My Daughter Was Trapped in a Fire, and I Refused to Send Help

My daughter was trapped in the fire, but I calmly lit a cigarette. Listening to the screams from inside, my wife and her parents were wailing, kneeling in front of me, but I didn't flinch. "Honey, please, I'm begging you, save Lily!" My wife, Sarah, tears streaming down her face, banged her head on the pavement, quickly drawing blood. Another colleague also off-duty, Jake, kept urging me: "Captain, you're the most experienced. If you don't go, what happens to the kid?" The crowd stared at me like I was a lunatic, shouting accusations. Remembering how it ended last time, I gave a cold smirk and replied: "Twisted my ankle. Can't help." Going in now would just be suicide. ... "Ethan! You just don't want to save her, do you?! You want her dead! That's your own daughter! You... you monster!" After my repeated refusals, my mother-in-law's face finally contorted with rage, pointing a finger right at me, spitting accusations. Her finger nearly poked my eye, spittle flying. I instinctively stepped back, frowning slightly. "You're a seasoned firefighter, how could you just twist your ankle like that?! What are you playing at?! If you don't want to save her, just say it!" My father-in-law looked at me, deeply disappointed. Hearing this, I scoffed inwardly, then yanked up my pant leg, revealing an ankle swollen like a grapefruit. "You think I didn't twist it? Didn't I fall down the stairs at the mall earlier today when you guys were loading up bags?" Hearing that, they were momentarily speechless. Beside them, Sarah knelt on the ground, teary eyes fixed on me, seemingly unable to comprehend how the husband she'd known for years could suddenly be so cold-blooded. She gritted her teeth and threw herself at me again, sobbing, "Ethan! I'm begging you! Go save our baby! Our... our Lily is still in there!" Sarah cried desperately, the gash on her forehead from earlier still bleeding. She was clearly at her breaking point, but I remained unmoved, offering a flimsy excuse. "I don't have my gear, and my ankle's busted. If I go in, who knows if I'll be saving her or if she'll end up saving me." The bystanders, drawn by the argument, had gathered around. Seeing my attitude, they started pointing fingers and muttering. "What kind of thing is that to say! Aren't you her father?!" "How can you talk like that? You're scum! Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cub!" "Are you... are you even human?! As her father, you should be going in!" As they spoke, some looked ready to punch me but were held back by others saying hitting trash like me would dirty their hands. I ignored all their condemnations. Just then, another small explosion erupted from the building, causing the crowd to gasp and step back. I looked down at the fear and worry in Sarah's eyes, realizing that after all these years of marriage, I'd never truly seen through her. Even reborn, it was still the same. This scene felt chillingly familiar. After that last explosion, in my previous life, I ignored everyone's warnings and rushed into the inferno, only to die in the next, much larger blast. I don't remember the sensation of being consumed by flames, but the bone-deep chill of that final moment is etched into my memory. Having been reborn, I was determined to change my fate. At that moment, Jake, my off-duty colleague, approached again. Seeing my resolute refusal, he sighed deeply, his own tension palpable. "Captain, you're the most experienced. If you don't go, what about the kid? If you need backup, I'll go in with you!" I looked up at his anxious face, remembering he had the same expression last time. Back then, I'd pushed him away firmly, telling him not to risk it. Now, I wondered if Jake's nervousness was purely about entering the fire or something else. But I didn't have time to dwell on it. I just shook my head. "Sorry, twisted ankle. Can't help." "We rush in without gear? Is that how we were trained?" Seeing my continued refusal, the onlookers grew even angrier, yelling at me: "Are you even human?! That's your daughter! Your daughter is in there!" "Your wife's practically bleeding from banging her head! Are you even a man?! How can you face your duty as a firefighter?!" "You're just going to let your own child burn to death?!" Jake froze for a second, about to say something more, but my father-in-law walked up to me and suddenly dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he choked out: "Ethan! For the sake of all these years! Please help! I'm begging you... my granddaughter is still inside... Ethan! Even just trying is better than hiding back here! Are... are you even a man?!" I looked at him, my eyes filled with complex emotions. 2 Sarah and I met in college, dated for years, and finally got married. We'd been together five years, married for three. I remember when I first went to her parents' house right after graduation, I was so nervous I didn't know what to do. Graduation meant real life, adult responsibilities, and my own background wasn't exactly stellar. I was terrified they wouldn't approve of Sarah and me being together. So I braced myself for the worst. But the moment I walked in, her mother greeted me with a warm smile, took the gift I brought, and showered me with concern. "Ethan, dear, must have been cold coming over, right? Hurry inside." Her father, standing behind her, clapped me on the shoulder, looking incredibly pleased, and immediately wanted me to join him for a drink. Feeling completely overwhelmed, I met Sarah’s smiling eyes and felt nothing but happiness. After that day, not only did her parents not look down on me, but they treated me exceptionally well. They just said Sarah was their only daughter, and as long as I treated her well, nothing else mattered. They didn't care that I had no parents; they promised to treat me like their own son. I didn't have much money after graduating, so the wedding had to be simple. Her parents didn't mind. No house, no car – they didn't mind that either. At the wedding, though, they cried, asking me to take good care of their daughter, which made me feel incredibly guilty. But I couldn't bear for Sarah to struggle with me, so I gritted my teeth and bought a house. We definitely went through some tough times financially, but later, as my career took off, the pressure eased. Sarah was incredibly supportive and understanding. She didn't mind the demanding nature of my job, the long hours away from home. She just told me to focus on work, be extra careful during missions, and assured me she'd handle everything at home so I could go save more lives. A year ago, she got pregnant. Two months ago, she gave birth to our daughter. Our whole family adored the baby. They say good things come in pairs. On the day Lily was born, I bought a lottery ticket and actually won a decent prize. Enough to pay off the mortgage with some left over. Back then, I truly thought both the baby and the lottery win were gifts from heaven. I believed Sarah, the baby, and I would live a quiet, happy life together. Who knew this disaster was waiting? Thinking about this, I looked into my father-in-law's eyes, remembering all the times they'd been kind to me. Now, even those memories felt cold. I still shook my head. "Don't say any more, Dad. I can't go. Don't put yourself through this, it's pointless. We just have to wait for the fire trucks." Hearing this, my mother-in-law and Sarah burst into uncontrollable sobs. By now, anyone who might have initially thought I was being rational had changed their tune, seeing my utter lack of action. They all started cursing me. "He's just a coward, afraid to die!" "Whoever married him really drew the short straw!" "Not even saving his own daughter! So heartless!" The scene was chaotic. It was as if someone threw dry wood onto the fire inside; it suddenly blazed higher, accompanied by a series of small popping sounds. A tongue of flame shot towards the sky, drawing gasps from the crowd. With this sudden flare-up, the faint sound of a baby crying from within the building grew weaker, almost inaudible. 3 "My baby... my baby..." Seeing this, Sarah collapsed onto the ground, crying even harder. My father-in-law, seeing I wouldn't move, gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to go in himself. "Ethan! I never thought you were this kind of person. Fine! I won't count on you, old man! I'll save my own granddaughter!" "Mr. Peterson! I'll go too!" Jake, seeing this, rushed forward. He grabbed some basic tools, starting to put them on while pointedly trying to shame me. "Ethan, I can't believe you're such a coward, too scared to save your own daughter. You're worse than an old man like Mr. Peterson! It was a misfortune for him to let his daughter marry you!" Before I could respond, Sarah looked up and slapped me hard across the face, tears streaming down her face, looking utterly helpless. "Look at the situation! The fire has died down a lot! I really don't know what you're so afraid of! Ethan, after today, I am absolutely done with you! You killed our child! You deliberately let our daughter die in there!" I took the slap without flinching, turning my head slightly, my tongue pressing against the inside of my cheek. She was finally losing control. That slap had real force behind it. Sarah's eyes were red and swollen, making her look incredibly pitiful. Onlookers, especially women around her age, started wiping their own tears, feeling sorry for Sarah's plight and even more for our daughter trapped in the flames. I frowned deeply, looking at Jake and my father-in-law, then addressed the crowd. "Didn't someone already volunteer to go? They want to go, let them. Why are you still yelling at me? If you think I'm so cold-blooded, why don't you all go in? One more person in there now is just another casualty. What's the point of this moral grandstanding?" "I really misjudged you! Treating you so well all these years! It was all wasted on an ungrateful snake! I never should have let my daughter marry you!" My mother-in-law sobbed and cursed beside me, lamenting to others about the misfortune of having a son-in-law like me. I remained indifferent, stubbing out the finished cigarette and lighting another. Watching my hesitant father-in-law and Jake, I took a drag from my cigarette, tilted my chin slightly towards them, and urged them on: "Go on in, what are you waiting for? What if the fire gets worse?" "You!" Jake shot me a look, then turned back to the fire, his face tense. It was unclear if he was genuinely nervous about going in without gear for the first time, or nervous about taking an old man like my father-in-law with him. My father-in-law coughed heavily several times, making one wonder how such an elderly man, already struggling outside, could possibly manage inside a burning building. The two of them hesitated for a long time, never taking that first step inside. The bystanders couldn't watch anymore. "Are you heartless?! Fine, don't go yourself! But stop making sarcastic remarks!" Just then, the wail of sirens approached from the distance. Finally, fire trucks. Seeing them, Jake's eyes lit up. As soon as the trucks stopped, he immediately moved to gear up, shooting me a seemingly casual glance. "No need to rush me. As soon as I have my gear on, I'll go in and save her!" A cheer went up from the crowd at his words. My mother-in-law quickly pulled my father-in-law back, clutching her chest in relief. "Honey, don't go! The firefighters are here! They'll definitely save our granddaughter!" As the well-trained firefighters rushed out of the trucks, Jake joined their ranks. Just as they were preparing hoses to start fighting the fire and enter the building, a massive explosion, accompanied by a towering pillar of fire, ripped through the inferno. The faint crying from inside finally fell silent. The stunned faces of the crowd were illuminated by the huge blaze. They froze. Sarah let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to rush into the fire, only to be held back by firefighters. "Lily! Mommy's so sorry... Lily!" My father-in-law and mother-in-law collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, beating their chests. Seeing this, however, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, the immense pressure suddenly lifting. I fainted on the spot. 4 The smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils. Still groggy, I realized I was in the hospital. A cacophony of voices surrounded me, incredibly noisy, making sleep impossible. I slowly opened my eyes, immediately met by flashing camera shutters and a swarm of people closing in. "Mr. Hayes! I'm a reporter from the Western Gazette. Can you please tell us why you let your own daughter burn to death?" "Mr. Hayes! Please answer the question directly! The child's remains haven't even been found yet. Could this be considered murder?" "Were you always this emotionless towards your daughter, or is there something else going on?" ... Looking at the horde of reporters, my temples throbbed with a dull ache. I cleared my throat, and under their expectant gazes, slowly spoke. "...Is the fire out?" No one expected that to be my first question. Disappointment flickered across their faces. Someone muttered from the side that yes, it was extinguished. Hearing the fire was out, I breathed a sigh of relief, then asked the reporters with a cold smile. "You've all been here a while, right? Waiting for me to wake up, eager for the first scoop. Right now, every single one of you is accusing me of standing by, of being inhuman. Since the fire is out, let me ask you first: have any infant remains been found at the scene?" The reporters were taken aback by my question, exchanging confused glances, murmuring amongst themselves that they hadn't heard anything like that. The police hadn't released many details about the fire's specifics or casualties yet, but there was definitely no news about finding a baby's remains. While the incident was causing a huge stir online, no actual evidence of infant remains had surfaced. "Ethan! I'll kill you! Give me back my daughter! You deserve to die!" While the reporters were still uncertain, Sarah burst through the crowd, lunging at my hospital bed, hitting and scratching. She had cried all night; her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked utterly crazed. "My daughter was blown to pieces! There's nothing left, not even ashes! Where would they find remains?! I won't forgive you, Ethan! Pay for what you did! Pay for Lily's life! I want a divorce!" The reporters didn't miss this scene, cameras flashing, capturing everything. I watched Sarah impassively. I hadn't expected her to be this persistent, even skipping washing up for a day just to appear pale and distraught for everyone. Seeing her raise her hand to slap me again, I frowned and grabbed her wrist tightly. "Sarah! Have you had enough?!" "Ethan! Have you had enough?! You don't deserve to be a father!" Just then, Jake rushed in, pulling Sarah's wrist from my grasp with a look of righteous fury. Sarah clutched her wrist where I'd squeezed it, sobbing beside him. "I... I just want my daughter back. Ethan, please give me my daughter back, okay? I'm begging you, just give her back..." "Sarah! Please, try to stay strong..." Seeing her like this, Jake's eyes also reddened as he tried to comfort her. Their synchronized performance immediately swayed many onlookers. The reporters voiced their outrage at me. "Never seen someone act like nothing happened after their daughter died..." "This has to be murder! Watching his own daughter die!" "Wait till we expose this monster in human skin!" I saw some reporters were even live-streaming. The viewer count was probably high, which suited my plan perfectly. So, I asked Jake softly. "I don't deserve to be a father? So you should be?" "What... what are you talking about?! Are you crazy, Ethan?!"

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