Chapter 3
Jason showed up way faster than I expected.
He had his company badge on, hair all messy, and as soon as he walked in, he gave Edward a furtive look.
Upon seeing the officer, he immediately lowered his head.
"Officer, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I did was illegal," he said.
He recited the line like he'd memorized it.
The officer motioned for him to sit down.
"How did you get access to the system?" the officer asked.
Jason swallowed hard.
"I'm on the after-sales support team, so I can remotely control the car if needed," he said.
"Who told you to lock the car?" the officer asked.
He shot a look straight at Edward.
Jason opened his mouth, but couldn't get a word out.
Edward said icily, "I just told him to take care of it. I didn't expect things to get this bad."
I met Edward's eyes, refusing to back down.
"That's not what you said when you called me," I shot back.
Edward looked at me.
"Are you really going to pin this all on me?" he said, his voice tight.
"I'm just stating the facts," I said.
He let out a bitter laugh, disappointment written all over his face.
"Olivia, I never thought you could be this cold," Edward said.
Outside the police office, a jumble of footsteps echoed through the hallway.
In that moment, every time I'd bent over backwards, swallowing my pride just to keep the peace, flooded my mind.
He'd forgotten how many times I'd saved him from humiliation.
The year we graduated, his startup failed, and debt collectors cornered him right at the door of our tiny apartment, leaving us with nowhere to run.
I took out every last dollar from my scholarships and part-time jobs, standing by his side as we went from door to door, paying off each debt together.
When he got drunk, he clung to me and sobbed, promising through his tears, "I swear, I'll never betray you in this life."
Later, when his company finally started to turn a profit, the first thing he did with his bonus was buy Sophia a birthday gift.
He said, "Her dad lent me two thousand dollars back then. I owe him a favor."
I believed him.
I believed him so much that I let myself become a debt he could postpone paying off whenever he felt like it.
The officer asked Jason to walk us through what happened.
Jason kept his head down and said, "Edward called me up, told me Olivia was pissed and took off in the car, so he asked me to lock it remotely and stop her."
He said he checked the GPS and saw the car was already on the highway, and told Edward it was risky.
Edward just shrugged and said, "Locking the car won't kill her."
As soon as he said that, the whole room went dead silent.
Sophia suddenly grabbed Edward's arm.
"Edward, you didn't really mean it, did you? You were just angry, right?" she said, her voice trembling.
Edward closed his eyes.
He wouldn't even look at me.
"It was just something I said out of anger," he muttered.
The officer jotted it down in the report.
My heart didn't hurt the way I thought it would.
It felt like someone had tossed it into freezing water, turning it to stone, and if you tried to tap it, all you'd get was a dull, empty thud.
Jason started begging me.
"Olivia, I swear I didn't mean to do any harm. You and Eddie have been together for so long, come on, cut me some slack. My mortgage just got approved, I really can't afford to lose my job right now," he pleaded.
Edward looked over at me.
"Olivia, Jason's like a brother to me," he said.
"He's an adult," I said.
"Are you really going to mess up his life over this?" Edward pressed.
"He almost ruined mine," I shot back.
Sammuel slapped his thigh.
"Girl, don't be so harsh. Edward's supposed to be your man. If you get his buddy in trouble, how's he supposed to hold his head up?" he said.
"He doesn't need to be with me anymore," I said.
The moment those words came out, Edward's expression finally shifted.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice tight.
I set my phone down on the desk.
The cancellation message from the bridal shop was still on the screen.
"The wedding's off," I said, my voice calm and final.
Sophia's crying stopped.
Edward stared at those words, like he'd just been stabbed right in the heart.
But then he just scoffed, cold and dismissive.
"Seriously? You're ending everything over a car?" Edward scoffed, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Because I could've died out there," I shot back.
"Yeah, but you didn't, did you?" he replied coldly, not a hint of concern in his voice.
Those words hit me like the last straw, weighing down everything inside.
I looked at him.
"Edward, you're right," I said, my voice flat.
Edward frowned. "What?"
"I'm still alive, so I can call the cops, call off the wedding, and erase you from my life once and for all," I said, my voice steady and cold.
Edward's face went dark.
"Olivia, you'd better not regret this," he said coldly.
"Save that line for yourself," I shot back.
The officer told us to head out and wait to see what happens next.
As we walked out of the police station, the rain was pouring down.
My car had been hauled off for inspection, so I was stuck without a ride.
Edward popped open his umbrella and stepped in front of me.
But he tilted it toward Sophia, keeping her dry while I stood there getting drenched.
Rain poured down my shoulders, slipping under my collar, soaking me to the bone.
"Get in the car," he said.
I didn't move.
"I'll drop Sophia's parents off at the hotel, then give you a ride home," he said, like I was just an afterthought.
It felt less like kindness and more like charity.
Sophia said softly, "Olivia, why don't you take the front seat? My parents and I can squeeze in the back."
Edward cut in right away, "No, she's in the back."
The rain hammered down, splashing up and soaking my shoes.
Two years ago, when I had a high fever, he carried me to the hospital.
The rain was just as heavy that night.
He draped his jacket over my head, getting drenched himself, and as he ran, he scolded me, "Olivia, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
After that, he never tilted the umbrella toward me again.
I opened the ride-hailing app.
Edward reached out, trying to grab my phone.
"It's late. Don't be difficult," he said.
Just then, the app showed a driver had accepted my ride.
A black sedan pulled up by the curb.
The window rolled down, revealing a calm, elegant face.
"Ms. Bennett?" he asked.
He glanced at my drenched shoulders and opened the back door for me.
"I'm Henry Grant. Attorney Clark sent me to pick you up," he said.
Edward's hand froze in midair.