The Doormat Walks Away

Loud static crackled through the phone, followed by a long sigh. "Russell, I know today's wedding hit you hard. Melissa's always been a bit thoughtless, and you have every right to be angry. But you can't treat a mission like this as some kind of joke. Lives are on the line. And even if you're willing, Melissa certainly won't be."Once this mission starts, there's no going back to a normal life until it's finished. Think it over carefully."My mentor's voice was hoarse and sharp. He was trying to use the danger of the mission itself to talk me out of a decision made in the heat of anger. I choked back a sob and made my promise anyway."This is my choice," I said. "Melissa and I aren't married yet, so I won't be holding her back from anything. Please, let me do this."Outside, the light rain was tapering off, and a blinding sun broke through right after. Even the shadows hiding in the dark corners were swallowed up by the light. My mentor let out a low hum, and when he spoke aga

The door slammed shut, cutting off the rest of her complaints. I gave a bitter smile and swept up the ashes with a broom.That doll had been Melissa's gift to me in our very first year together. Back then, we'd been in a long-distance relationship, and she'd clung to me in tears, warning me not to so much as look at anyone else. Later, she'd turned up with that doll from who knows where and shoved it into my arms. "Wherever you go from now on, you're bringing this with you. Think of it as another version of me. Once the long distance is over, we'll get married, and I'll personally take its place."I'd believed her, foolishly carrying that doll from spring straight through winter. Then winter turned back to summer, the distance between us finally closed, and that promise turned out to be nothing but empty words. It simply never came true.At noon, I headed back to Melissa's company to wrap up my remaining work. I'd taken a few days of wedding leave, and my coworkers looked at me wi

The car kept driving until it finally stopped. And there, waiting for me, was my mentor. I hadn't seen him in years. This was the secret base hidden deep in the mountains, the place where countless heroes left from every year, and where just as many came back only as bones."Russell, my boy." My mentor took my hand, his own trembling, and made small talk as he introduced me around. Beside him stood a woman with delicate, striking features.I'd heard her name before. She was two years behind me, but a genuine ace when it came to solving cases. In just two years on the job, she'd cracked more cold cases than anyone, and people had started only half-jokingly calling her a real-life bloodhound. I'd read through her case files before. Whether it was sharpness of mind or speed of reaction, she was clearly one of the best. Not like me, who'd walked away right when it mattered most to go help Melissa run her company.A wave of shame washed over me. My mentor patted my shoulder and told ev

After I left, every project at the company ground to a halt. The collagen partnership with the overseas firm took the worst hit. The moment their contact heard the point person had changed, he flipped, refusing to work with Melissa even if it meant losing money on the deal.Ezra tried pulling the same old tricks, flying overseas again and again to grovel, buy people dinner, beg forgiveness. But groveling had never been in his nature. One offhand comment from someone and he'd storm off to secretly call and complain, and he even got caught doing it once in a bathroom. The funniest part was that he'd been drinking water the whole time he was supposedly apologizing over drinks, not actual alcohol. He poured every ounce of his cleverness into these little schemes, and it cost them. Several overseas companies flat out swore they'd never work with them again.Melissa tried to salvage things by handing him other projects instead, and he ended up in a shouting match with a client, then tu

"And you think you're a good match for him?" Once it registered, Melissa looked Catherine over with open disgust. "Look at yourself. You're damaged goods. Your face isn't even pretty anymore, and you're missing a hand. How exactly are you supposed to take care of Russell?"Besides, I'm the one Russell actually loves. You don't know anything about our history, about the promises we made to each other. What gives you the right to say I'm not good enough for him?"Catherine lowered her head, a shadow crossing her face. I reached out and took her hand, pulling her close against me. "Melissa, the past is the past. The second I got back, I blocked your number. You should understand what that means. We're both adults. Isn't it a little pathetic to keep dragging this out?"I'm telling you officially, right now, we're done. Please don't come near me or my family again."Whatever Melissa had been about to say caught in her throat. Her eyes went red, fixed on me, her fingers trembling.