minute, we had rushed downstairs and pushed through the crowd.

Oliver and Bella were sprawled out on the air cushion, eyes open but not moving. It was unclear if they were seriously hurt or just in shock.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked, worried.

They didn't answer me.

Having been a nurse before, I knew that without knowing the extent of their injuries, we shouldn't move them. So we anxiously waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Oliver reached out and found Bella's hand, moving closer to her.

Suddenly, Oliver made a somewhat laborious turn and directly pressed Bella beneath him in front of everyone.

"Get off," Bella said irritably, probably afraid he might do something inappropriate.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Oliver propped himself up on either side of her, his eyes red and glaring at her, his voice hoarse.

"And you're not?" Bella seemed calm, but her eyes were also a bit red.

I could imagine their feelings now, thinking they were doomed but still alive-it was like a dream. Recalling the terrifying moments just now, the fear alone could make someone break down. Ignoring the many eyes watching, Oliver suddenly kissed Bella fiercely. Bella tried to push him away, but he held her head firmly as if he wanted to devour her.

It was a kiss after a close call, so intense that it looked painful.

I could imagine their feelings at that moment-excitement, fear, and love, all mixed.

And in my heart, I felt relieved.

Thank goodness, they were both alive.

Later, I found out that Ethan had called the police in advance, and they had prepared an air cushion downstairs, saving their lives. The ambulance arrived and rushed them to the hospital. The test results came back: Oliver had two busted ribs, and Bella had a broken leg.

Both got checked into the ortho department.

When they were sorting out the rooms, Oliver asked if they could be in the same ward.

Seeing them lying on separate beds, I felt a weird mix of relief and amusement.

But hey, better this than losing them.

Ethan didn't stick around long at the hospital; he got a call from work and bounced.

Frank showed up with a bag of apples. I peeled one, sliced it in half, and handed it to the injured duo.

Oliver, with one hand behind his head and the other holding the apple, joked, "I think we're a perfect match; even our injuries complement each other. I hurt my back; you hurt your leg."

Bella rolled her eyes and called him an idiot. "Are you stupid for jumping down after me?"

Oliver wasn't even mad, just kept grinning like a fool. "How could I think so much in that moment? I was just worried about you, thinking if Death dared to take you, I'd chase you to the underworld to bring you back." Bella snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. With your physical condition, you think you can outrun Death?"

Oliver was momentarily speechless, took a big bite of the apple, chewed slowly, and finally said, "I'll show you my physical condition in bed someday."

They were like a pair of bickering lovers, always arguing. But maybe that's why they seemed so in sync.

Honestly, the moment Oliver jumped after her really shocked me.

As he said, he didn't have time to think at that moment; his actions were purely instinctual.

Such a precious instinct must be supported by true love, right?

I went to get some hot water, and when I turned back, I saw Giselle standing at the door.

She seemed to want to come in but was hesitant.

The current Giselle was completely different from the one who had gone crazy on the rooftop. She now looked like a kid who had made a big mistake and didn't know what to do. She eventually walked up to Oliver's bed. ;"Oliver, are you okay?"

Her voice was small, but the concern in her eyes was real.

Oliver snorted and tossed the apple core into the trash can by the bed. "Still alive, barely."

Giselle lowered her head and said sadly, "I don't know how things turned out this way. I really didn't want to hurt you."

Oliver's expression stayed cold, and Bella played with her phone without saying a word.

I sat on the side and soon got a message.

I opened it; it was from Bella: [Emily, should I push her off the building to get even, or just give her a good beating? Look at her now, she makes me want to puke.]

I glanced at Bella, trying not to laugh, and shot back a message: [Chill out. Oliver knows what's up and he's already giving her the cold shoulder.]

Just as I hit send, two cops walked into the room, one after the other.

One of them got straight to the point.

"You two fell from the building, right? We've already checked the scene and talked to some witnesses. Looks like this might be a case of intentional harm. We're here to get your statements and figure out what happened." Giselle started shaking, looking all kinds of nervous.

Bella was quiet for a moment, then stared at the cop and asked, "If the charges stick, what happens?"

The cop replied, "Prison time, life imprisonment, or the death penalty, depending on how bad it is."

When Giselle pushed Bella on the rooftop, she probably never thought it could get this serious.

Bella stayed silent, deep in thought.

Giselle's eyes were full of panic as she looked to Oliver for help.

Oliver lowered his eyes, his silence showing his inner conflict.

This wasn't what he wanted either.

The cop opened his notebook and reminded them, "We can start now. Tell us exactly what happened; the more detailed, the better."

Oliver seemed at a loss for words.

Suddenly, Bella's lips curved into a smile, and she said lightly, "Actually, we were just a few friends messing around. Things got a bit out of hand, and we accidentally fell. Some bystanders who didn't know what was going on probably thought someone was trying to jump, so they called the cops. We're really sorry, we won't do it again."

We were all surprised, especially Giselle.

She must not have expected that the person she pushed off the building would clear her of any wrongdoing.

The cop frowned, looking skeptical. ;"Really? You need to tell the truth. The law is fair and will give you justice."

Bella nodded repeatedly, insisting. "The truth, of course. If someone really wanted to harm me, wouldn't I tell you right away so you could arrest them?"

The cop asked a few more routine questions, took notes, and then left.

Giselle stood there dumbfounded, her face full of disbelief.

After a long while, she finally asked softly, "Why?"

Bella smiled innocently at her. "Come here."

Giselle clutched her clothes but eventually walked over.

Bella suddenly propped herself up and slapped her hard.

Giselle held her face, staring at her in shock.

Bella looked at her coldly. "You slapped me at the bar that day. This slap is for that."

Giselle silently took the slap, knowing she owed Bella big time.

Oliver didn't say a word about Bella's actions.

Bella continued, "I've returned the slap, but do you want to know what a broken leg feels like?"

Giselle's eyes filled with fear as she stared at her.

Even though Giselle was standing and Bella was sitting, she couldn't overpower Bella's presence.

Looking back, Giselle's earlier madness seemed like she was possessed. She wasn't really someone who had the guts to risk everything.

Bella mocked, "When the cops came, you were so scared you could barely stand, right? Weren't you not afraid of death? Are you afraid of prison?"

Giselle bit her lip for a long time before finally speaking, "When I saw Oliver jump after you, I knew I could never drive you away from him. You've already taken root in his heart, and there's no room for me."

Giselle lifted her chin, trying to hold back her tears. As she turned to leave, I could still see her heartbroken expression.

I couldn't judge whether her feelings for Oliver were pure. After all, she hadn't been pure before and had been defeated by reality. Maybe it was after being hurt that she remembered the good in him, but in the process of hurting and being hurt, how much love can be rekindled?

Oliver hesitated several times, and I knew he was grateful to Bella for what she did regarding Giselle, but saying thank you didn't seem right. He had no reason to speak for Giselle.

In the end, he simply said sincerely, "Bella, I'll spend my whole life treating you well."

Even I, as an outsider, was moved by his words. I could see Bella was touched too; even though she didn't show it on her face, I knew her.

After a long while, Bella finally laughed and scolded, "Can you not be so sappy?"

It was the first time Bella seemed a bit embarrassed.

Oliver also laughed foolishly.

I bought them dinner, and after they finished eating, Ethan called, saying he was just off work and would come to the hospital to pick me up.

In late autumn and early winter, it got dark quite early.

When I stepped out of the hospital, I didn't see Ethan's car, so I stood by the roadside, waiting.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see three men. The one in the middle was pressing down on my shoulder with one hand and holding something against my waist with the other. The two on the sides used their bodies to block the view.

I looked down and saw a shiny knife pressed against my waist.