Chapter 3

"Hurry up and drink the soup, honey. It won't taste as good when it's cold," Jessica urged.

I looked at her affectionately and said, "Don't worry, babe. I'll drink every last drop."

With that, I picked up the thermal flask and brought it to my lips, with Jessica and Stanley eagerly watching me.

Just as I was about to take a mouthful, however, I pulled the flask back a bit. As if remembering something, I said to Stanley, "Oh, captain. I almost forgot to tell you that Chief Higgins was looking for you. I think he wants to introduce a potential girlfriend to you. You should go see him."

Jessica's eyes immediately flashed with displeasure. With feigned curiosity, she asked, "A potential girlfriend? What's she like? I'll come with you to see who it is, Stan."

Then, she turned to me and added, "Don't forget to drink the soup, honey."

Nodding, I smiled faintly as I watched them leave. Once they were out of sight, I swiftly poured some of the soup into a resealable bag I'd prepared in advance. The rest went down the toilet bowl.

…

By the time Jessica and Stanley returned, there was no trace of the soup left in the flask, save for the drop of it that clung to the corner of my lips.

Jessica secretly exhaled in relief before glaring at me. "Craig, Chief Higgins said he never claimed he was going to introduce a potential girlfriend to Stan. Can you stop making up these ridiculous lies?"

Looking all aggrieved, Stanley said to Jessica, "I think Craig doesn't like it when you spend too much time with me, Jessica. That's why he said that on purpose to drive a wedge between us.

"Maybe I should keep my distance from you from now on. I wouldn't want Craig to get annoyed with me and start picking on me."

His words only made me want to laugh. Jessica was my wife. Why was it any of her business whether he got a girlfriend? How would it drive a wedge between them?

With a smile that didn't reach my eyes, I looked at Stanley and said, "You need to watch what you say, my dear captain. After all, you're the fire captain, and I'm just a lieutenant. Since you outrank me, if anyone's going to be picking on someone, it'd be you picking on me."

But Stanley became even more indignant and started complaining about me. "See that, Jessica? Doesn't that prove my point? Craig can't accept the fact that I became the captain. He spends all his time gathering the others in the station and forming cliques with them. Everyone gets along well with him.

"Even though I'm the captain, all he has to do is say the word, and everyone will still follow his command. I'm just a figurehead. If that's going to be the case, I might as well just step down voluntarily to avoid embarrassing myself."

He turned and immediately started heading toward Chief Higgins' office.

Jessica hurriedly grabbed his arm. Eyes filled with tender concern, she assured him, "Don't worry about it, Stan. As long as I'm here, no one can push you around."

She marched up to me and slapped me right in front of everyone in the station. "Apologize to Stan at once, Craig!"

I cupped my cheek, my gaze darkening slightly. "What did I do wrong? Why should I apologize to him? I'm your husband, Jessica! Instead of trusting me, you'd rather stick up for another man?"

As I recalled what had happened in my first two lives, I almost roared the last sentence. Even my eyes began to redden.

However, Jessica looked as if she'd done nothing wrong.

Perhaps it was because she thought I'd drunk the soup. Maybe she believed that, after tonight, I would be labeled a criminal, subjected to everyone's scorn and contempt.

Either way, she couldn't even be bothered to hide her true self anymore. She came right out and mocked me.

"That's because you're a petty man who does nothing but stir up trouble! If I hadn't come to the station today, I wouldn't have realized just how much you've been bullying Stan.

"I've already shown you enough courtesy by not demanding that you get on your knees and beg for Stan's forgiveness! I'm warning you, Craig. If you don't apologize to Stan in public today, I won't forgive you!"

She grabbed Stanley's hand and turned to leave.

"Don't go, babe!"

Pretending to be scared, I hurried after Jessica and caught her arm. I used this opportunity to slip a recording bug into the pocket of her jacket. "I'm sorry, babe. I was wrong."

Jessica stopped in her tracks and eyed me frostily.