My grip tightened on the phone. “Why do you have Alger’s phone?”
I didn’t bother hiding my anger. Why was she with my husband this late at night?
Carly chuckled softly. “Oh, Alger felt bad that I was spending the holiday alone, so he invited me over for New Year’s dinner.” Her voice was sickeningly sweet.
I couldn’t even process what she said after that. All I knew was that while I was here, shivering in a cold, dark cell, they were together—eating, celebrating, happy.
I hung up without another word and handed the phone back to the officer.
At that moment, no amount of cold could compare to the icy numbness in my heart. I sat there, staring at the full moon outside the barred window, my chest tightening with grief.
I had spent years taking care of Alger, learning to cook and clean—things I had never known how to do before. I thought our marriage was solid, that I had built something strong. But little did I know, his heart had left me long ago.
Silent tears streamed down my face, and no matter how hard I wiped them, they wouldn’t stop. I cried until exhaustion took over, until my body slumped against the cold wall, until I finally drifted off.
Half-awake, half-asleep, I felt something was wrong. My body was burning up.
With the last bit of strength I had, I called out, “Officer…”
Immediately, they rushed over, alarmed at how hot my skin was. Within minutes, they had an ambulance on the way.
On the ride to the hospital, the officers kept calling Alger. At first, his line was busy. Then, he declined their calls.
They called again. And again. Finally, after over ten attempts, he answered.
Zelene's POV
The police called Alger, telling him I had a high fever and had been taken to the hospital. They asked him to come and pay the medical fees. But his response was cold and indifferent.
“She’s a criminal. She should be punished. Don’t bother taking her to the hospital—she’s as strong as an ox. She’ll be fine.”
With that, he hung up.
The officer glanced at me and let out a sigh.
Before I could process what had just happened, a sudden, violent impact rocked the entire vehicle. My body was thrown forward, weightless, as everything went black.
When I came to, the first thing I saw was Alger standing by my bedside, his face full of concern. He was murmuring words of comfort, telling me everything would be okay. But his voice, his expression—everything about him only made my stomach turn.