When My Ex's Worst Enemy Became My Sanctuary novel Chapter 349

Every morning during reading time, the teacher would snap a few random photos of the kids. Mamie always got a little thrill seeing her name in the group chat as “Garth’s Mom.” She opened the chat, and sure enough, Jared had just posted a new update from the classroom.

She had barely tapped on the photo when the elevator lights suddenly went out. The car, which had been gliding up, jerked to a stop with a loud thud. Mamie’s heart missed a beat. Pressing herself against the wall, she flicked on her phone’s flashlight and waited, holding her breath, until she was sure the elevator wasn’t about to drop. Moving carefully, she made her way to the emergency phone, but when she picked it up, there was only silence. The line was dead.

None of the buttons responded. Mamie tried calling the emergency number written above the panel, squinting at her phone and praying for a signal. For a few seconds, there was nothing but the hum of her own nerves. Then, with a jolt and a roar, the power snapped back. The elevator shot upward so fast she nearly lost her balance. She hugged the wall, feeling her heart hammering in her chest as the digital floor numbers flashed by in a blur. She pressed the buttons, desperate for the car to slow down or stop, but nothing happened.

She pounded the emergency call button, and a shrill alarm filled the elevator. The floor display hit thirty, paused for what felt like forever, then the car suddenly began dropping—fast. Mamie couldn’t keep standing. She slid down, curling up in the corner, and let out a scream she couldn’t hold back. She’d only just found her son. She wasn’t ready to die like this, not now, not here.

Her shirt was soaked in cold sweat. Her head throbbed, and her heart raced so fast it hurt. Mamie hugged her knees to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. Faces flickered through her mind—a man reading with his head bowed, a sharp profile in a suit, a bare face bathed in warm light, jaw clenched tight. All the memories overlapped and blurred until they became Scott.

Suddenly, she remembered. Everything. The good, the bad, all of it came rushing back. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, and for a second she thought, Of course all my memories would come back right before I die.

Time stretched out, silent and heavy, every second dragging by like it was counting down the end of her life. She didn’t know how long she’d been trapped, but just as the elevator felt like it was about to hit bottom, the lights above her flicked on. She heard voices, muffled but urgent, coming from outside the doors.

“It’s stopped! It’s stopped!” someone called out.

Mamie lifted her head, her body shaking. The elevator had finally stopped moving.

“Step back from the doors, please!” came another shout.

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