ManyWriters

My neighbor burst into my house, his voice a mix of fear and urgency, causing my heart to race.
"Maya, there's a fire at your factory!"
Without hesitation, I grabbed the nearest jacket and rushed out. The dark plume of smoke in the distance was unmistakable.
Upon reaching the factory entrance, I found chaos. My cousin Lucia and mother-in-law Evelyn were frantically trying to open the locked electronic door. Evelyn was pounding on it, her voice hoarse from yelling.
"We need to break this door down!" Evelyn cried, tears streaming down her face as she continued to hit the door.
Beside her, Lucia paced anxiously, her face red and sweaty. She waved her arms, shouting at the growing crowd of spectators.
"There's someone inside! We have to get this door open now!"
As soon as Lucia spotted me, her eyes filled with desperation and rage. She stumbled towards me, grabbing my arm for support before pointing at the blaze.
"Harvey's trapped inside!" she yelled, her voice cracking. "You need to save your husband! You've got the card and you're the only one who knows the password!"
Sweat trickled down my neck as I looked at the burning factory. My chest felt tight, but I shook my head calmly, my voice steady amid the chaos.
"We should call the fire department for assistance," I said, taking out my phone. My fingers moved slowly across the screen, a stark contrast to the frantic atmosphere around me.
Evelyn whirled to face me, her expression contorting with rage. Her voice quivered as she pointed an accusing finger at me.
"He went in there looking for your accounting records, and now it's on fire! How can you just stand here watching? Are you even human?"
I met her gaze without flinching. Her wild eyes searched mine for any sign of emotion, but I merely shrugged, my nonchalance only fueling her anger.
"The fire's too dangerous," I stated. "What if I get injured?"

Wife's Cold Revenge in a Fiery Inferno

"Stop wasting your time. You're worthless. I'm through with you," Lucia said icily. Her expression was one of revulsion.


"Why haven't you left yet?" Evelyn screamed, her words piercing the atmosphere. She marched towards me, her eyes wild with anger. "Are you trying to make him endure more?" She pushed me roughly, her slim fingers pressing into my upper arms.


"You're only here to cause him more pain, aren't you?" she hissed, her warm breath on my cheeks. "I won't allow a snake like you near my boy ever again!" Her body shook with anger as she went on, her voice rising to a near-screech, "I'll make sure my son ends this marriage. We're finished with you. Leave us alone!"


I looked at Harvey, who was unresponsive, then back at her, my face blank. I spoke quietly and steadily. "That's not your decision, is it? And you might be taken aback by what your son desires."


Evelyn's face contorted with intense anger, her skin mottled and flushed. Her eyes grew large. "How dare you?!" she yelled, her voice breaking. She moved to step closer, but Lucia restrained her, murmuring something in her ear, while still glaring at me fiercely.


Close by, a crowd of onlookers drew nearer, their smartphones still aimed at us, recording every moment of the clash. The flashing lights from the ambulance bounced off their faces, making their looks of mockery and condemnation seem even more pronounced.


"Did you catch what she just said? How can she be so confident her husband won't leave her?" someone commented loudly.


"Does she think he can't survive without her?" another voice added sarcastically.


"How disgusting. The nerve of her to say such a thing!"


"Perhaps she's blackmailing him? That poor man is probably being forced to stay married to her," a man remarked, shaking his head in disapproval.


Their comments merged into a dissonant chorus of disdain and criticism, but I remained unmoved. I met their gazes directly. What did I care about their views? They were just spectators—strangers who fed on drama. The wave of accusations and gossip they'd help circulate didn't intimidate me. In fact, it was precisely what I had anticipated.


4#04