HURRICANE! She Begged My Brother to Save Her—This Time, I Said No Chapter 01
Late that night, the new intern, Chloe Sullivan, posted a plea for help in Whitmore Global’s Slack channel.
She said the torrential rain had flooded her apartment and asked me to send my younger brother, Tyler, to drive her to a hotel.
In my previous life, I’d felt sorry for her and sent Tyler to pick her up.
The next day, she held up a pair of shredded panties
and cried that Tyler had assaulted her.
Tyler had only just started college. He couldn’t clear his name, and the university expelled him.
Bennett Industries was thrown into crisis. The shock caused Mom and Dad to suffer strokes.
Riding the wave of online outrage, Chloe demanded a $1 million settlement. She was also made a full-time employee ahead of schedule and took my position.
She even came to gloat right in front of me.
“Natalie, I never would’ve made it to the top if you hadn’t sent Tyler to pick me up that night.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the night the hurricane struck.
Chloe was asking for help in the company Slack channel again.
【My apartment’s flooding, and the rain’s so bad I can’t get a ride.】
【Natalie, could you ask your brother to help me out and drive me to a hotel?】
Tyler reached for his car keys beside me.
I immediately pinned his hand down.
Then I replied in the channel.
【Tyler won’t be going. I’ll call 911 for you.】
The chat went silent for a few seconds.
Then Chloe sent a voice message.
The sound of rushing water filled the background.
“Natalie, I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot.”
“Emergency responders must be overwhelmed in weather like this. I don’t want to take emergency resources away from someone who needs them more.”
“Your place is close to my apartment, and Tyler’s a great driver. I was only asking if he could give me a ride to a nearby hotel.”
Someone in the channel immediately backed her up.
【Emergency services are already swamped because of the hurricane. No need to call them if this can be handled without emergency services.】
【Natalie, didn’t Tyler win first place in an amateur rally race a while back? A drive like this should be easy for him.】
【Exactly. Your family’s modified off-road SUV cost six figures. It was built for conditions like this.】
I replied.
【During a hurricane warning, no one should be on the road except emergency personnel.】
【Tyler isn’t an emergency responder, and an off-road SUV isn’t a rescue boat. If something happens to him, are you going to take responsibility?】
Chloe quickly tried to smooth things over.
【Natalie’s right. I didn’t think this through.】
【I’ll figure something else out.】
I thought that would be the end of it.
But then she sent another message.
【If I don’t make it to work tomorrow morning, please call the police for me.】
The moment she said that, our department director, Marcus Coleman, stepped in.
He sent a long voice message.
“Natalie Bennett, you’re the department head. Looking after new employees and coordinating emergency arrangements for your team are part of your job.”
“Chloe just joined the company. She doesn’t know anyone here, and now she’s stranded in a flooded apartment. What’s so difficult about having Tyler make one trip?”
“If you can’t even deal with a problem this small, how is the company supposed to trust you with a senior management position?”
Tyler heard the message playing aloud and quickly stood up.
“Natalie, maybe I should just go.”
He was only a college freshman.
There was still an innocent clarity in his eyes, as if he had no idea how cruel people could be.
I pressed his hand back down.
“Sit.”
“But didn’t your coworker say her apartment’s flooded and she can’t stay there?”
I looked straight at him.
“Even if it is, that has nothing to do with you.”
I reopened the Slack channel.
【Tyler has something personal to take care of. He can’t go.】
【Chloe, if you’re truly in danger and don’t show up tomorrow morning, I’ll call the police immediately.】
The chat went silent again.
Then one coworker sent a single question mark.
【? Natalie, don’t you think that’s a little heartless?】
A flood of identical question marks followed.
Marcus tagged me directly.
【Natalie, you’d better take responsibility for what you just said! If something really happens to Chloe, this will be entirely on you!】
Then Chloe posted a photo.
The faux-wood laminate floor was submerged. A pair of pink house slippers floated in the water, and the bottom of her bed frame was soaked.
【Marcus, please don’t blame Natalie.】