Chapter 5

The next afternoon, during her lunch break, Phoebe headed to the department store to buy some daily necessities for her trip to Marlowe.

Halfway through browsing, she suddenly spotted Reuben accompanying Emma in the women's clothing section. Emma was trying on a striking red dress, and Reuben's eyes were filled with appreciation.

She averted her gaze and prepared to leave, but Emma's sharp eyes caught sight of her. "Mrs. Lane!"

Reuben looked over at her with a flicker of guilt in his eyes, but he still stepped forward quickly and pulled her over.

Emma twirled in front of Phoebe, her eyes packed with provocation and malice. "Reuben picked this red dress for me. Isn't it pretty?"

Reuben hurried to speak. "Phoebe, this is—"

"No need to explain." Phoebe cut him off. "I don't care. I have errands to run, so excuse me."

Just as she turned to leave, a cracking sound echoed directly above their heads.

Phoebe looked up just in time to see a loose, weathered wooden beam break free from the ceiling and come crashing down toward the three of them.

"Watch out!"

Amidst the screams of the crowd, Reuben shoved Phoebe away.

The very next second, he threw himself over Emma, shielding her with his body.

The heavy beam slammed right into his back, drawing an agonized grunt from him as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Phoebe lay on the ground, her arms and legs badly scraped. She turned to look at what had happened.

Surrounding shoppers rushed over in panic to lift the beam off him. Emma sobbed hysterically while cupping Reuben's face, her lips moving frantically as she babbled.

And Reuben, despite dripping cold sweat from the excruciating pain, managed to squeeze out a smile for her. He even used his thumb to gently wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Phoebe's lips curled into a faint smile. The whole scene before her seemed like some ridiculous silent pantomime.

It was extremely absurd.

Enduring the searing pain across her body, she pushed herself up, turned around, and limped out of the department store.

As if sensing something, Reuben turned around, only to catch a glimpse of Phoebe's solitary back as she walked away.

"Phoebe," he called out to her, but she didn't look back once.

Phoebe returned home and fetched the first-aid kit to dress her wounds.

The rubbing alcohol stung against her raw scrapes, making her shudder uncontrollably, yet she bit her lip and didn't shed a single tear.

…

Over the next two days, she focused entirely on getting ready to leave.

On the third day, she received a phone call from Reuben's colleague, placed from the hospital reception desk. "Mrs. Lane… Reuben got hurt pretty badly. He's been admitted to the hospital these past few days. He keeps calling out your name and saying he misses your homemade chicken soup. Could you come by the hospital to visit him?"

"I can't."

"W-What?" The voice on the other end sounded dumbfounded.

In the past, whenever Reuben got hurt, Phoebe would drop all her work and household chores to rush to the hospital, staying by his side 24/7 without sleep.

Yet now, Phoebe's voice was crisp and clear, without the slightest pause. "I have things to take care of. Bye"

That afternoon, Reuben showed up at home. His face was deathly pale as he hurried straight to the bedroom to find Phoebe. "Are you… angry with me for saving Emma?"

"I'm not." Phoebe was packing her clothes. She didn't even bother to look up.

Reuben stepped up to her and took hold of her wrist. "Then why didn't you come to the hospital to visit me? You always came to see me whenever I was hurt before."

He softened his tone. "Phoebe, I really miss your chicken soup."

Phoebe finally looked at him. "I'm in no condition to cook."

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing large patches of raw scrapes across her palms, wrists, and arms.

Reuben's heart sank. He pulled her gently. "I'll take you to the hospital to get those bandaged up."

Just then, a sharp knock echoed at the front door. "Officer Lane, are you in?"

Reuben instinctively glanced at Phoebe.

Without any expression, she brushed off his hand and went straight to open the door.

Emma shot her a provocative look, bumping past her shoulder as she barged right in. "Officer Lane, there's a new lead on the case we've been working on! Come take a look!"

For the next while, the two sat on the living room couch, discussing the case in quiet huddles.

Not wanting to look at them, Phoebe simply went back to her bedroom.

Before long, a loud bang rattled her bedroom door. The moment Phoebe pulled it open, a powerful force yanked her out.

She looked up and met Reuben's eyes, which were burning with blinding fury. "Phoebe, if you're upset, come at me! Why do you keep targeting Emma, even going so far as to burn the case files? Do you have any idea how important this case is?"