My Boyfriend Left Me to Die in the Desert for His Fake-Sick Best Friend Chapter 01
An extreme heat wave struck during our pre-graduation wilderness trek.
I sat on the ground as violent, uncontrollable spasms tore through my body, but my boyfriend handed our only bottle of electrolyte drink to my best friend.
“You’re in good shape, and you’re first-aid certified. Drink some water and rest for a few minutes. Claire gets dehydrated easily. She needs the electrolytes more than you do.”
I was too dizzy to argue, so I turned to the other members of the group for help.
They only rolled their eyes at me.
“Erin Carter, you’ve gone too far.”
“Ethan is just helping someone who feels sick. Stop pretending you can’t even walk.”
When the group moved on, my boyfriend shouldered his backpack and followed them without a second glance.
“Lie there as long as you want. When you’re ready to stop holding everyone back, catch up by yourself.”
He had no idea I was already showing signs of severe heatstroke.
The moment he turned his back on me, a system notification sounded inside my head.
[Host’s condition is critical. Leave the current world?]
I closed my eyes.
“Get me out of this godforsaken world.”
…
“Erin, how long are you going to keep this up? Claire is so worried you’ll run out of water that she’s afraid to drink any herself. You always outlast everyone in training, and now you suddenly can’t take another step? Does the entire team have to stop just to deal with your drama?”
I lay on the ground with sweat soaking every inch of my clothes.
Ethan’s irritated voice crackled from the radio attached to my backpack.
Then I heard Claire speak in a trembling voice.
“Ethan, don’t blame Erin. I shouldn’t have drunk the electrolyte drink. She must be angry with me. Maybe I should go back and give her the half that’s left.”
Ethan’s voice immediately softened.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You already have a blister on your heel. What if it gets infected after you walk all the way back? She stayed behind on purpose because she expected all of us to rush back and take care of her. Don’t go. Once she realizes no one is playing along, she’ll catch up on her own.”
The other team members joined the conversation over the radio.
“Claire, you don’t need to worry about her.”
“Ethan has always indulged Erin. That’s why she expects everyone to stop and fuss over her whenever she gets upset.”
“It’s dangerously hot today. We don’t have time for some stunt she’s pulling just to get Ethan’s attention.”
“Let her stay behind and calm down for a while.”
I wanted desperately to crawl to my backpack, grab the radio, and tell them I was not faking anything.
But I did not even have the strength to reach it.
Their conversation continued over the radio.
Then the system spoke again.
[Departure confirmed. World transfer in 30 minutes.]
Just then, excited cheers erupted from the radio.
“There’s an emergency rescue vehicle up ahead!”
“Great! We won’t have to walk all the way back!”
A moment later, an unfamiliar man spoke through the channel.
“You’re the group listed on this wilderness permit, right? Didn’t any of you check the emergency weather alert? The surface temperature is over 122°F, or 50°C. You should never have kept heading deeper into the desert.”
Ethan answered politely.
“We’re sorry. We underestimated the heat. One of our teammates hurt her foot and may have mild heat exhaustion. Could you take her back to camp first?”
The rescuer checked the names on the wilderness permit.
“She can ride with us. But eight people are listed here, and I only see seven. Where’s the last member of your team?”
For one brief moment, I thought I was finally going to be rescued.
Then Ethan’s calm, indifferent voice came through the radio.
“Oh, she dropped out at the last minute. She left on her own. There are only seven of us now.”
No one else said a word or told the rescue worker the truth.
He didn’t question Ethan’s explanation.
“All right. The injured hiker can ride with us. We have air-conditioning and cold drinks inside. Rehydrate, then head straight back.”
The moment I realized the rescue vehicle would never come back for me, Ethan lowered his voice.
“Erin, I know you can hear me. There are only two seats left. Claire hurt her foot, so I have to go with her to the medical station. Any more delay will only increase the risk of infection. Walk back at your own pace. Tonight, I’ll take you out for grilled steak, your favorite.”