Chapter 7
1263 Words
I gave them a detached look and decided not to waste time explaining myself. I walked away without a second glance, but then Mandy spoke up.
"Forget it." Disregarding Quinn, Mandy gave Stella a significant look. "Bias is a bad habit. Sometimes, things aren't as they seem."
Stella looked a bit dazed by her words. Meanwhile, Quinn suddenly gripped her hand and said, "That woman and Zack seem too close. They're nothing but a pair of shameless lovers!"
My history with Quinn wasn’t known to many. As this woman slandered me, Stella took it seriously without any doubts, eventually snorting and spitting on the ground in disdain.
I used to get falsely accused at work, which made me unhappy. Now, I realized that badass would be badass wherever they went! Why should I let them affect my mood?
Noticing I was upset, Mandy reached out her pale hand to hold mine and smiled reassuringly. "Cheer up! Give me a smile. Karma will catch up with that jerk."
I began, "Mandy, thanks for believing me earlier..."
She interrupted, "You're being naive. I guess there's some truth to their words—you do have a cheeky side!"
Mandy playfully squeezed my face, her hands cool but gentle. Her sudden proximity sent my heart racing once more.
Mandy giggled, and I blushed slightly. Was it my fault? She was always the one getting close!
With Mandy's playful banter, I felt much better.
We made our way back into the forest to the small river where Mandy had washed up earlier. We quickly caught several large fish.
Instead of returning to the cave, we headed to the beach again.
"Let's grill the fish at the beach. We'll enjoy the feast and let them savor the scent!" I had a brilliant idea.
"You little brat!" Mandy laughed heartily and gave me a thumbs-up.
Right after we decided, we reached the beach, set up a campfire, and started grilling. The delicious scent of the grilled fish quickly spread far and wide.
Stella and Quinn were nearby and caught the aroma almost immediately. They paused and involuntarily swallowed their saliva. Stella, however, quickly controlled her desire and looked at me with distaste before turning away.
Quinn occasionally looked over at Leo who was searching along the beach, hoping he'd find something edible. As they waited, their hunger grew more intense.
I was adept at grilling, perfectly releasing the fish's rich flavors. Paired with crisp bamboo juice, it was even more enjoyable than a tasty meal in the city.
"I'm furious! That jerk Zack is doing this on purpose! What's so great about him?" Stella fumed, breaking several sticks of firewood in her frustration.
Quinn was quieter, her gaze towards us filled with jealousy and a bit of regret.
As the sun began to set, Leo finally came back from the beach. His disheartened, empty-handed appearance made them nervous, but they still asked, "Did you find anything?"
"Ugh, let's not talk about it. Zack just beat me up; my head is throbbing, and I can barely move. I caught several big fish, but they all got away," Leo said with a grimace, resigned to his bad luck.
"What are we going to do tonight?" Stella asked, growing anxious.
"Don't worry, I just had bad luck today. It'll be better tomorrow. I'll try the forest," Leo quickly reassured them, noticing their cold demeanor.
Meanwhile, Mandy and I had already filled our bellies and were lying contentedly on the beach.
The scent of the charred fish filled the air, making their frustration even more palpable.
Unable to hold back any longer, Quinn stood up and approached me. "Zack, I want some grilled fish. Do you have any left?" she asked, reaching out to me as if it were her right. Her eyes were fixed on the fish I had caught. She was confident that I would cater to her as I always had.
"Why should I?" I retorted with a cold laugh.
Quinn appeared surprised by my blunt tone, her eyes widening in anger. "You caught so many. Why don’t you share some with us? You two can't possibly eat them all!"
"Indeed, we can't." I grinned and turned to Mandy. "Let's dry the remaining fish for tomorrow."
"Zack! What do you mean by that?" Quinn stared at me angrily. "You didn't treat me like this before!"
I smiled slightly. "You were my girlfriend then, and I was expected to spend money and pamper you. Now, you're someone else's fiancée." I pointed at the wild berries in front of Leo and scoffed, "Why don't you go eat berries with your fiancé?" After that, I bent down and focused on preparing the fish, ignoring Quinn.
Quinn stood still, glancing at the wild berries Leo had picked and then back at the fish I had caught. She bit her lower lip. There was a trace of regret in her eyes.
Mandy and I quickly handled the leftover fish and hung them up to dry.
"Mandy, let's go for a walk by the sea," I suggested with a smile.
On hearing this, Mandy looked at me with a hint of jealousy. "You're finally ready to leave, huh? You always seem to be staring at Stella. Do you have feelings for her?"
"How could that be? Sure, she's pretty, but her princess temperament is more than I can handle," I hastily explained, waving my hands.
My panicked explanation made Mandy laugh heartily. I smiled reluctantly along with her.
Mandy got up, and we began to stroll along the beach towards the southeast.
We had been on this deserted island for some time but hadn't explored this part of it yet.
We were soon startled to find a person lying on the beach ahead!
I quickly made my way to the deceased. He was clad in a black and red uniform that was ragged, as though worn by relentless storms. There was no stench of decay, and his face bore a lifelike appearance, suggesting he hadn't been dead for very long.
A sense of melancholy washed over me. Like him, we were castaways on this desolate island; he had perished, and I wondered if I might be next.
Taking a deep breath to push these grim thoughts away, I started searching the body. His uniform pockets were bulging, apparently filled with various items.
To my surprise, I found a pair of scissors, a pair of pliers, a fire axe, and even a small bottle of alcohol and a roll of bandages among other things. These seemed to be related to first aid and survival.
Finding these items was a relief, yet it triggered an unsettling feeling. Who would carry such things with them?
A credential found on the body cleared up my confusion—he was part of a rescue team! Had he been sent to save us?
We had been puzzled by the delay in rescue, only to discover that they had suffered mishaps themselves! How could such well-trained professionals meet with an accident? Was this just an accident?
A profound dread enveloped me as if an invisible hand was choking me, making it difficult to breathe.
What secrets were buried on this island?
"Zack, look over there," Mandy spoke up with a heavy tone.
Following her gaze, I saw a dark shape on the beach a few hundred meters away. It resembled the remains of a ship, and I could just make out the remnants of a flag.
"Let's go check it out!" I said with resolve, gripping Mandy's hand, and we raced toward the wreckage.
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