Chapter 3

Wave after wave of pain washes over me, driving me to the brink of despair. Even breathing is a struggle.

It feels like a hand is tearing through my insides.

The will to live forces me to clench my teeth, desperately trying to drag my body out.

A warm torrent flows from beneath me, and my breathing grows heavier. Just as my strength gives out...

A hurried figure stops in front of me.

It's James's boss from the precinct. He crouches down, his eyes widening in shock when he sees it's me.

He carefully scans the area, wanting to help, but the cedar tree is too large and tangled with power lines. A few broken cables, soaked by the melting snow, are already sparking. Trying to rescue me without professional tools would be incredibly dangerous.

My entire body is soaked in blood, especially my lower half, as if I'm submerged in a pool of it.

People from the nearby shops run out holding umbrellas. Seeing my agony, they don't dare get close, but they help by continuously calling for an ambulance and the police.

The crowd exclaims, “Oh my God, she's pregnant! Where's her husband? How could he let her go out alone in a blizzard like this?”

“Where are the ambulance and the police? Why aren't they here yet? She's losing too much blood. This is too dangerous.”

“The ambulance is on its way. I just called 911. I told them someone was crushed by a tree here in Central Park, and the dispatcher actually said they needed to verify it! It's unbelievable.”

Upon hearing this, Police Captain's face instantly darkened. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and dialed an internal emergency number. As soon as the call connected, he unleashed a furious tirade.

“Where's James? His wife was crushed by a cedar tree in Central Park, and her life is in danger! Where the hell is he? Why wasn't a rescue team dispatched? I take one day off, and the entire dispatch center falls apart? You treated all those emergency calls like pranks?”

“Let me tell you, if anything happens to her, I’ll have all your badges. Consider this the start of an Internal Affairs investigation!”

Less than fifteen minutes later, Mike rushed over with his team.

What they saw was me, pinned tightly under the cedar tree. My face was pale, almost translucent, and the blood from beneath me had already pooled onto the street, its startling red refusing to be diluted even by the melting snow.

“Emma...” he stood frozen in place, his expression a mask of panic.

But I was too exhausted. I didn't even have the strength to lift my head to look at him.

“I... I didn't know you were really in trouble. James said you were faking it. I thought you were just putting on an act because you were jealous of Rebecca.”

The Superintendent roared, “What are you waiting for? Save her now!”

The pedestrians on the sidewalk also began to point and murmur, speaking up in my defense.

“Your station is just two blocks away. It wouldn't even take ten minutes to walk here. We made dozens of calls, and it still took you almost an hour to respond. A few more minutes and she would’ve been gone.”

“Exactly! This woman is pregnant, and she's lost so much blood. Forget the baby, we don't even know if she'll make it. Is your department going to answer for that?”

So much for ‘To Protect and Serve.”

Hearing this, Mike couldn't meet their eyes, his face burning with shame.