Chapter 11 - The Midnight Pounding
|
We checked into a quiet, high-end boutique hotel on the opposite side of the city. I ordered a mountain of french fries, two massive slices of chocolate cake, and let Ellie pick whatever pay-per-view movie she wanted. We sat on the king-sized bed in our pajamas, eating in a comfortable, safe silence.
At 1:14 AM, my phone began to vibrate violently on the nightstand.
I looked at the screen. It was our home security system alerting me to motion on the front porch. I opened the app, pulling up the live feed from the doorbell camera.
Daniel was standing on our porch, completely drenched in the freezing rain. His tuxedo was ruined, his bow tie hanging loosely around his neck. He was violently kicking the heavy wooden front door, screaming my name into the night.
“Sarah! Open the goddamn door!” he yelled, his face distorted with rage and panic. He looked down at the black trash bags sitting in puddles of water, realizing exactly what they were. He kicked one of the bags, sending his expensive dress shoes spilling onto the lawn.
“Let me in! You have no right to lock me out of my own house!” he screamed at the camera, realizing I was probably watching.
I didn't feel a single ounce of pity for him. I felt a cold, clinical detachment.
I pressed the two-way audio button on the app.
“The police are on their way, Daniel,” my voice echoed out of the small speaker on the porch, calm and devoid of any emotion. “If you aren't off my property in three minutes, you will be spending the night in a county jail cell.”
“Sarah, please!” his tone shifted instantly from rage to pathetic begging. “It was a mistake! She means nothing to me! Let me inside so we can talk about this like adults!”
“You have two minutes left,” I replied, and disconnected the audio.
May you like
I watched the screen as the flashing red and blue lights of a police cruiser pulled into the driveway. Two officers stepped out, approaching the porch. Daniel threw his hands in the air, frantically trying to explain himself, but the officers weren't interested in his excuses. They escorted him off the property, forcing him to leave his trash bags in the rain.
I locked my phone and went to sleep.
