"Have you thought this through? If news of our divorce gets out, Nana will be heartbroken. You shouldn’t have agreed. Sometimes, refusing is the better option—it would give her peace of mind."

Alexander let out a cold sneer. "Then why didn’t you refuse?"

I met his gaze, my expression calm. "I’m not the one asking for a divorce. Why should I be the one to take the blame?"

"You want it too," he shot back. "What’s the difference?"

"I didn’t ask for a divorce," I repeated, my tone firmer this time.

A brief silence followed.

I didn’t want to argue anymore, so I looked away. "I have plans for the day, so just make sure you’re on time for the concert."

"Fine by me."

He turned his gaze toward the window, ending the conversation.

Silence filled the car once again.

I stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past, but my thoughts were anything but calm. The memory of the lake—the cold water, the suffocating panic—came rushing back.

Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on my bag.

"You don’t have to be nervous," Alexander said suddenly.

"I’m not," I replied immediately.

A pause.

"...If anything feels uncomfortable in there, just tell me," he added, his voice quieter.

I didn’t respond.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

When we arrived at the police station, my chest tightened slightly. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The building stood tall and imposing, its atmosphere heavy and suffocating.

Alexander stepped out first, then walked around and opened the door for me.

I got out slowly.

"We’ll be quick," he said, his tone softer now.

I gave a small nod.

Inside, the air felt colder.

An officer approached us. "Mr. Blackwood, Miss Blackwood—we’ve been expecting you. This way, please."

I followed behind, my steps slower than usual.

We were led into a room.

And that’s when I saw them.

The two women from the lake.

They looked nothing like they did that night. The arrogance was gone—replaced by pale faces and uneasy, shifting eyes.

The moment they saw me, panic flashed across their expressions.

My heartbeat quickened.

The memory of falling into the water hit me all over again.

The cold.

The fear.

The helplessness.

The officer turned to me. "Miss Blackwood, can you confirm if these are the individuals involved in the incident?"

My throat felt dry.

For a moment, everything felt heavy.

Then I nodded.

"Yes... it’s them."

The moment the words left my mouth, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

‎One of the women—the short-haired one—shook her head immediately. "No—no, that’s not what happened!"

‎The tall woman turned to her sharply. "What are you saying? We were both there!"

‎"I didn’t push her!" she snapped, her voice rising. "You’re the one who started everything!"

‎"I only grabbed her arm—you’re the one who shoved her!"

‎Their voices overlapped, sharp and panicked.

‎"Enough," the officer said firmly.

‎Silence fell—but it was fragile.

‎Both of them were breathing unevenly now, their composure completely gone.

‎The officer turned to me. "Miss Blackwood, can you describe what happened that night?"

‎My fingers tightened slightly.

‎For a second, the memory dragged me under again—

‎The water.

‎The cold.

‎The helplessness.

‎I swallowed.

‎"They approached me by the lake," I said slowly. "They started arguing with me... then they got closer."

‎I paused.

‎"They didn’t stop when I asked them to."

‎Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alexander stiffen.

‎"They kept provoking me," I continued, my voice quieter now. "Then... one of them pushed me."

‎"That’s a lie!" the short-haired woman shouted, shooting to her feet. "It was an accident!"

‎"Sit down," the officer ordered sharply.

‎"I didn’t mean to!" she insisted, her voice trembling now. "She stepped back—she was already at the edge!".

‎