Irritation curdled into anger. He snatched his Porsche keys.
Outside, the neighborhood was asleep. A thin drizzle silvered the pavement under the streetlights. Jason backed out fast, tires spitting water—one hand on the wheel, the other scrolling through his phone, thumb precise even in motion.
A flash of blue exploded in his rearview mirror.
“Perfect,” he muttered, jerking the car to the curb.
Officer Jackson approached—steady, broad-shouldered—the same man who’d stood in Jason’s library weeks ago. Recognition flickered in the officer’s eyes.
“Evening, Mr. West,” Jackson said evenly. “You rolled through that stop sign back there.”
Jason forced a thin smile. “Did I? Must’ve missed it. Long day. Just got back from Miami.”
Jackson didn’t return the smile. “License and registration.”
Jason handed them over, movements clipped, controlled. “You know who I am.”
Jackson’s gaze didn’t budge. “That doesn’t make the sign any less red.” He studied the license, then Jason. “You in a hurry to get somewhere?”
“My wife’s car’s been sitting downtown all night,” Jason said. “Figured I’d make sure she’s not doing anything stupid.”
Jackson’s tone was mild, but his eyes said everything—he remembered her. “You drive careful, Mr. West. Wouldn’t want another… misunderstanding.”
Jason looked angry, but his voice stayed smooth. “Are we done?”
Jackson tore the ticket from his pad and passed it through the window. “Drive safe.”
Jason snatched it, eyes flat as glass. “Yeah. Sure thing, Officer.”
As he pulled away, the cruiser’s lights faded in the mirror, but Jackson’s stare burned between his shoulder blades the entire drive.
At RiNo Arts Park, Caitlin’s BMW waited beneath a gnarled oak, its windshield beaded with dew, neon puddles of streetlight wavering across the hood. The air clung damp and electricagainst his skin. Silence pressed in—too deep for midnight in Denver.
Jason hesitated at the curb, something raw and nervous biting at the edges of his anger. For a flickering instant, fear jabbed him—What if something had happened to her?He shoved it down.No. She was playing him; that’s what this was.
He strode toward the car, gravel crunching beneath his shoes, unlocking the door in one sharp motion.
The interior reeked faintly of vanilla and sandalwood—hers—and the cold blue glow of the phone screen made his nerves jump. He scanned missed calls and messages in quick succession, fingers tense, forcing himself not to fumble. The emptiness, the orderliness—it felt staged. Like a set where the lead had vanished between acts.
Her purse sat beside the phone, neat, untouched. Under her wallet—a folded note. His name written in her careful, underlined hand: Jason.
He tore it open.
Dear Jason,
I want to begin by making one thing clear: I am safe. I have not been taken, and I have not been harmed—I’ve left of my own free will.
This may be difficult for you to accept, mainly because you’ve always tried to maintain control. But that’s precisely why I’m writing this letter—to let you know that I’m finally taking control of my own life.
I’m leaving you. You have deep-seated problems.
Our marriage has changed beyond recognition. The man I once loved no longer exists, and I can no longer pretend that everything is okay. For too long, I convinced myself we were happy while quietly enduring your dissatisfaction and emotional withdrawal. But when your anger turned into physical violence, the line was crossed—permanently.
I grieve the life I thought we had, but I see now it was never real. No man who truly loves his wife would treat her the way you’ve treated me.
I will not allow myself to be abused, threatened, or silenced. I deserve safety, peace, and respect. I know what happens when abuse escalates, and I won’t be a part of that story. You may not see yourself as abusive, but your actions speak louder than your intentions ever could. I refuse to live in fear.
I’ve taken nothing of yours that matters, and I’m asking you not to try to contact me or locate me. I will file for divorce in my own time, and I have no interest in engaging in a drawn-out or public battle. I want distance, healing, and peace.
