An hour later, Roger hurried into the police station.

Virginia and Donna sat apart, separated by an officer’s desk. Donna’s clothes were disheveled, her face marked with injuries, while Virginia remained neatly dressed, showing no sign of having come off worse.

“What happened?”

Donna’s tears fell on cue, her face a portrait of grievance. “Roger, I don’t know what misunderstanding Virginia has about me, but she attacked me without any warning…”

She revealed the wounds on her face—a savage, mottled bruise.

Donna had been clever. During the fight, she’d targeted the hidden, easily concealed parts of Virginia’s body—places Virginia couldn’t easily show.

Sure enough, Roger turned and snapped, “If you want to throw a tantrum, do it at home!”

“Is it me throwing a tantrum, or are you just feeling protective?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Roger’s eyes darted away as he turned to the precinct captain. “How do we resolve this?”

The captain spoke with visible discomfort. “Sir, your wife threw the first punch. With multiple hospital witnesses, the only way to settle this without charges is if the other party agrees to drop it. What do you think…?”

Roger nodded, thanked him, then fixed Virginia with a cold stare. “Apologize.”

“I did nothing wrong.” Virginia’s tears pooled stubbornly in her eyes, refusing to fall.

“You started it and you still won’t apologize? Virginia, you’re acting like a shrew!”

“Am I the shrew, or are you the one with divided loyalties? Roger, you know what you’ve done!”

“I’m not wasting my breath. Apologize. Now.”

With his promotion to department head under review, Roger couldn’t afford any scandal. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. “If you don’t apologize, don’t blame me if Sophie gets kicked out of the hospital.”

At the mention of their daughter, a chill shot through Virginia. She looked up, disbelief in her eyes. “You’re using our daughter to threaten me? She’s your own flesh and bl—”

“Enough. Stop dragging her into this. Apologize, and it’s over.”

Virginia bit down on the soft flesh inside her cheeks, her eyes reddening. She bowed toward Donna. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.”

Donna smiled, all magnanimity. “It’s nothing, really. I understand how you must be feeling.” Her tone shifted, and a look of distress surfaced. “But… it did happen at the hospital, in front of so many people. I don’t know how I’ll face everyone when I go back.”

As she spoke, Donna’s eyes welled up again, as if she’d suffered a profound injustice. “I don’t even know if I can continue with the clinical trial now.”

Hearing this, a thought seemed to strike Roger. He studied Virginia for a long moment. “You still need to learn a lesson. So you don’t act on impulse again.” His voice hardened. “Get down on your knees. Press your forehead to the floor three times and beg Donna’s forgiveness.”

The air seemed to freeze the moment the words left his mouth.

Virginia’s spine went rigid. She couldn’t believe this was the man she’d shared a bed with for years.

Roger pressed on. “Do it. Unless you want something to happen to Sophie?”

In that instant, an invisible fist closed around Virginia’s heart. He was still using their daughter against her.

She slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, only a dead, hollow calm remained.

*Thud!*

Her knees struck the hard floor with a heavy, dull sound.

*Thump!*

“I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

The rough concrete scraped her forehead, but the sting was nothing compared to the shame tearing her apart inside.

Donna’s smile widened, pure delight in her eyes as she watched the scene. *Virginia, Virginia… on your knees like a beaten dog.*

*Thump!*

“I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”

*Thump!*

“I’m sorry! Please, spare Sophie!”

Tears of humiliation fell silently, darkening small patches on the floor.

Finally, Roger couldn’t bear to watch any longer. “Alright, that’s enough. Sign the papers.”

A few days later.

"Mommy, are you unhappy?"

Sophie looked up, her large dark eyes full of concern.

"Mommy's fine, sweetie. Don't worry."

Virginia forced a smile, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Is Daddy really busy lately? He hasn’t come to see me in so long…"

The child’s voice was small, craving a father’s love yet too sensible to complain.

A pang shot through Virginia’s heart. She didn’t know how to answer.

"Was I not good? So Daddy doesn’t like me anymore?"

"Of course not!" Virginia gathered her close. "Daddy’s just busy. He’ll visit soon."

Sophie nodded, obedient, and asked no more.

But Virginia grew restless. After turning it over, she knew she had to speak with Roger again.

That night, after putting Sophie to bed, she found a note.

Clear and blunt, it read: *If you want to return to the city, do as I say. Come here tonight at ten.*

Should she trust it?

At the appointed hour, she arrived.

An empty house stood before her, and behind it—a pond, a spot where locals escaped the summer heat.

"You came."

Donna stood by the water’s edge in a white dress, her smile gentle. Virginia didn’t dare underestimate her.

"Why drag me out here? What do you want?"

"Don’t be in such a hurry." Donna stepped closer and took Virginia’s hand. "I just wanted somewhere quiet to talk. I know you need to get Sophie to a city hospital. What if I gave you my spot on the return list? Would you take it?"

A flicker of hope stirred—though reason warned her Donna wasn’t this kind.

But with no other choice, she had to try.

"What do you want me to do?"

"It’s simple." Donna beckoned her closer. "All you have to do is—"

In the next instant, Donna shoved Virginia hard, then screamed as she herself fell backward into the pond.

Virginia reacted too slowly. She could only watch, helpless, as Donna thrashed in the water.

"H-help… gurgle… I can’t swim…"

Just as Donna was about to sink, and Virginia braced to jump in—

A lithe figure plunged into the pond with a splash and hauled Donna out.

"You—"

Virginia hurried forward, then froze. The man who’d rescued Donna was Roger.

"How… why are you here?"

"Is she alright? Roger, how is she?"

A couple of men on patrol rushed over.

Roger had no time to answer. Donna lifted her gaze, eyes wide with tears and fear. "Virginia… why did you push me in?"

The air went still.

"Wha—who pushed you?!" Virginia blurted.

"Just because you hate it here and want to run home doesn’t mean you can drown me! We could have talked…"

Donna choked back sobs, the picture of injustice.

If she hadn’t been the one accused, Virginia might have believed her.

"I didn’t! You asked me to come here!"

"Enough." Roger’s brow furrowed, his voice low and hard. "You think she did this to herself?"

His gaze was ice—none of the old tenderness remained.

"Yeah, who would hurt themselves?"

"Both from the city, but what a difference. One’s only out for herself, the other’s here to serve."

The whispers around them weren’t quiet. Virginia finally understood Donna’s plan.

She’d been set up.

Her lips trembled. "It wasn’t me… I didn’t…"

"Please, Virginia, let me go!" Donna suddenly grew agitated, struggling as if to kneel. "I won’t go back to the city. I’ll give you my spot, okay? I never wanted to compete—I just wanted to do my part here!"