My Fire Captain Husband Locked Me In To Attend Her Birthday Chapter 01

My Fire Captain Husband Locked Me In To Attend Her Birthday Chapter 01

Dominic Vance, a fire captain, locked me inside our house so he could go celebrate his childhood sweetheart’s birthday.

That was the day the fire started.

Crouched in the corner with my hand over my mouth, I dialed 911 over and over, sobbing into the phone. 　　“Help! My house is on fire and I’m trapped inside…”

The dispatcher cut me off cold. “Ma’am, Captain Vance already gave us a heads-up. He said you’d call in a fake tonight. Don’t start.”

The line went dead.

I called 911 again, this time begging for an ambulance.

The operator hesitated after pulling up my address. “Ma’am, your number has been flagged for possible false calls. We’ll need to verify with a family member.”

The callback went straight to Dominic.

His voice cut through the noise of music and singing in the background. “She’s throwing a tantrum. Don’t send anyone.”

Smoke poured into the bedroom and I smashed the window with a chair. Then I jumped from the second story.

I survived. 　　That was when the doctor told me, I’d been pregnant. Six weeks. The baby was gone.

Dominic was cutting his childhood sweetheart’s birthday cake when I hit the ground.

***

I stayed low, phone pressed to my ear as I redialed 911 over and over.

Flames had already jumped from the stove to the cabinets. The range hood crackled and spat electric snaps while smoke rolled through the kitchen and pressed down on the living room like a fist.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“My house is on fire! The door’s locked from outside, I can’t get out! The address is…”

A pause. Then a man’s voice I recognized. 　　“Ma’am, Captain Vance told us you’d call tonight. He said you’d be acting out.”

I froze. “This isn’t a false alarm, there’s a real fire, the kitchen blew and the door won’t open—please, you have to send someone…”

“Ma’am.” He cut me off, bored. “911 is not a joke. We’re busy.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the screen. My fingers had gone numb.

Then something exploded in the kitchen. The living room curtains caught fire in an instant.

Heat slapped my face hard enough to make me stumble back two steps. I hit redial immediately.

“I’m not joking! Send someone, please… I’m going to die…”

“Ma’am, Captain Vance made it real clear you’d pull a stunt tonight.”

Click.

My phone buzzed before I could breathe. A text from Dominic.

[Willa, are you done?]

[I’m at Tessa’s birthday. You’re calling the fire department over this?]

[Keep acting out and I’m not coming home tonight.]

I stared at those words and my throat closed up.

The fire was real. I was about to die. But the fire department didn’t believe me.

No, Dominic made sure they wouldn’t.

I gritted my teeth and dialed 911 again, this time for medical.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Help! My house is on fire and I’m injured! I’m trapped! please hurry…”

The dispatcher took my information fast, then paused. Her tone shifted. “Ma’am, our system shows a recent possible false-alarm flag tied to your number. I’ll need to verify with a family member.”

“I’m not making this up! I’m locked inside!”

“One moment, please.”

The line stayed open. I heard her patch through to another number. Music blared in the background, a room full of people laughing, glasses clinking, someone starting the birthday song.

Then Dominic’s voice came through. “Her?”

The dispatcher asked, “Sir, can you confirm the patient’s situation? She’s reporting a residential fire and says she’s trapped…”

“She’s throwing a fit.” Dominic’s voice was flat. “Don’t send a unit.”

“Understood, sir.”

I clutched the phone and heard my own breathing turn ragged.

Smoke poured in thicker and I doubled over coughing, tears streaming. The living room was impassable now. I’d tried ramming the door, didn’t budge. The kitchen was fully involved.

I wasn’t getting out unless I made my own exit.

I ran into the guest bedroom, grabbed a chair, and swung it at the window.

Glass shattered. Below was a narrow street, second story. Jump and I might break something. Stay and I’d burn.

I gripped the window frame and screamed down at the street. “Help! Fire! help!”

Heads turned. Someone shouted back. Someone else was already on their phone.

Fire licked into the bedroom behind me. The curtains blackened at the edges. Smoke started curling off the bedsheets.

Out of time.

I hauled myself onto the sill, closed my eyes, and jumped.

My back hit the ground and my whole body split open. Pain detonated through my leg and deep in my abdomen. The world went black around the edges.

Voices swirled above me.

“Someone call an ambulance!”

“There’s actually a fire up there…”

“She’s bleeding! She’s bleeding bad!”

I couldn’t move. Warmth spread down my legs.

The last thing I saw before I passed out was my phone screen, still frozen on my text thread with Dominic.