After My Death, He Regretted Madly

Chapter 7

The words "revoke all honors" crushed down on my heart, squeezing out the last trace of warmth left inside me.

For a moment, I couldn't hear a single sound.

When I came back to myself, I stared at Javier, and a sharp, twisting ache gripped the tip of my heart, like invisible fingers pinching and pulling, merciless.

Ever since I went undercover, my police registration has been erased. Now, they were coming to strip me of every last honor.

That meant I, Jennifer, was being wiped clean from the criminal police force.

The oath I swore under the sunlight felt like it was just yesterday.

"I, Jennifer, dedicate my life to this noble cause. I pledge my loyalty to my country and my people!"

But now, a single ring had branded me a traitor, and a joint letter had sealed my doom.

Javier clutched the letter, his voice a blade, sharp and merciless. "This time, we'll kick Jennifer out for good!"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Javier, I never betrayed any of you! I never disgraced my mission!"

But no matter how much I screamed, my voice was trapped inside a glass dome, muffled, unheard by anyone.

I watched him stride forward, and I lunged after him like a woman possessed, desperate to block his path.

Yet all I could do was meet his cold, unyielding eyes again and again, my soul pierced through by his gaze, unable to stop him in his tracks.

New York City Sub-bureau Supervision Office.

I watched Javier stop, rap twice on the door.

When the door swung open and the righteous-faced middle-aged man appeared, my eyes burned instantly, hot and stinging.

Once upon a time, he was a constant guest at my home, always telling my father, "Mr. Carmona, this daughter of yours is a real gem. She was born for this line of work!"

Later, when I joined the force, it was he who pinned the badge onto my chest.

His eyes reddened. "Child, I only have one request, come back safe and sound."

But now, he was staring at evidence of my betrayal.

Uncle Joe's eyelids drooped as he looked at the letter. "Javier, have you all thought this through? Is there truly no one willing to believe in Jennifer?"

Javier's voice was stripped of all emotion. "Uncle Joe, the physical evidence is complete. Jennifer's betrayal is an established fact."

I stood right beside him, and at that moment, his certainty was like a venomous stinger, sharp enough to rob me of the strength to even open my mouth.

I stared at the diamond ring glittering under the sunlight, and every drop of blood in my body turned to ice.

At our engagement, when Javier slid the ring onto my finger, his expression was utterly reverent.

"Jennifer, I promise I will trust you until forever, just as I trust in my own faith."

Time flowed, circumstances shifted, but his faith stayed as solid as bedrock.

Yet, I was destined to be forgotten in the darkness, our paths never to cross again.

Uncle Joe let out a heavy sigh and picked up the stamp.

The moment the bright red seal slammed down, it felt like a searing brand had been pressed into my heart, leaving it a bloody, mangled mess.

Pain and helplessness lodged in my throat, choking me, a scream trapped in silence, a burden I couldn't let go.

After Javier walked out of the office, he went straight to Captain Morgan.

"We can head to Jennifer's house now!"

Within half an hour, Javier stood right at my front door.

I stood there, fighting to suppress the bitter ache swelling in my chest.

Mom and I had scraped by, just the two of us, for so long. She knew, knew better than anyone, how much those honors meant to me. If she realized Javier and his crew were here to strip them away...

The sound of the door opening jolted me back. When Mom appeared in the doorway, every single person froze.

The once simple and virtuous woman was now a vision of modern chic. Wine-red curls cascaded past her shoulders. Her outfit looked expensive. A gold bracelet glinted blindingly on her wrist.

I stared, my throat locked tight. That single word "Mom" just wouldn't come out.

Mom frowned at Javier. "What now? I have already told you that ungrateful brat hasn't reached out to me!"

She moved to shut the door, but Javier blocked it. "Madam, please don't interfere with official duties."

Mom read the search warrant aloud, word by word. "By order, search the residence of criminal Jennifer. All commendations, honors, and the like are to be legally confiscated..."

She leaned against the door frame, and the words that fell from her lips plunged me into an icy abyss. "Those useless things? I threw them out ages ago. If you want them, go to the dump!"