I Got Stuck in a Snowstorm with My Work Enemy, and I Couldn’t Even Imagine Where It Would Lead — Story of the Day

I struggled in the cold water, trying to grasp the ice on the surface of the lake, but my hands kept slipping, and I couldn’t pull myself out. The icy water stung my skin, and I could feel my strength fading.

Because of the heavy snowstorm, I could barely see anything, but I saw the silhouette of Eric, who was looking at me and seemed not to hear my cries for help. Panic surged through me as the cold began to seep into my bones.

“Eric! Please! Help me!” I shouted, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. Instead of coming to me, I saw him moving away, walking in the opposite direction. My heart sank. Did he hate me so much that he would let me drown in this icy lake?

“No! Don’t go! Help me!” I screamed again, but it seemed pointless. My voice was swallowed by the howling wind and thick snowfall.

12 Hours Earlier…

I sat irritated behind the wheel of my car while Eric loaded all his equipment into the trunk. I wasn’t even sure he needed so much stuff! Eric and I worked at the same magazine, but I was a journalist, and he was a photographer.

And oh boy, it was hate at first sight. We had known each other since university and had a history. But seven years after graduation, we met again at this job and couldn’t stop bothering each other.

We were called into HR at least twice a month, and we couldn’t do anything about it. Just being in the same room drove us crazy.

A week ago, our boss called us in and said we had to go on a work trip together to photograph and write a report about a small village in the mountains, almost cut off from the world.

We were furious, but he said we had no choice and had to work together. Eric finally finished fiddling with his equipment and sat in the passenger seat.

“This is going to be the worst few days of my life,” Eric said, climbing into the car.

“Agreed,” I replied, starting the car.

We argued the whole way. Eric complained about my driving. I criticized his directions. We couldn’t agree on anything. The tension was thick, and our bickering filled the car.

As we reached the mountain road, Eric said, “There should be a heavy storm. I think we should stop at a nearby hotel and wait it out.”

“I checked the weather forecast. No one mentioned a snowstorm. You just want to slack off,” I replied, not hiding my annoyance.

“Well, if you want to get stuck in the mountains, go ahead,” Eric shot back.

“That’s exactly what I’ll do,” I said, determined to prove him wrong. I kept driving.

A few minutes later, it started snowing. At first, it was light enough to keep going. But the further we drove, the heavier the snow became. Soon, I could no longer see where I was going.

“We need to stop,” Eric said, his voice tense.

“No kidding, genius,” I snapped. “How would I figure that out without you?” I stopped the car, frustration boiling over.

“Need I remind you that I suggested we wait at the hotel in the first place?” Eric said, a smug tone in his voice.

“Can you ever not make yourself look better than you are?” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“If you made sensible decisions, we wouldn’t have to do this,” he retorted.

“Oh, shut up. Or I’ll throw you out of the car,” I threatened, my patience wearing thin.

“Very mature,” he said, crossing his arms.

I sighed and said, “I saw on the map that there’s a house nearby.” I pressed the pedals, but the car wouldn’t move.

“What are you waiting for? Drive there,” Eric said, his impatience clear.

“I’m trying, it won’t move,” I replied, feeling helpless.

“Great, just great. Well done, know-it-all,” he said, using my old university nickname. “Guess we’ll have to walk. Is it far?”

“Maybe two kilometers,” I said, trying to sound confident.

“Perfect, just what we need in this weather,” Eric said sarcastically and got out of the car, slamming the door loudly.

I grabbed all my things from the back seat and got out too. The cold hit me instantly, and I shivered. Eric took all his equipment from the trunk and looked at me.

“Are you just going to stare at me, or are you going to tell me where to go?” Eric said, his tone mocking.

I rolled my eyes, pulled my hood over my head, and walked in the direction where the house was supposed to be. The snow was falling heavily, and the wind was biting.

Walking through the snow was very difficult; my shoes and pants were completely soaked, and the bags I carried only made it worse. My feet felt like blocks of ice, and my legs ached with each step.

The storm made it nearly impossible to see anything, but suddenly, I saw the silhouette of a house in the distance. A surge of hope gave me the strength to keep going, and I confidently headed toward it.

Behind me, I heard Eric’s whining and curses, but I decided to ignore them. His complaints were the last thing I needed right now. Finally, we reached the house.

It looked old and abandoned, but it was our only hope. I went to the door and knocked loudly, the sound echoing in the cold air. We waited, shivering, but even after a few minutes, no one answered.

Eric sighed impatiently and pulled the handle. To my surprise, the door opened, and he stepped inside without hesitation.

“What are you doing?! You can’t just go in! It’s illegal!” I yelled at him from outside.

“Come on in, know-it-all, it’s obvious no one lives here!” Eric shouted back. “Or you can freeze out there; it would be better for me!”

“Not a chance,” I said and went inside.

The house wasn’t much warmer than outside, but Eric found some wood and started a fire in the fireplace. The flickering flames provided a small comfort.

I went to another room, changed into dry clothes, then hung the wet ones near the fireplace and sat by it, trying to absorb the warmth. Eric looked at me disapprovingly.

“What?” I asked, feeling defensive.

“This is not a drying rack,” he replied, his tone sharp.

“And what do you suggest? Should I have stayed in my wet clothes?” I snapped back.

“You should have listened to me from the start and stayed at the hotel instead of being a show-off. You always were like that. Always thought you were better than everyone else.”

“Me thinking I’m better than everyone else?! Excuse me, but I wasn’t the one who made a bet with friends to get a girl to spend the night with me!” I retorted, my voice rising.

“What?! What nonsense are you talking about?!” Eric looked genuinely confused.

“You think I don’t know?! Back in university, you bet you could sleep with me!” I accused, feeling the old wounds reopen.

“Where did you even get that idea?! You’re the one who left in the morning without saying goodbye and then ignored and avoided me!” Eric’s face turned red with anger.

“Because I was just a successful bet to you!” I shouted, the hurt evident in my voice.

“Are you kidding me?! I was in love with you for half a year, and you didn’t even notice!” Eric’s voice broke, revealing a vulnerability I hadn’t seen before.

“Why lie?! Trevor told me everything!” I spat back.

“Oh, you mean that Trevor you later dated?!” Eric’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you implying?!” I felt my heart race with a mix of anger and confusion.

“That you never noticed the people who cared about you, but always believed some random people!” Eric’s voice was raw with emotion.

“People who care about me?! Don’t tell me you’re implying yourself! You hate me! You’ve always hated me!” I shouted, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

Eric seemed like he wanted to say something but then stopped and shouted, “You’re right! I hate you! Because you’re selfish, arrogant, and think you know everything when you don’t! You’re the most mediocre person I’ve ever met!”

“You know what you are?!” I shouted, my voice trembling. “The biggest jerk! So self-centered you don’t care about anyone else’s feelings!”

I stood up and headed for the door, my body shaking with rage and frustration.

“Where are you going?! You want to freeze to death?!” Eric shouted after me, his voice filled with concern despite his harsh words.

“I’d rather freeze than spend another minute with you!” I shouted back and left the house. The snowstorm was still very strong, and I could barely see anything.

I walked behind the house, trying to find any sign of civilization. The wind howled, and the snow whipped against my face, making it hard to see. Suddenly, I heard a crack beneath me.

Before I could react, I fell into the freezing water. Panic surged through me as I realized I had walked onto the lake. I quickly surfaced and grabbed onto the ice, my fingers numb from the cold.

“Help! Eric!” I shouted as loudly as I could, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. The icy water stole my breath, and I clung to the edge, hoping he would hear me.

I struggled in the cold water, trying to grasp the ice on the surface of the lake, but my hands kept slipping, and I couldn’t pull myself out. The icy water stung my skin, and I could feel my strength fading.

Because of the heavy snowstorm, I could barely see anything, but I saw the silhouette of Eric, who was looking at me and seemed not to hear my cries for help. Panic surged through me as the cold began to seep into my bones.

“Eric! Please! Help me!” I shouted, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. Instead of coming to me, I saw him moving away, walking in the opposite direction. My heart sank.

Did he hate me so much that he would let me drown in this icy lake? “No! Don’t go! Help me!” I screamed again, but it seemed pointless.

Seconds later, I saw Eric’s silhouette again, holding something in his hands. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and hope.

“Scarlett! Hold on! I’m coming!” he shouted, and it was the first time in years he had called me by my name.

He tied one end of a rope to a tree and the other to himself, then headed toward me. Eric lay on the ice, inching closer, his face determined despite the freezing conditions.

When he reached me, he grabbed me with both hands, pulling me out of the water with all his strength.

I was shaking all over and couldn’t feel my limbs. Eric’s grip was strong and steady, and he carried me in his arms, his body warm against my freezing skin. When we crossed the lake, he untied the rope from himself.

Eric brought me into the house and helped me change into dry clothes. He sat me by the fireplace and covered me with all the blankets he could find.

The warmth of the fire was a stark contrast to the icy water. Then he sat next to me and started rubbing my feet, trying to restore the feeling in them.

“I… I… thought y-you’d l-leave me there,” I said, my voice trembling from the cold.

“Is that what you think of me?” Eric asked, his voice sounding sad.

“I-I d-don’t know. Y-you walked away, and y-you h-hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Eric whispered. “You once hurt me a lot, and I’m angry with you.”

“You m-made a b-bet about m-me,” I said, my teeth chattering.

“Don’t you get it? Trevor made that up to be with you. He tricked both of us. He told me you just pitied me and that’s why you slept with me.”

Slowly, I stopped trembling. “Really?” I asked, and Eric just nodded. “That’s not true. I was in love with you too, and the news that I was just a bet broke my heart. I didn’t want to see you anymore.”

“Well, it seems our pride and anger ruined everything,” he said, not looking me in the eyes.

I placed my hand on his cheek, and he flinched because it was cold. I turned his face toward mine so he was looking me in the eyes. “Do you believe me?” I asked. “You were the only person in my life I had such strong feelings for, and you still are. I think that’s why it hurt so much and why I hated you so much,” I said.

“So, you don’t hate me anymore?” Eric asked.

I shrugged. “It’s hard to hate someone who just saved your life,” I said.

Eric was silent, and we looked into each other’s eyes. My hand was still on his cheek, and I could feel the warmth of his skin against my cold fingers. Suddenly, he pulled me by that hand and pressed me against him.

He kissed me like no one ever had before. It was a kiss full of warmth and emotion, and I finally felt warmth spreading through my entire body. The cold and fear seemed to melt away as we held each other.

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