Chapter 2

After the wound was cleaned and bandaged, the sky was just turning pale when the police called me in.

By the time I got there, Darren was already seated in the mediation room, beside Carrie.

"Officer, I'm Olivia's fiancé."

"My fiancée has had a psychiatric condition for a long time. Her mental state isn't stable."

"She's held a grudge against Carrie's brother, so she hallucinated and attacked him."

"I'll compensate the Henson family for their losses, and I'll apologize to Carrie and her brother on Olivia's behalf."

Darren handed the officer five years of my psychological evaluations and diagnoses.

Over those five years, I'd had thoughts of ending my life. I'd cut my own arm.

Darren knew every ugly moment of it. And now, to help a stalker, he tore the scars back open and put them on display for everyone to see.

The officer in charge read through the file, then looked at me differently.

"Miss Cox, if your psychiatric condition really is this severe, then we'll have to reconsider what you've told us."

I clenched my fists.

"My condition improved six months ago. Last night, I was clear-headed the entire time."

I wanted to say more, but Darren brought Carrie's brother in.

"Officer, I'm willing to cover his costs, and afterward I'll stay with my fiancée and see her treatment through."

Not giving me a chance to speak, Carrie's brother launched into his sob story.

"I only wanted to apologize to Miss Cox, but the moment she saw me, she grabbed a brick and swung it at me."

"Yes, I hurt her before, but I've turned my life around."

Right in front of the officer, Carrie moved to kneel and confess again.

"Olivia, I apologize for my brother."

"And I promise, I won't appear in front of Darren and make you jealous or suspicious anymore. Please, don't take revenge on us."

Darren helped Carrie up, then turned to comfort me:

"Olivia, of course I know these years have been hard on you. But I'm doing this for your own good."

"Breaking up Carrie's family was wrong of you. I don't want you making more enemies and getting yourself hurt in return."

"Calling you mentally ill is meant to get you off the hook."

I stepped away from his hand and looked at him coldly.

"So you want me to admit I lost my mind, went crazy and hurt someone, and then framed him. Is that it?"

Carrie's brother let his eyes drop to my chest and coughed twice.

"You tore your own clothes and staged the whole thing!"

"If you keep making a scene, I'll press charges against you for attempted murder!"

Darren soothed the two of them gently, then looked back at the officer.

"I'll apologize on my fiancée's behalf. Let's end this here."

Watching Darren like that, the last shred of hope in me died.

Before the officer could announce anything, I pulled out a piece of security footage.

"After it happened, I asked the shops nearby to give me their camera recordings."

In the footage, you could clearly see Carrie's brother dragging me into the back alley.

Her brother was held for investigation.

And Darren, for slandering me, was to be questioned too.

As I walked out the door, Darren's face had gone white.

"You had the evidence all along. Why did you have to let me be humiliated in public?"

Carrie tearfully tried to talk him down.

"Darren, don't blame Olivia. It's all my fault."

"I'll go straight home and confess to Mom and Dad. I'm the one who hurt everyone."

Darren carefully wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and pressed a set of keys into her hand.

"Go home and wait for me first. I told you, I'll keep you safe."

Those were the keys to our wedding home. I hadn't even lived there since the renovations were finished.

"Darren, that's our wedding home."

His brow creased slightly.

"The wedding's been postponed. It doesn't matter who lives there."

Carrie's tears fell, as if she were moved.

"But the day after tomorrow, you were supposed to marry Olivia."

Darren glanced at me and said coldly:

"She's mentally unstable, throwing wild accusations around. She's in no state to get married right now!"

"When she admits she was wrong and gets better, we'll hold the wedding. Until then, it's postponed indefinitely."

I didn't say anything more to them. I turned and headed home.

By the time Darren canceled the wedding, I had already bought my ticket out of Harborview.