Clean Panties, Dirty Soul

The mountain trail only grew more treacherous, with almost no stable footing.

Dakota, wearing her expensive hiking boots, struggled more than anyone else. Her complaints only grew louder. "My backpack is way too heavy! It's crushing my shoulders!"

She turned to Jack with a pout, whining, "At this rate, I won't be able to stay in top shape. I can't go anymore, Jack."

There it was again. Every time we went on a mission, she acted like she was on some outdoor reality show. She was always complaining, slowing everyone down.

Jack, on the other hand, seemed to have endless patience and indulgence for her. "Alright. Let's see what's so heavy."

He stopped the group, knelt, and opened Dakota's backpack himself.

In front of everyone, she carefully pulled out her precious belongings, as if presenting a prized collection. There was a full set of luxury travel-sized skincare, a nearly unused oversized power bank, chips in every flavor, jelly, sour belts… and a heavy jar of peanut butter.

The rest of us couldn't hide our dismay. Every one of us packed meticulously to carry an extra bottle of water or an extra pack of compressed rations, yet Dakota treated her backpack like a traveling snack shop and makeup kit.

"Some of these take up way too much space," she commented, pouting.

I thought Jack would, at least, berate her, but I was wrong. Not only did he not lecture her, but he started lightening the load. He picked up the snacks and cosmetics and looked at one of the younger male team members.

"Billy, you still have room in your pack, right? Take some of this for Dakota."

Billy Hayes was angry but too cowardly to speak up. He quietly opened his backpack.

Then, Jack turned to another female teammate. "Leanne, you're strong. Here, take this power bank."

The team grumbled, but no one dared to resist Jack, the captain, openly.

Finally, his gaze landed on me. My backpack was already the heaviest among us, packed with nothing but essential survival gear and medical supplies.

"You're experienced, Willow, and strong," he said, as if it were obvious. "You should carry a little more."

Without hesitation, he shoved Dakota's heavy skincare set into my hands. I stared at him, my words firm and deliberate. "My pack's full. I can't take this."

Jack's brow furrowed, as if I was challenging his authority. He sneered. "You can't? Just take out some useless stuff—problem solved."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Dakota sprang into action, as if she had received a royal decree. She rushed over and yanked my backpack open.

Inside was a hard-shell medical box, bright orange with a clear medical symbol. "This box is huge and hard. It takes up too much space!"

My stomach tightened. Instantly, I shouted, "Don't touch it!"

That box contained emergency asthma medication and a portable nebulizer I had carefully packed for my stepdaughter, Nancy Campton.

Yesterday, she mentioned that a friend wanted to explore Wolffang Valley. When I heard that, I knew I couldn't take chances and had to be fully prepared.

However, my protest only seemed to fuel Dakota's showmanship. She moved faster, yanking the medical box out. Without even glancing at it, she tossed it over the edge of the cliff behind us, all in the name of making room for her cosmetics.

"See? Problem solved," Dakota said, dusting off her hands. She had proudly shoved her precious skincare products into my backpack before looping her arm through Jack's.

"Jack, you're the best! My cosmetics are way more valuable than that stupid box."

I snapped. Like a madwoman, I shoved her away and raced to the edge of the cliff. Below, a bottomless gorge stretched out, shrouded in mist. The orange medical box was long gone.

"Nancy…" I whispered, the image of her coming to my mind.

I couldn't bear to think about the consequences if she was out there with the lost team, and if her asthma flared and there was no medicine…

"I'm going to get it back!" I shouted.

A steel-hard grip seized my arm. It was Jack, whose face held a mix of irritation and confusion.

"What are you doing? Isn't it just some ordinary supplies? Who knows if we'll even need them?" he questioned. "For that useless item, you're willing to hold up the whole team and make everyone wait for you?"

Ordinary supplies? Those were life-saving medicines!

Jack leaned close to my ear, speaking so quietly only I could hear. "I'm warning you, Willow—stop throwing a tantrum. Now, get to the front of the line and scout ahead. Be useful for once."

I understood immediately. The path ahead was unknown, full of hidden dangers. He wanted me to go first, to test the trail for them, and to take all the risk while they followed safely behind.

This was the man I had loved for five years, the man I had given everything to. To him, my life wasn't worth as much as a few bottles of his lover's cosmetics, or even as valuable as his precious rescue time.

I stopped resisting and silently moved to the very front of the group. Every step felt like walking on knives. Sharp gravel crunched beneath my feet, and beside me, the gorge dropped into an endless abyss.

Suddenly, the ground beneath me trembled ever so slightly.