From the crowd, a figure rushed into the lake.
"Roly."
Arlo exclaimed in surprise when he realized it was his best friend. Everyone was busy monitoring the situation. Everyone present was worried about her. When he saw Clara playing and about to sink into the lake, Roly decided he had to act. To overcome his old fear, he took off his shoes and coat, jumped into the water, and swam straight to her.
"Oh my god, where does he think this is, why is he dressed like that?"
"He's crazy! Why is he wearing a bikini?"
"He wants to get attention."
"Looking at the birthmark so big, no boy would even bother to look at it."
"It's really crazy."
Ha ha ha. The laughter, the mockery, the disparaging whispers resounded in one of Clara's ears.
A stream of horrifying memories rushed over as soon as Clara fell into the water. Remember that terrible night. Clara felt suffocated immediately, she shook her head trying to get the pain out of her mind as she struggled, her whole body shaking with dry sobs, her lips uttering only two whispers.
"Help."
Clara risked her life to plunge into the lake, forgetting her fear.
Years ago she was pushed into the water by Sarah herself and her friends during a birthday party held by the pool. That day will probably never be forgotten by Clara, all the guests were dressed in beautiful and formal suits, she was instigated by Sarah alone in a different way, she wore a bikini when she arrived. where Clara was stunned to realize that she had been tricked, she immediately turned to leave but was blocked by Hana, who roughly pulled her hand to attend the party, then cruelly removed her outer shirt, revealing her bikini. the piece she was wearing inside, everyone immediately turned to look at her, Clara could only shyly lower her face, she became the center of attention during the party, even its owner was overshadowed, Clara was bitterly swallowed and suffered humiliation in front of many people, the more people hated her, she was assumed by those people to be called a fool, friendly, did not know her identity, that day all Even the guests had a good time, they laughed gloatingly, mocking at her suffering and sorrow, not only that, the cruel people also cruelly pushed her into the lake, because they were overwhelmed with water plus they couldn't swim. So Cla She almost drowned, the incident has haunted her to this day. The other people did not understand how terrible the consequences they caused her, it was the smiling eyes, the disparaging pointers, and the deeply hurt words that they had for her, all of which made her famous. Fear made Clara shrink into a cocoon, gradually she became emotionless, did not contact and talk to anyone, she did not open her mouth to talk to anyone again.
Every time she looked at the calm lake, her body was cold, and her limbs were unconsciously shaking. But tonight Clara made a brave act, all because she wanted to find the precious things her mother left her.
Everything happened too fast. Clara herself did not expect that she would act so recklessly, by the time the calmness was probably gone.
With respect for her mother, Clara dived deep into the bottom of the lake, although she could not swim, she could not give up searching for her mother's memento, and even at that moment, she herself forgot that she could not swim. Her hand groped for the chain of memories, heaven did not let people down, Here it is, she found it, clutching the string in her hand, she smiled contentedly... and was about to turn back but suddenly remembered I don't know how to swim.
Very quickly Clara felt cold to the point of suffocation as if a car was gripping her chest. The lake water was cold, but Clara couldn't swim. She struggled vehemently and then panicked when she realized that she was sinking further and further to the bottom. She felt small, everything on the shore was blurry, and her whole body was submerged under this heavy water.
Feeling the numbing cold of the water, she suddenly remembered one thing, she couldn't swim. For a moment Hinata thought, am I going to die here? That's okay, I'll see my mother again and she'll get out of this hellish life...
Suddenly flickering under the water's betrayal, she saw a very familiar image of a boy, he smiled, and the images of her and him slowly appeared like a slow-motion movie.
Why do those images appear in her, is it possible that when people are about to go to a faraway place, they often remember the precious things they have experienced?
Clara didn't want, absolutely didn't want, that she would die pointlessly like this? No, no way! She has a lot of unfinished business, she has a whole future ahead of her and is an important person... someone she just realized means so much to her.
With that will, Clara tried to pull herself up again but was quickly engulfed by the water, as if two strong arms were trying to drag her to the bottom of the lake. She was suffocating, her heart was racing, and her brain was under terrible pressure.
The feeling of fear came, she was afraid of water, she couldn't let go but her fear of water was incurable...
She struggled until she felt her lungs fill with fluid. Then, unable to hold on any longer, she gave up and sank. Her eardrums exploded and her surroundings became pitch black. Surrounded by that darkness, everyone's calls fading and dying, she dimly understood that there was no doubt, that was it.
Because there's nothing more. Nothing but this cold and scary darkness.
Then suddenly...
A ray of light.
A 'boom' rumbled the whole night.
Clara heard someone calling her name very close to her ear, the voice was very dear.
"Clara! Clara!"
Clara startled open her eyes and saw that the body had touched the bottom of the lake, a blurry image of a beautiful woman appeared, her mother, she owed a gentle smile, slowly swam towards her and reached out her hand. out to her, said softly.
"Give me your hand."
Clara smiled in response, then reached out and grabbed the hand in front of her. As soon as her hand grasped the other, her whole body seemed to be drawn closer to that person.
Roly pulled Clara close to him before placing a kiss on her lips to give Clara some air. She was completely surprised but didn't realize it because As soon as the kiss ended, her vision became blurred, the white light escaped until the eyelids closed completely, and Clara died. consciousness, leaving behind the whispers fading away and then dying out.
He lifted her out of the water with the help of several men on the shore.
When Clara was completely out of the water, she was unconscious, her whole body was cold, and her face was purple. She was completely out of breath.
One of them touched her nose and jerked her hand away, screaming in terror.
"She's dead."
Everyone was panicking at the announcement, Roly didn't have time to stop and quickly crawled over to her. Considering her condition, Clara's heart stopped beating, he felt her pulse and felt no movement at all. She didn't have any reflexes, He quickly splashed water, Using his hands overlapped, he immediately put his half in position. below the sternum and press Clara's heart at a rate of about 100 beats/min. No response, Roly immediately took a deep breath before bending over to give her CPR.
Roly repeats the action, pressing her chest for 15-30 beats, then giving 2 breaths and continuing to repeat the chest compressions with a cycle of 15-30 times. heart, twice give rescue breaths. He persisted until she hoped that she would regain consciousness. But hopelessly, three minutes passed and he still didn't stop but Clara still showed no sign of waking up.
By this time, the feeling of fear he kept hidden had grown and exploded out. I don't know when the horrible memories of the past had been brewing and suddenly attacked his mind. Looking at Clara he remembered his mother, his heart suddenly ached. Roly stopped, hugged Clara tightly in his arms, and whispered to her.
"Please, Clara! don't leave me."
Roly stroked her face, his mouth constantly whispering her name. Despair enveloped the silence. In the corners of the other eyes, tears of pain flowed out.
Zane stood in a daze for a while now, calm when Roly shouted her name, no one can describe his painful, tormented mood right now, his body was frozen, and he couldn't move as he watched Clara panic below He was afraid, fear had stopped his bravery, he was afraid that the pain would repeat again, he was afraid of losing another person he loved. But for some reason, his legs could not be lifted, until Roly plunged into the lake, he was still bewildered.
Lifting his limp legs he crept over to her, dropping to his knees on the cold floor next to Roly. His trembling hands wanted to touch her, but an invisible force stopped him, his hands remained motionless, unable to touch her purple skin.
Drop by a drop of tears fell down, touched her lips lightly, and then disappeared like nothing, Roly hugged Clara tightly in her arms, still unable to accept this fact.
Sarah could not hold back her emotions, her tears fell, Sarah hugged her face and hugged Hana tightly. Her older sister was also stunned as a soulless person before the incident.
An atmosphere of pain. Until Roly sensed something that made him regain his composure.
Roly stopped crying, eyes searching for that feeling - Clara's life. His eyes were blurred with disbelief, and the weak hand was clutching his elbow.
"Clara."
Stunned moment Roly happily called her name. Then hastily pushed her face away from his chest. Her face has improved, hearing Clara's call to cough and bark to get rid of the water invading her lungs, her dreamy eyes fluttering open. Roly laid her down to make her feel more comfortable.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the miracle that had happened. Zane couldn't think of anything, and reached out to push Roly to take his place, being pushed away Roly was not only not angry, on the contrary, only silently conceded, wiping tears from his eyes, at this time he dared to sigh.
Clara opened her eyes to see Zane staring at her, tears didn't stop falling, he was so happy that tears could not help falling down, a cold person like him rarely shows people crying, but today was the exception, for that joy was so great, it was worth it for him to show his weakness.
He was scared if she died.
"Zane."
Clara softly called his name, it was so unexpected that he stopped crying, Roly also turned to look at her in surprise and pity.
That is enough! there was no reason for him to continue, Clara was originally destined to be Zane's Cinderella from the beginning.
Her hand slowly raised, wiping away the remaining tears that were waiting to fall. He couldn't help but hug her tightly.
"Thank you, Clara."
Clara responded by actively grabbing his shoulder.
Witnessing that scene, Roly knew he was redundant, there was no reason for him to stay, except if he wanted to get hurt.
Without saying anything Roly got up, and quietly left, when he left, no one seemed to notice him because they were focusing their attention on the main couple. Well, no one will see the wound you're carrying.
By the time Neil rolled his eyes to find Roly, he had disappeared from the area. He was going to go look for him but thinking back it was an act of redundant care. Right now the only thing a friend like me can do for him isn't to ask if he's okay? or comfort, encouragement but silence, let him have some privacy. It seems that Corbin also had the same thought, so he looked at him with eyes that agreed with his opinion.
No need for anyone to say anything or explain, the two also partly understood why Roly rushed to save Clara. They knew before Roly was acting strangely protecting Clara. It's just that they didn't expect it to turn out like this, two friends, one girl. Surely someone will get hurt.
Returning to the central couple, Zane helped her up, quickly bringing warm towels to her.
The party came to an end. Clara had to give the crowd a satisfying answer because everyone knew they wouldn't leave easily when things were left unfinished like this.
The crowd suddenly lost hands, eyes turned towards the lake as Zane knelt down to propose to Clara again.
This time the crowd cheered loudly, agree! agree to go!
Perhaps Arlo was the most enthusiastic. Sarah was also somewhat less tormented, she was even happy for Clara, Hana had no face anymore, she quietly slipped away when no one noticed her anymore.
Clara looked at him, looked at the ring in the box he had just opened, then looked around at everyone, everyone smiled and nodded encouragingly.
'Why can't I see you?'
It was only then that she realized she hadn't seen Roly the whole time.
"Clara! agree to marry me."
His voice brought her back to the present. Clara looked at him for a long time before shyly nodding.
Everyone clapped and congratulated, laughing and talking, but this time it was not whispers and mockery, but blessings for the couple.
He took the ring out of the box, and gently put it on Clara's hand, the ring was slowly pushed into her long, elegant finger. Suddenly, a strange feeling appeared in her.
Clara didn't know what it was, only knowing it made her feel vague.
Zane smiles brightly. He took another long step toward her, gently pulling her closer to him. Everyone knew what he was going to do and they were looking forward to their sweet, happy kiss.
Clara awkwardly, unable to control herself, kept fumbling while Zane took the initiative. His sudden action interrupted Clara's thoughts.
A gentle kiss he placed on her lips. Clara impassively accepted it, neither responding nor denying it.
Zane greedily wanted the kiss to go beyond the deadline, but it wasn't three seconds before his lips touched hers.
The confusion in her brain began to ramp up again, vague images swirling around her. This feeling is not like an underwater kiss.
A stream of memories flashed past.
'Mommy! Is there really a prince who truly loves you?'
'Yes of course! And that person's kiss will erase the ugly birthmark on your face.'
'Roly! Do you think I'm too stupid? just believe what she says, that this birthmark is a curse and have a prince help me get rid of it.'
'Maybe it's true, don't you want to have a loving prince like other girls.'
'It's just a fairy tale, moreover, I never thought I would be Cinderella. If I had to lose anything, I'd rather give up a prince than lose a son who truly sheds tears for me.'
In the vague memory of the events that had just happened, Clara glimpsed a familiar figure, she tried to remember who it was? and then when she realized who she thought of at the moment of playing between life and death, Clara jumped out of the kiss.
She took three steps back, stunned as she untied the knots in her love life.
"Clara."
Zane was a bit bewildered by her reaction, he just wanted her to open her mouth to receive his love, but she did not expect her reaction.
She frantically searched for something that could see her face clearly, like the surface of a lake. Clara turned her face to look at the lake, in the light that penetrated the lake, she realized that nothing had changed. Her face was still the same, that ugly mark was still there, even if someone's sincere kiss could not erase it.
So that means, she doesn't love Zane at all.
'Mommy! I understand.'
Clara exclaimed, glad that after all these years she understood what her mother wanted her to understand. It turned out that she was not encouraging her to believe in that miracle, but she wanted Clara to make the right choice for her happiness.
"Clara." He called her again, bewildered.
While others have the opportunity to speculate when they do not understand what is going on.
She turned around, her apologetic eyes looking straight at him. Oh no! He realized the meaning of that look.
"Clara! What's going on?" He dared to ask her, to avoid what he was afraid of.
"Zane! I'm sorry."
Clara regrets her decision to change.
"Why apologize?"
As his uneasiness grew, every word he uttered was difficult.
"I can't marry you."
Clara replied in an apologetic, but very firm voice.
Everyone was noisy, everyone was surprised.
"Why?"
Now he no longer hides his fear. His voice was like the wind, not wanting to accept the truth.
"Sorry, I'm not Cinderella," Clara said while shaking her head in a steely voice, she turned her head and ran quickly to find Roly.
"Clara."
Zane called out in vain, she absolutely did not look back, leaving everything behind, a dumbfounded Zane before the lightning struck, the crowd had the opportunity to express their views.
More than anyone else, the members of the guild couldn't stand to watch anymore.
Her shadow gradually faded away, and only Zane lifted his foot to chase.
"Zane."
Arlo's voice called for the attention of the crowd, all of them silently watched him, and then his fellow men lifted their legs and ran after them. Of course, only those who are talkative and interested, while others linger to continue their right to comment.