My Sister Stole My Husband, My Son, and My Medal Chapter 03

My Sister Stole My Husband, My Son, and My Medal Chapter 03

I looked away from Stellan, fighting back tears.

My eyes caught on the scar across his forehead. He’d gotten it praying for me and Bram.

Now I was terrified of what he’d say next.

Stellan sighed, his expression softening into the tenderness I remembered.

“Romy, I’m your sister’s husband now. No matter how much you fight this, I still have responsibilities. To Cress as her husband. To our children as their father.”

I let out a bitter laugh, my voice cracking with anger.

“But you’re my husband. What about your responsibility to me?”

My knees weakened. I caught his arm just to stay on my feet.

“You promised you’d protect me for the rest of your life. Stellan, why did you do this?”

“Romilly Calder, stop acting like a lunatic.”

Mom shoved me away, her eyes red with anger. The last of my strength deserted me, and I collapsed to the floor.

“Stellan is your brother-in-law now. No amount of screaming or carrying on will change that.”

Before I could answer, my phone played the ringtone reserved for the department.

I answered immediately.

Chief Dane’s voice came over the line.

“Romilly, the State Bureau of Investigation just completed its review. You’ve been cleared to return to the Major Crimes Unit.”

“Your sister didn’t die. She staged her death for a covert assignment.”

“The evidence she submitted helped dismantle a transnational organ-trafficking ring. She’s being awarded the State Medal of Valor…”

After that, I barely heard him.

The transnational organ-trafficking ring?

Wasn’t that the case I had been investigating in secret?

I left everyone behind and raced home.

The safe was empty.

Every piece of evidence I had nearly died collecting over the past three years was gone.

I sank to the floor and hit the hardwood once, then again. I barely felt it.

Someone suddenly wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Romy, don’t hurt yourself.”

I spun around and froze.

It was Stellan.

His birthday. The safe combination was his birthday. He was the only other person who knew it.

Tears blurred my vision as I grabbed his collar.

“You stole it for her, didn’t you?”

“Do you have any idea how many times I almost died collecting that evidence? It was my only chance of getting back into Major Crimes.”

The Vespera organ-trafficking case had been my final assignment before I was removed from the unit.

While trying to photograph a transaction, I was thrown from the third floor of an illegal backroom clinic used by the trafficking ring. The fall fractured my lower spine and shattered my left shoulder blade.

To infiltrate the organization, I posed as a buyer and entered one of its underground auctions.

They found the recorder I was carrying and locked me in a flooded holding cell for three days and nights. I barely escaped with my life, but I brought the evidence out with me.

How could Stellan give Cress what I had paid for in blood?

I hammered my fists against his chest.

He flinched with every blow but never moved away.

“You left her no choice, Romy. Everything always had to be about you. She just wanted something of her own for once.”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

Then I saw Mom in the bedroom doorway, holding another file from my investigation.

“Romy, I know the past few years haven’t been easy for you, but they’ve been even harder on your sister.”

“Cress has always been ambitious. Why can’t you help her for once? You’re sisters. What difference does it make which one of you gets the credit? Stop being so selfish.”

I laughed.

My entire body shook as tears streamed down my face.

My sister? She had taken my husband, my son, my career, and now my case.

I lunged for the file and tore it to pieces.

“If you give her the rest of my evidence, I’ll take her down with me right in front of you.”

Mom stared at me, stunned. Then her expression hardened.

“You’ve always been so selfish, Romilly. Always thinking about yourself. I never thought I’d say this, but you leave me no choice.”

Stellan looked at me for a long moment, then helped Mom out of the room.

I closed my eyes and curled up in the corner, too drained to move as the light outside slowly faded.

Stellan used to make me chicken noodle soup no matter how late I came home. Before leaving today, he had made me another bowl.

I forced myself up and dumped the cold soup into the trash.

Then I opened my computer, pulled up the complete evidence archive I had kept hidden, and posted a video telling the truth.

“Stolen evidence always has gaps.”

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