Chapter 3

"It's fine, it's fine, I'll take care of it."

Clark ate it up, his voice so gentle you could practically wring water out of it.

He was patting Nora softly on the back to soothe her when he caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye, and the color drained from his face.

"You... Angela, what are you doing here?"

His whole body went rigid, and he slowly let go of Nora, staring at me in shock.

"So I get it now. You're the one who called the police? Said the camera was stolen?"

"That's right."

I nodded, turning over the camera I'd bought for him in my hands.

"It really was stolen. And I seem to recall this camera was a gift from me to you, wasn't it?"

"Once you gave it to me, it's mine. Why did you have to go and pull a stunt like this? Do I not even have the right to do what I want with my own gift? Give it back."

Clark reached out to grab it, but I dodged him easily.

"Never mind. I don't want to give it anymore. I changed my mind."

"Angela, this is really low. Are you making a fool of me? What, you even put a tracker in the camera? Did you actually want to give me a Valentine's Day gift, or did you want to spy on me?"

Spy on him?

He wasn't worth that.

A gift?

He wasn't worth that either.

I raised my voice on purpose and blew open the little scheme Clark was hiding.

"Taking the Valentine's Day gift I gave you to go chase another girl. Only you, Clark, could pull something like that."

"Four years together, and you gave me one moldy orange and called it a surprise? Do you take me for an idiot?"

I decided right then to break up with Clark, but he said I was blowing things out of proportion, nitpicking, and deliberately steered around the real issue to bring up what had happened today.

"Oh, so that's it, Angela. You did this on purpose, didn't you? Just because the Valentine's Day gift I got you wasn't to your liking, you're going to give me this much grief? I didn't get you cash or jewelry, so now you don't even know me anymore?"

"Have you been drinking too much of that toxic online garbage? Chasing after some ritual, some novelty, without a thought for whether a relationship can actually last?"

"Fine, yes, I gave you a moldy orange, but didn't I make up for it afterward? Look for yourself. Didn't I send you a Valentine's cash transfer to make up for it?"

Clark lectured me at length and told me to check my phone, saying he'd sent me a Valentine's cash transfer.

I checked the time. It had only just gone through a little while ago. I opened it, and it was 199.99 dollars.

"That number means our love lasts and lasts, that we stay together forever! I thought I'd put real thought into it. I never imagined you'd look down on a little money like that."

"You're right. I do look down on it."

I couldn't be bothered to accept this loveless affection of his, so I just rounded it up and sent 250 dollars back to him.

"Here's 250 back. Keep it, spend it slowly. From now on we have nothing to do with each other. Let's just break up right here at the police station!"

Clark wouldn't accept it, still convinced I was throwing out harsh words in a fit of temper.

"Break up, then! Four years together, and you think I'm the one who loses out? I've really spoiled you into these ugly little habits."

He gave a cold snort, thinking he looked so imposing, so in control, like our relationship meant nothing to him at all.

My heart had gone cold too, and one question kept surfacing in my mind.

How on earth did I lose my mind and fall in love with him back then?

After I signed the statement, I got my camera back, along with a wear-and-tear fee that Nora had to pay, and I was free to go.

Clark kept calling after me, and Nora kept crying, but from start to finish she never once questioned Clark about anything.

Clearly she'd known Clark had a girlfriend. Even the officer couldn't resist asking her about it.

"You knew perfectly well he had a girlfriend, and you still accepted his attention? If you're not the one paying, who is?"

"So what?"

Nora said it without a shred of shame.

"So he has a girlfriend, what of it? They're not married! And even if they were married, people get divorced! Love's just like that, isn't it? You, me, everyone competes for it. Totally normal."

"Right."

The officer was fed up with her twisted logic too.

"If you think it's so normal, go right ahead! Next time you'll have a lot more than this little bit to pay out."