Ashes of Our Affection

Cole Hartness has abandoned me in the snow mountain for a week. By the time the search-and-rescue team finds me, I'm practically on my deathbed.

Cole remains high and mighty even when surrounded by the others.

"Rach is kind enough to forgive you even though you almost killed her in the snow mountain. If it wasn't for her pleading for your sake, you'd be staying here for another week.

"Our engagement banquet shall be delayed. We'll only proceed with it once Rach makes a full recovery."

Cole is already prepared for my impending tantrum. After all, he knows that I've been looking forward to the engagement banquet for a long time.

But I reply obediently, "Okay."

For a few moments, Cole finds himself stunned.

"You owe Rach this much! Once she's done recovering, we'll get engaged! Stop being so unreasonable—"

"Cole, I'd like to rest for a while," I cut him off before closing my eyes tiredly.

What Cole doesn't know is that I've already decided to leave him the moment he makes the decision to ditch me in the mountain.

That is, if I can survive the avalanche.

When I woke up, I found myself alone on a snowy mountain.

Cole Hartness had abandoned me there, leaving only a note with a sharp message he'd scrawled. "Isabel, stay where you are and reflect on the things you've done. I'll come get you in a week."

At first, I kept imagining him suddenly showing up to take me away. After all, no one worried about my safety more than he did.

But it was as if fate were determined to go against me. Instead of Cole coming to get me, an avalanche arrived first.

I ran. The icy wind knifed down my throat in greedy bursts. My lungs burned with every gasp. As time passed, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heartbeat.

My numb legs moved on autopilot. Then, I stumbled and crashed to the ground. The roar behind me grew louder and louder. I watched helplessly as the wall of snow swallowed me whole.

Right before I blacked out, I told myself that if I somehow survived this, I would be done with Cole. I wouldn't want him anymore.

Somehow, against all odds, I did survive. Then, I clung to life until a rescue team found me.

I lay on a hospital bed, listening quietly as a doctor delivered his verdict.

Because I'd been trapped on the mountain for too long, my eyesight had deteriorated sharply, my vocal cords were damaged, and almost all my organs showed different degrees of failure. At most, I would only live until 30.

Upon hearing that, Cole grabbed the doctor by the collar. His eyes were bloodshot as he barked, "Isn't modern medicine supposed to be advanced? What do you mean she can only live to 30?

"She's only 24, and you're telling me she only has six years left? She was just stuck on a mountain for a