When the Rescue Rope Falls

After my wife Levitt got pregnant, I applied to join the polar research team.

During the mission, Levitt's first love Matthew and I both fell into an ice crevasse, our lives hanging by a thread.

Faced with the rescue rope Levitt threw down, I resolutely gave up saving myself and left the chance of survival to Matthew.

Because in my previous life, I was successfully rescued while Matthew was swallowed by the ice, his body never recovered.

After his death, Levitt showed no reaction. She withdrew from the research team to peacefully nurture her pregnancy.

It wasn't until after the child was born that Levitt said to me with a face full of hatred:

"This is mine and Matthew's child. You're the one who killed my child's father. He's deadwhat right do you have to live? Go die and atone for your sins in hell!"

She pushed me off the rooftop and made it look like suicide.

When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the moment of the rescue...

"Quick, grab the rope!"

Levitt stood in the distance and threw a rope that landed right beside me.

I instantly became fully alert. Turning my head, I saw Matthew behind me.

In temperatures of minus twenty degrees, the two of us clung desperately to the edge of the ice crevasse with our hands, a bottomless abyss beneath our feet.

The rescue rope was closest to me, but with Levitt's strength, she could only save one person.

My hands trembled. Gritting my teeth, I made sure Matthew beside me saw the rope.

"Matthew, grab the rope quick! I'll pull you up!"

The next second, Matthew firmly grasped the rope.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Levitt's whole body relax with relief as she pulled hard to drag him ashore.

"You're injured. Let's get back to the base quickly!"

Seeing Matthew rescued, I breathed a sigh of relief.

In the wind and snow, the two embraced tightly, supporting each other as they left. As she walked away, Levitt tossed the rope on the ground aside.

"Christie, I'll have someone else rescue you!"

Gritting my teeth to hold on, my strength completely depleted, I waited until they were far away before my hand slipped and I fell into the ice crevasse.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the tool in my hand wedged into the crevice, temporarily stopping my descent.

I don't know how much time passed. Cold wind rushed through my torn protective suit, my fingers had lost all feeling but I kept holding on, until finally I heard voices from above.

"That Christie guy is probably already dead."

"If you fall down there, there's no way to survive. Who told him to show off and insist on coming out here."

I desperately called for help, finally getting the people on shore to notice this crevice. Looking up, I made eye contact with several people.

Seeing me, the few members of the research team all fell silent at once.

No one reached out to me, letting me continue sliding down.

"Christie, do you know you were wrong?"

"Who told you to deliberately lead Matthew this way, trying to harm him, only to nearly kill yourself instead."

Finally someone sneered and tossed down a chunk of ice that hit my face shield.

The slight movement made my nerves tense and cold sweat broke out on my back. I humbly begged them to save me.

Like watching a clown, several people gathered around the edge of the crevice, their faces full of mockery.

"Don't be a coward! Be a real man, own up to what you did, and climb up yourself!"

Lives were at stake, yet they were treating it like a joke.

My fingers had lost all feeling, my body was losing heatI couldn't hold on much longer.

Finally, after they'd had their fill of enjoying my misery, a rope was thrown down from above. I tried to reach it but couldn't.

"Climb up yourself. We're leaving."

My whole body tensed. I could hardly believe it, but when I looked up, I saw Levitt's face.

"Levitt, help me out. Just pass me the rope."

These words filled her face with disgust. Not only did Levitt not help, she actually took an instinctive step back, then spoke in an icy tone.

"Why should I help you? If I hadn't been there today, Matthew would have been killed by you!"

"Climb up yourself. If you manage to survive, you have to apologize to Matthew. If anything happens to him, we're getting divorced!"

"You don't deserve to be this child's father!"

Losing strength, I listened as the sounds above went quiet. No matter how humbly I called for help, no one was willing to lend a hand.

I couldn't wait any longer. I would die.

I couldn't wait any longer.

Taking a gamble, I let go and lunged for that rescue rope.

Fortunately, I caught it.

Using every ounce of strength to climb ashore, my heartbeat was thunderous.

All around was a vast expanse of white, not a single person in sight. They really hadn't saved methey'd all left.

Whether I could survive or not, they simply didn't care.

The base was still over ten kilometers away. Having narrowly escaped death, I felt no sense of relief.

Even with a GPS locator on me, just walking back like this could cost me half my life.

But right now...

Gritting my teeth, I plunged headfirst into the wind and snow.

In extreme cold conditions, equipment at the base was prone to malfunction. Wearing gloves made it inconvenient to repair equipment, and when I fell into the ice crevasse, I had already lost my gloves.

Between the exertion and the freezing cold, my fingers had long since lost all feeling.

As a meteorologist, I understood environmental changes better than anyone. The snow fell heavier and heavier, wind pierced through my damaged protective suit, the road was a white blur with visibility less than ten meters.

Cut off from contact with the base station, cold and hungry, I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

I had originally given up my research position back home and applied to join the polar research team for the sake of pregnant Levitt.

Worried she'd suffer hardship, I willingly took on more suffering myself.

But in the end, I was just making a wedding dress for someone else.

The little life I'd most looked forward to wasn't mine.

The person I trusted most, lying beside me in bed, had also chosen to abandon me.

My legs numb, I walked forward, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

If I could just survive...

Holding onto that one breath, I don't know how long I walked before finally seeing the base station with its lights on. In that moment, my heart settled.

Trembling, I pulled at the door once, twice...

The door was locked tight. No matter how I knocked, it wouldn't budge.

Outside, the cold wind was bone-piercing. Inside, people heard the commotion and sat in a circle. Levitt held hot tea for Matthew and covered him with another blanket.

"Lucky bastard actually made it back alive!"

"I knew nothing good would come of him joining the research team. This time we definitely can't forgive him easily."

Levitt looked with concern at the scrape on Matthew's leg, and in front of all the team members, she forbade anyone from opening the door.

My fingers numb and without feeling, my legs also insensible to the cold, I gritted my teeth and held on, staring fixedly at that door, refusing to give up calling for help.

Finally...

"You can come in if you want."

Coughing twice, Matthew looked at me, his eyes harboring ill intentions.

"If you want to come in, then kneel down and apologize to me."

"Oh my, forgiving him just like thatisn't that letting him off too easy?"

Levitt frowned, playfully scolding and roughhousing with him, completely ignoring my calls from outside the door.

Reaching out to touch her belly, Matthew's tone was light.

"It's fine, I won't hold it against him. After all, he's the child's father and your lover."

"I don't blame him. It's my fault. If I hadn't gone abroad back then, you wouldn't have..."

The rest of the words went unspoken. As the two looked at each other, their eyes were full of affection, with no room for anyone else.

My heart ached and convulsed. Even though I'd experienced this once before, I still couldn't help feeling miserable.

The happiest moments of my life could be counted on one hand.

After my parents died early, I grew up on charity. The first time I met Levitt was at university.

The first time I saw her, I felt an inexplicable fondness for her.

But Matthew was by her side, so I silently stayed beside her, thinking this affection would remain buried forever.

Until one day, Levitt came to me on her own initiative.

"Christie, let's date."

For the first twenty years of my life, it was the first time I felt I'd won fate's lottery.

I desperately tried to be good to her, pouring all my efforts into helping her pursue her dreams.

She wanted to do polar research, so I took care of her family and supported her with everything I had.

After she got pregnant, I even gave up my own work and actively came to the polar region to accompany her, just to take good care of her.

The happiest moments of my life were dating Levitt, marrying her, and nurturing new life together.

But only now did I realize how foolishly naive and completely wrong I'd been.

The people inside were laughing. A single door separated two worlds.

As I knelt on the ground, I heard Matthew and Levitt pouring out their hearts to each other.

"If I wasn't trying to spite you, how could I have agreed to date and marry Christie?"

"Levitt, I regret it. If I hadn't gone abroad back then, we wouldn't have..."

Matthew's hand rested on Levitt's lower abdomen, his expression gentle.

Covered with a layer of snow, I watched Levitt's completely different tender expression and smiled bitterly.

Getting together now isn't too late, is it?

After all, the child in her belly is Matthew's.

I could die anywhere, but absolutely not at the base entrance.

With only one breath left, I was finally allowed inside. Staggering to my feet, for those last few steps, I practically crawled into the building.

Seeing me in this state, Levitt looked even more disgusted.

"Stop with the pity act, Christie. It makes me sick to watch."

I didn't defend myself. I moved closer to the heat source to warm up. The snow on my clothes melted and soaked the floor, leaving a puddle of water.

"That's disgusting. Make sure you clean it up."

I was shivering from cold, too preoccupied to respond. Several fingers on my left hand still had no feeling.

Levitt left. She was concerned about Matthew's scraped shin and insisted the base station doctor examine him.

When she saw me coming to find the doctor, she blocked the doorway completely, refusing to let me advance a single step.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't come here!"

"The base doctor is busy. They don't have time for your minor issues. Don't you dare go near Matthew. Get lost!"

Full of wariness, she said I wasn't acting like a man while driving me back to my room.

I changed into a fresh set of clothes, but my fingers still had no feeling. Looking at my discolored fingers, I frowned and tried to get past her.

"I just need to see the doctor for a moment. You..."

Slap!

Before I could finish speaking, I was hit with a slap. Glaring at me with furrowed brows, Levitt blocked my way firmly, not allowing me to advance a single step.

Amid the jeering, she glanced at me smugly, then quickly looked away.

"Stop pretending. What could possibly be wrong with you? You climbed out of an ice crevasse and walked all the way back to the base station. You're tough as nails. Matthew is different from you."

"See the doctor tomorrow. Tonight you're not allowed near the infirmary!"

My face burned. My anger had also been provoked.

I tried to speak again but was pushed away from the infirmary by others.

"Alright, alright, go back to sleep!"

"Your own wife is pregnant and you still want to hit people? Go tomorrow."

"Levitt already told you. What more do you want, coward?"

Matthew stood with his arms crossed watching me, his face full of disdain. Hearing the other team members curse at me, he curved his lips and silently mouthed at me.

"Worthless."

I was driven back to my room. Lying in bed, I received a video on my phone.

Levitt lay in Matthew's arms, sleeping sweetly. Red marks showed on her neck, and there was a small cut at the corner of her mouth.

Matthew had deliberately filmed this to show me.

But right now, more than jealousy, I needed a doctor.

At this moment, the only doctor at the base was busy following Levitt's orders to "take care of" Matthew.

Levitt did it on purpose. She stood guard all night, not allowing me near the infirmary. Only early the next morning was I finally able to see the doctor.

"Your fingers... I'm afraid they're already severely frostbitten..."

"The base station doesn't have the medical facilities for this. You need to get to a hospital for treatment as soon as possible."

Even though I'd had a premonition, hearing the doctor's words still made my heart sink.

Getting from the polar region to an outside hospital for treatment was easier said than done, but I couldn't worry about that now.

I couldn't become disabled. I had to save my hand.

The first thing I did upon returning to my room was call for outside help. After receiving confirmation, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Headquarters would send a helicopter. As long as I received treatment in time...

I stayed in my room all day. It wasn't until I heard the roar of a helicopter that I pushed open my door.

By the time I arrived, two figures stood in front of the helicopter, preparing to board.

"We're the injured! Matthew is hurt. Take him to the hospital to recover. I need to go with him!"

Seeing me, Levitt's face was cold. Touching her belly, she tried to squeeze onto the helicopter.

"They can only take two people at a time. I need to go to the hospital for a prenatal checkup."

"Christie, you wait for the next one."

When the next one would be, I had no way of knowing.

Compared to being abandoned in the ice crevasse, this moment felt even more chilling.

Watching Levitt's resolute back, my chest felt cold.

"Levitt, I can't wait any longer. My hand..."

"Stop talking. Let's go."

Matthew put his arm around her shoulder. Through his face shield, he flashed me a mocking smile, waved at me victoriously, and signaled the pilot to take off.

The roar echoed in my ears. Before takeoff, Levitt looked at me, her face full of disappointment.

"Stop the act. It makes me sick."

The repeated rejections sparked anger in me.

Ignoring the mockery from other base members, I organized some materials and luggage and called for rescue again.

This time, I finally got help.

When I removed the glove wrapping and exposed my fingers, the doctor gasped and looked at me again.

"Let's go do some tests first."

Only simple treatment had been done at the base station. The three most severely affected fingers had changed color, the tips turned black.

The test results were not optimistic.

The frostbite had damaged skin, muscle, and nerves. The doctor's assessment was that amputation would be necessary.

"The frostbite has reached the point of tissue necrosis. There may be infection later. We can only amputate as soon as possible."

"I'm very sorry..."

Even though I'd anticipated it, when I heard the results, I still stood there stunned.

After a long while, I wiped my face.

"Alright, then let's proceed with surgery as soon as possible."

In my previous life, Levitt always said I owed Matthew my life. This way was good tooat least this time both his life and mine were saved.

Thinking this way, when I signed the surgical consent form, my fingers still trembled uncontrollably.

Loving Levitt had cost too much. I felt it wasn't worth it.

Lost in thought, the sound of arguing next door brought me back. Familiar voices reached me.

"Your injury looks so serious, yet the doctor says it's nothing. They have no medical ethics at all."

"You're a top scientific researcher. If something happens to you, I'll definitely make them pay."

It was Levitt and Matthew. They were at this hospital too.

Matthew had only suffered some scrapes, yet Levitt was extremely anxious. Hearing someone tell the "couple" to calm down, she didn't correct them, just frowned and threw a tantrum.

During the argument, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of me in the crowd.

She instinctively frowned and turned cold, but seeing me, she still walked straight toward me.

"Christie, explain to them. Why should others get priority treatment? Matthew should be treated first!"

My gaze fell on a blood-covered man being carried into a ward nearby, then looked at the silent Matthew. I found it laughable.

Who needed treatment more urgently? Wasn't it obvious?

But she acted as if she couldn't see it.

"Don't get angry. You're going to be a mother. There's no need to..."

I meant it as comfort, but Levitt frowned at me and threw the examination report in her hand at my face.

"If you know that, why aren't you helping me? Whose fault is it that Matthew got injured!"

"If it weren't for you, how could he have gotten hurt? You've upset my pregnancy too."

Watching her transfer all her anger onto me, the last bit of love in my heart dissipated completely.

She wanted Matthew to stay in the hospital to rest, and claimed she'd been upset by me and needed my care.

The doctor looked at me, wanting to speak but stopping short, but I held them back.

Even if she didn't say it, I would have stayed at the hospital anyway.

The day after tomorrow, I would have surgery.

Levitt demanded the best room and wanted to stay next to Matthew so she could take care of him anytime.

Facing this pair of lovers day after day, my heart had long since lost all turbulence.

I prepared divorce papers. After my surgery, I would voluntarily withdraw from the research team and divorce her.

But before that...

Completely unaware of my emotions, Levitt devoted all her attention to Matthew. The only time she got distracted was when she saw research papers in my hospital room.

After flipping through them, she lowered her head and took a pen to scribble on the research papers.

"How can these research reports count as only your achievement? Matthew almost lost his life because of you. You have to add his name!"

With a wave of her hand, Levitt wrote Matthew's name on the papers. The further she read, the more her brow furrowed.

"How could these coordinate points be so dangerous? You're just a meteorologist. Matthew specializes in measuring ice layer thickness and terrain. Your viewpoints don't hold up at all!"

The papers in her hand were thrown to the ground and stomped on. Levitt lifted her chin, looking at me with contempt.

"Forget it. All you can write is this garbage anyway."

"Matthew is going back to the research team tomorrow. The first places he'll go are those points you marked. Just wait."

"He'll disprove your arguments and prove you're wrong."

I jerked my head up to look at her. Hearing where Matthew planned to go, I tried to stop them, only to be met with her loud mockery.

In the end, I watched helplessly as she sent Matthew off.

Through the window, the man hugged Levitt and flashed me a provocative smile.

Behind me, medical staff knocked on the ward door and confirmed my information with me.

"Mr. Christie, it's time to prepare for surgery."

"Alright."

Before leaving, I glanced at the two of them.

From now on, we would have nothing to do with each other.