Chapter 3
A commotion outside caught everyone’s attention.
“I need to file a report! I need to file a report!”
Hearing the voice, Sophia got up and went out.
I looked closer - it was my coworker Emily!
Pretty and kind-hearted, always helpful to everyone.
She looked very distraught, hands on her hips as she caught her breath.
“What’s going on?” Chief Zhang handed her a glass of water.
“Officer, my coworker Jack has gone missing!” Emily exclaimed.
“He’s usually at the office by 6 AM, but today he wasn’t there even at 10. He’s not answering calls or messages either!”
“He’s such a diligent worker, he would never skip work without a reason. Something must have happened!”
She rambled on anxiously.
Seeing how worried she was made my nose tingle with emotion.
She was the first person to be so concerned about my disappearance.
Thank you, Emily.
To my surprise, Sophia became enraged hearing Emily’s words.
“Who are you to Jack? How do you know him so well?!”
Emily was taken aback. “Jack is just my coworker…”
Sophia glared at her, breathing heavily as she shouted, “Coworker? More like his mistress, I bet!”
“Whether he shows up to work or not is none of your business! He’s MY husband, what right do you have to interfere?”
Emily’s face turned red from the verbal assault.
“You…you’ve misunderstood!”
Sophia waved her hand dismissively, telling Emily to leave.
“Let me tell you, Jack isn’t missing. He’s just hiding to upset me. If you file another false report, I won’t be so nice!”
Emily was forced out.
As the door closed, I saw her eyes glistening with tears.
I wanted to run after her, but there seemed to be an invisible wall in front of me.
I tried to follow, but was bounced back.
I tried again, only to be repelled once more.
Emily wasn’t my mistress at all - she was the kindest, most considerate girl in the office!
She would bring me stomach medicine when I had digestive issues.
She would teach me unreservedly when I got stuck on a project.
To me, she would always be that warmhearted girl!
I followed Sophia as she hailed a cab after work.
The destination was a cemetery on the outskirts of town.
Sophia was holding a large bouquet of chrysanthemums.
“Michael, I’ve come to see you,” she said to a gravestone.
It was Michael’s cenotaph.
After Michael’s fatal accident years ago, his body was never found.
Sophia had broken down, gathering scraps of his clothing from the scene and insisting on burying them in the cemetery.
From that day on, my good days were over.
Every month on this day, Sophia would drag me here to repent.
“Now, go repent to Michael!” she would command coldly.
If I showed the slightest reluctance, she would take her scalpel and cut a gash in my arm.
So I had to wear long sleeves year-round to hide the scars.
I remember one time, there was a fierce windstorm.
As bad luck would have it, my stomach condition flared up too.
Sharp pains stabbed through my abdomen as large beads of cold sweat formed on my forehead.
But she was relentless, still forcing me to the cemetery.
The rain had washed debris and thorny branches down the hillside.
Seeing the state of things, I hesitated.
“Sophia, can I not kneel today?” I asked timidly, fighting through the pain.
Sophia angrily knocked the umbrella from my hand, yelling: “This is nothing! You want to run away already? Don’t forget, you owe Michael your life, you murderer!”
I stood there helplessly, letting the heavy raindrops pelt my face.
“Sophia, I’m not feeling well today…just this once, please?” I begged, dropping to my knees.
0