Chapter 4
778 Words
The next morning, not long after Celia finished breakfast, the doorbell rang.
It was Chelsea.
"Celia, there's a huge case at the precinct. Hudson's tied up and can't get away, so he sent me to grab some clean clothes for him."
Celia said nothing. She simply stepped aside and let her in.
Once inside the living room, Chelsea's eyes landed on the wedding photo not far away. A flicker of jealousy and hatred flashed through them.
By the time she turned around, Celia had already packed Hudson's spare clothes into a bag and was holding it out to her.
"You can leave now."
Chelsea took the bag and stared at the woman in front of her with open disgust.
"Celia, using bait to lure out the serial killer was my idea.
"I was supposed to be the decoy—to earn merits and get hired full-time. But Hudson felt bad for me. He was afraid I'd get hurt, so he swapped in you instead."
She took a step closer as she spoke.
"So? Do you relive that night every time you close your eyes?"
Celia looked at her coldly, her tone flat. "The killer's caught. You can leave now."
Chelsea pouted, annoyed by her response.
"Celia, you lost your baby. Why haven't you divorced Hudson yet?"
Celia froze. Her hands tightened instinctively at her sides.
"You manipulated Hudson on purpose? To make me the bait?"
"Yeah, I did."
Chelsea nodded triumphantly. "If you'd given birth to that baby, Hudson would never have agreed to leave you."
Celia's eyes went dark. Rage surged through her—she raised her hand and slapped Chelsea hard across the face.
"Chelsea, you don't deserve to be a police officer!"
Chelsea pressed a hand to her stinging right cheek and smiled, completely unbothered.
"Celia, if you keep refusing to divorce him, you might be the next one to die."
"Get the hell out!"
Celia screamed, trembling from head to toe with fury.
She was going to report Chelsea. She was going to make every last one of them pay.
Chelsea's lips curled higher, her smile growing brighter.
"Celia... have you ever even seen your baby?"
She pulled out her phone, found the photo of the embryo, and turned the screen toward Celia.
"Look. Such a tiny little thing. Scared right out of existence. So fragile."
Celia's pupils shrank. She stumbled backward two steps, a dull ache flaring up in her lower abdomen again.
That was her baby.
So small. Gone before he ever had a chance.
She bit down hard on her lower lip, grabbed the first thing her hand found on the coffee table—a cup—and hurled it straight at Chelsea.
"Get out!"
Chelsea didn't dodge. She didn't resist. She let the cup slam into her shoulder.
Crash!
It hit the floor and shattered into a hundred pieces.
*****
At that moment, the sound of a key turning in the front door echoed through the room.
The second Hudson opened the door, he saw Chelsea clutching her shoulder, eyes red as she looked toward Celia.
"Celia, I'm so sorry... this is all my fault..."
He stepped into the living room and took in the wreckage on the floor. Then his gaze landed on Chelsea's slightly swollen cheek, and his eyes darkened.
"Celia, sending you out as bait was my mistake. You had no right to hit Chelsea."
"Get out! Both of you, get out!"
Celia swept everything off the coffee table in a fit of rage, her heart splitting apart.
Her baby was so small. And she had failed to protect him.
"Celia, maybe you should go back to the hospital for a few more days. I'm worried your mood will only get worse if you stay home alone.
"At least at the hospital, there are nurses on duty if you need anything."
Celia stared at Hudson with mocking contempt. A bitter laugh escaped her lips amid the fury.
"Hudson, you don't deserve to be a police officer either."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Hudson's face darkened instantly, but the anger in his eyes softened a fraction when he saw how deathly pale she was.
"Celia, what happened that night had nothing to do with Chelsea. You owe her an apology for hitting her today."
Chelsea shook her head, the picture of helplessness, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"What happened that night was truly terrifying. I understand why Celia resents me. I really do.
"Hudson, don't blame her. What she needs right now is rest."
She winced and clutched her shoulder as she finished.
Hudson stepped forward at once, concern written all over his face.
"Did she hit you?"
- Writer
