A Cat’s Life Over Mine

"Enough stalling! Team Three, move in! We have a missing person—female, twenty-four. Exact location unknown," Connor ordered, and the rescue workers geared up, heading into the garage.

Mandy grabbed Wade's arm. "Wade, it's dangerous in there. Just let them handle it."

"No way—I'm the team leader. Stay here, okay? Just wait for me."

Connor stepped in, pulling Mandy aside. "Civilians stay behind the barrier—don't interfere with the rescue," he ordered firmly.

Mandy huffed, stamping her foot as she moved back.

I had to laugh. Mandy—only a fool like Wade would fall for your act. No one else would give you a second glance.

I drifted along behind Wade as he stepped into the garage. The mud was up to his thighs, making it tough even for him to move. And here I was, buried somewhere, with no one even sure where to start looking.

Turns out, the garage cameras had been out, so no one had seen me go in. Mr. Jordan and his team only realized I was in here because of the desperate message I'd sent over chat.

My car was parked in Section D, way at the back of the garage.

One of Wade's teammates yanked his leg free from the thick mud, catching his breath. "Wade, isn't your girlfriend in this complex too? Did she...?"

"Nah," Wade said tightly. "Tia's all about proving a point. No way she'd be out here."

"But didn't she call, saying she was trapped?"

Wade pressed his lips into a hard line. "No. She just wanted to make things difficult because she knew I was with Mandy."

"She's always been a pain," he added.

His teammates went silent, while I watched from the sidelines with a bitter smile.

Me? A pain? First time I'd ever heard that.

No, I wasn't soft-spoken like Mandy, but I'd always been independent. The first time I reached out for help, he brushed me off, so I'd stopped asking. Until today—when I had no choice but to call him. And to him, I was just a nuisance.

Wade, if you knew ignoring me had led to my death, would you even regret?

It took more than forty rescuers and property staff ten hours to find me.

In the end, it was Mr. Jordan who spotted my body. Bloated, lifeless, with mud clogging my mouth and nose, I was wedged against a car emblem, barely held in place by that small anchor. He pointed a shaking finger at my form, buried in the muck. "It... it's her!"

Rescue workers cheered, trudging through the mud to bring over a stretcher and pull my body free.

Once they placed me on it, they all went quiet, heads bowed as they grimaced at my lifeless form. Connor took a deep breath, and after a moment of silence, gave the signal. Together, they lifted me out of the garage.

Wade's team joined them, helping to carry me up. He shook his head. "Who would come down to the garage at a time like this? Anyone with common sense wouldn't step foot here now. What a waste."

As they carried me outside, a gust of wind blew past, loosening my hand to reveal the necklace clenched in my fingers.

Wade turned away, and I snorted. Wade, look at us—did we ever actually get each other? If you'd just turn around, maybe you'd notice the dead one here is me.

This necklace? Yeah, it was your big gift, that one birthday two years ago. Two whole years, and it was the only thing you ever bothered to give me.

Honestly, I died way too disappointed to hang on to anything of yours. That's why I tore it off. From now on, Wade, I'm done clinging to you.