To vent his anger for my adopted sister, my husband, Liam, the captain of the local Search and Rescue team, left me—three months pregnant—stranded on a snowy mountain. That same day, an avalanche hit. Buried under the snow, crying, I dialed the SAR emergency line. "Help, this is Maya... There was an avalanche. I'm buried." The person on the other end let out a cold scoff. "Ms. Davis, Captain Sterling already gave us a heads-up. He said you’d try to maliciously tie up our resources today." "He told us to ignore you completely." The line went dead. I immediately called my parents. Hearing my sobs, their tone was full of impatience. "Maya, Chloe has always had a weak constitution." "Yet you intentionally locked her out of the house and made her catch a fever." "Sending you to the mountain was just to teach you a lesson." I dialed Liam's number one last time. He only gave a cold reply: "Stop acting crazy and think about what you did." The final wave of the avalanche completely buried me. Before I closed my eyes, my blood soaked through the white snow. And yet, in my fading vision, I imagined him holding my adopted sister's hand, slowly walking toward me... ... "Help... Avalanche... I'm buried near the North Ridge base camp..." The snow was already past my waist. I dialed the SAR hotline over and over. My right leg was pinned under a snapped metal tent frame. Every tiny movement felt like my bones were shattering. Worse still, a rhythmic, tightening pain was starting in my lower abdomen. The call finally connected. Like grabbing the last lifeline, I choked out: "This is Maya Davis. I'm buried under the snow. My coordinates are..." Before I could finish, a familiar voice cut me off. "Captain's wife, right?" I froze for a second. "Captain Sterling already gave the order. He said you two had a fight today and you'd try to maliciously tie up rescue resources." "If this is just to force the Captain to come back to you, I'd suggest you stop." I was crying now, my vision blurring with white frost. "No! I'm not tying up resources!" "There really was an avalanche! I'm buried, my leg is crushed, I can't get out!" "Please, you have to come! My stomach hurts so much... I'm really going to die..." The person on the other end clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ma'am, the emergency rescue line is not a marital dispute hotline." "Whatever issues you and the Captain have, we advise you to resolve them privately." The call was abruptly disconnected. The busy signal echoed in my ear. I clutched my phone, my fingers aching from the freezing cold. The next second, the icy wind slashed across my face like a knife. A layer of white frost quickly formed on my eyelashes. Every breath of freezing air stung my lungs. My pinned leg was already completely numb, but my lower abdomen felt like a dull blade was twisting inside it. I bit my lip, my trembling hands protectively covering my stomach. "It's okay..." "Don't be scared, baby. Mommy will call again..." I dialed right back. This time, they picked up even faster. Before I could speak, the voice on the other end was already icy: "Ma'am, why are you calling again?" I cried out: "I'm really not lying!" I held the phone up toward the howling storm. The rumble of the collapsing mountain echoed around me as snow cascaded down. "Listen! You can hear the avalanche! I'm pregnant, and my stomach hurts so much!" "I really can't hold on much longer!" "Please, just track my phone's GPS and send someone..." A few low chuckles came through the receiver. "The Captain called it perfectly." "With a crazy woman like this at home, no wonder he doesn't want to go back..." When the dispatcher spoke again, his tone was entirely dismissive. "Ma'am, you are being ridiculous." "If you continue to harass the emergency line, we will have to report it." "Please don't interfere with people who actually need rescuing." A deep chill ran through my entire body. "But I am the person who actually needs rescuing..." I didn't even get to finish the sentence. The call was hung up again. The moment the screen went dark, a text popped up. It was Liam. [Maya, are you done yet?] [I just left you on the mountain so you could reflect on your actions. Did you really have to make a scene in front of my whole team?] [The SAR team is busy. We don't have time to play along with your drama.] I stared at those words. The tears that hit the screen quickly froze into ice. I was genuinely dying, but no one believed me. Mustering my last bit of strength, I dialed 911. When it connected, I practically screamed: "Help... I'm on the mountain... My stomach is in agony, I'm bleeding so much..." The operator paused for a few seconds. "I apologize, ma'am, but our system shows your number has multiple flagged records for malicious distress calls." "According to protocol, we need to contact a family member to verify." Panic seized me instantly. "Don't call him..." "Please, just send an ambulance! I'm really..." But the call was already being transferred. A few seconds later, the background noise changed. It sounded lively on the other end. I could hear someone comforting Chloe: "Don't worry, Chloe. Just rest up in the hospital." "Mom and Dad are here. We won't let anyone bully you." Then, Chloe's fragile voice drifted through. "Is that my sister on the phone?" "Is she still mad at me?" I heard Liam comforting her in a low voice: "Don't worry about her. If she won't admit she's wrong, she can just stay up there." The 911 operator asked: "Sir, is Ms. Maya Davis currently in any danger?" Liam's voice was freezing cold, without a hint of hesitation. "No." "She's throwing a tantrum. Do not dispatch an ambulance." I gripped my phone tightly, a broken sound escaping my throat: "Liam..." The wind and snow whipped into my mouth, making it impossible to form a complete sentence. "It hurts... so much..." Another sharp cramp ripped through my abdomen, and I curled into a tight ball. The snow beneath me was starting to turn red. Ignoring the pain, I desperately tried to claw my way out. But my leg was pinned, and my stomach felt like it was tearing open. With every movement, my vision went black. I used every ounce of strength I had left to scream: "Help!" "Is anybody there..." The sound was instantly swallowed by the howling wind. The next second, the snow above me shuddered. A massive wall of white crashed down on me. The snow was now up to my chest. Every breath felt like inhaling shattered glass. I didn't dare scream again, terrified of triggering more snow. I pressed the phone against my cheek and used my numb fingers to dial my mother's number. As soon as I spoke, the wind muffled my cries. "Mom, please help me." "I'm at the North Ridge base camp. There was an avalanche." "The snow is up to my chest. My stomach hurts so much, I'm bleeding..." My parents' voices finally showed a hint of panic. "What? Maya, are you really buried in the snow?" My dad's voice grew urgent: "Don't move! Send us your location!" I clung to their words like a lifeline: "It's true, Mom, Dad. I'm not lying to you." "Please call Search and Rescue! Please, hurry..." But the next second, Chloe's weak voice filtered through the phone. "Mom, Dad, is it Maya?" "It's all my fault. If it wasn't for me, Liam wouldn't have sent her to the mountain to reflect." She coughed softly, her voice sounding like it could break at any moment. "But isn't she at the tourist camp? It should be totally safe there..." "She must think I don't deserve an apology from her..." The moment she said that, my mom's tone completely shifted. "Maya, how long are you going to keep up this act?" My dad added coldly: "You intentionally locked Chloe outside, making her catch a high fever. She still hasn't recovered." "We just wanted you to stay on the mountain for a bit to learn your lesson, and now you pull this stunt?" I shook my head frantically. "I didn't..." My mom cut me off impatiently: "Enough!" "Ever since you've been around, there's been no peace in this house." "Chloe has been sick since she was a kid. Why do you always have to target her?" "You're our biological daughter! Shouldn't you be the mature one?" At that moment, the pain in my heart was suffocating. To them, my safety was worth less than a single sentence from Chloe. I sobbed, unable to catch my breath. "I'm going to die..." "Mom, I'm really going to die here..." The line went silent. I thought maybe, for just one second, she would feel sorry for me. But Chloe suddenly murmured: "Mom, I'm craving some soup." My mom panicked immediately. "Okay, okay! Mom will go buy some for you right now." My dad chimed in: "Just rest, Chloe. Ignore Maya, she's just incredibly spoiled." The call ended. I stared blankly at the black screen. So my life was worth less than Chloe's craving for soup. The snow was packing in tighter. I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I used both hands to frantically dig at the snow in front of me. My fingernails tore, blood mixing with the snow before freezing instantly. I gritted my teeth, tears streaming down my face. "Just hold on..." "I have to hold on..." The wind blew the snow right back, filling the spaces I had just cleared. I was on the edge of utter despair. Finally, trembling, I initiated a video call with my mom. When it connected, the face on the screen was Chloe's. She looked at my pathetic, buried form, gave a soft little smirk, and then muted her microphone. I could see everything happening there, but they couldn't hear me. In a private hospital room, my mom was leaning over to drape a cardigan around Chloe's shoulders. My dad was feeding her chicken soup, gently stroking her hair. Liam stood beside her, adjusting her scarf. I stared at the screen, my heart breaking into pieces. The room was bathed in warm light, with flowers and a cake on the table. My mom held Chloe's hand, smiling, saying they needed to celebrate her discharge from the hospital. Liam stood next to her, serving her soup and food. Whenever she coughed, he was instantly there with a glass of warm water. That was a tenderness I had never, ever received. I frantically tapped the screen with my bleeding, frostbitten fingers, screaming over and over: "Mom!" "I'm right here!" "Help me!" Just then, my mom frowned and brought my name up: "Maya is becoming absolutely impossible." "Chloe suffered so much, and she's still throwing a tantrum." "To actually lie to us and use her unborn baby like that... it's sickening." My dad looked at Chloe lovingly: "Ignore her." "Let her stay up there and reflect on it for a few more days." The video call was suddenly ended, and my heart sank to the very bottom of the snow. They were all surrounding Chloe, giving her warmth, favoritism, and love. And I was all alone, buried in a snowy mountain, not even daring to cry out loud. I gritted my teeth and tried to drag my body upward. My chest finally broke free for a second. Freezing air rushed into my lungs, and I broke into a violent coughing fit. But the next second, I lost my balance and fell heavily back down. The phone slipped from my hand, the screen burying itself in the snow. Before my consciousness faded, all I felt was the snow beneath me turning a deeper shade of red. I was at my absolute limit. The snow was packed up to my chest. Every breath felt like swallowing blades. The pain in my abdomen grew sharper, and a massive patch of white snow was stained crimson. I pressed my freezing, stiff hands tightly against my stomach, crying until I almost blacked out. "Don't be scared, Mommy is going to make Daddy come save us..." My phone was on its last percent of battery. I spam-called Liam on FaceTime. After dozens of attempts, he finally answered. "Liam!" The moment I screamed his name, the snow above me shuddered and fell. I immediately lowered my voice, sobbing and begging him: "Don't hang up! Please, just don't hang up." "I'm not lying to you! I'm dying, I'm bleeding so much..." He looked at me, his brows furrowing. "Maya, what kind of stunt is this now?" "You're pregnant, and you're burying yourself in the snow for sympathy? Do you think this is a game?" Warm tears froze on my face. I was shivering violently: "Liam, I'm not..." I quickly turned the camera to show the massive pool of red snow behind me. "Look, I'm bleeding. I'm really not faking it." "My stomach hurts so much. The baby feels like it's dropping." "Even if you don't believe me, you can't gamble with our child's life! This is your flesh and blood too!" His pupils contracted sharply. He went silent. I kept begging, my voice trembling: "Liam, please come save me?" "I won't fight for anything anymore." "If Chloe wants Mom and Dad, she can have them." "If she wants her status in the Davis family, I won't fight her for it." "If she wants you..." My voice choked hard, like someone was ripping my heart in two. "I'll step aside..." "I just beg you to save our baby right now." When I finished, his pupils shrank further, and his voice laced with panic: "Stop talking like that." "Maya... don't be scared. I'm coming right now." At that moment, tears streamed down my face. He finally believed me. But just then, Chloe's voice drifted in from the side. "Oh my god... Liam, why is my sister bleeding so much?" "When I was a kid, I saw the maids slaughtering chickens and ducks. The blood looked exactly like that color." She quickly covered her mouth, hastily adding: "Maya, I'm not saying you're lying!" "I just think the color and the amount of blood looks so exaggerated. It's kind of scary..." The hesitation in Liam's eyes instantly froze over. He looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment: "Maya, you really disappoint me." "Can you really not stand to see Chloe happy?" In that moment, the tiny spark of hope inside me was violently extinguished. Hatred surged in my chest: "Liam, you are a Search and Rescue Captain!" "You've saved so many people! Why won't you save me?!" "Can't you just once—just this once—not believe Chloe?!" "If I'm lying to you, you can let me die." "But what if I'm not?!" "Liam, what if the baby and I really die here?!" The snow above me cascaded down from the force of my screams, but I didn't care anymore. In that moment, it felt like something was being violently ripped from my soul. I cried so hard my entire body was shaking. His expression wavered slightly, but when he met Chloe's pitiful gaze, his tone turned icy again. "Maya, behave yourself." "Stop threatening me with your life." "You're not in your right mind right now. I don't want you hurting Chloe. Once you've calmed down, I'll come pick you up." He hung up the video call again. I sat there, stunned, completely unable to speak. When I tried to initiate another video call, my phone was dead. Listening to the wind howling in my ears, I sank into absolute despair. I don't know how long it was, but a massive boom echoed from the mountain in the distance. I had no strength to run. I could only use my last ounce of energy to protect my stomach. "Baby, I'm so sorry..." An overwhelming wave of snow buried me alive. The next second, I suddenly heard footsteps. Chloe's gentle voice drifted through the wind and snow. "Maya, we're here."
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