My Wife Took The Lifeboat to Save Her Lover

On our wedding anniversary, I took my wife, Kacey Winston, and our daughter, Aimee Fitz, on a cruise. However, Kacey secretly brought her childhood sweetheart along as well. There was a shipwreck, and Kacey stole the lifeboat I found and took it for herself. She had no regard for my survival and focused only on helping her lover escape. Aimee cried hard and held onto Kacey’s pant leg while begging her. “Save Dad, Mom! Save him!” Kacey kicked Aimee into the sea with hatred in her eyes. “If you don’t want to come with me, die with that useless piece of trash!” When we both ended up on a deserted island, we already found Kacey and Saddler there. I found out about their plot to have me killed. I felt uneasy, and hatred spread through me. For all their plotting for money, it would depend on whether they got off this island alive. Chapter 1 “This was all your fault. I wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t dragged me to this stupid cruise. Now, we’re somehow stranded on a deserted island! How are we getting back home now?” Still feeling scared after surviving his ordeal, Saddler Giles vented all of his frustrations on Kacey Winston. Kacey trembled all over as she took in the scolding. Yet, she was still smiling as she tried to console Saddler. “Come on, Saddler, I only wanted to take you out on a vacation so you could relax. No one could have imagined this happening. Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?” Kacey reached out for Saddler’s hand, but he avoided it in annoyance. Kacey did not get offended by that. She looped her arm around Saddler’s tightly. She comforted him gently, “We might be on a deserted island right now, but this could be a good thing!” Saddler frowned tightly and looked at her in confusion. Kacey let out a laugh. “Didn’t we get Jared Fitz a hefty insurance package a long time ago?” When Saddler heard the word “insurance,” his expression immediately turned joyful. “You stole his lifeboat and now, we’re the only two survivors. Jared might have died at sea!” Kacey seemed uncaring of Saddler’s predicament. She rested her head upon his chest affectionately. “With Jared dead, we’ll be filthy rich once we’re saved from this island! Later, I’ll buy you a house and renovate an awesome computer room for you. You won’t have to slave away at work anymore!” At that cajoling, Saddler was convinced. He happily started imagining what that life would be like. “Jared might be dead, but what about the kid?” Saddler suddenly recalled Aimee. Kacey wore an inscrutable expression. Her voice was wheedling. “Aimee may be our child, but she’s just a little girl. Besides, your mom doesn’t even like her. It’s… fine if she’s dead. “Once we get back, I’ll give you a son. How does that sound?” Saddler’s frown was instantly smoothed out at that. “You’ve thought of everything, Kacey. I’m so lucky to have you by my side.” Kacey beamed at that, as if it was the happiest moment in her life. Hearing all that threw me into the depths of despair. Even on the precipice of death, I had never been so scared before. I soundlessly clutched my daughter’s hand. It must have hurt, because she patted the back of my hand and called, “Dad…” Complicated feelings swirled within me as I looked at Aimee Fitz. She was such a good kid. She patted the back of my hand again. “Don’t be afraid, Dad. I’ll always be here with you.” My heart twisted at how good she was. It was such a bittersweet feeling. I watched Saddler and Kacey angrily, resentment roiling in my heart. I knew that Kacey had a childhood sweetheart before she married me. But I had worked things out with her. I had once asked, “I’ll respect your choice if you’re in love with someone else.” But Kacey had replied, “That’s all in the past, and that’s why I’m choosing you.” I could not help but clench my fist. Was that what she meant by leaving everything in the past? All because of Saddler, Kacey had not only betrayed me again and again, but she also did not care if Aimee and I were dead or alive. She had bought a high-payout insurance scheme for me, hoping that I would die. Just because Aimee was not the son that they wanted, Kacey would even accept Aimee’s death. I wanted to stab those two horrible people and be done with it all, but I could not be impulsive. Survival came first. Aimee had to make it home. I bent down and wiped Aimee’s face. “You’re a good girl, Aimee. I will always be here with you.” Chapter 2 My original plan was to take Aimee to the other side of the deserted island, but I did not expect to bump into Kacey and Saddler, who had been wandering around blindly. When she saw me, Kacey was stunned. She shrieked, “Jared?! How are you still…” She realized that it was not the right sentiment to express and quickly shut up. I still caught the disappointment in her voice. I glared at her. “What this? Were you going to ask how I’m still alive?” Kacey stiffened. She tried to muddle through with an explanation. “No, I was saying… I didn’t mean it when I didn’t save you…” Stone-faced, I lifted a hand to cut her off. “Stop talking. I don’t want to hear your excuses.” Saddler frowned in irritation. His voice was disdainful as he said, “How lucky you are to be alive. You’re such a plague on this world.” Saddler had never been pleasant to me even once. Kacey looked unsure. She knew that she could not convince me, so she changed targets to Aimee, who was standing behind me. When she saw that Aimee was still alive, she was first taken aback and then happy. She rushed forward and bent down before Aimee. “Are you alright, Aimee? Your clothes are still wet. Are you cold?” Aimee looked up at me when she saw how gentle Kacey was being with her. I knew that she was looking to me for guidance. I did not want Aimee to have any further interactions with Kacey, but I could not help but relent at Aimee’s saddened gaze. After all, Aimee was still a child who needed a mother’s love. The four of us found a temporary place to stay. I sat to one side and calmly watched as Kacey looked after Aimee. Aimee did not say a word. She simply let Kacey chatter on. When Kacey finally sensed how awkward things were, Aimee spoke up. “Mom… Why didn’t you save Dad earlier? Why did you kick me into the sea?” Faced with Aimee’s innocent gaze, Kacey was at a loss for words. Before Kacey could find a suitable excuse, Aimee added, “Did you know I nearly died?” Kacey’s face became mottled as she was put on the spot. “Aimee, let me explain. I didn’t intentionally push you off the ship. My foot slipped. I’m sorry. Is that okay?” Aimee looked into Kacey’s eyes, thinking about something. She did not respond to Kacey. In the end, I got up and led Aimee away. Before we could go very far, an argument broke out behind us. Saddler’s expression had been dark since he saw us, and his temper finally broke through. “Look at how things are now! He’s not even dead! The cat’s out of the bag, isn’t it? Why are you being so nice to them now?” Kacey was sheepish. But she came up with a new plan on the spot. “We can get money if he’s dead. But since he’s not dead, he can help us survive on this island.” Saddler’s expression was still gloomy as he listened to Kacey praise my capabilities. “Well, you seem happy that he isn’t dead.” Kacey rushed to explain. “Jared goes out camping all the time. He has wilderness survival skills. We’ll be in a good spot if we’re with him! With just the two of us, it’ll be tough to survive! We can think of something else for the insurance thing.” Even though he was unhappy, Saddler could not refute Kacey’s logic. After all, Saddler could barely keep himself alive when living in civilization, much less a deserted island where it was only the four of us. If he wanted to survive, he would have to rely on others. The breeze carried their discussion over to my ears. I was already hurt, but I still felt the fresh cut of another wound. In the past, I would have thought Kacey felt some affection for me. But it seemed that she had only ever wanted to use me for her own gain. Chapter 3 By sunset, I finally found a sheltered location where we could escape the rain. I looked around to ensure the surroundings were safe. Then, I secured Aimee there and went off alone to look for food. I found some fruit and happily brought them back to our shelter. However, what I saw there enraged me. The cave had been taken over by Kacey and Saddler. Aimee had been forced to the mouth of the cave, and she was so cold that she was shivering violently. When she saw me returning, Aimee tearfully threw herself into my arms. “You’re finally back, Dad!” My heart shattered. “What’s the meaning of this, Kacey?!” I yelled. Saddler walked out wearing a disdainful look on his face. “No particular meaning. It’s a miracle we all survived, so we should all work together, shouldn’t we? Don’t be so petty, Jared. Are you going to watch your wife freeze to death?” I was ready to punch him for his shamelessness. Before I could, Kacey raced over and shielded him behind her. I forced myself to stop and looked at her in bafflement. “Why?” I asked, although I knew what she wanted. Kacey was shocked by the determination and fire in my eyes. She looked torn as she lowered her arms where she had them braced against my attack. She bent down and hugged Aimee. “Come give me a hug, Aimee. It was all my fault for not noticing you out here. I thought you were outside waiting for your dad.” Wrapped in Kacey’s arms, Aimee seemed to be lost in memories of the past. She could not help but hug Kacey back. Kacey took it as acceptance and smiled. “Don’t be mad, Jared. I’ll make sure Aimee won’t suffer any hardship from now on. It’s a miracle that we survived, so let’s not talk about all these irrelevant things. We should work to survive and get saved.” I scowled at Saddler, still standing behind Kacey and looking displeased. Then, I looked at Aimee, still in Kacey’s embrace. No matter how resentful I felt, I could only push it down for that moment. Kacey was right. We had to survive this. That whole night, Kacey took great care of Aimee, who had been through such an ordeal in the day. When I saw that, I could not tell if she really loved Aimee or if she was simply putting on a show. When dawn broke the next morning, I decided to find a source of fresh water. However, I hesitated when I saw Aimee. Since I did not know where this source of water could be, it would be even more challenging to bring Aimee along with me. But I would worry even more if I left Aimee here. Kacey could see me working through my indecision and said warmly, “Don’t worry so much and go. I’ll take good care of Aimee.” I was almost convinced, but then I recalled their earlier discussion. My feet remained planted on the ground. But then Aimee went ahead and hugged Kacey. “Go and find water, Dad. I’ll wait with Mom for you to come back.” I could only resign myself to going to find water alone. Luckily, I found water and also something to carry it in. I filled my makeshift container with water and rushed back. From afar, I saw Kacey scolding Aimee and striking her by the sea. My heart clenched. I put down the water and rushed over. Kacey grabbed Aimee tightly and scolded her. “You useless girl, so what if I asked you to wash some clothes?!” Half in the sea and with her arm in Kacey’s vise grip, Aimee could not help but cry. “I don’t know how…” she sobbed out. “Why should I wash his clothes?” When Kacey heard that, she lost her temper. “Why should you wash his clothes? Well, he’s your actual father!” Chapter 4 “Don’t you think you can forget who your real dad is just because Jared raised you for a few years! If you don’t get on your dad’s good side, I won’t want you anymore!” Aimee cried so hard that her voice went hoarse. “He’s not my dad. Jared Fitz is my dad! My name is Aimee Fitz! Dad wouldn’t make me wash clothes. He wouldn’t!” Before Aimee could say more, a maddened Kacey shoved her into the sea. Seawater covered Aimee’s head, and I hurriedly rushed over. Luckily, I was just in time, and Aimee had only swallowed a mouthful of water. Kacey looked at me, pale-faced. “W-Why are you back so soon?” She could not hide the guilt on her face. I glared at Kacey. “Is this what you meant when you said you’d take care of Aimee?” Kacey’s face went red, but she did not know what to do. “This was only… Aimee was being disobedient, so I was just disciplining her!” After she found the right excuse, Kacey’s voice got bolder. “What is it? Can’t I tell my own daughter off?” Aimee was so frightened that she snuggled further into my embrace. I shouted angrily, “Enough of this! I heard everything. Do you still think you can trick me?” Kacey was taken aback and literally stumbled a few steps backward. I carried Aimee and left after saying, “We’re better off splitting up!” Not giving up, Kacey kept yelling after us, but neither I nor Aimee turned back. Aimee was still sobbing in my hold. “Dad, I don’t want Mom anymore. I don’t want her anymore…” My heart broke for Aimee, who had gone through so much in a short two days. I brought her elsewhere and set up camp there. I had not only found water, but also food. Besides, I set up some campfires to signal for SOS. Hopefully, someone would find us soon. By the time I finished doing all that and went back to the camp, I found Kacey and Saddler standing there. Aimee was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, I was terrified. All of a sudden, Aimee’s shrieking sounded up. “Mom, please let me out! I’m so scared! Please let me out! I’ll die!” Saddler leaned by the entrance of our camp, ignoring Aimee’s cries, and yelled joyfully, “Didn’t you say you’re Jared Fitz’s daughter?! Well, let’s see if he can save you when you’re stuck in there with some venomous snakes!” After he said that, Saddler burst into laughter. He was clearly evil. Although Kacey seemed worried at Aimee’s cries, she did nothing to stop Saddler. She even told Aimee off. “This will teach you who your real dad is. I’ve told you many times, but you never listen! Since you’re so disobedient, we have no choice but to discipline you!” Aimee’s cries became ever more pitiful, but Kacey and Saddler did not relent at all. I was so angry that I was shaking. I lunged forward and slapped Kacey with all my might. Saddler tried to hit me, but I whirled around and sent him flying with a kick. He sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. “What are you doing, Jared?!” Kacey shouted in shock. She went and helped Saddler up without waiting for an answer. My heart broke. How could Kacey not feel any worry at all when her own daughter was trapped with venomous snakes? Meanwhile, she fawned over her lover when he had only been kicked. I rushed to where Aimee was, praying hard that she was safe. “Dad’s here, Aimee! Dad’s here!” I barely dared to look at what kind of situation Aimee was in. I was terrified that I would find Aimee unmoving, only a corpse. Breaking that instant of doubt was Aimee’s terrified cry, “Dad!” I panted hard and followed her voice to find Aimee completely unharmed. Before her was a dead snake, killed by a rock she held in her hand. I held Aimee tightly to reassure her and promised her over and over, “I’m sorry, Aimee. I swear I’ll never let you get hurt again!” I glared at Kacey and Saddler, swearing in my heart that I would make them pay.