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Chapter 176

Suzanne found herself teetering on the brink of losing
consciousness. It was as if she had been swallowed by an endless abyss of despair and fear. She
trembled in the water, unable to catch a single breath.
In that fleeting moment, death loomed close, and Nathan’s image flashed through her mind. Confronted
with the specter of death, he was the sole anchor she clung to desperately.
In a startling twist of events, Sally abruptly released her grip, instead simulating a struggle as if she
were drowning, her cries for help piercing the air. “Help!”
Suzanne faintly heard Sally’s desperate pleas, followed by the sound of two splashes.
Her consciousness teetered on the edge as fear filled her, yet she persisted in her struggle, bobbing up
and down in the water.
As she emerged from the water’s surface, her hazy eyes caught a glimpse of Nathan’s figure, carrying
Sally toward the shore..
Was it an illusion? Why was Nathan here? Did he just save Sally?
The unsettling sensation of dread assured Suzanne that this was no dream. Nathan had returned,
opting to rescue the drowning Sally over
her, who could not swim. In that instant, Suzanne’s heart turned cold.
Closing her eyes, she surrendered wholly to the struggle. Inch by inch, her body descended,
suffocating in the chilling embrace of the water, the eerie weightlessness plaguing her in her final
moments.
Suzanne found her head breaking the water’s surface abruptly. She was lifted upward by a pair of large
hands. In the haze of her
consciousness, she heard Oliver’s voice anxiously shouting, “Hold on
there!”
But she had no desire to cling to life. Death appeared more appealing. Life was a burden too heavy to
bear, too painful to endure, and she was uncertain how to confront the future.
In the inky blackness of the abyss, Suzanne felt weightless as she descended deeper and deeper.
Abruptly, a jolt shook her, and she felt her soul returning to her body. As her eyes snapped open, above
her stretched the white ceiling tiles. Her gaze gradually shifted to take in the hospital surroundings.
There, she saw Nathan’s solemn eyes, accompanied by Oliver by his side.
“Suzy.” Nathan’s voice was laced with concern as he tightly held Suzanne’s hand. “Are you feeling
unwell?”
His touch, ever warm, contrasted with Suzanne’s icy fingertips. She’ withdrew her hand slowly, hesitant
to engage with him.
Nathan’s expression faltered as he observed Suzanne’s retreat distant gaze. A pang of pain tugged at
his heart.
In the frenzy of rescuing Sally, Nathan failed to notice Suzanne submerged beneath the water. Sally
had always suffered from
aquaphobia since childhood, a fear that prevented her from learning to swim.
As he swam back with Sally in his arms, Suzanne suddenly struggled to the surface from below.
At that moment, Oliver had already swum toward Suzanne, driven by the urgency of saving lives.
Nathan couldn’t leave Sally, who couldn’t swim, behind.
Little did he expect that while Sally emerged unscathed, it was
Suzanne, who could swim, who nearly drowned in the pool.
Approaching Suzanne, Oliver spoke softly, concern evident in his voice. “You scared me. You weren’t
breathing when I pulled you out of the water. Luckily, I’m a doctor, and I was able to bring you back.”
Suzanne’s heart bled. Tears welled in her eyes, yet she refused to let them fall, determined not to shed
a single tear over this futile love.
She turned to Oliver, expressing her gratitude weakly. “Thank you for saving my life, Dr. Hoffis.”
Oliver smiled gently. “Your well-being is what matters most. No need for thanks.”
Suzanne spoke softly, her voice feeble, “Could you both leave? I’d like to be alone.”
Nathan leaned in with his hand resting on the bed’s headboard. He reached out to her and inquired,
“Let me stay with you, please?”
Closing her eyes, Suzanne felt the sharp pain in her heart intensify. She turned her head away.
“Nathan, I don’t want to see you anymore.”
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