Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

We made out for what felt like forever before Ethan finally let me go. We just sat there, staring at each other, both of us all flustered.

"I'll let you off the hook for now," he teased, his voice all husky.

When he let go of my hand, I quickly pulled back and sat up straight.

He casually lit a cigarette, taking a couple of deep drags.

Then he threw the window wide open, letting the cold wind rush in, making me shiver.

"You," I said, blushing as I glared at him.

He leaned back, turned his head, and looked at me with those burning eyes.

Suddenly, he bit down on the cigarette, straightened up, and started the car.

"Let's head home. I'll teach you a thing or two when we get there."

The car sped off, and I looked out the window, my cheeks burning.

Ethan touched my earlobe and grinned. "Feeling shy?"

I ignored him. He chuckled and blew a smoke ring right at me.

"I love it when you get all shy, even your ears turn red, just like a little girl."

I waved away the smoke and lightly hit his arm, pretending to be mad. "You're so annoying."

As soon as we got home, he tossed me onto the couch and started showing off his masterful lovemaking skills.

A few days after Bella got out of the hospital, it was Christmas.

The doc told her to take it easy, but Bella couldn't sit still.

On Christmas Eve, Bella and I hit up the music square.

Ethan and Zachary clearly weren't into the whole scene; they were just tagging along.

The first time those two met, they got into a fight and ended up at the police station. Now, their wives were besties. They couldn't exactly become friends, especially since Zachary had taken Oliver's girl, but at least they weren't at each other's throats anymore. At worst, they just ignored each other.

The square was packed and buzzing tonight.

Through the thick crowd, I spotted a stage in the center with some rhythmic music blaring. Staff were busy setting things up.

The square was full of masked people, mostly young, going wild for Christmas, making it feel like a full-blown party.

Bella and I each had an inflatable toy, squeezing through the crowd. Before long, we got separated. But luckily, we held hands tight, so we didn't get split up.

I stood on tiptoe, trying to spot Ethan, but there were just too many people.

Suddenly, Bella's hand slipped away from mine. I turned around, eyes wide.

Behind a big inflatable SpongeBob, Oliver was holding Bella tight, kissing her like crazy.

Bella pushed him away. "Cut it out, will you?"

Oliver looked like he'd had a few. His face was flushed, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He didn't care and pulled Bella back into his arms. "I miss you! I really miss you!"

Bella struggled in his arms, and Oliver just held her tighter.

When I turned around, I saw Zachary coming our way, looking for Bella. If he saw this, it would be a disaster.

I couldn't shout or get through the crowd fast enough. So in a panic, I raised my inflatable toy, hoping it would block Zachary's view and that Oliver would let go of Bella soon.

"Emily, have you seen Bella?" Zachary's voice suddenly sounded in my ear, startling me.

I slowly lowered the toy and shook my head awkwardly. "No, I haven't."

"Bella!" Zachary frowned and walked quickly towards Bella.

I thought, it's over. They had been caught.

But when I turned around, Oliver was nowhere to be seen. Bella was pulling a woman's hair, hitting her fiercely.

Zachary grabbed her. "Watch your wound. If you need to deal with someone, I can handle it for you."

He just gave a look to the two guys beside him, and they immediately rushed over, punching and kicking the woman.

The woman rolled on the ground, and I finally saw her face clearly. It was Andrea.

Even though the square was packed, not many people stepped in; most just watched the drama unfold.

Bella clutched her abdomen, breathing heavily. I thought those hits must have messed with her wound. "Bella, you okay?"

Bella didn't say anything; she just stared at Andrea on the ground, her eyes like daggers.

"Feel better?" Zachary gently asked her, holding her shoulder.

Without waiting for her to answer, he added, "If not, we can find another chance to let you vent. This isn't the right place."

I also noticed that more and more people were watching, and soon the security guards in the square would be alerted, making the situation worse.

"Let's go," Bella said.

We quickly left the scene. After walking a bit, I looked back and saw Andrea still lying on the ground, unable to get up. But through the gaps in her hair, her eyes looked over, exceptionally fierce and frightening. When I turned back, I suddenly saw a masked person not far away, staring straight at us.

Bella stopped and looked at him too.

From his clothes, I recognized the masked person as Oliver.

"I don't wanna play anymore. Let's go home," Bella said, tilting her head slightly towards Zachary.

Zachary nodded and wrapped her up in his coat.

"Alright, let's head home."

I patted Bella's shoulder. "You just got out of the hospital; it's not good for you to be out too long. Let's head back early."

Zachary took Bella away, and I was left standing aimlessly in the crowd, unable to find Ethan.

Suddenly, I felt someone tugging at my clothes. I looked down to see a little girl holding a bouquet of flowers.

She tugged at my hem and said in a childish voice, "Sis, a guy asked me to give these flowers to you."

I didn't take them right away and asked suspiciously, "Who?"

The little girl shoved the flowers into my hands, smiled brightly, and suddenly recited a line.

"He is the one who wants you to marry him."

After saying that, the little girl ran off, and I watched her go.

Out of nowhere, Faris popped into my mind..

Feeling nervous, I looked around but saw no one.

Suddenly, something brushed my back. I turned to see a giant Santa Claus approaching, surrounded by kids. He danced around me, then suddenly hugged me and rubbed his face against mine. Embarrassed, I struggled, but he held me tight and took a selfie. Seeing the ring on his finger, I was almost certain he was Faris.

More and more people were watching, many laughing. I struggled. "Let go of me."

Just when I didn't know what to do, I was pulled into another embrace.

When I turned back, Santa Claus was sitting on the ground, holding his chubby leg.

Thinking about his previous leg injury and now this fall, I felt a bit sorry for him.

Ethan wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me away.

"Who sent the flowers?" he asked.

I looked down at the flowers in my hand and shook my head. "I don't know either. A little girl gave them to me."

Ethan didn't ask further and protected me as we squeezed through the crowded square.

On a bench at the edge of the square, I saw two familiar faces.

Jason and Lacey were sitting a person apart, quietly enjoying the lively Christmas Eve.

After greeting them, we sat down nearby.

Suddenly, a few guys on roller skates appeared in our view. Looking closely, one of them was Richard.

They were moving fast, and the crowd made way for them, creating a path.

Many girls clapped and screamed, fantasizing about them.

They circled the square several times. Richard probably saw us but pretended not to, skating past us each time.

Suddenly, my nose itched, and I sneezed.

"Are you cold?" Ethan's hand on my shoulder tightened a bit.

Jason turned to me. "How about I treat you all to a coffee? It's really cold out here."

He led us to a coffee shop in the square. When we entered, the people inside greeted Jason warmly, and he responded with a smile.

We found a seat by the window. The coffee shop had heating, so we all took off our coats.

Lacey and I sat on one side while Jason and Ethan sat across from us.

Lacey asked Jason, "Do you come here often?"

Jason draped his coat over the chair and pushed up the sleeves of his beige knit sweater, revealing his attractive wrists.

"I used to work here."

Except for Ethan, Lacey and I were very surprised.

He seemed amused by our surprise, placing his hands on the table, fingers interlaced, reminiscing. "Back then, even with a meager income from part-time work, I was full of energy every day." "You've still got that energy." Lacey said, then blushed and looked away uncomfortably.

Jason smiled. "Times have changed. Many things are different now. Even though I earn much more than before, I no longer feel that kind of motivation. Going to work and coming home feels like I'm on autopilot." Ethan handed Jason a cigarette, but Jason didn't take it. Instead, he reached for his pack.

"I'll stick to mine. I can't get used to yours."

Ethan lit a cigarette and laughed. "Eating, sleeping, and pooping-it's all just the same old routine."

Jason laughed too. "Those are different. Even though they're routine, you gotta do them."

Looking out the window, the lively square was in full view, but all the noise was blocked out. The glass felt like a big screen showing a silent movie, with Christmas Eve as the theme.

We stayed in the coffee shop for over an hour before leaving.

As soon as we stepped out, I noticed a crowd gathered at the edge of the square as if watching something.

We approached and faintly heard crying from within.

An older woman outside shook her head and sighed. "This is too much. Someone call 911."

I didn't want to watch the commotion, but suddenly, I saw a familiar face through the crowd.