Chapter 2

Charlotte's POV

Three years ago, Xavier was supposed to go to the old building site for final inspection.

Mandy called him, crying that the debts from her family were suffocating her, begging him to come over.

Xavier changed course at the last minute and called me, asking me to go to the old building in his place for one last check.

I went.

That building had been abandoned too long. Old materials were still stuck in the walls, and several workers were inside moving things.

I'd just noticed cracks in the west load-bearing wall when I ordered everyone to evacuate immediately.

But it was too late.

When the building collapsed a second time, Adrian was trapped near the most dangerous wall.

I rushed over and pushed him out of the way. I was the one who got crushed underneath.

When they pulled me out, my left leg was covered in blood and my lumbar spine was injured.

The doctors saved my life, but they couldn't save my future.

After that, I couldn't stand for long, couldn't run, couldn't go back to fieldwork.

When the weather turned rainy, my old injury felt like someone was hammering nails into my bones.

Mandy had only been on the outer perimeter that day, getting her arm scratched by debris.

But in these three years, what Xavier remembered was that Mandy trembles whenever it rains, that she cries about nearly dying in that old building.

Meanwhile, dragging my injured leg, I became the one who handled things improperly and traumatized people.

Another rainy day.

I sat on the single sofa in the living room, my left leg stiff and aching.

My support brace lay at my feet. I bent down to fasten the buckle, my fingers trembling with pain.

There was movement at the door.

The driver brought Mandy inside.

She wore my heating blanket draped over her shoulders and had on the soft slippers I kept by the entrance, leaning against Xavier's side.

"The rain outside is too heavy."

Mandy's voice was soft.

"Whenever I hear rain, I think of the sound of the old building collapsing."

Xavier immediately helped her sit down.

He turned and saw me still fastening my brace, his brow furrowing.

"Stop fussing with that leg of yours."

He said.

"Get Mandy some water."

I braced myself against the sofa to stand up. The moment my left leg took weight, my knee buckled.

I fell back onto the sofa, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

Xavier's expression darkened immediately.

"The doctor said long ago that you can live normally."

He stared at me.

"Don't use your leg as an excuse every time I need you to do something."

Mandy quickly grabbed his sleeve.

"Xavier, don't talk to Charlotte like that."

Her eyes reddened slightly.

"She was injured that day too. Maybe she's really in pain."

Injured too.

Those four words from her mouth were as light as a speck of dust.

Three years of not being able to walk normally, reduced in her mouth to just "injured too."

I didn't argue.

I braced myself against the armrest and stood up again, not letting myself fall this time.

Xavier reached out as if to help me, but Mandy suddenly clutched her chest and drew in a sharp breath.

"I feel a bit suffocated... probably still afraid of the rain."

Xavier withdrew his hand.

He turned to help Mandy, his tone softening. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

I bent down to pick up the brace myself.

The strap scraped against my old injury and my vision went black with pain.

When Xavier looked back, he only saw me bowing my head, slowly tidying up. His voice grew colder.

"Mandy hasn't been able to sleep well whenever it rains these past few years. You should know that."

I looked up at him.

After a moment, I asked, "What temperature for the water?"

Xavier seemed blocked by my calm question and paused.

"Whatever. Just don't make a mess."

Mandy followed behind, wearing that heating blanket, softly reminding me.

"Charlotte, don't make it too cold. I can't drink cold water."

I walked toward the kitchen step by step.

My left leg dragged on the floor, each step heavy.

Steam quickly filled the kitchen.

I leaned against the counter for a long time, waiting for the shooting pain in my leg to pass before continuing.

Mandy stood in the doorway watching the water, then suddenly spoke.

"I still dream about that day three years ago."

I didn't turn around, just adjusted the temperature lower.

Mandy took a step forward, lowering her voice.

"I dream about the wall collapsing, dream about you not listening to advice and insisting on going in to show off."

My hand paused.

Mandy spoke again.

"Have you ever thought these past years that if you'd been more careful that day, I wouldn't have ended up like this."

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

Mandy immediately lowered her eyes, her fingers gripping the doorframe, looking like she'd just been bullied.

Xavier came in, first checking her expression, then looking at me.

He didn't ask what Mandy had said, only saying.

"Hurry up. Don't keep the patient waiting."

I turned off the heat and poured the water into a cup.

The cup was too hot. My wrist trembled and water splashed onto the back of my hand.

My skin immediately turned red.

Xavier saw it and only frowned.

"You can even make a scene out of pouring water."

I pushed the cup onto the tray without touching the burn.

That night, I returned to my room, my leg hurting too much to sleep.

The brace lay beside the bed, the strap still stained with water from the kitchen.

My computer screen glowed with an email at the top.

A preliminary approval notice from the Rescue Research Bureau, sent three minutes ago.

They approved my post-accident field assessment report and required me to submit supplementary materials within three days.

Subsequent procedures involved long-term overseas deployment, communication restrictions, and family risk confirmation.

After reading the email, I took the heating blanket that Mandy had worn during the day from the chair back and placed it at the bottom of a cardboard box.

Then I dragged out the file folder from the old building accident three years ago and placed it on my desk.

Rain still hadn't stopped outside the window.

I filled in the first line in the supplementary materials section.

Outside the door, Xavier's footsteps as he walked Mandy upstairs gradually grew closer.