Chapter 1 His Choice

Sophia's POV

The mall collapsed, burying both Jared's first love's daughter and my daughter under the rubble.

Jared Anderson was my husband and a firefighter. He chose to rescue his ex's daughter, leaving our little girl behind.

...

"Sweetheart, hang in there." I knelt over the debris, cupping Molly's face in my hands.

She lay trapped beneath a thick slab of concrete, her tiny, delicate face covered in dust. Blood was trickling from scratches on her cheeks.

Only her head and one hand were free, and that hand was clutching a bear toy—one she'd carefully picked out as a birthday gift for Jared.

"Will Daddy still get my present?" she whispered, her voice quivering.

Today was Jared's birthday. We were supposed to go pick him up from the fire station after buying his gift.

But the moment we stepped out of the store, there was a deafening crash, followed by clouds of choking dust. Fragments of the ceiling rained down, one hitting my head hard.

We were trapped under the rubble. I'd managed to crawl out a bit, but Molly was completely pinned.

"Somebody, help us!" I shouted desperately, sweeping away debris as fast as I could.

"Mama, it hurts so bad. Can I still see Dad?" Her bright eyes, usually filled with so much joy, were now wide with fear.

She looked up at me, her lips barely moving as she whispered. My heart shattered at the sight.

"Daddy will come, sweetheart. He's the best firefighter out there," I said, gripping her hand tight.

The air was filled with the anguished cries of others trapped around us. But there was nothing I could do.

"I'm here with you, sweetheart. You're gonna be fine," I kept repeating, pushing at the massive slab trapping her.

But it was immovable. My hands were raw and bleeding, and still, the slab wouldn't budge.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared. It was Jared dressed in his firefighter gear.

He was lifting a little girl onto a stretcher. Relief flooded me. He was finally here.

"Over here, Jared! Molly is trapped under this slab!" I shouted.

He heard me and rushed toward us. But just as he reached for his tools, his phone rang.

"Jared, please, help!" It was his first love, Charlotte.

"I see you, Jared," she said, her voice raw with panic. "I'm to your right. My daughter's trapped under the rocks. Please, you have to save her."

I was surprised that she was also there.

"I'll send someone to help. Don't worry." He tried to calm her.

"No, Jared, please," she begged. "My daughter has a heart condition. She can't hold on much longer. Please, help her."

He froze, tools in hand.

"Jared?" I whispered.

He knelt beside Molly and stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you're a tough girl. You can hold on a little longer. Daddy will send someone to help you soon, okay? There is a girl who has heart problems. I have to get to her."

"What?" I grabbed his wrist, my voice cracking with rage and disbelief.

But he shook me off. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Molly is your daughter! She's in critical condition, and you're just going to abandon her? What the hell, Jared?" I yelled.

"Molly can hold on a bit longer, right?" he said.

He seemed oblivious to Molly's pallor, and I struggled to comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.

"I'll send my team right away," he assured, attempting to reach out to me, but I pushed him back.

"You're already here. You could save Molly right now!" I cried, desperate.

"Don't do this, Sophia," he said, looking away. "I'm a firefighter, and I have to help those in greater need."

He looked down at Molly one last time. "I love you, sweetheart. I always do."

With that, he stood up and rushed off.

"No! Come back!" I cried out, but his figure vanished into the chaos, leaving me screaming into the void.