Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 38

Chapter 4

Eliza’s hands trembled, clenched tightly into fists. Deep inside, she recognized the truth—Isolde was lying—but she felt trapped, powerless to do anything but obey. Her mind was consumed by one thought: Lucky. He was her anchor, her reason for holding on. She would give up everything, even her own life, if it meant protecting him.

“Alright,” Eliza whispered, voice barely steady.

The early autumn air bit sharply at her skin, colder than she had anticipated. Standing by the edge of the pool, her thin clothes offered little defense against the chill, and a shiver ran down her spine. The water in the pool gleamed under the fading daylight, its surface smooth and undisturbed.

Isolde pointed with a self-satisfied smirk toward the empty pool. “Right there, in front of you. Can you see? It’s still sparkling.” Her laughter was cruel, echoing in the quiet garden. “Almost forgot—you’re blind. You’ll have to rely on your other senses. You two—keep a close watch on Ms. Vance. She isn’t allowed to leave until she retrieves that ring.”

Isolde turned away confidently, but before she could disappear, a voice called from behind her. “What’s going on here?”

Benson’s sudden arrival startled Isolde, who immediately rushed into his arms. “Benson, Ms. Vance’s dog threw my ring into the pool. I wanted to punish the dog, but Ms. Vance stopped me. She insisted on retrieving it herself. I felt sorry for her since she just woke up so weak, so I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Eliza couldn’t help but let a bitter smirk cross her lips as she listened to Isolde’s story. Lucky was no ordinary dog—he was trained, disciplined. There was no chance he would recklessly throw someone’s precious ring into a pool. The story was clearly fabricated.

Benson looked toward Eliza’s retreating figure, his fists tightening at his sides. Yet, with a calm resolve, he wrapped his arms around Isolde. “If her dog caused the problem, it’s her responsibility to fix it. Let her search for it. She can’t leave until she finds that ring.”

Hearing Benson’s words, Eliza’s heart sank, but she forced herself to act. Without hesitation, she plunged into the pool with a splash. The icy water enveloped her, sending a shock through her body. She shivered violently, her fingers probing the murky depths, searching desperately for a ring that simply wasn’t there.

As the sky darkened and shadows lengthened, Eliza’s energy began to wane. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she finally shook her head toward the servants standing by. “I can’t find it,” she said, voice weak and defeated.

One of the servants opened their mouth, ready to speak, but before they could, Benson’s voice rang out from the second floor. “If she can’t find it, she needs to keep looking. That ring is my wedding ring with Isolde.”

Eliza, trembling from the cold, scrambled toward the pool’s edge. She knew the servants would rush to rescue Isolde since she couldn’t swim. But Eliza herself was on the verge of hypothermia, her body numb and weak.

Just as Eliza’s fingers grasped the edge, Isolde suddenly grabbed her leg and yanked her back toward the center of the pool. “Ms. Vance, please help me! I really can’t swim,” Isolde cried out, her voice trembling with false desperation.

Caught off guard by Isolde’s sudden pull, Eliza lost her balance and fell fully underwater. Isolde seized the moment, pushing Eliza’s head beneath the surface with fierce determination.

Eliza struggled to breathe, her hands thrashing wildly as she fought to break free from Isolde’s grip. But Isolde was unexpectedly strong, her hold unyielding despite Eliza’s frantic efforts.

As darkness crept into Eliza’s vision and her limbs grew heavy, she feared she would sink beneath the water forever. But just when all seemed lost, Isolde suddenly loosened her grip and shouted, “Benson, help me!”