Last Night’s Star Fell Without a Trace

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.”