WHOSE LIFE MATTERS?

The crowd were on a festive mood when suddenly a shriek suddenly changed the atmosphere. It came from the woman with the lifesaver.

"How dare you -"

Quicker than her arm, which she used as a weapon, the lifeguard grabbed her hand and stopped her from hurting her.

"Why did you prioritized that woman over me?" The lady crossed her arms and looked up at Zoe. 

The seawaters may have drenched her clothes, but anyone could see hints of nobility in the lady's choice of wardrobes. On top of that, she carried herself with loftiness and confidence.

Zoe has just completed her Masters of Hospital Administration. On top of that, she finished her medical degree early at only 22-year-old. She did all these straight without taking a leave of vacation or rest.

This was her first time to enjoy her life. A while ago, someone tried to grab her necklace. Then two people almost got killed by drowning if she hadn't intervened. What's with this now?!

She was about to let it pass as she stood up and walk away when she pulled her back in the center and asked again. 

Raigon tried to stop her again but Zoe waved her hand as if she commanded him to halt.

"It's okay, lifeguard. I can handle this." She smiled at him with tenacity, revealing her sparkling set of white teeth.

She wondered if it was her smile or her calling him a lifeguard that provoked that awkward look in his face.

"I could have drowned if it wasn't for this man!" She reiterated back to her. 

"I apologized, madam. But don't you think should all be just happy because everybody's safe now?" 

Zoe smiled at her hoping it would erase the lady's irritation and her own heating up annoyance inside her.

"Why don't we take a break now and return to our rooms and enjoy our stay here?" She added that were agreed upon by the bystanders as they started drifting away. 

But it seemed that this woman would not back down as she continued to rant.

"How could we enjoy our time when I know that I almost died, for goodness sake!"

'Why are you blaming me? You should not have been in the waters in this weather in the first place!'

Zoe wanted to scream at her. Still she chose the proper way to handle things. But she doesn't know how she could hold on any longer.

"I remember I told you that the lifeguard will rescue you, right?"

Zoe controlled herself from being rude by answering her with a clenched jaw and the softest voice she was able to utter. 

Rage was starting to boil within her.

"You're supposed to save me first and abandon that stupid slave to the late lifeguard instead! What if I drowned? Must my life be in danger because of her?!"

'Oh, that's it. This woman is having tantrums because I put the life of her slave first more than her?! And what's with the word 'slave'? Is it still existing in today's world?!'

Zoe concluded in her mind. She will not allow this to pass.

"If that's what you want, why didn't you give her the lifesaver? You told me you knew how to swim, right?"

"Yes. But the waves were suffocating. I could sink for goodness sake!"

"Let me state it plainly. Should I save you first, the one who knew how to swim, yet grabbed the lifesaver for herself? And let another person who didn't learn even how to float, without a lifesaver, who's underwater, die?"

Zoe stressing every word with a lifted eyebrow.

"Because you are the master and she is a slave? Yeah, right."

Zoe reiterated as she crossed her arms.

Her quick response fazed the lady. Not a soul acted in that way to her until now.

"Do you know who I am?!!" She screamed in despair with her fists lifted and wide eyes.

Zoe couldn't control herself anymore.

"I don't. And I don't care. Your soul does not differ from hers because every one of us is just a receiver of God's gift called life."

Zoe blurted out, tears formed within her eyelids, impending to drop anytime.

Every single painful memory came flashing back at her. 

The woman was aghast by the comment of this outrageous lady in front of her. Surrounding onlookers stared in horror. She was talking to one of the stock owners of Lord Howe Island!

However, they nod their head and agree with her. Possibly because they can relate with her as well.

Raigon rubbed his chin and observed the argument. He then gazed at Zoe with fascination, intrigued by what she was to reply next.

"Did you just wish me dead?! For your information, I have a bunch of people under my control. You're the one who will be dead meat!"

The lady with the lifesaver snapped back.

"If you have a lot in your hands, why didn't you pick a swimmer to go with you out there?"

Zoe retaliated in sarcasm.

The lady was lost for words. This ridiculous woman was unlikely to lose a fight! Raigon smiled in amusement.

"Aahh! You - "

"Mom, stop!" The lady attempted to hit her again when at that moment, a woman who was the same age as Zoe, butted in. 

She had the same elegance and sophistication as her mother with her black hair neatly tied in a bun, red lipstick, and a stylish peach beach dress and a unique ornamental bracelet.

"I'm sorry for all the troubles. And thank you for saving my mother." 

She bowed down to Zoe and Raigon, her eyes fixated on Raigon for a few seconds with a mysterious smile.

"Inform this wench who she is prattling to," the lady with the lifebuoy continued to fume.

"Oh, I thought you already knew each other," her daughter covered her lips with her palms in a fake surprise. She faced Zoe and introduced her mother.

"Miss, I'm sorry but you must be mistaken in starting this confrontation with my mother. This is Lady -"

"Excuse me, Miss. I appreciate your concern in halting this. Believe me, I want it more than you do. Why don't we skip the courtesies and move on from here?" Zoe butted in. 

"Besides, It's already getting late for your mom to be freezing out here," she added.

The daughter gasped in astonishment at her frank remarks. After checking her watch to confirm what she said, she caressed her mom's back. She encouraged her to leave the scene before she got even more humiliated. Zoe was envious for a split second.

Finally giving up, the lady walked away from the scene with her daughter. But before they got far, she turned to her back and glared at Zoe. "We're not finished yet!"

"I'll be waiting, ma'am." Zoe simpered and bowed to her.