Derek’s laughter died the moment he stepped into the living room.
Usually, the apartment smelled of lavender and fresh cooking. Tonight, it smelled of nothing. The air was cold, the lights were off, and a heavy, hollow silence hung over the space.
“Skylar!” Derek called out, his voice tinged with irritation. “Get out here. Suzanne is ready to go shopping.”
But there was no answer.
Suzanne rolled her eyes, tossing her designer purse onto the couch. “Don’t tell me she’s still throwing a tantrum over a little spilled coffee. She’s so dramatic.”
Derek marched toward the kitchen, ready to drag his wife out by her arm. But when he flicked on the light, he froze.
The dining table, usually adorned with a linen runner and a vase of fresh flowers, was completely bare. Sitting dead center in the middle of the dark wood were two items: a glittering platinum wedding ring, and a crisp, white envelope.
Derek sneered, stepping forward. “What is this, a threat?”
He snatched up the envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a copy of the official police report from the hospital, stamped with a domestic abuse filing number, alongside a medical assessment detailing the second-degree burns on Skylar’s face and neck.
But it was the sticky note attached to the back of the report that made Derek’s chest tighten. Written in Skylar’s neat, calm handwriting were just two sentences:
“The locks have already been changed on the building access. Your keycard has been deactivated. You have exactly twenty-four hours to vacate my apartment before the police return to enforce the restraining order.”
“What?” Derek gasped, his face flushing with a mixture of anger and sudden panic. “This is my home!”
But as Derek scrambled to check his banking app to see how much money he could withdraw, he made a discovery that made his blood run completely cold… Read Part 3 below to find out.
