Chapter 2

After they were evacuated, they were taken to the local high school gymnasium, which was serving as a temporary red cross shelter.

The voice from the emergency radio broadcast drew everyone's attention: "Latest update—water levels in the southeast district are rising rapidly.

Debris has blocked the main roads, making it extremely difficult for rescue teams to enter..."

An anxious chatter broke out in the gym.

Hearing this, Mrs. Gable immediately rushed to Eleanor’s side. She lowered her voice, her eyes wide with panic.

"Eleanor, did you hear that? The water is rising too fast in the southeast! Our neighborhood is right in that zone. You need to contact Hazel right now to see if she made it out!"

Eleanor merely frowned. There was no panic on her face. She just waved her hand dismissively. "She’ll be fine. Hazel knows how to swim. Nothing will happen to her."

Her tone was so indifferent, as if she were talking about a complete stranger rather than her own daughter.

Mrs. Gable snapped, grabbing Eleanor’s arm. "Her leg was ruined! Aren't you worried at all? It looked broken! How is she supposed to swim like that? What if something terrible happens to her?"

Eleanor let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Broken? She probably just bruised it. Kids these days are so fragile."

She rolled her eyes. "Back in my day, we went through much worse and still went to work the next day. Kids today can't handle a single scratch."

Right at that moment, Chloe let out a tiny sneeze.

Eleanor’s face instantly changed, as if an emergency button had been pressed. She immediately bent down, frantically feeling Chloe’s forehead.

"Oh my god, sweetheart, did you sneeze? Are you catching a cold? Are you cold? Does your head hurt?"

Her voice was trembling with anxiety, her face pale. She became a completely different person.

She stood up abruptly, pulling Chloe toward the medical corner. "Come on, we can't wait. We need to see the shelter doctor right now. A cold could turn into pneumonia!"

She held Chloe’s hand tightly, walking slowly to match her pace, terrified that her precious daughter might experience the slightest discomfort.

All her anxiety, care, and love were poured onto Chloe.

And that was a kind of warmth I had never experienced in my entire life.