I Did Nothing When My Husband Was Locked In a Burning BuildingChapter 1

The moment my neighbor burst into my home, his voice a frantic mix of panic and urgency, I felt my stomach drop.

"Maya, your factory's on fire!"

I didn't stop to think. Throwing on the nearest coat, I bolted outside and ran. The dark smoke billowing in the distance was unmistakable.

When I reached the entrance of the factory, chaos greeted me. My cousin Lucia and my mother-in-law, Evelyn, stood near the locked entrance. Both were frantic and Evelyn even pounded her fists against the electronic door.

"Break the door down!" Evelyn's voice cracked, hoarse from screaming. Her face was streaked with tears as she hit the door again and again.

Lucia stood beside her, arms flailing, her face flushed with panic and streaked with sweat. She paced like a caged animal, her hands trembling as she shouted toward the growing crowd of onlookers.

"Someone's inside! We need to open this door now!"

The moment Lucia saw me approaching, her eyes widened with a mix of desperation and anger. She stumbled forward as if her legs could barely hold her weight, grabbing my arm for balance before pointing at the fire.