Page 33 of Crashing Without Justice

“Then who had access to your phone?” she asked.

“Any number of people,” I hedged. “I had a lot of people in and out of my home after Harding confessed to cheating on me.” I looked between the two officers. “Luckily for me, I have a loving family and lots of loyal friends, and they checked in on me a lot after Harding’s betrayal.”

“How would they have known who to call and text?” Officer Boone asked.

I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know.”

“And once you saw the calls and texts, you didn’t think to call your husband to explain or call those other people to apologize?” Officer Clinton asked.

“Apologize?” I hissed. “Apologize? Are you serious right now? My husband admits to cheating on me with some whore that he worked with, and you’re asking me why I didn’t reach out to him toapologize?Where’smyapology? His entire family and all of his friends knew that he was cheating on me, and none of them said a word.”

“And you know this for a fact?” Officer Clinton asked. “That his affair was known by everyone?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “How could they not? He was flaunting her around wherever he went, and everyone kept his secret because they’re just as bad as he is.” I looked between the officers again. “All of his friends cheat on their wives, and they’re able to get away with it because they all cover for each other. That’s why they never get caught.”

The officers exchanged a look again before Officer Boone said, “Mrs. Rice, we are here to discuss your husband’s concerns regarding the harassing calls and texts.”

“There are no harassing calls or texts!” I yelled before getting a hold of myself. “Look, my family is also law enforcement, so…surely this isn’t how you treat one of your own.”

“Mrs. Rice, your husband mentioned that your father works in security and that you might use that to dismiss the seriousness of our visit,” Officer Boone replied, his voice condescending and rude. “While we understand that this is a situation wrought with lots of emotions, that does not give you the right to harass innocent people.”

“I’ve already told you, I haven’t harassed anyone,” I bit out. “So, unless you have actual proof of these supposed transgressions, then I’d like you to kindly leave.”

They exchanged a look yet again, and that was beginning to really piss me off. I was not crazy or a liar when I didn’t need to be, so I didn’t appreciate their judgmental looks. What did they know about what Harding was putting me through? What did they know about betrayal and heartbreak?

“Mrs. Rice-”

“Or are you two also cheating on your spouses?” I sneered. “Is that why you’re choosing Harding’s side? Because you guys are carrying on your own affair?”

Officer Clinton remained silent as Officer Boone said, “Not that it’s any of your business, but we’re both single, Mrs. Rice. Also, throwing unfounded accusations at us is not going to help your cause.”

“My cause?” I screeched.“My cause?I haven’t done anything wrong, so I don’thavea cause.”

“Mrs. Rice, do yourself a favor and quit harassing Mr. Rice, his family, his friends, and his co-workers,” Officer Boone replied evenly. “If we have to visit you again, it will not end well for you.”

I could feel my eyes widen at how one of my own was turning on me. “Are youthreateningme?”

“No,” he answered. “I’m simply advising you on how better to deal with your personal matters.”

“Get off my property,” I seethed, enraged at how Harding had managed to get the police department on his side after everything that I’ve done for this community.

“Have a good day, Mrs. Rice,” Officer Boone said before both he and Officer Clinton turned to head back to their car.

I slammed the door shut behind them, fuming at how they had dared to treat me. They had acted like Harding was the victim in all this, and that was just unacceptable. It was obvious that I was going to have to report themto their supervisor and suggest that they go back for some extra sensitivity training.

Also, how wasIthe one harassing people? Because I was just trying to warn people about Harding’s true character? Just because I was trying to warn people to be cautious around that husband-stealing whore? Honestly, you’d think that they’d thank me for wanting to warn them. If not for me, they’d still be clueless to the horrible things that Harding had done to me.

I also didn’t understand how no one was appreciating how I was still willing to save Harding. I was willing to forgive what he’d done and help bring him back home to steer him back under God’s rule, but no one was giving me any credit for that. No one was praising me for being so forgiving and still loving my husband, despite what he’d done. Instead, I was getting lectures and the police called on me, and if Harding thought that he was going to get away with this, he was wrong.

Furious, I made my way to the bedroom, then opened up my laptop. I was not going to allow the police department to bully me after years of loyalty. I’d lost track of how many donations I’d given to every community event that had involved the police and fire departments. Not only had I donated my hard-earned money, but I had also donated my time to their annual community barbecue, Christmas fundraisers, any funding measures that they had proposed to make our community safer…all of it. I’d been there for all of it, and this was how they were going to treat me? Hell, I had even crusaded for a new retirement plan for them when I’d found out just how awful they were treated when they were finally done with serving and protecting those of us that needed it.

I pulled up the Wakefield Police Department’s website, then immediately clicked the members of our police force. As I looked for someone higher in the ranks, I had to remind myself that not all police officers were bad or misguided as Officer Boone and Clinton. I could only hope that their supervisor was wise enough to see how I was the victim in all this, not Harding or his whore.

As I continued to look for someone in a supervisory position, I wondered how a beautiful Saturday could have started out so horribly. Hadn’t Harding done enough? Now he wanted to ruin my peace on the weekends?

Seriously, what a bastard.

Chapter 23

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