Chapter 3
David came home very late that night.
He slammed his jacket on the couch the moment he entered. "Happy now?"
I didn't speak.
David glared at me. "I went to see her. She was crying her eyes out. She said she just saw you hadn't worn it for days, thought you didn't like it anymore, so she wanted to borrow it to match her outfit. She was planning to return it in a few days."
He strode over, looming over me. "Emily, April's brother died saving me. I owe her family. She's fragile, and her heart is pure. How could you do this to her?
"Now she thinks you can't stand her, that I failed to take care of her. How am I supposed to face my dead partner's memory?"
His voice was full of anger and absolute conviction. "You will go apologize to her. Right now. Tell her you overreacted. That it was your fault."
I looked at the man in front of me.
For the first time, I felt physically sick.
I picked up my phone, compiled the video of April's burglary, her social media post, and copies of all the suspicious evidence from John's case file.
Then, I sent it all anonymously to the Internal Affairs Division and the city's biggest news outlets.
*****
Today was my birthday.
It was also my wedding anniversary with David.
He hugged me before leaving in the morning, a rare gesture. "Wait for me. I reserved a restaurant."
I prepared a table full of dishes. His call never came.
Instead, the evening news broadcast broke in.
"We interrupt with breaking news. A fire has erupted at a high-end apartment complex. Our reporter is on scene. As you can see, flames are intense. There! Someone's coming out!"
The camera shook, focusing on the apartment entrance.
A tall figure rushed out of the smoke, carrying a woman in his arms.
It was David.
The woman in his arms was April.
On TV, April clung tightly to David's neck, her face buried in his chest, trembling.
A reporter shoved a microphone forward. "Officer Carter, how dangerous was the situation? How did you discover Ms. April was trapped?"
David held April, facing the cameras. He didn't speak, just wrapped his jacket tighter around her.
The hero, and the beauty he saved.
What a touching picture.
I turned off the TV.
1 AM. The door opened.
David came home, smelling of smoke and April's familiar perfume.
He saw me sitting at the dining table, the untouched feast.
He opened his mouth. "Emily, I..."
I pushed two documents across the table towards him.
One was a signed divorce agreement.
The other was a property settlement. He'd long ago authorized me to handle all assets.
He froze. "What are you throwing a tantrum about now?"
I stood up, looking at him calmly. "David, the stalker who broke in was named Mark.
"He's the younger brother of John, the robber you arrested five years ago.
"John was framed. The only key witness, Joan, is April's distant aunt.
"And today's fire? April set it herself."
With every word I spoke, David's face grew paler.
His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
"Your glory was built with my blood and tears. Now, I'm done playing your game," I said to him coldly.
His phone started vibrating, one call after another.
He pulled it out frantically. The screen showed "Boss."
Then another call came in. It was from the Internal Affairs Division.
I pulled my suitcase, already packed and waiting by the door, close to me.
"Emily." He called my name, his voice barely containing his panic.
I didn't look back. "What you owe me, I'll collect myself. What you owe others... they've come to collect, too."
The door closed behind me.