He Ignored My Grief, I Chose Duty

Riverdale Martyrs' Cemetery. Linnea Valmont, her eyes red-rimmed and glistening, turned to Officer Victor Hayes, her father's longtime partner on the force. "Uncle Victor, I've made up my mind. I'm going to join the Riverdale police department and carry on my father's badge number." Victor's face softened with quiet satisfaction. "Linnea, your father was a hero. Like father, like daughter. I'll head right back and put in the request to reactivate badge number 005168." He paused, then added in a gentler tone, "But if you come back to Riverdale, what about that boyfriend of yours in Capital City?" The moment Dominic Calder's name hit the air, her resolve hardened into steel. "I'm going to break up with him. Then I'll stay in Riverdale for good and work my hardest to become a police officer dedicated to serving the people, just like my dad." Victor gave her shoulder a warm, reassuring squeeze. "Three years together, and he never once bothered to come back with you to see your father one last time. A man like that... you're better off without him. Our Riverdale force has plenty of good men who'll treat you right." "Thank you, Uncle Victor. Give me a week to tie up loose ends in Capital City. I'll report to the station on September 30th." "Alright. We'll be waiting for you." Linnea gave him and the other men, her father's old colleagues, a polite nod. After that, she made sure her mother, now widowed, was taken care of. Then she boarded the express train back to Capital City. Twelve hours and nineteen hundred kilometers later, she finally arrived at the Laurel Crest penthouse in Capital City. It was midnight. Dominic was still nowhere to be seen. On the coffee table in the living room lay a newspaper, untouched. The bold headline read: People's Hero Jackson Valmont. Jackson Valmont was Linnea's father, just an ordinary police officer who walked the beat every day without fanfare. Then, thirteen days ago, tragedy struck Riverdale. A school bus plunged into a lake. Without a second thought, her father dove in again and again, hauling every last child to safety. But he never made it back up himself. He sank forever into the dark depths, leaving only silence and ripples behind. Linnea's hands trembled as she folded the newspaper with reverent care, her breath catching in her throat. Just then, footsteps echoed from the doorway. Dominic strode in, his tall, athletic frame cutting a sharp silhouette in a black-and-red racing suit. He spotted her curled up on the living room sofa and raised an eyebrow. "You were gone for an awfully long time on this trip. What kept you?" Linnea's face was ghostly pale, almost translucent. "Family stuff. Got held up." But Dominic's mind was already miles away, consumed by thoughts of his ex-girlfriend Sonya Nichols. He didn't notice the tremor in her voice or the shadows pooling under her eyes. Without pressing further, he tossed his phone onto the coffee table and headed off to the shower, the bathroom door clicking shut behind him. His phone lit up like a firecracker. Message after message popped up on the screen. Linnea's gaze drifted over almost involuntarily. There it was... Sonya, his ex, lighting up his screen. Sonya: You absolutely crushed it at the Sydney Grand Prix. The undisputed God of the Track once again. Sonya: So tell me, am I your lucky goddess or what? Sonya: A lot of your fans are saying we're the real power couple. So what do you say? Want to give it another shot? Mend the broken mirror? A cascade of cutesy emojis and playful stickers followed the messages, dancing across the screen, each one like a tiny needle pricking her heart. Dominic Calder wasn't just anyone. He was the world's top Formula 1 driver, the sole heir to the Calder empire. And Sonya? She was his first love, the ex he never quite got over, the woman who once called the shots as his navigator. Since she'd swept back into the country a month ago, Dominic had been a different man entirely. Linnea could still remember that day thirteen days ago, the moment she got the crushing news about her father. She grabbed Dominic's arm, her voice raw and trembling. "Dominic, can you come home with me? My dad, he—" Just then, Sonya's call cut in, sharp as a blade. "Dominic, hurry! The plane's about to leave!" Without a second thought, Dominic pulled his arm free from her grasp. "Go back by yourself this time. Next time, I'll go with you." The Sydney Grand Prix was still a full week away, but they'd left an entire week early. Later, Linnea saw the photos a mutual friend posted... snapshots of Sonya and Dominic laughing and sightseeing in Sydney. That was the exact moment her heart turned to stone. The sudden ring of her phone jolted her back to the present. It was her mother. "Mom? What's going on?" "Linnea, you and Dominic have been together for three years. That's no small thing. Are you really going to give up on it just like that?" Her mother knew just how deeply her daughter loved him. Linnea gazed out at the night sky, her voice quiet but firm. "After three years together, I know for sure he's the wrong person. When you realize you've made a mistake, you cut your losses before it gets worse." Her resolve to leave him was unshakable. Then, guilt crept into her voice. "Mom, I'm sorry... Dad's gone, and now I'm going to inherit his badge number..." Her mother had always lived in fear every time her father went out on duty, terrified that something would happen. Now, she was about to become the source of that same fear. But the voice on the other end held no blame, only gentle strength, as her mother said to her, "Linnea, you don't have to apologize to Mom. In this world, someone's gotta step up to the front lines. "Loyalty to your country is the best way to honor your parents. I'm behind you all the way."