Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Suddenly, I felt this crazy mix of excitement and nerves that had me all jittery.

I couldn't take my eyes off the doorway. First, a cane hit the floor, then a black leather shoe, and finally, a leg in suit pants stepped out. When Ethan finally showed up, my eyes went wide, and it felt like my heart just stopped for a second, leaving me breathless.

He turned his head slowly, locking eyes with mine. Fireworks lit up the night sky behind him, bursting in the distance. Ethan was rocking a black suit, looking so handsome that even the fireworks seemed to fade in comparison. The whole scene was so stunning, leaving me in a daze.

I thought, 'Is this real? Am I dreaming?' I didn't dare move, even tried to hold my breath, scared I'd wake up from this beautiful dream.

Fireworks were exploding all around us, but nothing could drown out the sound of my racing heart. The guy I'd been missing day and night was suddenly right in front of me, and my heart was pounding like crazy. Ethan, leaning on his cane, walked towards me, each step slow and determined.

I thought, 'If this is a dream, why do his tears look so real, and why is his gaze so full of love?'

He stopped about six feet away, and we just stared at each other. I didn't dare say a word, afraid I'd shatter the dream.

Ethan's lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he said, "I promised I'd be here with you for New Year's, and I didn't forget."

Hearing that, I felt my tears started falling instantly. Seeing me cry, he frowned, his eyes turning red too.

"Am I still in time?" he asked softly, his voice a bit choked.

I gathered the courage to walk towards him, each step filled with excitement but cautious. I got up to Ethan, staring at him without blinking, my hands trembling as I touched his arm. It wasn't a dream! He was real!

"You're not late!"

My voice was hoarse, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

He raised his hand, gently wiping my tears with his palm, but his own tears fell too. Ethan's palm was warm, and his tears on my face were hot.

"You're back, right?"

I paused several times before finishing the sentence. I tried to speak clearly, but I couldn't stop the tears.

"I'm back."

His voice was soft, his hand caressing my cheek, and he looked at me with deep affection. I bit my trembling lips, suddenly unable to control my emotions, grabbing his arms.

"Why didn't you come back sooner? Why did you wait until my heart was broken to come back?"

The cane fell to the ground. Ethan embraced me, but his body was unsteady and he fell backward. "Ethan!"

I held him, but couldn't steady him. At that moment, several people rushed over to support him, including Dennis and two doctors in lab coats. Others brought a wide chair, and they helped him sit down. After everything was settled, they stepped back.

I squatted in front of Ethan, looking at his legs with concern.

"What happened to your legs?"

Ethan held my hand, helping me up to sit beside him, holding me close.

"Even without legs, I would crawl to be with you for New Year's." I leaned on his shoulder, not saying a word.

Right now, just having him by my side made me feel like I could face anything, even if the world ended in the next second. We held each other tight, watching the fireworks light up the sky and listening to the New Year's bells ringing. When the New Year finally hit, he whispered in my ear, all emotional.

"Emily, I love you!"

We locked eyes, and in that moment, just looking at each other felt like pure happiness.

"I love you too!"

I cupped his face and kissed him, and he kissed me back gently. The kiss was bittersweet, filled with our tears, despair, pain, and longing from all these days apart. Suddenly, he groaned, and I pulled back, seeing the pain on his face. "What's wrong?"

Ethan clutched his chest but tried to smile at me.

"Don't worry, right now, with you here, I'm so happy."

It was snowing heavily, and he was dressed lightly. Soon, I saw blood seeping from his chest.

I screamed in fear, "Dennis!"

Dennis heard me and rushed over with the two doctors.

The doctors quickly put Ethan on a stretcher, attaching a ventilator while carrying him downstairs. I was terrified, running to keep up, glancing at his pale face on the stretcher.

I followed their car to the military hospital, watching him being wheeled into the emergency room.

While waiting for his treatment, Dennis told me that Ethan had been seriously injured and in a deep coma. They hadn't told me because even the doctors thought his chances of waking up were slim. But a few hours ago, Ethan suddenly woke up and asked, "What day is it today?"

When he found out it was the last day of the year, he insisted on going to the rooftop and wearing a suit. They knew Ethan's stubbornness, so they had no choice but to go along with it.

I listened to Dennis's story, tears streaming down my face. He had never forgotten our promise. I clung tightly to the emergency room door, unable to describe my feelings. I was so scared! Having lost him once, I couldn't bear to lose him again.

Two hours passing, the door finally opened. Seeing the doctor come out, I grabbed his arm.

"Doctor, how is he?"

God, I was so conflicted, desperate for an answer but terrified of what it might be.

The doctor took off his mask, smiling with relief.

"It's a miracle. His vital signs are stable now, and he's out of danger." The doctor's words made me cry with joy. Dennis was also super excited, and I was laughing and crying like a lunatic.

When Ethan was wheeled back to the ward, he was awake. I sat by his bed, holding his hand tightly, not wanting to look away for even a second. He raised his hand, gently stroking my hair, smiling weakly but tenderly.

"Actually, I had one foot in hell and even saw the Grim Reaper. But the Grim Reaper said I hadn't loved my wife well enough or fulfilled my duties as a father, so he wouldn't take me. He sent me back to take responsibility and take good care of you."

I was already crying uncontrollably, wiping my tears and snot on his sleeve.

"Don't scare me like this again, okay? I don't want to live a life of thrills. My heart is fragile and can't take it."

He smiled at me, letting my head rest on his chest.

"Don't worry, from now on, even if you want to get rid of me, you can't."

Six months later, we were in the Maldives. On the beach, a small concert was happening, performed by the band once known as the Thorn Birds Band.

Ethan and Oliver were on guitars, Jason was on the drums, and Frank had the bass. The four guys, now in their early thirties, sang cheerful songs with sunny smiles, attracting a bunch of foreign tourists.

I held Hunter, and Nora held Harper as we sat not far away, enjoying their performance. Ethan kept glancing at me while singing, his eyes sending little electric shocks to my heart, making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I couldn't help but hum along softly.

As we listened, Hunter suddenly jumped off my lap and ran towards them. His little hands first strummed Ethan's guitar randomly, then he ran to Jason and insisted on taking his drumsticks. Jason handed him the sticks and picked him up. Hunter, holding the sticks, imitated Jason, banging randomly on the drums, making a mess but laughing joyfully, amusing the crowd of tourists. Ethan picked up Hunter, kissed him on the cheek, then lifted him high, spinning him around, making Hunter giggle.

Watching this scene, I felt incredibly happy.

The next day in the Maldives, on Kanifushi Island, we stumbled upon a film crew shooting a scene. It was a drowning scene, where the actress was slapped and then pushed into the water, over and over. After many takes, the director said it was good, but the actress watched the playback and wasn't satisfied, asking for several more takes. Each time she went down, she choked on several mouthfuls of water. We watched for a while and then turned to leave.

"Ethan!" A familiar voice called from behind.

We didn't stop or turn around. We had gotten used to reacting to the most familiar calls from the past with the most unfamiliar responses. Soon, someone ran up and blocked our way. A soaking wet Faye stood there, staring at Ethan with excitement and surprise.

Faye was shocked, saying, "Ethan, you're alive?"

The actress who had been in the water many times was Faye. I had recognized her long ago, and Ethan must have recognized her too.

Ethan looked at her calmly and indifferently. "Sorry, you have the wrong person."

As Faye heard this, tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Ethan took my hand, smiled gently at me, and we walked around her, continuing forward.

After a while, Faye ran up again. She wiped the water dripping from her head and tried to smile brightly at Ethan.

"Sorry, I mistook you for someone else just now because you look so much like a relative of mine. Hi, I'm Faye. I just wanted to say, I wish you happiness!"

Faye was clearly crying, clearly heartbroken, but she tried to smile brightly.

"Thank you!" Ethan said.

We walked a bit further, and Nora ran back, handing Faye a souvenir we had bought yesterday.

"Faye, I used to like you a lot. I saw how hard you worked just now. Keep it up! God won't let down someone who works hard enough."

After giving the gift, Nora quickly ran back to join us. As we walked further away, I turned back. Faye was still standing there. From a distance, I couldn't see her tears, but I could see her shoulders shaking.

Time had passed, and I realized I no longer hated her. I waved at her, silently wishing her well. I thought to myself, 'You got this, Faye!'

Later, Ethan suggested we go swimming. The others chose different activities, giving us some alone time. Even the kids were taken by Nora and Jason. Ethan got into the pool. I couldn't swim, so I sat by the pool, dipping my feet in the water, watching him swim. Oliver joked in the Facebook group, asking for a bikini photo of me.

I replied, "Sure, transfer the money, and I'll send it."

He got excited, saying, "Deal."

"Of course," I said.

Soon, he sent $1,000 and urged me.novelbin

"Hurry up, I've already sent you the money."

I placed a bikini on the wooden floor, took a photo, and sent it.

"How is it? My husband picked it."

Oliver quickly sent a confused emoji, then replied.

"Very pretty!"

Everyone in the group laughed.

Ethan swam over, asking what I was laughing about. I showed him the chat, and he laughed too.

Ethan suddenly pulled me, and I fell into the water with a splash. He held me, preventing me from choking.

"I can't swim!" I screamed in fear.

He lifted my chin, saying with a smile, "How can you not swim? You should learn to swim."

I thought he made a good point, so I decided to learn. And this self-appointed coach, Ethan, took every opportunity to take advantage of me during the lessons.

Excellent teachers created excellent students. It didn't take long for me to learn, and we played a game of Ethan chasing Emily in the pool.

I felt there was no suspense in this game; Ethan would eventually trick Emily into bed. At the edge of the pool, Ethan eagerly kissed me. I felt a bit embarrassed and tried to push him away. "There are people over there."

Ethan complained, "At home, the kids are always around. Outside, we have to worry about others. If I don't kiss you right now, I might just die."

Hearing his words, I felt my heart skip a beat. I quickly covered his mouth, and he took the opportunity to kiss my palm.

He looked at me affectionately, saying, "I want to keep you close to my heart."

I was moved, and regardless of the people around, I stood on tiptoe in the pool and kissed him. We passionately entangled in the water, creating waves.

After a long kiss, we sat by the pool. He held me, and I leaned on his shoulder. Reflecting on the past, I said emotionally, "There was a time when I felt like a fish out of water, about to die." Ethan said with a slight smile, "Then I'll become a cloud and rain to save you."

"Then never leave me, okay? Because I will die!"

Ethan affectionately tapped my nose, saying emotionally, "Honey, I will never leave you!"

I was moved to tears. In a foreign land, as the sun set, we gazed at each other deeply, seeing nothing but each other. In a moment of emotion, a kiss replaced all words.

On the day of discharge, he showed me his ID. Ethan's new name was Chris Windsor. From now on, his life would completely diverge from its original path.

As Ethan, he sacrificed for everyone. Now, as Chris, he was just an ordinary man, and our family of four was his everything. I felt that his true life was just beginning.