02
Every time Derek heard my name, his anger would boil over. “Her? She doesn’t even compare to you! The biggest mistake of my life was marrying her!”
time.
Vanessa laughed gleefully and pointed at the statue. “Honey, do you like the statue I gave you?”
A smile crept onto Derek’s face. “It’s your lucky charm that helped me get back on my feet, so of course, I love it!”
He genuinely cherished that statue, touching it countless times a day.
Each time, I held my breath, hoping he would finally realize that I was trapped inside, but disappointment followed every single
The sharp sound of police banging on the table pulled me from my thoughts and drew Derek’s attention back.
Taking a deep breath, he replied, “I have no idea how a body ended up in that statue or who it is. I’m a victim here too.”
But the police pressed on. “We’ve done our homework. Your wife, Eva Harlow, went missing three years ago. She was thirty at the time, which matches the corpse.”
I stared at Derek, desperate for him to connect the dots that the body was mine and that I hadn’t run off with his money but had been murdered by his first love.
But instead, he scoffed, his voice laced with rage, “Eva? That’s impossible! When my company was in crisis, she sold everything and took off with the money!”
He spoke through clenched teeth, trying to stay calm as he defended himself, “You said the victim was pregnant when she died, right? That can’t be Eva. When she left, she wasn’t even pregnant!”
I hadn’t told him about my pregnancy, wanting to spare him any extra worry during a tough time.
Now, that choice was being used against me.
The police continued their questioning. “So, who gave you that statue? If you’re not the killer, the person who gifted it to you is a prime suspect.”
Derek hesitated, caught off guard by the question.
The officer pressed on. “The coroner’s report indicates this was a personal attack. The killer could have killed her quickly, but they chose to strike her repeatedly with a small, blunt object, shattering her skull. It looks like she took at least fifty blows..
“She was tortured, hitting her at least ten times before she finally succumbed.
“Then she was submerged in formaldehyde to obliterate her identity.
“They even turned her into a statue, which indicates a disturbed mindset. This person is dangerous. If you know anything, please cooperate with our investigation.”
Derek fell silent, ultimately shaking his head. He insisted he didn’t know anything, Conveniently leaving out that Vanessa had given him the statue.
With no solid evidence, the police had no choice but to let him go home.
I followed Derek all the way back, floating alongside him.
He still lived in our old house, the one I had sold. After making a fortune, he bought it back at a high price.
But now, he shared it with Vanessa.
As soon as he stepped inside, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his in a wild, possessive kiss.
Normally, he would have eagerly reciprocated, but today, he seemed distant.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but she softened her tone. “Honey, are you feeling tired today?”
That snapped him back to reality. He planted a quick, apologetic kiss on her lips before saying, “Yeah, just a lot going on at the company today. Why don’t you watch some TV while I whin us un something to eat?”
