I Texted My Dad One Word The World Burned novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1

After my boyfriend’s friend found out I had asthma, she purposely picked a BBQ joint for the gathering.

The smoke in the air was thick, so I quickly pulled my inhaler out of my pocket and took a puff.

But the moment the sweet liquid hit my tongue, my face drained of color.

To my horror, my inhaler had been switched strawberry-flavored cough syrup!

My throat tightened, panic surging in my chest. I turned and saw my boyfriend handing the inhaler to his female friend.

“Ivy’s been coughing from a cold. This inhaler looks fancy. Let her try it for a bit!”

I gasped, struggling for breath, “That’s asthma medication, not something for a cough! I’m allergic to smoke, give it back!”

Ivy Grant took a deep puff from the inhaler, a satisfied look spreading across her face.

“Ah, this feels so much better! Has your girlfriend turned into a jealous drama queen again, Aiden? She was fine just a minute ago, and now she’s trying to steal my medicine?”

I was struggling to breathe, my voice faint as I pleaded, “I really feel bad, please give it back…”

But my boyfriend, Aiden Ford, furrowed his brow, irritation clouding his face. “Enough, Amelia! Are you really going to keep pretending like this? I don’t believe you’d have an asthma attack just from some BBQ!”

A deep, crushing sense of despair settled over me. I forced myself to send a message to my father.

[Dad, send someone to help me! I know I was wrong. Cancel the investment in the Ford family!]

***

I had just sent the message when Aiden snatched my phone from my hands.

“So you’ve still got the energy to play with your phone? Looks like you’ve been faking it all along. Amelia, can you stop making a scene and let me finish the celebration?”

He turned it off and shoved it into his pocket, his face hardening.

I begged, my voice barely a whisper, “Give me back my inhaler… please, I really need it…”

I tried to reach for it, but he forcefully pushed me back into my seat.

“Sit still. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood.”

The sharp pain in my back and the suffocating pressure in my chest made me cough uncontrollably.

“Cough, cough, I’m really allergic to smoke, please give me my asthma medication…”

Ivy grabbed the bottle of strawberry-flavored cough syrup and forced it into my mouth, the nozzle pressing painfully against my lips.

“Still coughing? Must not have taken enough. Let me help you!”

The thick syrup poured down my throat, clogging my airways. I opened my mouth, but no air came in.

Cold sweat drenched my back. I shoved her away, my body lurching forward violently.

“Ugh!”

Pink syrup mixed with mucus shot out of my mouth, splattering all over Ivy’s delicate high heels.

But everything changed once his friend, Ivy, became his secretary. They were always together, their closeness impossible to ignore.

I didn’t like it, but Aiden kept explaining it was just "friendship." If they were more than that, he would’ve already gotten together with her.

Ivy pretended to reassure me, telling me not to overthink. Yet she always pushed me into situations that triggered my asthma.

In the beginning, Aiden was really concerned when I had an attack. He would drop everything and take me to the hospital, despite the complaints from his friends.

But then, he started listening to Ivy. He believed I was just jealous and making a scene on purpose.

Like today, when Ivy said through tears, “Amelia, don’t overthink it. Aiden’s just being considerate of his employees. I caught a cold for the company’s sake. As a leader, it’s only right for him to care.”

“Don’t be so sensitive. No matter how much he loves you, he can’t keep up with all the drama and testing!”

Her voice grew more agitated, her face flushing. She clutched her chest, as if she couldn’t breathe.

Aiden couldn’t care less about me anymore. He shoved the inhaler into her mouth and pressed down on it.

“Enough, Ivy. Take a puff!”

Ivy gave me a look filled with challenge before she inhaled deeply from my asthma medication.

My vision went black, my breathing becoming more and more frantic.

I reached out to grab the inhaler, but my legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor.