CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
The first siren was faint enough that Dominic barely reacted.
He frowned, glanced toward the front window, and shrugged.
"Probably some idiot speeding through the neighborhood."
I kept my head lowered, pressing the dish towel against my burned hand while silently counting.
One...
Two...
Three...
The sirens grew louder.
Victoria rolled her eyes.
"They'd better not wake the neighbors."
Arthur finally looked away from the football game.
"Sounds close."
A hard knock echoed through the house.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
"Police Department! Open the door!"
The room froze.
Dominic's confident smile disappeared.
"What the hell?"
Another knock shook the front door.
"Police! We know people are inside!"
Victoria immediately pointed at me.
"You called them?"
I slowly shook my head, making sure my expression stayed frightened instead of hopeful.
"I... I didn't..."
Dominic stormed toward me, lowering his voice into the dangerous whisper I knew too well.
"If you said one word—"
The knocking became pounding.
"Open the door immediately!"
Arthur muttered a curse before getting up.
"This is ridiculous."
Dominic took one quick look around the kitchen.
The steak.
The broken pan.
The blood.
The red mark spreading across my hand.
His eyes darted toward the sink.
"Clean this up," he hissed.
I didn't move.
He grabbed my arm.
"Now."
Before he could drag me across the kitchen, the front door burst open.
"Police!"
Several officers entered with practiced precision.
"Hands where we can see them!"
Dominic instantly released me.
His entire personality changed in less than a heartbeat.
He raised both hands and smiled politely.
"Officers... there must be some misunderstanding."
Detective Chloe Park stepped inside behind the uniformed officers.
She looked directly at me first.
Not at Dominic.
Not at the mess.
At me.
"Emily?"
My knees almost gave out from relief.
"I'm here," I whispered.
Her eyes immediately found my burned hand.
She didn't hide the anger that crossed her face.
"What happened to your hand?"
Before I could answer, Victoria jumped in.
"She's terribly clumsy."
Dominic nodded eagerly.
"She dropped the pan. She burned herself trying to catch it."
Arthur folded his arms.
"It was an accident."
Three voices.
One rehearsed lie.
Detective Park didn't respond.
Instead, she slowly walked farther into the kitchen, studying everything.
The overturned chair.
Grease splattered across the floor.
The broken wineglass.
The strands of my hair still clinging to Dominic's sleeve.
Then she looked back at me.
"Emily."
Her voice was calm.
"Did anyone hurt you tonight?"
The kitchen fell silent.
Dominic's eyes locked onto mine.
It was the same look he'd used for months.
Answer correctly.
Or pay later.
For eighteen months...
I always chose fear.
Tonight...
I chose something different.
"Yes."
The single word barely left my mouth.
But it echoed through the room like thunder.
Dominic laughed.
"Oh, come on."
Victoria scoffed.
"She's being dramatic."
Detective Park never looked away from me.
"Who hurt you?"
I swallowed.
"My husband."
The silence afterward felt endless.
Dominic exploded.
"She's lying!"
He pointed at me with shaking hands.
"She's unstable! Ask my parents!"
Victoria rushed forward.
"My son would never—"
An officer stepped between them.
"Ma'am, stay where you are."
Arthur tried another tactic.
"This is a family disagreement. Nothing more."
Detective Park finally spoke.
"No."
She reached into her jacket.
"This is an active domestic violence investigation."
Dominic blinked.
"What investigation?"
She removed her phone.
"I received a live emergency transmission from inside this residence twenty-two minutes ago."
His face turned pale.
"What?"
"The transmission included your address, GPS coordinates..."
She paused.
"...and live video."
Every ounce of color drained from Dominic's face.
He looked around the kitchen in confusion.
"What camera?"
Victoria frowned.
"What is she talking about?"
Detective Park tapped her screen.
"We've already secured the footage."
Dominic spun toward me.
"You recorded me?"
I met his eyes without flinching.
For the first time since our wedding...
He was the one who looked afraid.
"I documented the truth."
He lunged.
"You little—"
Two officers grabbed him before he could take another step.
"Don't touch her!"
Dominic struggled violently.
"This is illegal!"
Detective Park remained perfectly composed.
"No."
She looked at him with icy calm.
"What was illegal was forcing your wife's hand onto a hot stove."
Victoria's wineglass slipped from her fingers.
It shattered across the kitchen floor.
"No..." she whispered.
"That can't be..."
Detective Park turned the phone around.
The screen showed a crystal-clear image.
Dominic's hand gripping my wrist.
My palm pressed against the glowing burner.
His face inches from mine.
Every second.
Every word.
Every scream.
Recorded in high definition.
Victoria stared at the screen in horror.
Arthur slowly lowered himself into a chair.
For the first time that evening...
No one had an excuse.
No one blamed me.
No one called it an accident.
An officer stepped beside Detective Park.
"There's something else."
"What is it?"
"We've already reviewed the first few minutes of the recording."
He looked directly at Dominic.
"It didn't just capture tonight."
My heart skipped.
Detective Park looked surprised.
"What do you mean?"
The officer held up a tablet.
"The camera had been recording motion clips for weeks."
Dominic's eyes widened.
Weeks.
Not one incident.
Not one assault.
Weeks of threats.
Weeks of intimidation.
Weeks of violence.
His lips parted.
No words came out.
The officer looked at Detective Park again.
"I think we're going to need the Major Crimes Unit."
Dominic finally understood.
This wasn't an argument anymore.
This wasn't even a domestic dispute.
May you like
This was evidence.
And it was only the beginning.
