Every time I brought food to Arthur, he wouldn't even let me step inside the police station, much less his private space.
Yet Amanda quickly walked into places I had never reached.
She affectionately pulled Arthur to sit beside her and began gently massaging his temples.
"You haven't come to see me lately! Do you find me a burden?" she asked.
Arthur shook his head.
"How could I? I've promised to take care of you for life, and I won't go back on that," he reassured her.
"It's just that this case has been quite tricky."
Ignoring the prohibitions, Arthur erased the details of the case and started discussing it with Amanda.
Amanda gasped, trembling as she hugged him from behind.
"It's terrifying! How could someone do that? Have they caught him yet? What if he comes after me?"
Amanda's body pressed close to his.
They seemed like a pair made in heaven.
Arthur stiffened momentarily, his hand rising.
Arthur had a work habit. Whenever I hugged him from behind, he would push me away forcefully, sternly telling me not to touch him like that.
Just when I thought he would push Amanda away, he simply laid his hand on her shoulder, patting it soothingly.
So, it wasn't that he had a work habit...
He had made an exception for someone else.
"I will never let anyone hurt you! Next time you feel in danger, call me directly. I'll come to you no matter what, okay?"
Amanda nodded obediently.
The atmosphere was incredibly warm for a while.
It wasn't until Amanda brought up my name.
"I heard from Chris that she hadn't brought you food for a long time. Is she coming today? If she sees me here, she'll surely start another fuss...
"Maybe I should just go back..."
Arthur's expression visibly cooled.
Amanda spoke softly again.
"As long as she treats you well, a little hardship for me is nothing... I'm used to it by now. Just a few slaps. I don't want you to be unhappy, brother Arthur."
Seeing Amanda's self-blaming expression, Arthur's heart ached, and he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I won't give her any chance to trouble you anymore. If she touches you again, I'll divorce her straight away!"
A flicker of triumph passed through Amanda's eyes, though her face showed none of it.
Divorce...
I should have known.
This marriage meant nothing to Arthur. To him, I was nearly an enemy...
Luckily, I was dead now.
Finally, nothing would stop him from being with Amanda.