Chapter 3

But Judy's slap never landed. It wasn't because she couldn't bring herself to hit me, but because everyone was watching. And as someone who took pride in her image as a college professor, she couldn't afford to slap someone in public.

Instead, she jabbed a finger into my chest, shoving me back with every poke.

"Do you have any idea what the penalty is for raising a false alarm? Detention! Fines! You might not care about your reputation, but I care about mine! You're just a security guard making 600 dollars a month! What right do you have to press that button? Do you even know what pressing that actually means?"

She genuinely didn't know. She never cared about my job, and she'd never asked what I actually did. Every time I came home late from working overtime, all she'd say was, "Since when does guarding doors require working overtime?"

For three years, she'd only ever seen me as a useless freeloading husband who depended on her to survive.

"Sir! Ma'am! Please step aside!"

The airport's biohazard response team came charging through a side passage in full protective gear, pushing a sealed mobile testing unit.

The security captain ran ahead of the team, his walkie-talkie crackling loudly.

"Level One alarm triggered in Zone A3. No visible leak detected at this time. Requesting backup for verification!"

Dan stood ramrod straight beside the checkpoint, his suitcase trapped on the other side of the security barrier. The panic on his face lasted less than a second before he regained his composure. He even greeted the response team with an understanding smile.

"Hello, sir. I'm a doctor with Doctors Without Borders, registered with the International Red Cross. Because of a personal relationship dispute, this gentleman not only tried to prevent me from passing through, but he also maliciously triggered the biohazard alarm."

The ground operations supervisor glanced at Dan's official-looking credentials, then turned to look at me, dressed in civilian clothes, drenched in cold sweat, and pale as a sheet.

Obviously taken in by the documents, he turned to face me with a stern expression.

"Sir, this is a restricted customs area. It's not the place for you to settle domestic disputes."

Judy turned toward the hazmat team leader and slipped effortlessly into the polished, dignified persona of a college professor.

"Officers, I'm so sorry. My husband hasn't been in a good emotional state lately. He probably only did this because we got into an argument. I apologize for the trouble. This really is just a misunderstanding."

"Is that guy fucking insane? He just decides to claim that someone is carrying biological weapons? How fucking great. Now we're all stuck here."

"I feel so bad for that doctor. He goes overseas to save lives, only to come back and deal with this crap."

"If it were me, I'd have dumped a psycho like him a hundred times over!"

"Exactly! I'd have kicked him to the curb ages ago!"

Hearing the crowd's words, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles ached.

Meanwhile, the hazmat team was following protocol. They needed my official badge number before they could initiate a special inspection procedure, but my phone had fallen to the floor and shattered earlier when Judy shoved me.

Without my phone, I couldn't contact my superior. And without my credentials, the hazmat team wouldn't recognize my authority.

Judy stalked closer to me and said in a low voice, "If you get down on your knees right now, apologize to Dan, and admit you threw this fit just to get my attention, I might consider using my position as a professor to bail you out of the police station."

Get on my knees and apologize to Dan?

I looked at the face I'd once loved more than anything. For the first time in three years, she seemed terrifyingly unfamiliar.

"Judy Morrison," I said, my voice quiet and even. "I gave you one last chance to walk away from him."

"Are you threatening me?" She laughed, her expression dripping with utter disdain.

"It's not a threat," I said, looking her dead in the eye. "From this moment on, you'll be held legally responsible for your choices."

A flicker of impatience crossed Dan's eyes as he caught what I said. With a soft click, he unlocked the combination lock and lifted the lid, opening it for everyone to see.

"Since you're so desperate to take a look, go ahead.

"Everyone, you're all my witnesses. If he doesn't find any contraband, I want him to rot in prison!"