Page 12 of The Vow Thief
As they walked her out of the building, neighbors peeked through door cracks. Lily held her chin high, pretending it was just another photo op.
At the precinct, they booked her; fingerprints, mugshot, the works. The holding cell smelled of body odor and bleach. She sat on the hard bench, eyeing the other women with practiced disinterest, and demanded her one phone call.
When she eventually got her phone call, she dialed Matt.
It went to voicemail.
“Matt, it’s me. I’m at the damn police station. Your stupid wife has had me arrested. Get down here and get me out. Now.” She hung up without a goodbye, like that would bother him.
When he didn’t show, she called her attorney and left a cryptic message.
Hours later, just past midnight, a guard unlocked the cell door. Lily blinked against the sudden flood of light as a man in a cheap suit, not her lawyer, waited with her release paperwork.
“Sign here,” he said, his tone bored, like this was nothing more than another shift in the assembly line. He didn’t say who posted her bail, and Lily didn’t bother asking. She was already putting the pieces together.
Only two people even knew she was in here. Her lawyer, if she got the voicemail in time. And Matt.
Her lips curved into a triumphant smile. It had to be Matt.
Outside, the city air was damp and cool. She smoothed her hair, already thinking about her next move, and pulled out her phone.
Thank you, baby. I knew you wouldn’t leave me in here. She hit send before the rational part of her brain could catch up.
Sliding the phone back into her bag, Lily’s smile stretched wider. Sarah might think she had the upper hand, but Matt had just proven, once again, that he would always choose her when it mattered.
This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
The morning after her release, Lily was sprawled on her couch, hair wrapped in a silk scarf, sipping overpriced cold brew when the knock came. It was sharp and deliberate, not the frantic pounding of police this time, but the businesslike rap of someone with an elevator pitch.
She opened the door to find a uniformed officer holding a manila envelope.
“Lily Thompson?”
“Yes,” she said slowly, already bracing for whatever petty stunt Sarah was pulling now.
The officer handed her the envelope.“You’ve been served. This is a temporary restraining order filed by Sarah and Matthew Taylor. You’ll need to read the terms and comply. Failure to do so will result in arrest.”
Lily barked a short, incredulous laugh.“Matt Taylor would never serve me with a restraining order.”
The officer didn’t bother responding. He just turned and walked away.
She stood there in the doorway, the envelope dangling from her fingers. The word " temporary restraining order " glared up at her from the paperwork inside.
Her laugh came again, quieter now, but laced with venom.“This has Sarah’s fingerprints all over it,” she muttered.“Matt’s just too whipped to stop her.”
She tossed the papers onto the coffee table, sinking into the couch with a slow smile.
Chapter 6 - Beautiful Chaos
Mr. Holloway's POV
I don't like HR problems. Especially HR problems with a paper trail, screenshots, and timestamps.
I knew about this little affair, but I had no idea it would escalate to this. So when a judge, currently three strokes down on the back nine, leaned in and mentioned Lily Thompson’s arrest and the restraining order filed by my newest partner, I felt a curl of irritation.
I was also aware of her legal troubles with the Taylors. What I did not need was to hear about them from someone else.
This was not gossip. This was a liability. And HR kept their proverbial knives sharpened for exactly these moments.
