Death On The Pass

By Cristal M Clark

PROLOGUE

Amelia told Jack that she graduated from college

but a misspelling caused a delay in her diploma

arriving one, of the many lies that she told him about

herself and her life. Little did she know that her

personal life was about to become a case study in its

own right. Fresh out of “college” and filled with

optimism, she clung to the steady presence of her

boyfriend, Jack, like a lifeline.

How could Jack leave her like this, with nothing?

She lost her job, he had her kicked out of their home,

four years and for what, for him to end it as if all

meant nothing? Oh she would get him back for this,

he would pay and pay dearly for causing her to feel

this much pain and agony.

Taking a long drink of beer, she emptied the can

and tossed it on the ground next to her, opening

another and taking a long drink, Amelia reflected on

her love for Jack. She met him when she most needed

someone, she had just ended a sour short lived

relationship with a man and was eager to find love. A

love she never had nor felt, she only knew that she

needed it. She also needed a place to stay because she

couldn’t afford the place she was in on her own.

As she looked out at the forest her mind suddenly

switched gears and she reflected on her brother, Bryan

was the one thing that has long been missing from her

tortured and tormented life. Her one true love, his loss

all those years ago left her so deeply wounded that she

thought she would never recover. The empty and cold

beds of men stopped the pain and agony that she felt

when Bryan died. His suicide was forever imprinted in

her mind in a bitter and painful way that she was

unable to put into words.

The things her parents put them through was

unfathomable, unimaginable, when Bryan left this

world he left her, alone, in pain, alone to have to

endure more torment and torture. She both

understood his leaving but also deeply despised him

for that and she swore that he had to pay and she saw

that he did. The emotions swirled round her until she

could no longer take it.

Everyone always left her, no explanation, no

reason, they just left her. Her mom did, her brother,

her grandparents left the family, her cousins. Everyone

left her! It was unfair no one gave her a real chance

ever in her entire life.

When she met Jack, most of that pain deteriorated

to the point to where she could no longer felt it. Jack

filled an urge deep within her to have and maintain a

sense of control by any and all means necessary. For

the first time in her life, she had the control. Until she

didn’t.

She came up to the pass to their favourite spot, Jack

would for sure come find her here after seeing the text

that she had sent to him. He had to come find her and

save her like he did four long years ago. He would do

it, she kept telling herself.

He always worried about her when she sent cryptic

texts and this one was meant to cause him to worry

about her making him come running fearing the

worst, he would come save her and tell her everything

would be okay.

She knew that she had fucked up, she pushed it

too far this time, but she could safe the relationship,

she had to she could move forward in life without this

relationship. She needed Jack and she would make

him see that he needed her. Amelia really was

determined to make Jack stay in her life by any means

possible and nothing was going to stop her, that was

until it did.

CHAPTER 1

Tony and Paul were excited to head

up to the pass for some early spring

hiking. The two had just finished

college and needed the break of the

fresh mountain air.

They laughed and joked on the drive

up and spoke about the promise of a

fruitful life that lay before them

since they had graduated. Not many

people would be up at the pass this

time of year which would make it even

better.

They stopped in the little town

outside of Berhoud Pass for some lunch

and some weed, the locals were a riot,

joking around with the men and teasing

them that they should have also

brought snow shoes because much of the

pass still had snow on it.

While at lunch Paul told looked

over at Tony “I feel weird about

heading up to the pass suddenly, it’s

like something eerie is waiting for

us.”

Tony looked back at him and

laughing off Paul’s concern “Man you

just need a hit and some beer and good

hike, you’ll see everything will be

fine.”

“Yea I guess you’re right, that’s

what I get for studying criminal

justice I suppose.”

On the drive up tot he pass the

road was pretty empty and scenic. It

was still early in the spring so the

wind carried a chill with it, the men

dressed warm just to make sure they

did not catch a chill. They parked in

the lot near the warming hut and

started their trek into the woods.

Chatting and bantering along the way,

they found the old road and decided to

venture off of it and in through the

dense woods.

As they walked they saw some

shredded clothing, it looked as if

someone lost some items along a hike

or left some gear up on the pass.

People always just left shit

everywhere including trash.

Paul could not shake the feeling

that something bad was going to

happen, he kept it to himself but kept

a careful watch on their surroundings

just in case. Maybe it was just

paranoia from the weed, he hadn’t

smoked in a while and had heard about

people becoming paranoid when they

smoked weed.

The two decided to sit for a few

minutes and enjoy a beer and another

bowl. They found themselves laughing

hysterically as Paul told Tony about a

few weeks ago when he went drinking

around Cap Hill, those cougars hung

out in the bars looking for anything

young. The way Paul had described it,

he was highly desired, which left both

men laughing.

As they got up to continue on the

hike, in the bushes a little way up

the mountain Tony saw what looked like

a torn up shoe as they walked towards

it, they noticed it was full of frozen

blood. Shaken both men thought it had

to have been an accident that might

have happened over the winter when the

back country skiers and boarders came

up.

They continued on when they found

themselves at what looked like an old

dump site, full of old food cans.

That’s when they found her, they saw

what appeared to be an arm and a leg

protruding from the cans. Tony

ventured to get a good look but

quickly backed away due to what

appeared to be frozen blood, all he

saw was reddish/brown hair.

Neither man had ever run so fast in

their lives, trying to make their way

back down to where they had reception

back at the warming lodge. On the

phone with the operator it took them

at least five full minutes to be calm

enough to tell them what they had

seen.

Shaken they called the police who

converged in full force through the

area. The men were escorted back to

the town below the pass where they

were questioned and released.

During the drive home, both men

fell silent, unable to put into words

what it was that they saw, it would

leave them both with nightmares for

the rest of their lives.

————

CHAPTER 2

Detective David Albright squinted

against the biting wind as he stood

near the scene where the lifeless body

of the unidentified woman lay.

Berthoud Pass, typically serene,

now held the chilling echoes of an

unsolved death. Partnered with the

seasoned investigator John Jacobs,

Albright couldn't shake the unease

settling over the isolated landscape.

Two early spring hikers found the

body, both were pretty shaken. The

female lay in the old mining dump

site. Most of the cans dated from the

mid 1800’s when Colorado saw its Gold

Rush. Her body looked to have been

badly mauled, she had been exposed to

the elements for a little while but

not more than a month or two at most.

The preliminary reports had labeled

the death as a bear mauling, Grizzly

to be exact, but something about it

felt off. Grizzly bears hadn't roamed

Colorado in decades, and the

description of the attack didn't

neatly fit the profile of a black bear

either.

Dave and John, with their decades

of combined experience, exchanged

glances. The chilling wind carried a

sense of foreboding as they approached

the body. The woman lay amidst the

still snow-covered terrain, her

identity cloaked in mystery.

"What do you make of it, Dave?"

John, the old detective, asked with a

furrowed brow. He viewed and treated

Dave as a son. The two formed an

instant and unbreakable bond from the

day Dave stepped onto the force out of

the academy.

Dave crouched down, examining the

wounds. "It's not typical for either

grizzlies or black bears. Look at

these marks – it's like a hybrid,

something in between. We need to find

out what we're dealing with here.”

Nodding in agreement "I agree, it

could have been two bears, if its a

grizzly we need to get everyone

involved because anyone with a rifle

will be up here hunting it down." John

remarked.

The two men waited as the body was

loaded up and headed towards the

morgue. During the drive John seemed

quiet, lost in thought. "What's up

John, your not as talkative as you

normally are?" Dave asked.

Shaking his head "Just realising

this will be my last case before I

retire." John responded almost as if

he didn't really want to retire but it

was time and he of all people deserved

it. He had a long career with Larimer

County for decades and enjoyed a

stellar career with the department of

Public Safety.

Dave knew it would be a big step

away from policing to retirement but

John could use a little down time to

get on with his beloved hobbies of

hiking, fishing and model trains.

Detective David Albright and his

partner, John Jacobs, entered the

sterile and dimly lit morgue, the

scent of antiseptic hanging heavily in

the air. The body of the young woman

lay on the examination table, her

remains in an advanced state of

decomposition. The morgue attendant,

Dr. Emily Foster, greeted them with a

somber nod.

"Detectives, this is quite the

puzzling case," Dr. Foster began, her

gloved hands adjusting the surgical

mask. "As you can see, the victim's

body has been badly decomposed, making

it challenging to determine the exact

cause of death but it does seem to be

a bear attack."

Dave observed the remains, his

detective instincts kicking in. "Tell

us what you've been able to gather so

far, Doctor."

"The initial reports indicated a

possible bear attack," Dr. Foster

replied, gesturing towards the

gruesome injuries on the woman's body.

"However, there's something odd about

these wounds. They exhibit

characteristics of both brown bear and

grizzly bear attacks, which is

perplexing considering the fact that

grizzly bears haven't been in Colorado

for decades."

John leaned in, his brow furrowing.

"Are you suggesting that this might be

a mix of bear species or two different

bears?”

Dr. Foster nodded. "That's what it

appears to be, although it defies what

we know about the bear population in

this region. The injuries are

consistent with both the powerful

blows of a brown bear and the more

aggressive mauling of a grizzly."

Dave exchanged a glance with John,

both detectives clearly intrigued by

the perplexing nature of the case.

"Could there be a possibility of

misidentification?" Dave asked, his

voice measured.

Dr. Foster shook her head.

"Unlikely. The differences between

brown and grizzly bears are distinct,

particularly in the size and shape of

their claws. These injuries can't be

easily explained by a simple mix-up."

John rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"So, if we're ruling out a mistaken

identification, what other

explanations could there be?"

"An escaped or illegally imported

grizzly?" Dave mused aloud. "Though

that's highly improbable, given the

lack of sightings or evidence."

Dr. Foster joined in the

speculation. "Perhaps there's an

unknown subspecies or hybrid that

we're unaware of?"

John sighed, frustration evident in

his voice. "This case just keeps

getting stranger."

Dave straightened up, his resolve

renewed. "Alright, Dr. Foster, we

appreciate your insights. We'll delve

further into the victim's background

and try to piece together any leads.”

"We need to find out more about

this victim. Who she was, where she

came from, and why she might have been

up at Berthoud Pass." Dave commented

looking over at John.

John nodded in agreement. "And if

it's not the bears, we need to uncover

what else could have caused such a

brutal attack."

Dave's jaw tightened, his

determination clear. "We'll get to the

bottom of this, John. No matter how

bizarre the truth may be."

With a shared nod, the detectives

set out to unravel the mystery that

lay before them, driven by the need to

uncover the unsettling secrets that

the case held.

John ventured off to learn about

the bears in the area. To his

frustration bears were more common in

the town below the pass than they were

on the pass. As for grizzly bears no

way, no how.

————-

CHAPTER 3

Dave and John had been investigated

some pretty odd cases in the area

through the years but this one took

the cake, they decided to venture down

the road of all possibilities no

matter how strange.

Dave couldn’t help but reflect that

the men had a mutual respect for one

another, Dave always looked up to

John, he was after all older than

Dave. John had decades of experience

having moved up to the mountains after

spending his early years working for

Denver PD.

John was always the wise one, in

both looks and his personality, always

carefully choosing his words and

taking things in. In terms of looks,

well women swooned over John. He

looked like C. Thomas Howell, the

older more sophisticated, gentlemen

looking C. Thomas Howell and women ate

it up. When the men had to work with

women investigating criminal

activities the ladies always opened

right up to John. John had to get a

second cell phone because some of the

ladies would text him non-stop on his

work cell hoping for attention or a

date.

Dave found it funny, he himself

just looked like what he thought was a

regular jug head, buzz cut, not super

fit anymore but good enough. The

ladies did not swoon over him. But he

adored John, the man taught him

everything he knew about policing and

he had a great deal of respect for

him.

John always remained single,

married to his work Dave always teased

him. For John that was good enough, he

used to tell Dave that he had just

never met someone to spend the rest of

his life with, it was just he and his

dog. He dated off and on, Dave half

wondering if one of the ladies that

John had dated years ago wasn’t the

one?

John had fallen in love with a

woman a few years back, they had been

together for three years but she

suddenly up and left John, from what

Dave could tell she had used John for

a place to stay and get on her feet.

No sincerity on her part but John

never got serious with anyone since

her. It seemed like John truly loved

her and her leaving broke his heart

although he would never admit it.

Dave was married, happily of

course, John would sometimes have

dinner with Dave and his wife, both

loved John as if he were family. They

even spent holidays together whenever

they could and it was always nice

having John around.

As duo delved into the

investigation, interviewing locals,

studying wildlife patterns, and

consulting experts. The autopsy that

had revealed unusual bite patterns and

that only served to intensify the

enigma surrounding the case. The

woman's death seemed to be linked to a

creature that defied conventional

classification or it was something

else that the men could not put their

finger on.

As Dave and John followed the trail

of the unknown, the whispers of an old

legend surfaced – tales of a mythical

bear that once roamed these very

mountains, a creature between worlds,

neither fully black nor grizzly. The

locals spoke of it in hushed tones,

dismissing it as folklore until now.

The speculation and whispers led

the detectives deeper into the shadows

of Berthoud Pass. They encountered old

trappers and seasoned mountaineers who

reluctantly shared tales of a

mysterious bear, a guardian spirit or

a vengeful force, depending on who you

asked.

With each step, the detectives

unearthed fragments of a story that

transcended the boundaries of rational

explanation. The woman, still a Jane

Doe, became a symbol of the mysteries

hidden within the mountainous expanse.

As the men ventured further into

the heart of the enigma, they grappled

not only with the need to solve the

mystery of Jane Doe’s death but also

with the unraveling threads of a myth

that seemed to intertwine with the

harsh reality of Berthoud Pass. The

shadows grew darker, and the answers

remained elusive, leaving the

detectives to confront a mystery that

went beyond the boundaries of their

investigative expertise.

It also left them wondering if it

were wise to venture down this path,

eventually it could very well tarnish

their reputations to a point where

they would be laughed out of policing

of any kind. Trying to ask the town

below the pass if they had seen any

bears in the area promoted tales of

myth and fantasy.

Since the news broke about a

possible bear attack on the pass

countless hunters, trappers and

wildlife officials had scoured the

mountain terrain looking for the

mythical bear, each determined to

either trap it or kill it. It would

not look good for the seasoned

detectives to come forward and claim

it was the mythical bear.

Something was off about the whole

thing and both men felt that she had

been murdered, this was not an

accidental death, but could the

detectives ever find the proof needed

to show that? Something about the

whole thing was amiss, deeply. Why was

the woman even up here this early in

the spring? They had found a plethora

of beer cans and wine bottles near

where they think she had been drinking

for hours. It was odd, perhaps she

came up for some early spring camping

with someone or to meet someone?

It was to early in the spring

season for real hiking season, snow

still covered much of the ground. To

find a woman solo, without hiking or

camping gear, without a phone, tennis

shoes on, not even hiking boots, it

looked like her pack only contained

alcohol, it was very suspect. Did

something trouble this young woman so

much that she came up here to find or

seek the comfort of being in nature?

As for bears, it was unusual for them

to be up this high for long,

especially this early into the spring.

Berthoud tempted the gates of the

heavens depending on where you were on

the pass. In fact, the only

frightening animal that you are likely

to see much of are mountain lions up

on the pass. Bears, well they

typically only pass through for two

reasons, water and if they smelled

food cooking.

One thing that both detectives knew

for sure was that it wasn’t a mythical

beast or spirit bear. They just had to

find a plausible explanation for the

mysterious death.

————-

CHAPTER 4

The quaint town nestled near

Berthoud Pass was shrouded in an eerie

silence as news of the unusual death

spread like wildfire. Tom, a local

resident, couldn't escape the ominous

air that hung over the peaceful

community.

It carried the whispers and hushed

conversations in the dimly lit corners

of the town's only diner of the

mythical bear. Tales of old about

people meeting untimely ends on the

notorious Berthoud Pass which sent the

town into a frenzy of uncomfortable

excitement.

Ed, Tom’s longtime friend,

approached him one somber evening.

“Tom, you won't believe what's

happening up at Berthoud Pass. There's

been a young woman found, no ID, but

it looks like she was mauled by a

bear, not just one bear but a blend of

both black bear and grizzly.”

Tom's curiosity mingled with

trepidation. “oh really, what type of

bear again?” Tom looking over at Ed

waiting for further explanation.

Ed recounted the bizarre details,

the young woman was found by hikers,

mauled to death only it looked like a

grizzly and black bear combined. It

was an air of malevolence that hangs

over the pass like a dark cloud.

Tom's eyes widened as he absorbed

the gravity of the situation. "Is it

some kind of curse, or is there a

rational explanation you think or

could it be the spirit bear looking

over the pass?"

Ed shook his head, a mixture of

disbelief and fear etched on his face.

"No one knows, Tom. It's as if the

pass itself has become a gateway to

the unknown. Some claim it's

paranormal, while others believe

there's a darker force at play."

Both men believed in the spirit

bear on the pass, they hated the

tourists who came every season. People

left trash all over and disturbed the

natural environment as they

trespassed. They felt that the spirit

bear attacked the woman in an act of

aggression that was meant to serve as

a warning to all of the tourists. That

message was to stay away from the

pass.

As the investigation continued, the

town's once dulled spirit brightened

by all of the media attention,

springing to life. While old timers

Tom and Ed found themselves drawn into

the ominous enigma surrounding

Berthoud Pass. They spoke of her

strange history and of the history of

the mythical bear that always

protected the pass.

Really the small town was excited

about the mystery surrounding the

woman’s death and the fact that it all

but guaranteed tourism for a short

time. Most of the deaths each year

were avalanche related and this one

was something more.

Visitors were coming from all over

the country, news teams, hunters who

relished hunting for big game,

writers, producers, hikers, the

attention this case was getting was

coming from everywhere. In part due to

the fact that the town outside of

Berthoud Pass, told one local media

interviewer about the Berthoud Spirit

Bear. They ran that story live and it

drew hundreds to the area.

Indian Tribesmen came to the

mountain town in an effort to help

“calm” the spirit bear, which the news

was not allowed to film, but they did

do one hell of a story about it.

Berthoud had always carried a bit

of mystery about it and this death

would only serve to feed more into the

mystery that encompassed the area.

As tales go, Berthoud Pass was once

one of the most significant ski areas

in all of Colorado due it’s natural

terrain, yet it has always been

shrouded in a great deal of mystery.

In the early days back in the 30’s

as Berthoud Pass tried to open up as a

ski resort, it was met with more than

a few mysterious deaths and misery for

those who sought to open it up as a

resort town.

It seemed as if it were cursed

somehow. It is also heavily prone to

avalanches in the winter months, not

to mention’s that the drive up to the

pass can be a treacherous one as well.

Because it never became a resort

town skiers and snowboarders would

flock the area during winter and use

it as a back country ski area. Which

usually proved deadly at least once a

session.

It was always just a serene place

of beauty that rested in the heart of

the rockies. Most who visited the pass

fell in love with its peaceful

tranquility. Its views were

breathtaking and it seemed to always

hold untold secrets and weathered

stories of the times before.

Now owned by the forest service

these days, the area is pretty much

left on its own, out of the control of

ski patrol or the parks service, it is

simply too large and too much for

anyone to patrol not to mention that

at least one life is claimed up on the

pass each year.

This lost life was the most unusual

yet and to the town below the pass it

held the promise to put the pass and

them on the map for good.

_________

CHAPTER 5

As Detective David Albright

continued to probe the mysteries

surrounding Berthoud Pass, the enigma

of the Jane Doe's death cast a

lingering shadow. Those whispered

tales of the Berthoud Spirit Bear

resonated in the air, leaving Dave to

ponder the unsettling question: Why

would this mythical creature, revered

as a guardian, be implicated in a

tragedy? Wasn’t its job to protect and

preserve? What's more is why would he

dare venture down this path?

The truth was that this was a fun

and interesting direction for the case

to be moving in. It fell outside the

norm of the types of cases he looked

at, it was a mysterious and

interesting take on what would be an

otherwise completely practical cause

of death.

Dave revisited the scene of the

bear mauling, now accompanied by a

wildlife expert named Dr. Jennifer

Harper. Together, they meticulously

examined the surroundings,

scrutinising every detail with a

shared determination to unravel the

truth.

Dr. Harper, a scholar in animal

behaviour, offered insights into the

mythical bear's potential motives.

"It's unusual for a creature like this

to harm a human, especially if the

stories are to be believed. These

guardian spirits are often depicted as

protectors, not aggressors," she

mused.

As the two pieced together the

puzzle, they discovered subtle signs –

tracks that hinted at an agitated

creature, disturbances in the snow

suggesting a struggle. The mythical

bear, it seemed, had attacked the Jane

Doe in a fit of unprovoked aggression.

Dave delved into the background of

the unidentified woman, trying to

decipher any connection she might have

had to the land or the local lore.

Interviews with the few people in town

provided no glimpses of a woman

seeking solace in the mountains, drawn

to the mystique of Berthoud Pass. Not

a single person knew her, where she

was from or even that she had been up

on the pass.

No one even knew how she got up

here. A car had been towed from the

area around the time she would have

been killed but the towing company got

into an accident rolling down an

embankment with the vehicle they had

towed from the pass, it ended in a

fiery crash that not only destroyed

the tow truck and vehicle it had been

towing beyond recognition but also

it’s driver.

Dave and John together sought out

yet another wildlife expert who

offered to help them with identifying

the creature that attacked this poor

woman. Together they uncovered a

startling possibility. The Jane Doe,

unwittingly or otherwise, might have

trespassed into the territory of not

one but two different bear species

during a vulnerable moment – a time

when the bears felt compelled to

defend themselves possibly from each

other and she just happened along at

the wrong place and time.

The woman, lost and wandering in

the vastness of the wilderness, might

have encountered the both bears during

a moment of perceived threat. The

tragic intersection of human curiosity

and the each bears protective

instincts resulted in a fatal

encounter.

The locals on the other hand stuck

to the Berthoud Spirit Bear story. The

Berthoud Spirit Bear, in the eyes of

local lore, was both benevolent and

unpredictable. Its actions, shaped by

an intricate balance between nature

and the mystical, held consequences

that transcended the boundaries of

human understanding.

————-

CHAPTER 6

Both detectives, haunted by the

echoes of tragedy, now faced the

delicate task of conveying the

revelation that this was not the

Berthoud Spirit Bear to the community,

it was an accidental bear mauling, the

woman accidentally spooked the animal

or animals and they attacked.

To the townspeople the mythical

bear, once a symbol of protection, had

become entangled in the complex

tapestry of human and supernatural

interactions, leaving behind a Jane

Doe whose story unfolded at the

crossroads of curiosity, legend, and a

guardian's instinct to protect its

domain.

As the two detectives decided to

announce the accidental bear attack

story, John was already closing his

time on his storied and fulfilling

career in law enforcement. His

retirement loomed like a spectre on

the horizon, and the echoes of

countless cases whispered through the

corridors of their shared history.

Because Dave loved John as if he

were his real father, he did not want

John to end his career on a mythical

beast story, which would cause him to

go out on a low note. No-one would

respect John and his decorated career

would be debunked as a myth of its

own.

Dave paced the room, his mind

grappling with the unsettling fact

that as they closed this case, John

would be closing his career. The

evidence pointed to a mythical bear, a

creature of legend, as the

perpetrator. Yet, in the harsh light

of reality, who the fuck would believe

them, literally speaking, besides that

was just a story the old timers up on

the pass told to frighten young

children. It bore no semblance of

truth whatsoever.

Yes the movie execs who had come to

the pass eagerly listening to the

tales of the spirit bear, hoping to

get enough good stuff to make a movie

or something but not even they

believed it was actually true.

The decision to close the

investigation tugged at Dave's sense

of justice on the other hand because

he did not believe it was an

accidental death, but the pragmatic

weight of the situation loomed large.

The Jane Doe's case, entangled in the

threads of myth and reality, presented

a narrative that transcended the

boundaries of conventional

understanding. The case felt like a

murder and Dave couldn't shake that

feeling.

He approached John, who sat at his

desk, surrounded by the remnants of a

career that spanned decades. "John,

we've hit a dead end. The evidence

points to something beyond our grasp,

and with your retirement approaching,

I don't know if anyone else will pick

up where we left off."

John, with a wearied but

understanding gaze, nodded. "Dave,

sometimes we're faced with mysteries

that defy our best efforts. We can't

save everyone, and not every story has

a neat resolution. It's the harsh

truth of this job."

Dave sighed, the weight of the

decision settling on his shoulders.

"Closing the case feels like

abandoning our Jane Doe, leaving her

story untold, we don’t even know who

she is. But, you're right John. Not

everyone will believe in the mythical

bear, and without concrete evidence,

the department won't back us up, we

have nothing and I don’t know,

something about the case is bothering

me, nagging at me.”

John nodding at Dave, folded his

hands neatly under his chin “True, we

can’t even identify her, no missing

person has been reported matching her

description or clothing. I can

understand it feeling undone, not

resolved and like we are leaving her

abandoned. We have done everything

that we can.”

“I just feel deep down, call it my

gut instinct John, that this is a

murder and not a freak bear attack.”

Dave said as he stood at John’s desk

looking at John with an exasperated

look. John could only nod in agreement

because deep down he felt the same

thing.

The problem was that they had

absolutely no proof, no evidence and

no leads. Until they had some form of

concrete evidence they would have no

choice but to list the cause as a

horrible bear mauling.

With a heavy heart, the two

detectives finalised the paperwork,

closing the file on the Berthoud Pass

death for now. The shadows of the

unsolved mystery lingered, casting a

somber hue over the room. The Jane

Doe's story, entwined with the elusive

guardian spirit, would remain a tale

whispered in the wind, a mystery left

to the unforgiving landscapes of

Berthoud Pass.

As John prepared to leave the

precinct for the last time, he could

not shake the feeling that some

secrets were meant to remain buried in

the recesses of the mountains, hidden

within the folds of myth and memory.

The decision to close the case, a

difficult choice driven by the

impending retirement and the

skepticism of the world, left John

grappling with the enduring shadows of

a story that defied resolution.

John had in truth been struggling

with the same feelings that Dave had,

this was a murder and neither man

could prove it. It didn’t feel right

to list the death as accidental but

they had no other choice it was a sad

situation. The only thing left to be

solved from the case was the young

woman's identity and that would it

would seem would take quite some time

since she had thus far not been

reported as missing.

John knew that this was for the

best, sure it was inevitable but it

had been fun learning about this

mythical bear haunting the pass even

though John didn’t believe it himself.

Still the case had a haunting and

ominous feeling about it, it was

unnatural and mysterious but the case

had to have some type of resolution

and closing it as a bear attack was

the only thing that they could do.

Heading to his retirement party

John reflected on his long career, it

had been full and happy for him,

despite some of the cases he had to

investigate and individuals who he

encountered from time to time.

He would miss filling his days with

investigating and spending time in the

department, talking to Dave. John

wondered if he would feel lonely once

he left, he had no wife, no children,

he dated from time to time but most of

the women he dated were damaged in

some way. He smiled thinking about

that, he must attract those types due

to his job, they see him as a

protector or something.

As John headed into his retirement

he was unsure of what the future would

hold, one thing that he was sure

about, he would try to enjoy his

downtime, maybe even take on some

consulting while he was retired, to

just fill the time. He worried about

how Dave might get along without him,

he had heard that the department would

not be hiring a replacement for him,

it was too small, too few cases and

they just had not found any good

candidates. No one wanted to be a

police officer anymore. The overall

sentiment was that people hated the

police these days. Didn't matter if

they were policing a sleepy little

mountain town or not, people did not

want the police around and no one

wanted to police.

————-

CHAPTER 7

Amelia and Jack's early days were

filled with the hues of newfound love,

an intoxicating blend of shared

laughter and stolen glances. When they

walked into a room together every

single person in that room knew that

they were together and that they had a

truly deep connection.

By all accounts, Amelia was drop

dead gorgeous, long reddish/brown

hair, with green eyes, she stood about

5 feet 6 inches tall, she was thin but

a healthy thin, her complexion was

perfect.

Likewise, Jack was considered quite

attractive as well, he had a chiseled

face, dark hair, dark brown eyes and

olive skin. He look like he could be

in the movies, he worked out and had a

great muscular but not overly done

toned body.

Together they made an amazing

looking couple. As they moved through

the delicate dance of romance, their

connection seemed unbreakable. Yet,

beneath the surface, subtle tremors

were waiting to disrupt the harmony.

In the beginning, Amelia's charm

was undeniable. Her laughter echoed

like a melody, and her eyes held a

captivating sparkle that drew Jack in.

However, as their relationship

deepened, Jack couldn't help but

notice the gradual emergence of

manipulative tendencies and anger

management issues.

They had met while in college, Jack

freshly out of a deeply troubled

relationship with his high school

sweetheart. She was a mean and evil

person, a woman who would lie and

cheat just to get what she wanted.

And, what she wanted was Jack, under

her thumb at all times.

While in high school Jack thought

her vindictive demeanour was just her

getting her teen years out. But,

things changed when they got into

college. She nagged him about

everything and was always angry about

anything and everything.

She had gotten pregnant and had

convinced Jack that it was his, even

though he had doubts, in the end Jack

had learned that it had been his best

male friend who had fathered the

child. The ex girlfriend and his

former best friend manipulated Jack

into believing that the child were his

so that they could gain money and

items for the unborn child.

It crushed Jack when the baby had

been born, one look at her and you

knew it was not his daughter but his

best friends instead. When the truth

did come out, the two acted as if Jack

had some how deserved the betrayal and

it sliced through both his heart and

soul in a bitter and painful way.

Jack’s other best friend, Sarah and

his mother urged him to stay single

for a good long while so that he could

better understand how to handle what

had happened. That plan flew out the

window the second he laid eyes on

Amelia. Only weeks later, he had met

her while out at a college football

party and from that moment on, he

loved her like no other.

No one could understand how it was

that Amelia was able to swoop in and

scoop Jack up into the palm of her

hands like she had, his mother and

Sarah suspected it was by using sex.

Amelia had an invisible power over

Jack and, in the blink of an eye he

was all hers. He was enamoured by her

and she seemed to feel the same way

about him.

Despite how his mother felt she

couldn’t help but notice how happy

Amelia had made Jack. Ignoring her own

intuition about Amelia she initially

accepted the new relationship with

open and approving arms. It was not

until later that she began to doubt

the relationship and urge her son to

end it.

The relationship between Jack and

Amelia had moved at the speed of

light, it was as if Amelia had all but

moved in the day after they had met.

Jack never stayed on campus, he had

a little apartment in the city. Jack

had been drawn to her kindness, the

way that she touched him, softly but

with purpose, he loved her voice and

the sex had been filled with more

passion than he had ever experienced

in his life.

It was intoxicating, exciting and

new. She was mysterious, passionate in

a deeply sexual manner and it felt to

Jack that they had always known one

another. They used to talk about it,

the first night they met they both

confirmed that they had been drawn to

the other because they felt like they

had known each other all of their

respective lives.

Within days Jack had made her a key

to his apartment and he spent every

waking moment aside from school and

work with her. To his friends it felt

rushed and unhealthy for him to have

been spending so much time with Amelia

so soon into their love affair. Jack

convinced his mother and Sarah that it

was not too soon and that he and

Amelia had something special,

something he always dreamed about.

It was two weeks at most when he

would get home from school or work and

she had cooked him dinner, cleaned the

apartment, did his laundry, she took

care of him. She would always ask if

he wanted her to go home but he never

did, the truth was that he liked the

loving attention she had been giving.

Yet deep down Amelia was

manipulative and tricky, which Jack

often confused as her being mysterious

which men found that to be sexy and

alluring. But as time went on, Amelia,

once seemingly easygoing, chill and

super romantic started expressing

dissatisfaction when things did not go

her way.

Jack found himself adjusting plans

to accommodate her preferences,

dismissing it as compromise. Little

did he realise that he was stepping

onto the slippery slope of

manipulation and living life with a

narcissist.

Amelia, had a cunning finesse so

subtle that Jack failed to notice her

influence and the many ways that she

gained control over his life. She

would use flattery to subtly steer his

decisions, making him feel a sense of

obligation.

Compliments turned into carefully

crafted tools, going out of her way to

do things for him giving him a sense

of someone caring about him and Jack

found himself unknowingly surrendering

his autonomy.

Amelia's manipulative artistry at

first extended to emotional

manipulation, something everyone on

the outside looking in could see. She

would strategically deploy tears or

withdraw affection and use sex to

elicit guilt or compliance from Jack.

The once open communication between

them recently started to be clouded by

unspoken tensions, leaving Jack

struggling with a sense of confusion

and inadequacy. Jack in fact, would

start to spend more time trying to

avoid her than he did trying to be

near her.

Jack had been blinded by love, and

he struggled to acknowledge the

mounting signs as he unwittingly

relinquished the power and control of

his life over to her open and waiting

hands. The more he tried to please

Amelia, the more elusive her

satisfaction became. Of course, Amelia

relished the control that she had been

gaining, revealing in the power

dynamics of their relationship. What

she failed at was seeing how unhealthy

it was, how her mental frame of mind

was taking her down a long and

dangerous path.

The delicate balance between love

and manipulation became increasingly

precarious. Little did Jack realise

that the web of control would continue

to tighten, ensnaring him in a reality

where love and manipulation were

inexplicably intertwined.

As Jack tried to get through each

day of his now four-year relationship

with Amelia, he had been confused and

bewildered more than anything. She

could go from highs to super dangerous

lows taking Jack on a full roller

coaster ride of emotions.

It was as if a switch would flip

and she could go from happy and

carefree to full of rage and anger

over the slightest thing.

Jack always got the blame in any

argument, even if it had been her

fault. She would always find a way to

turn it into something he had done

that had caused the argument or rather

her own pathetic behaviour.

————-

CHAPTER 8

As the days turned into years, deep

cracks began to emerge within their

relationship. Jack had been drawn to

Amelia's vibrant energy and sharp wit,

but somewhere along the line, that

enthusiasm had transformed into a

cycle of turbulent emotions, the kind

Jack ran from not knowing what else to

do.

It wasn't long before he found

himself caught in Amelia's need for

codependence, her need for constant

validation overshadowing everything

else. Her need to constantly control

everything was beginning to break Jack

down.

Amelia's manipulative tendencies

became evident to his friends and

family as she subtly undermined Jack's

confidence, she truly got off on the

power that she had gained from his

vulnerability. She skillfully

exploited his insecurities, using them

as tools to maintain dominance.

As time went on, Amelia’s control

began to extend beyond emotional

manipulation; she meticulously

orchestrated Jack's life, dictating

his schedule, friendships, and even

his career choices, he couldn't speak

with family and friends on the phone

unless she were in the same room

listening in. Jack, initially

enamoured, found himself trapped in

complete isolation as Amelia

strategically severed connections with

those she perceived as threats to her

dominance.

The narcissistic traits in Amelia

surfaced prominently and she demanded

constant validation and admiration,

she put herself on a pedestal while

kicking Jack’s legs from underneath

him.

Jack's achievements were

overshadowed, as she sought to

highlight her own accomplishments,

dismissing his highlights and efforts

with a condescending smirk or a

dismissive remark that left Jack

feeling like a complete failure and

totally lost.

Her insatiable thirst for attention

left Jack emotionally drained,

constantly grappling with the

imbalance in their relationship and

grasping for some semblance of

normalcy.

Arguments became a battleground

where Amelia wielded her words like

weapons, inflicting wounds that cut

deep into Jack's self-esteem. Her aim

was to hurt him as much as possible

while also subtly putting him down by

making comments that served only to

make him start to have self doubt.

Gaslighting became her go-to

tactic, leaving Jack questioning his

own reality and perceptions. The cycle

of manipulation and control

perpetuated, leaving Jack emotionally

tethered to a toxic relationship he

could not easily escape.

Despite the toxicity, Jack clung to

the hope that things could improve, he

loved her after all. The sexual

connection they had was something that

Jack could not put into words other

than it was perfection.

After any argument the make-up sex

was the most incredible sex he had

ever had. It was full of pure

unadulterated emotion. During the

moments when she was sweet and loving

he basked in her gentle embrace, her

outpouring of love and care and all

the while during those moments it felt

so real and authentic.

The intermittent moments of

kindness and affection from Amelia

served as fleeting reprieves, just

enough to keep him ensnared in the

dysfunctional dynamic. Friends and

family watched helplessly as Jack

became a mere shadow of his former

self, worn down by the emotional

rollercoaster Amelia subjected him to.

As the life that they shared

unfolded, the stage was set for Jack

to confront the reality of his

relationship. The question lingered:

would he muster the strength to break

free from the chains of manipulation,

or would he remain caught up in the

darkness that Amelia had brilliantly

brought upon him?

Would he yet again suggest couples

therapy or go it alone for the

strength he would need in order to

break free, or would he remain and

continue to act as if all was well?

After each argument Jack found that

Amelia never wanted to discuss what

had happened, she would deny, deflect

or completely ignore the elephant in

the room. She had an inability to own

up to her bad behaviour, she would

always inevitably blame Jack for how

she behaved.

On this night Jack, longing for a

night of camaraderie and a break from

the suffocating dynamics of his

relationship with Amelia, tentatively

mentioned his plans to go out with

friends for a few hours. Amelia's

reaction however was far from

understanding and completely out of

place. A wave of irrational jealousy

and control washed over her,

triggering a complete meltdown.

Accusations about Jack fucking his

best friend Sarah, or other women as

he reason for wanting to go out and

harsh words filled the air as Amelia,

driven by insecurity and a need for

dominance, unleashed her anger upon

Jack in such a rage that he found

himself taken aback.

Amelia threatened Jack, if he went

out that he would regret it. It didn’t

help that Amelia had been drinking

since around 11:00 that morning. She

was already drunk and when drunk, she

could unleash a world of pure hatred

towards Jack.

Jack, feeling the weight of the

emotional turmoil, reached a breaking

point. Frustration and anger welled up

within him, and with a heavy heart, he

stormed out, leaving behind a

distraught and angry Amelia, the

echoes of their heated exchange

lingering in the air.

Tonight, Jack sought solace among

friends, seeking respite from the

toxic tempest that had become his

relationship with Amelia. He needed a

break from her drinking and slurred

words, her drunken penchant for

attention.

He could not understand why he

couldn’t be away from her for just a

few hours. Most of his friends who

were in relationships did not spend

every second of every day together.

They were allowed to go out with

friends, have hobbies, outside

interests. But not Jack, Amelia would

never allow for that.

Amelia hated it when he worked and

she was home alone which was crazy for

fucks sake. It was as if she couldn’t

handle his being away even if it was

for work or just out with friends or

his mom. It was insane and unfair, she

could do whatever she pleased but not

Jack.

Amelia in a fit of rage grabbed

Jack’s favourite photo album the one

that had pictures of his childhood

with his father who passed last year,

threw it in the tub and lit it on fire

burning it in an act of revenge. “Fuck

him” She thought to herself.

Amelia picked up the phone and

called her lover Patricia knowing that

she was in town this weekend and

packed an overnight bag and went to

stay with Patricia. Bitter and angry

at Jack, she would find a way to get

him back for this perceived slight. He

would pay one way or another.

————-

CHAPTER 9

Once at Patricia’s Amelia broke

down and told Patricia that Jack had

hit her, she showed her a mark on her

arm, one that Amelia had caused

herself before leaving her apartment.

She also manipulated Patricia and had

been for years. Her lover that Jack

did not know about. They were both

best friends and lovers. Patricia was

a lesbian and the two began enjoying

each other early on when they were

young teens.

Amelia liked it, a lot but not

enough to become a lesbian, she liked

both men and women and she knew deep

down that Patricia had always been

pining for her to make the choice and

end up with just Patricia. Amelia

would never do it however.

Patricia honestly believed that

Jack abused Amelia. Amelia would show

her marks on her arms and legs all of

the time. She would send texts

describing Jack's verbal and emotional

abuse. She convinced Patricia that

Jack would force himself on her

sexually or make her feel guilty if

she didn’t want sex for years which

made Patricia feel deeply concerned

for poor Amelia.

“Please, Amelia come stay with me,

you can move in no questions asked.

Abusive relationships don’t get any

better. Please?” Looking at Amelia,

Patricia couldn’t help but notice the

smirk on Amelia’s face although Amelia

was trying hide behind her hair,

Patricia saw it and brushed it off,

maybe she had imagined it? Amelia

would not smirk over something as

serious as this.

She loved Amelia but, she also knew

what type of manipulative person that

Amelia could be. She’d been like that

since they were little kids after all,

which in turn made Patricia half

wonder if Jack’s abuse were not a

result of Amelia manipulating and

playing him.

Amelia had always struggled with

mental health issues, namely the need

to be in control and substance abuse

issues. Her inability to be alone was

driven by her past and although it was

horrific, Amelia never sought help so

as to learn how to cope with being

alone, even if it were just for a

little while. Her abandonment issues

were the dark cloud that seemingly

followed her everywhere.

She looked at Amelia with a

concerned look “what do you want to do

here Amelia? You can’t continue to

live with him, he abuses you

sweetheart. I’m worried about your

well being the longer you stay with

him.”

Shrugging “I will leave him when I

know that it will be safe to do so, I

cannot and will not put you into a

situation or position where you could

be hurt by him over my leaving him.”

Amelia said as Patricia pulled her

close holding her and stroking her

soft dark hair.

“God I love you so much I just wish

with all of my heart that you would

just end things with him and that we

could get on with our own lives”

Patricia softly said.

Amelia started kissing Patricia and

the two began losing their clothes on

the way to the bedroom where Patricia

made passionate and heated love to

Amelia before dozing off into a

peaceful slumber.

Amelia laid quietly thinking about

everything, thankful that she had

Patricia should things with Jack go

haywire but she had no intention of

ever ending up in a long term

dedicated relationship with Patricia,

she was only a play thing as far as

Amelia was concerned.

Amelia wondered how much more of

Patricia should could take though. She

was in love with Amelia and Amelia

felt nothing for Patricia.

She knew what part Patricia had

played all along and never really

forgot much less forgave her for it.

All those years ago what Patricia had

done and had been a part of? No,

Amelia would never truly forgive her

for any of it regardless of the fact

that Patricia and her family gave

Amelia her second shot at life.

The only reason she entertained

Patricia was because of the sex,

Patricia always gave her money or

bought her clothes and jewelry and she

needed Patricia in case things went

badly with Jack. Her relationship with

Jack had been strained the last year

and a half, the two had argued more

often than not and Amelia had been

feeling that she was losing her hold

on Jack.

She quietly got up and began

getting dressed, she went to the

kitchen to grab a drink of water when

she saw Patricia’s laptop opened and

on her work email. Amelia snapped a

picture of the work email, she never

knew quite where Patricia worked and

would hang onto the picture of the

email in case she ever needed it for

insurance purposes.

As she quickly left Patricia’s

apartment she could feel that she was

still angry at Jack and pretty drunk

so she slipped into the corner coffee

shop or a coffee so she could get her

wits about herself before going home

to face Jack.

She thought about just finding

someone new and leaving Jack, beating

him to the punch. She went out while

Jack was at work often enough, "it

should not be too difficult to find a

suitable replacement for Jack." She

thought to herself.

The problem was, she was for

whatever reason completely tied to

Jack, it was if through her need to

control and manipulate him, she was

also unable to move on without him.

Maybe it was just in her head and she

could find another man to take care of

her needs and give her what she wants.

Jack had been fighting her control

over him lately and either that

stopped or she would have to step out

on him like it or not. She would not

tolerate someone undermining her

authority and control over them. She

wondered what else she could do so as

to gain a stronger hold on Jack. She

had tried suicide threats in the past

and that always seemed to bring them

closer, maybe she should do it again

so it would make him feel horrible, as

if he was the one causing all of the

issues?

—————

CHAPTER 10

Once home Amelia noticed that Jack

was still asleep so she slipped into

the spare bedroom and laid down to

sleep some more without waking him.

She woke up around two in the

afternoon, heading to the kitchen she

found a note from Jack saying that he

had run to the store to grab them some

dinner.

She jumped into the shower and let

the water wash the exhaustion from her

mind and body. Once out she noticed

that Jack had slipped in and had left

her a fresh cup of coffee. “Good” she

thought to herself knowing that he was

ready to make up rather than argue

tonight.

They never discussed the arguments

that they had had, Amelia knew why, it

was because Jack had caused them and

felt too guilty to bring up what he

did so as to upset her. So, they never

spoke about the arguments, they never

tried to, they would just act as if

nothing happened. Although for a few

hours the next day or night they

shared an uncomfortable silence which

they would eventually fill with sex.

She laid down in their shared bed

and waited for what she knew was

coming. As dinner simmered Jack found

himself laying beside Amelia,

breathing her in, running his hands

through her hair and along her body.

She loved feeling his touching her,

the love Jack felt for her was clear

as he touched and softly stared her

while removing her clothes and

touching her everywhere.

He made his way between her legs

and began kissing her softly, Jack was

able to perform oral sex better than

any woman ever could. It sent

shockwaves through her body that

always left her shaking. They made

passionate love to each other for the

longest time leaving both exhausted

afterwards.

After they had dinner they cleaned

up together and went back to bed to

watch television and snuggle

underneath their blankets until they

both dozed off once again, without

talking about what happened the night

before.

Amelia's penchant for lies,

control, and gaslighting was not a

mere quirk but a manifestation of the

shadows that haunted her past. Growing

up in an environment where deceit and

manipulation were survival tools, she

learned to construct a façade to

shield herself from vulnerability. As

a child, she witnessed the chaos

caused by truth, and so she adopted a

cloak of deception early on.

Her need for control was an echo of

the instability that marked her

formative years. Unpredictability

became synonymous with danger, pushing

Amelia to orchestrate every aspect of

her life meticulously. To her, control

was a shield, protecting her from the

perceived threats that lurked in the

uncertainty of the world.

Gaslighting, too, had roots in a

childhood where reality was a fluid

concept. Amelia learned that rewriting

narratives and manipulating

perceptions offered a semblance of

stability. The lines between truth and

fiction blurred, creating a distorted

lens through which she viewed the

world.

Yet, as her life unfolded, it

became clear that Amelia's refusal to

acknowledge the toxicity of her

behaviour stemmed from a deep-seated

denial and an upbringing that was rife

with abuse and hatred.

Confronting the ghosts of her past

proved too formidable a task, and any

suggestion that her actions were

harmful elicited vehement

defensiveness. To Amelia, lies were

survival, control was strength, and

gaslighting was a means of self-

preservation.

Amelia's manipulative prowess

extended beyond the realm of words and

into the physical, where she wielded

sex and alcohol as potent tools of

control. Using sex her intimate

encounters became strategic manoeuvres,

orchestrated to elicit a desired

response.

With a calculated charm, she

navigated the intricacies of

seduction, using her physical allure

to captivate and manipulate those

around her. The intimacy she shared

was not born of genuine connection but

rather a means to an end—a tool to

secure allegiance and compliance.

Alcohol was another useful

instrument in Amelia's arsenal, a

social lubricant that she masterfully

manipulated. Whether in a crowded

social setting or a private tête-à-

tête, she expertly used alcohol to

lower inhibitions and cloud judgment.

The carefully measured doses of

intoxication created an environment

where boundaries blurred, making it

easier for Amelia to bend situations

to her will. As others succumbed to

the effects of the drink, she remained

in control, an architect of desire and

dependency.

In this intricate dance of

manipulation, Amelia's use of sex and

alcohol as instruments of control left

a trail of emotional wreckage. Those

who fell prey to her calculated

manoeuvres were left grappling with the

aftermath, caught between the allure

of pleasure and the realisation that

they had become unwitting pawns in

Amelia's intricate game of power.

Amelia's drinking problem morphed

her into a distorted version of

herself, a creature driven by alcohol-

induced demons. As the liquor coursed

through her veins, the veneer of charm

and control crumbled, revealing an

ugly, mean, and violent drunk.

The once alluring facade

disintegrated into a volatile mix of

aggression and bitterness. Her words,

once carefully chosen, became sharp

daggers that cut through the air,

leaving wounds in their wake.

The sweetness of her sober demeanour

gave way to a toxic bitterness, and

those unfortunate enough to be in her

orbit found themselves on the

receiving end of her unleashed wrath.

Amelia's descent into a violent

drunken state became a chilling

manifestation of the darkness that

lurked beneath the surface, a stark

contrast to the composed persona she

presented to the world.

She had set things on fire, damaged

Jack’s car with a hammer, destroyed

property of Jack’s, belittled him,

called him names, and did everything

in her power to make him feel as badly

as she did about herself.

She even emailed his mother and

friends telling them that he had

abused her, even raped her. None of

which ever happened of course but she

had become hellbent on trying to

destroy his life.

She once in a fit of drunken rage,

unbeknownst to Jack, emailed CU in

Boulder who had offered Jack a

fantastic teaching job, and got them

to rescind the job offer. Amelia had

been angered over a joke that Jack

made about good looking professors

getting hit on by college girls.

Amelia knew one thing she always

had to be in control, the centre of

attention and seen and viewed as

better than anyone else.

Despite the well-intentioned

interventions of those who cared for

her, Amelia clung to her distorted

reality. The shadows of her past,

which she failed to confront, cast a

long and haunting darkness over her

present.

Amelia would never confront the

origins of her destructive behaviours,

she would forever remain stuck in the

web of her own making. She liked

things the way they were, her

distorted reality kept her safe from

harm and she relished being control,

particularly where both Jack and

Patricia were concerned.

Why confront the demons of the past

when you can create the life you want

using manipulation and control? It had

always worked for her so why change it

now?

————-

CHAPTER 11

One warm evening, as they sat on

the balcony of their apartment,

sipping wine under a twilight sky,

Amelia's laughter echoed like a

distant memory. It was as if she

forgot the argument they had two

nights ago, Jack was still bothered by

the fact that she didn’t even mention

it much less apologise for what she

had done. She said nothing about it,

and in part that bothered Jack even

more, she had destroyed something that

meant the world to him and she didn't

even want to face it.

Tonight her words slurred as she

spun tales of her day, her stories

increasingly centered around trivial

complaints and exaggerated gripes. As

Amelia guzzled down glass after glass

of wine, she seemed to trade her

former ambitions for a haze of

oblivion. Jack's heart sank as he

watched the person that he fell in

love with vanish behind a facade of

self-centeredness.

Jack wondered if talking to her

would do any good, she did not seem to

be aware of his stillness as she spun

tails of her day. It was as if she

needed his attention or adorations,

she would not feel full unless he

agreed with her gripes, or if he did

not feel happy about the things that

made her happy, which tended to be

hurting others or making fun of

someone else’s shortcomings.

Jack mustered up the guts and tried

to confront her about her drinking and

her worsening behaviour, to his

astonishment Amelia brushed him off

and became quite deranged turning it

back onto poor Jack. Her anger hit

like a light switch had been flipped

on. He saw the rage welling in her

eyes as she turned to him and let

loose.

"You know, Jack," she slurred, "I

wouldn't be like this if you were more

attentive. If you cared enough to make

me happy, I wouldn't need to escape

like this. If you could actually get a

better paying job other than working

at STK, maybe get two jobs so I didn’t

have to have a full-time job. Maybe if

you stopped going out with friends and

did more with me. If you were a better

lover even, who knows, one thing I

know for sure is that I would not have

to escape like this.”

He stared at her, bewildered by her

audacity. He had been bending over

backward to support her, to lift her

up, but it was as if nothing he did

was ever enough. Amelia's narcissism

had transformed their once-shared life

into a narrative where he was the

perpetual villain, the sole source of

her discontent.

The weight of Amelia's manipulation

was suffocating and Jack was becoming

fed up. She expertly weaved her web of

blame, trapping Jack in a never-ending

loop of guilt. He questioned himself,

his intentions, and the choices that

he had made. The optimistic visions he

had once held of their future had

dimmed, overshadowed by the oppressive

atmosphere that now surrounded them.

Jack got up just as she was about

to continue to berate him and just

left, he couldn't take it anymore he

needed to escape for a while and so,

he just walked away before they got

into yet another heated argument.

Jack had always found solace in the

company of friends and family, who

urged him to consider his own well-

being. He called his best friend Sarah

and as they sat at a local cafe, he

shared the turmoil that had been

brewing beneath the surface of his

relationship with Amelia lately.

As Jack spoke he felt an

overwhelming sense of sadness over the

things that had been happening in his

life and in his relationship with

Amelia. He found himself choking up as

he tried to explain everything that

had been happening to Sarah.

Sarah listened intently, offering a

sympathetic ear and insights that Jack

had been desperately seeking. "Jack,"

she said gently, "you deserve

happiness too. You can't keep

sacrificing your own well-being for

someone who refuses to acknowledge

their own shortcomings."

As his phone buzzed non-stop from

Amelia's hate filled texts, Jack began

to see the truth in Sarah's words. He

realised that he had become an

enabler, inadvertently feeding into

Amelia's toxic behaviour. The once-

bright future he had envisioned with

her had become an all-consuming storm.

Jack faced a choice here, would he

continue to enable this behaviour from

Amelia or walk away? He had to decide

whether he would continue to be a pawn

in Amelia's games or find the strength

to break free from the cycle of

dysfunction. As the threads of their

relationship threatened to unravel,

Jack knew that he had to untangle

himself from Amelia's web, even if it

meant stepping into the unknown.

And it hurt to realise this, he

truly did love Amelia or did he love

the idea of being in love? He wasn’t

quite sure which it was. When CU

offered him the perfect job, suddenly

they rescinded the offer, it was

Amelia who cared for and soothed his

hurt soul. Telling him over and over

again it was a mistake and that they

would regret it someday. She took care

of him and loved him even more when

that happened.

Jack’s mother on the other hand

felt that something was amiss and

insisted that it was Amelia who did or

said something to cause CU to rescind

the job offer. Jack brushed the

accusation off, however now since he

had been applying to jobs all over and

getting turned down he began to

wonder.

Jack’s mother who once accepted

Amelia saw the damage that she could

cause in Jack’s life after having

received email that were filled with

lies about her son. Amelia would

become angry then deranged and make up

stories that were untrue. She found

herself worried about her son every

single day wondering if Amelia would

take it further and try to hurt him.

After his night out with friends a

few nights back he had arrived home to

find his photo album of he and his

late father burned in the bathtub and

no Amelia just a “Fuck You” written in

lipstick on the mirror, his heart was

broken. How could someone be so

hateful?

Amelia had sent him a slew of nasty

texts that night, as well as last

night, most accused him of fucking

other women, her threatening to go out

and fuck another man. To burn his

favorite photo album was so hateful

and unkind, last night she had

destroyed clothing. It broke Jack’s

heart.

Jack knew she had a lover and he

knew it was a woman thanks to his

mother. His mother hired a private PI

to investigate the CU thing and found

Amelia out playing with this other

woman. Jack made the decision to

pretend not to know in the hopes it

would help her see how mean and ugly

she was becoming and in the hope she

would change and maybe marry Jack.

Or perhaps not, Jack was upset

still over the photo album which as

the days passed, Amelia failed to

acknowledge having destroyed, he was

upset at the accusations, the lies,

the gaslighting, the fact that Amelia

was engaging in sex with someone else,

it did not matter that it was a woman.

She had told friends and family he

abused her, raped her. Maybe it was

time for him to break free, but could

he?

He’d have to get a better paying

job first, currently working at STK

was not going to pay his way, he let

Amelia move in and her income helps

pay for the apartment, she wasn’t on

the lease however, so he’d have to get

a better paying job. Maybe his mother

was right, maybe Amelia is reaching

out to potential employers and causing

them to not hire Jack as a way to keep

him under her thumb.

Jack knew that he had a lot to

consider and think about here. On the

one hand this was a woman he loved

deeply but the relationship happened

almost overnight, in fact it did

happen overnight.

It felt like she drew him in with

passion and sex. Jack was never sure

if she actually loved him or if she

had been using him? He wondered about

her sincerity and what her goal with

him actually was.

He decided that maybe it was the

right time to actually open up to

Sarah and tell her everything. Amelia

was at work so Jack called Sarah to

see if she could meet up with him. He

had a lot to talk about and get off of

his chest. He was ready to make some

solid decisions.

————-

CHAPTER 12

Sarah, Jack's best friend since

halfway through high school, had

always been a keen observer of his

relationships. Their friendship was

built on trust, and there were few

aspects of Jack's life that he didn't

share with her. As he grappled with

the complexities of his connection

with Amelia, he found solace in

confiding in Sarah.

Sarah and Jack would never be a

thing, they were never attracted to

one another like that. They met in

college, they seemed more like brother

and sister than anything else, in fact

all of their mutual friends thought

they were really related.

Jack had dated a girl from high

school when he started college then

she broke his heart. When she had

gotten pregnant and tried to make Jack

believe that it was his. Jack never

failed to once step up to the plate,

he resigned himself to being a father.

In the end by the time the truth had

come out, Jack found himself deeply

wounded and heartbroken.

Sarah worried for Jack's well

being, she often wondered if Amelia

had been out looking for someone weak

that she could prey on and entrap into

a relationship. Sarah had long

suspected Amelia of lying about

college, she never once saw Amelia on

campus during school hours heading to

a class, she wasn't sure Amelia even

attended CU and Amelia told Jack she

had been waiting on her diploma to be

mailed out because it had some type of

typo on it. It was going on four years

and the diploma still hadn’t arrived.

The girl was a sea of mystery that

Sarah had been unable to figure out.

As the two sat their favourite spot

even though they spoke last night

Jack, Sarah could see clearly that

Jack had a lot on his mind. He seemed

stressed as he started to speak.

Jack still feeling uneasy about his

relationship with Amelia needed

someone to talk to about it. Weary,

Jack would broach the topic that had

been weighing heavily on his mind

which was that he may need to end

things with Amelia.

Jack hesitantly began revealing the

troubling truth about Amelia's

deteriorating condition. "I don't

know, Sarah. It just feels like Amelia

has this hold on me. I can't explain

it, but it's like she knows exactly

how to get what she wants," Jack

admitted, a furrow forming on his

brow.

Sarah, perceptive as always, leaned

in, concern etched on her face. "What

do you mean, Jack? Take your time but

explain it all to me.”

Jack hesitated before opening up

about the dynamics of his relationship

with Amelia. "It's like she uses sex

as a tool, you know? When I want

intimacy, she gives in, but then in

almost every argument we have she

flips it on me, making me feel guilty

for wanting sex in the first place,

it’s like she is using it to excuse

her own shit behaviour.” He said as he

sipped his coffee.

“She controls everything in my

life, our lives, how we spend money,

what we eat, where we go, me and my

time with anyone other than her. Every

argument leaves me feeling and

believing it’s my fault, I feel guilt

and shame non stop. Don’t get me

started on her drinking, it’s gotten

so bad Sarah, so bad.”

Sarah's eyes widened, recognising

the pattern Jack was describing. "That

sounds manipulative, Jack. Healthy

relationships shouldn't involve guilt

trips or emotional manipulation. Have

you talked to her about how you feel?"

Jack sighed, running a hand through

his hair. "I've tried, Sarah, but

every time the conversation takes a

turn, she manages to make me question

myself. It's like I'm stuck in this

loop, and I don't know how to break

free.”

He recounted the unsettling pattern

of her drinking spiraling out of

control, mirroring a disturbing

escalation in her once-contained

violent tendencies. Sarah listened

with a mix of concern and empathy, her

understanding of the gravity of the

situation growing with each word.

Jack's admission marked a pivotal

moment in terms of his relationship

with Amelia, as he struggled with the

realisation that the woman he once

loved was transforming into a volatile

force that he could no longer navigate

alone. In Sarah's eyes, a mixture of

compassion and worry reflected the

weight of Jack's revelation, cementing

a commitment to support him through

the turbulent times that lay ahead.

He continued describing the

escalation, Amelia’s propensity

towards violent behaviour, her burning

his photo album of he and his dad

while he was growing up. Her

accusations, picking fights over

anything and everything, almost daily

now.

Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "Jack,

you deserve a relationship built on

mutual respect and understanding

especially one without manipulation or

guilt trips. It's not healthy for one

person to control the other. Have you

considered seeking professional

advice, maybe couples counselling? Or,

maybe taking a step back” Sarah softly

said.

Laughing “couples therapy? Sarah

she is under the impression that all

of our problems are a result of me and

something that I’ve done,” Jack

responded as he looked at Sarah with a

look of complete sadness.

“Then maybe it’s time you seriously

consider a break Jack. For your own

mental health and maybe you should

consider getting therapy on your own

to help you cope with what has

happened between the two of you? What

you are describing is insane and you

might want to also consider calling

the police and having her put on a

hold for a few days.” Came Sarah’s

gentle but genuine suggestion.

Looking at Sarah in with a shocked

expression “You are kidding right?

Sarah if I tried to have her committed

I would have to pick up and move while

she was committed to somewhere she

could never find me.”

“Well Jack, it’s a choice you know,

she is not mentally well from

everything that have been telling me.

Mentally healthy people do not try to

manipulate, control or make everything

about themselves.”

Nodding in agreement “I get it, I

do but I can’t have her committed

without a plan.” Came Jack’s quiet

response.

Sarah knew that his breaking free

from Amelia would not be easy so she

would have to offer whatever support

that she could. Amelia was seemingly

going very insane and she had the

potential to cause a great deal of

harm to not only herself but to others

along the way.

Sarah’s suggestions lingered in the

air, and Jack found himself

contemplating all of them further, it

was after all why he had called Sarah.

The realisation that he needed to

address the patterns in his

relationship with Amelia began to take

root.

"You're right, Sarah. Maybe it's

time to take a step back and evaluate

things. I can't keep going on like

this it’s killing me," Jack admitted,

a mixture of determination and

uncertainty in his eyes.

As Jack and Sarah delved deeper

into the intricacies of his

relationship, the seeds of self-

reflection were sown. Jack, armed with

newfound insights, faced the daunting

prospect of unraveling the patterns

that bound him to Amelia and

discovering a path toward healthier

dynamics.

The journey toward self-discovery

had begun, and the next chapters of

Jack's life were poised to unfold

leaving the one question still

lingering, would he leave her or try

to make it work?

————-

CHAPTER 13

Jack's upbringing had been a haven

of love and stability. Raised in a

warm and nurturing home, he had known

the embrace of a caring family that

provided a strong foundation for his

character.

A deeply caring and loving young

man, he cherished his family and his

Amelia. His parents, especially his

mother, had been a guiding force,

imparting values of kindness and

resilience.

They had been told that they could

never have kids, then Jack came along

and they were overjoyed. They gave him

the best life that they knew how to

give. Loving him every step of the

way.

His dad used to tease him that he

was a mere second to the love of his

mother’s life, Jack would always be

the first. But his father loved him,

and showed him each and every day what

a loving father was.

Entering college, Jack encountered

that whirlwind romance that would

forever alter the trajectory of his

life. The relationship, though marked

by chaos and instability, served as

the catalyst for him to cross paths

with Amelia. She entered his life like

a tempest, and in the midst of the

storm, Jack perceived her as a saviour

and a kindred spirit.

Amelia, with her enigmatic charm,

seemed to offer an escape from the

turbulence of his college

relationship. In her, Jack saw a

soulmate—a beacon of hope and

stability amid the chaos that had

characterised his earlier romantic

entanglements.

As their connection deepened, Jack

became ensnared in Amelia's chaotic

and dysfunctional world. He had been

clouded by the allure of the solace,

sex and love that he believed she

provided.

Amelia's allusion of who she was

and what her intentions were had been

carefully constructed to present a

picture of security and understanding,

masked the turmoil that lurked beneath

the surface.

Jack, yearning for stability and a

sense of belonging, fell hopelessly in

love and ended up in a relationship

that, unbeknownst to him, mirrored the

chaotic dynamics of his past first

love.

Despite the warnings of his friends

and the subtle observations of his

mother, Jack's perception of Amelia

remained clouded by the emotional

refuge she seemingly offered. It was

his mother, with her keen intuition

honed by years of maternal wisdom, who

saw through the carefully constructed

veneer that Amelia presented to the

world.

Over dinners and late-night

conversations, Jack's mother expressed

concerns about the toll Amelia was

taking on him. The love and concern in

her eyes reflected the depth of a

mother's understanding, recognising

the signs that her son was stuck in a

relationship that held the potential

for heartbreak and a great deal

emotional distress.

As Jack navigated the complexities

of his connection with Amelia, torn

between the love he felt and the

shadows that loomed, the influence of

his loving upbringing and his mother's

watchful eye became a silent beacon,

guiding him through the storm that lay

ahead. Jack’s now deceased father was

a also a powerful yet loving figure in

his life.

Jack’s father died before Jack

graduated high school, a tragic death,

his father had been diagnosed with

prostate cancer, it was too far gone

to do anything. Yet his father always

remained the strong, kind man Jack had

always known.

Having late night conversations,

planning Jack's future, making Jack

promise to always remain true to

himself and true to his path, to

always act with kindness and

forgiveness in his heart.

Jack and his mother refused to

leave his father in hospice, his

parents were wealthy so they hired

round the clock care for his father

and he remained at home. It pained

Jack deeply to watch such a powerful,

strong and loving man die slowly and

painfully as his father refused

medications.

In the end, his father had put

together a beautiful photo album of

just the two of them on the many

adventures they had gone on together

as Jack grew up. Jack cherished it so

much, it was something he would never

be able to recreate much less replace

and Amelia had destroyed it.

Death came as a friend to Jack’s

father, he died peacefully one night

during his sleep, right before Jack

graduated. His father’s memory became

a powerful force knowing that his

father would tell him that what Amelia

was doing to him was taking its toll

and that he should consider a break.

“See what else is out their boy,” he

could almost hear his father say.

But could Jack really untangle

himself from the chaotic embrace of

Amelia, it was becoming more and more

depressing and her control over him

only deepened with each step he tried

to take further away.

Perhaps everyone was right and

maybe Jack needed a break and he

needed to end things with Amelia for a

while, he struggled with this idea.

How could he do it without an all

out war on his life. Amelia had become

destructive and violent lately. Jack

sometimes started to fear her angry

outbursts, worried that she would

inflict self harm, or harm him in some

way. Breaking free of her would not be

easy, not at all.

————-

CHAPTER 14

Jack's journey into the

professional realm of AI was meant to

be the next chapter after college, a

seamless transition from academia to

industry. Armed with a stellar

academic record and groundbreaking

projects, he was poised to make a

significant impact. However, reality

proved to be far more elusive than his

dreams.

Despite his accomplishments, job

offers seemed to slip through Jack's

fingers like sand. The initial

enthusiasm waned as rejection emails

piled up, each one casting a shadow on

his confidence which in turn further

enabled Amelia to tighten her

manipulative and controlling grip

around his very throat.

His brilliant algorithms and

innovative solutions, once celebrated

in academic circles, seemed to lose

their luster in the job market leaving

at a complete loss.

As Jack tirelessly submitted

applications and attended interviews,

a nagging thought crept into his mind

– was someone sabotaging his efforts?

Doubt became a persistent companion,

whispering insidious suggestions that

someone behind the scenes was

thwarting his attempts to step into

the world of AI professionals.

Jack couldn't pinpoint any specific

instance of sabotage, yet the pattern

of rejection fueled his suspicions. He

questioned if a rival from his

academic years harboured resentment or

if there was a clandestine force

working against him.

Paranoia started to seep into his

consciousness, casting a pall over his

once unshakeable self-assurance. “What

was happening?” He wondered to

himself.

In moments of frustration, Jack

scrutinised every interaction and

connection, trying to unearth any hint

of betrayal or hidden agendas. The

more he delved into the labyrinth of

his professional network, the murkier

it became, leaving him tangled in a

web of uncertainty.

The AI landscape, once a realm of

endless possibilities, transformed

into a battleground where Jack fought

not only to showcase his skills but

also to decipher the enigma of his

repeated setbacks. The more he sought

answers, the more elusive they became,

leaving him standing at the crossroads

of ambition and doubt.

Maybe this wasn’t the field he was

meant to be in maybe he needed to try

to find a different field? He still

couldn’t shake the feeling that

something was amiss but he couldn’t

figure out what it might be. It was

very disappointing and disheartening

that Jack couldn’t land his dream job.

The only way that he could safely

end things with Amelia was to obtain a

better job, he knew that. It would

offer him the ability to move far away

from her if need be, he couldn't do

that without a better paying job.

The constant and continued

rejection beat Jack down, he couldn't

help but feel like he was a failure or

that he simply wasn't as good as he

thought he was during his academic

years. These thoughts distracted him

at work tonight and he couldn't help

but feel a little sorry for himself.

Maybe Amelia was right, maybe he

was never as good at the AI and

robotics gig as he was led to believe

while in school. What was it she

always said “kids these days are

trophy kids Jack, don’t ever kid

yourself into believing that they

didn’t start that shit when we were in

college. But you know, don’t beat

yourself up over it, it is what it is

and you can’t change it. You just need

to find another gig.”

As much as he hated giving up his

dream, maybe she had been right about

it all along. He was just a trophy kid

and he had been coddled and protected

despite that fact that he just wasn’t

that good.

Little did Jack know that that the

very saboteur was someone closer to

him than he ever realised, why even

his own mother suspected her.

—————

CHAPTER 15

When Jack awoke the next morning,

Amelia had already gone for work. Jack

had picked up the nightshift for the

next month, he needed a break from

seeing Amelia day in and day out. Of

course she had no idea that he asked

for it, he told her that they just

told him he needed to cover the night

shift for a while.

It was a welcome break even if for

only a little while. Jack was usually

gone before she got home from work and

worked until after 2:00am so the only

time that they really spent together

would be a few hours on the weekends,

he even picked up extra shifts just to

avoid being home with Amelia.

Lately she had become even more

erratic and out of control. She would

make these wile accusations that he

was screwing patrons to the steak

house he worked in, during the day

when she was at work.

Her drinking was also getting way

out of hand, he was sure she had been

going to work still drunk from the

night before. How she was able to

drive to work was beyond him.

She had been angry that he had met

with Sarah a couple of times recently

as well and tried to accuse him of

falling for Sarah until he proved

through receipts that they had only

been at the coffee shop nearby.

Jack was feeling as if he couldn’t

breathe, he was no longer allowed to

shower alone if she were home, he had

to shower with her in the shower. It

made him feel as if he had no privacy

anymore.

Shaking the thoughts of Amelia and

her insanity from his mind, he focused

on his day ahead. He had planned on

looking for a job in maybe another

field in IT, he needed to get a

different and better paying job and

that was all that there was to it.

The first thing he did as he waited

for the coffee to finish was to change

all of his login information and

passwords. After speaking with Sarah

last night the suggestion came out

that maybe, just maybe it might be

Amelia sabotaging his efforts at

finding a better job.

At first Jack fought the idea but

after talking it through with Sarah it

started to make more and more sense.

Jack could not fathom why she would do

that to anyone let alone Jack but

given her current frame and state of

mind, he would not put it past her.

So, for now he had to change login

credentials and passwords on

everything.

He poured himself a cup of coffee

and sat at his laptop going through

his email. Jack’s heart raced as he

read the email subject line: "Job

Opportunity at Neural Innovations -

Elon Musk." The digital signature at

the bottom left no room for doubt;

this was a direct invitation from the

tech titan himself.

The message detailed an intriguing

role within Musk's latest venture,

Neural Innovations, focusing on

cutting-edge AI development. Jack's

expertise in machine learning had

garnered attention, and Elon Musk was

extending an invitation for a video

interview today.

Jack found himself filled with

excitement mixed with a hint of

nervousness as he prepared for the

virtual meeting in an hour. Shaking

with excitement Jack thought about

calling Amelia to let her know, she

was at work but, he thought better of

it and just mentally tried to block

her out and focus on the interview

with Elon Musk.

Elon Musk was one of the most

powerful and intelligent men who ever

walked the earth and the very thought

of working for him filled Jack with a

deep sense of purpose.

As he focused and mentally prepared

for the interview he couldn't help but

feel a sense of hope for the first

time in years. He was beginning to see

light at the end of that long and dark

tunnel.

When Jack found himself in a video

call with Elon Musk and the Neural

Innovations team it was warm and

friendly. Musk's visionary zeal

resonated through the discussion as he

outlined the project's ambitions. He

carried an enormous amount of kindness

yet was very to the point and direct.

Jack found himself immediately drawn

to Elon.

"You're here because we believe in

pushing the boundaries of AI," Musk

declared. "We're not just building

better algorithms; we're creating a

bridge between human cognition and

artificial intelligence. I saw what

you did in college, read your

published papers, you would be a

valuable contributor to our team Jack.

Are you up for the challenge?"

Jack, full of a passion for

advancing AI and without a second

thought, eagerly accepted the

challenge. The job offer came with the

promise of contributing to

revolutionary projects that could

redefine the future of technology.

Working side by side with Elon Musk

and some of the brightest minds in the

field was an opportunity that

transcended Jack's wildest dreams.

Elon smiling at Jack “I hear you

make robotic animals Jack? We are

studying robotics in a big way here,

it will help us make better human

robotics.”

Nodding “Yes sir, in college I led

a research team creating animal

robotics. We had hoped to release some

to the wild to see if we could learn

more about predators but we lost our

grant money before we could actually

do that.”

Elon looked on and nodded at Jack

“You would be joining the right team

Jack, if you accepted our offer.”

The team Jack would be assigned to

was based in Texas where Musk had been

moving the bulk of his work. Mallory

and Cole were going to be the two

closest people to Jack. Mallory was

the boss and Cole was her right hand.

Jack was full of excitement and as the

team spoke of the coming weeks for

Jack a knock on the door pulled Jack

from his dream come true moment.

Mallory laughed “Go get the door,

it’s from us.” Jack sprang to the

door, signed for the package and

opened it up. It was a new MacBook and

iPhone, along with a new AppleWatch.

Elon, Mallory and Cole watched Jack as

he opened the box.

Elon explained that this was

property of the company, any and that

all communications regarding company

business were to be done only on these

devises. Jack would be allowed to

travel from Denver to Texas but, the

travel to Denver would be every two

weeks not every weekend, at best.

Sometimes it would be longer trips.

Elon hinted strongly that it would

best if Jack would move to Texas but

with time he was sure Jack would

realise that and move.

Jack did not care, he was too

excited about this job offer the only

problem was that Jack was to start

this week, meaning that he would fly

out on Friday so he would have to tell

Amelia who was not going to like it

one bit.

After the call Elon looked at Cole

and Mallory, it was Mallory who

answered him as he sat back looking

outside. “We will take care of it if,

it comes to that. Jack’s research in

our field is too good to pass up, but

if his girlfriend interferes in anyway

we will handle it.

Cole simply nodded. He was

Mallory’s assistant in title only, he

was for all intents and purposes the

strong arm of the team, ensuring that

anyone on the team was taken care of,

even to the extent of getting them out

of trouble if need be.

————-

CHAPTER 16

Jack paced the room, a mix of

anticipation and apprehension gnawing

at him. He had to tell Amelia, he was

afraid and he couldn't escape the

understanding that it would reshape

the contours of their relationship.

Amelia entered the room from work,

taking off her jacket, a questioning

look on her face. "What the fuck is

wrong with you, Jack? You seem

bothered. Look if it’s about the other

night, it was your imagination, you

went out drinking and I have no idea

about some of what you think

happened.”

Again completely shocked by her

aggression towards him he took a

moment to look at her studying her and

noticed for the first time it wasn’t

just her behaviour or personality that

was changing but physically she was

changing as well. Her angry persona

was worn outwardly.

Jack took a deep breath, ignoring

her blatant attempt to cover up what

she had done, burning his photo album

and trashing thing recently his eyes

meeting hers with a mixture of

determination and vulnerability. "Elon

Musk reached out to me. I've been

offered a position at Neural

Innovations, working on cutting-edge

AI projects."

Amelia's initial anger was

palpable, her eyes lighting up with

curiosity. “Neural Innovations, okay

but what does that mean Jack! How much

money did he offer you?” Deep down she

was already plotting to get the job

offer rescinded.

As Jack delved into the details of

the offer, he couldn't shake the

undercurrent of awareness that his

decision to accept the opportunity

would be met with resistance. He had

hoped that Amelia, understood the

intricacies of their relationship, and

anticipated her hesitation.

"...but here's the thing, Amelia.

The job is in Texas," Jack admitted,

gauging her reaction.

Amelia's expression shifted, a

shadow crossing her features. "Texas?

That's a long way from here. What does

this mean, will you work remotely and

what does this mean for us?"

Jack hesitated for a moment,

choosing his words carefully. "I

wanted to discuss it with you before

making any decisions about moving.

It's a remarkable chance to contribute

to groundbreaking projects, but I know

the distance is a significant factor.

For the time being I would be

traveling to Texas for weeks at a

time."

Amelia's eyes narrowed slightly,

and Jack sensed the unspoken anger

welling. "Jack, we have a life here.

Friends, family, our routine. Can you

really see us uprooting everything for

a job, no matter how fantastic it is?

As for traveling for weeks at a time,

that is just not going to work for us,

you need to be here so you need to

tell them that you can only accept the

job if you are allowed to work from

home and travel maybe once a month to

Texas. This is why they created shit

like zoom and teams Jack."

Jack shocked and angry at her

demanding how he would accept the job,

laying out the terms for him to tell

the team, "I get it, Amelia. It's a

big decision, and I wanted you to be

part of it. But I also need to

consider my career and the

opportunities that come my way. This

is a six figure opportunity, we can

buy a house finally, get out of this

little apartment, get married, maybe

have a baby. I accepted the job and

the offer the way it stands, the

decision we make together is whether

or not we move or I travel back and

forth for work. I do not need your

input as to how I accept a job and I

will certainly not be making any crazy

demands. You, will not dictate in any

way shape or form how it is that I

accept a job, ever. My question to you

is what do you think about us

potentially moving in the coming

months?"

The room fell into an uncomfortable

silence as the anger between filled

the room and for the first time Amelia

felt a sense of losing her control

over Jack. The unspoken understanding

lingered – Jack knew that taking the

job with Elon Musk would be a seismic

shift in their lives, and Amelia's

resistance would be a formidable force

to navigate. The decision, as it hung

in the air, held the power to redefine

their future together.

Amelia, driven by her need for

control, erupted into a furious rage.

Enraged that Jack had made such a

significant decision without

consulting her, she unleashed a

torrent of verbal attacks, accusing

him of betrayal and selfishness. The

room echoed with the intensity of her

anger as she hurled accusations and

lashed out, creating a hostile

atmosphere that left Jack bewildered

and emotionally battered. In the

aftermath of this explosive

confrontation, the chasm between them

widened, revealing the toxic power

struggle at the core of their

relationship.

“You are nothing but a fucking

loser, you liar you want to travel at

my expense to fuck other women. You

are goddamn waste of fucking time.

What a fucking joke, as if Elon Musk

would hire someone like you, you

pathetic piece of shit. You got

scammed honey, scammed because you are

a fucking loser,” Amelia spat

Slurring her angry words “It was

probably one of your internet whores

that scammed you dumbass. I know what

you sit here and do every day while I

am at work you asshole!”

Jack ended up leaving for a couple

of hours, he needed to clear his head.

Her anger left him confused and

frustrated. He knew that she wouldn’t

be a fan of his taking this job but

the fact that the salary alone is a

six figure one should have had her

leaping for pure joy for him and for

them both.

She completely ignored the idea of

them getting married, having a family,

the idea of buying a new home a

certain stable and solid future

together. This left Jack at a complete

loss, it was as if she wanted them to

forever be broke and living in a

shitty little apartment.

As he walked and headed to the park

to sit for a while, he decided to call

his mom and then Sarah. This was it,

he had enough of Amelia’s emotional

dysfunction, her mental instability,

her insane angry outbursts, it was

enough. Jack could no longer and would

no longer take it.

Amelia needed help and either she

got the help she needed or it would be

over, Jack was not gong to continue

down this road with her any longer.

When Jack finally returned home,

Amelia was gone, he found some of his

clothing outside on the sidewalk, cut

up, his favourite hockey sweatshirt.

Shaking his head, he locked the door

and tried to sleep, nervously waiting

for her to return.

————-

CHAPTER 17

By the time Amelia did come home,

she come home in a drunken rage, then

drank the rest of the night. Jack

feared for his life. The things she

said, the threats, the pure

unadulterated hatred she hurled at him

throughout the night.

He did not sleep at all, he paced

all night into the wee hours deciding

how to handle he would sit her down

and talk to her. He could no longer

live like this and he needed to make

absolutely sure that she understood it

fully. He felt caged and as if her out

of control life was becoming an out of

control shared life.

He waited for her to wake up so

that they could talk. When she woke up

and found that he was not beside her

he knew that she would be angry, he

sat and waited at the table for her to

come stomping out.

When she did he motioned to the

seat across from him and poured her a

cup of coffee without uttering a

single word. He just looked her in the

eye with a stone cold stare.

Jack sat across from Amelia looking

deeply into her eyes as she angrily

looked back, the air heavy with the

unspoken tension that had woven its

way into their relationship. He took a

deep breath, mustering the courage to

address the issue that had been

lingering like a dark cloud over their

lives.

"Amelia, we need to talk about

something important," Jack began, his

eyes locking onto hers.

Amelia, sensing the gravity of the

moment, set aside her coffee and gave

him her full attention with a look of

pure scorn. “Why, you already made

your decision without me, not a care

or concern for me so, what the fuck is

left to say Jack?” Looking at him

angrily, she continued to berate him,

calling him a loser, a momma’s boy,

the worst lover that she ever had,

telling him how lousy he was at pretty

much everything. Clearly she was still

drunk as far as Jack could tell.

“Last night was uncalled for and so

is your reaction right now. You blew

up over a decision that I made to

better our lives together, not just

mine. I am sick of living in this

shitty little apartment, not being

able to get ahead, it makes me feel

horrible and not moving forward with

our lives and it makes me feel even

worse.

You berating me, calling me names

and telling me that I am loser makes

feel even worse for not being able to

provide for us, for our future.”

Looking at her he could see her

trying to find a comeback that would

somehow make it look like he was the

problem for her behaviour.

Jack knew that what he was about to

talk about might set her off again but

he thought about this all night and he

needed to get this handled before he

started his new job so that he could

throw himself into it and become a

successful part of something bigger

than just he and Amelia.

“I've noticed how your inability to

deal with your mental health issues

and alcohol have been affecting you

and our relationship. Both are getting

worse Amelia, it's as if you are not

the person whom I fell in love with,

you are becoming a shell of the person

I had met long ago." Jack said, his

voice steady. "It's time that we face

these issues head-on."

Amelia's expression shifted, a mix

of defensiveness and anger. "I don't

have a Goddamn drinking problem, Jack.

I can handle it. Furthermore I am not

fucking mental, that’s you when you

drink and get sexually aggressive with

me.” She shot back

Getting up and getting in his face

“You are the motherfucker with the

problem, you got pissy because I put

some can goods away two nights ago as

you rearranged them, if the bed isn’t

made you don’t like it, you have some

fucking nerve telling me that I am

mental and that I have a drinking

problem. Fuck you, She Yelled

“When I don’t want sex you get

upset and walk to talk about it,

telling me that you need it every day,

two to three times a day or you are

unsatisfied, fuck you Jack, you make

me feel so low about myself I can’t

stand it.” Amelia yelled.

Jack shook his head, refusing to

dance around the truth and acknowledge

her attempt to turn it on him.

"Amelia, your drinking and mental

health are both affecting your health,

our communication, and both yours and

our overall well-being. I cannot stand

by and watch it take a toll on us much

less you. It either changes and now or

we are through!" Jack shot back

angrily, she couldn't just be happy

for him, for them, she had to make

this about him being the bad guy and

her wants and needs.

"Amelia, you are behaving like a

deranged lunatic it’s irrational and

quite frankly, I have had it. I don't

know what is wrong with you but what I

do know is that I am not going to do

this anymore with you. I will not

tolerate your out of control behaviour

or drinking anymore. You are

disrespectful and in all honesty I’m

starting to find your behaviour to be

disgusting.”

He took a moment, gauging her

reaction, before delivering the

ultimatum that had been brewing within

him. "Here's the deal: I've been

offered an opportunity to work with

Elon Musk on AI projects at Neural

Innovations If you're willing to

address your drinking and mental

health issues we can build a healthier

life together, I took the job period.

We can find a way to make it work,

maybe even stay in Colorado. But if

things don't change, if you're not

willing to confront these issues, I

can't stay in a situation that's

hurting both of us."

Amelia's eyes widened, a mixture of

surprise and realisation crossing her

face. The gravity of Jack's words

settled into the room, the ultimatum

hanging in the air like an unspoken

verdict on their shared future.

"I care about you, Amelia, and I

want us to have a future together. But

I can no longer ignore the impact of

your mental health and your drinking

for another day," Jack added, his gaze

unwavering.

The ball was now in Amelia's court,

and as the silence lingered, Jack

braced himself for her response,

knowing that this moment had the power

to redefine the trajectory of their

relationship and his life.

————

CHAPTER 18

Amelia's face contorted with anger

her mind was racing as Jack's

ultimatum hung in the air, a challenge

to the control she had carefully

crafted over their lives.

The notion of giving up her

drinking and adapting to a healthier

more stable lifestyle clashed with the

narrative she had carefully woven. In

her mind, a seed of resentment took

root, the desire to maintain her grip

on Jack and their shared reality only

added fuel to her fire.

"You can't be serious, Jack,"

Amelia retorted, her voice laced with

defiance. "You're going to dictate how

I live my life now? I won't accept it.

Fuck You!”

Throwing the coffee cup in the sink

breaking it “You force me every single

day to have sex with you whether I

want it or not and I am the one with

the fucking problem that has to be

worked on or else? Get fucked, momma’s

boy, or maybe go fuck your own mother,

I am sure you did as a teenager, you

two are unnaturally close.” She

continued.

Jack sighed, the weight of the

situation pressing down on him, yet he

was unrelenting "Amelia, it's not

about control. It's about us and our

well-being. I can't ignore the impact

that your mental health and drinking

are having on both of us.”

“Look Amelia, your mental health is

not good, the accusations, the

throwing and breaking things, setting

my personal belongings on fire,

throwing them outside, destroying

property, the switch from happy go

lucky to insanely angry, these are not

normal behaviours much less responses

to any situation. It’s unhealthy.

Amelia's eyes narrowed, and a

calculating gleam replaced the initial

anger. She feigned compliance, her

mind already concocting a plan to

retaliate and maintain her perceived

dominance.

How dare he try to control a single

fucking thing about her. She did not

have a problem mentally or with

drinking, the problem at hand was that

Jack accepted a job without consulting

her first. She was not about to let

this slide.

To make matters worse, the job

would be in Texas and he would be

traveling? What a complete joke, why

would he take something like that if

it wasn’t for the sole purpose of

getting away from her? Why?

It had to be so that he could fuck

around on her that’s the only reason

he would do this. Amelia struggled to

come to terms with what was happening.

She also knew that Jack had given her

an ultimatum and if she did not agree

right here and now that she could

potentially lose where she lived as he

had been offered an out.

She would find a way to maintain

her control over Jack but within these

moments what she had to do was instil

in him the idea that she would comply

as he wished so that she wouldn’t be

asked to move out.

"Fine, Jack. I'll stop drinking,

but only because you're giving me no

choice," she spat out, her words

dripping with resentment. “You want

control, here you fucking ass-hole

it’s yours. Does that fucking make you

happy?”

Jack looked at her and slid a

number across the table ignoring her

jabs, the number was for mental health

therapy, “I want you to make an

appointment with them too. They can

help you face the demons of your past

whatever they are.”

Realising Jack was not going to

back down, Amelia had to counter her

response, if she could pretend to do

as he asked for a little while it

would make him happy. If she lashed

out right now it would be over he had

been handed an out and she had no

place to go live. She looked at him

and mustered up the sweetest sorry

look that she could and simply nodded.

Unbeknownst to Jack, Amelia's

compliance was a facade concealing a

brewing storm of revenge. She had no

intention of letting him dictate the

terms of their relationship. As Jack

left the room, satisfied that they

were making progress, Amelia's mind

worked in overdrive.

“Fuck him” she thought to herself,

she was not giving into his bullshit

ultimatum, when he traveled she’d be

doing whatever the fuck she wanted!

She reached for her phone, intent

on finding a way to contact Elon Musk

himself to undermine Jack's newfound

opportunity at Neural Innovations and

with a cunning smile, she plotted to

make sure she did as much damage as

possible. She would weave a web of

deceit and manipulation to tarnish

Jack's professional reputation and to

get him fired right away.

In the shadows of the tumultuous

relationship between Jack and Amelia,

a new player emerged one with an

agenda. Cole intercepted Amelia's

email, a clandestine move that he

would have to keep to himself until

the timing was right.

When the timing was right, Cole

would use Amelia's email and that

everything he and the team learned

about her against her in an effort to

gain Jack's confidence and loyalty to

Elon. Jack could not be in a

relationship with such a vile person,

she was a deranged woman and Cole

would have to protect Jack from her at

some point.

As Jack boarded the plane a sense

of relief washed over him, it was as

if he went from being in the storm of

the century to peace and tranquility.

As soon as he hit security and Amelia

was no longer by his side pouting, he

felt free.

The last part of the week had been

strained between the two of them.

Amelia telling Jack that she tried to

make an appointment but got told they

would try to call her next week.

Jack did not believe a word out of

her mouth and he did not believe that

she would stay sober while he

traveled. Truthfully he didn’t care as

he boarded the plane. He was looking

forward to his new job.

He would now be able to leave her

if he needed to but the problem was

that him leaving her would cause her

to have a complete mental collapse

which he would have to be mindful as

so that it would not affect his job.

————

CHAPTER 19

As Jack stepped into his new role

at Neural Innovations, a wave of

optimism washed over him, cleansing

the wounds of the volatile

relationship between Amelia and

himself. Mallory, a supportive

manager, welcomed him with open arms,

forming a bond that transcended the

toxicity he had left behind. The

camaraderie of the team, shared a

passion for exploration, turned the

workplace into a vibrant space of

collaboration and innovation.

Gone were the shadows of

manipulation and deceit. Instead, the

atmosphere echoed with laughter and

the thrill of pushing the boundaries

of space exploration. Mallory and

Jack, bonding by a common purpose,

formed a dynamic duo, their synergy

propelling projects to new heights.

The challenges of space engineering

became exhilarating puzzles to solve,

fostering an environment where

creativity flourished.

Cole's presence as Mallory’s right

hand added to the welcoming buzz that

Jack felt. Cole quickly befriended

Jack in a genuine way. He and Jack

went out for lunch every day, spent

evenings after work chatting, Cole

even invited Jack to meet his family

one weekend.

As Jack's dream come true unfolded

it came with a sense of triumph, as

Jack found not only professional

success but also a supportive

community that celebrated achievements

and shared the joy of overcoming

challenges. The once-distant dreams of

a harmonious workplace became a

reality, leaving Jack grateful for the

opportunity to explore new horizons in

both his career and personal growth.

The only problem was Amelia, she

harassed him day and night and

demanded check-ins every night up to

three. His trip was only supposed to

be two weeks but it had been extended

into four by now.

Jack realised why this might have

upset Amelia however, this is a dream

come true in terms of a career for him

he had hoped she might be more

understanding. Instead he was accused

of sleeping with Mallory, even of

sleeping with Cole and his wife of all

things. Amelia sent pictures of her

bagging up clothing of Jack’s, broken

dishes, the apartment they shared

trashed.

Most of the texts that he had

received were from drunk Amelia and it

was causing Jack some stress by week

two with his new work family. Jack was

not sure how much more of this he

could take. He enlisted the help of

friends who would drive by the

apartment and his car just to make

sure that Amelia didn’t set fire to

the place. It was stressful while also

embarrassing.

The nonstop texts were killing his

optimism about their relationship not

to mention that she continued to drink

on the daily, she promised to stop yet

here she was drunk daily. Jack felt

hopeless, powerless and disappointed

in Amelia.

He was hitting a breaking point,

but his trip home this weekend might

help matters. He needed to reassure

Amelia is all, that’s all it would

take and things would be well again.

Maybe he could bring her on his next

trip out, he would ask her while home

this weekend, if things went well.

His fear was that things were not

going to go well judging by the texts

he had been receiving. She had made up

all sorts of crazy and wild stories

about what he had been doing while out

of town. Jack would just have to see

how it all went.

At this point he was not sure that

he even wanted to try, Amelia had the

emotional maturity of a two year old

who lacked any and all of the skills

necessary to control his/her emotions.

His trip out all but proved that,

she simply could not handle being

alone for even a night. Every mean

thing she would text him seemed to

filled with nonsensical rants and

raves that made zero sense. It felt as

if she were projecting her own low

self esteem and inability to cope onto

Jack in some pretty vicious ways.

————-

CHAPTER 20

Amelia's world began to fracture

the moment Jack boarded that plane to

Texas, then his trip got extended. His

departure left behind an unsettling

void, and the silence in their shared

space echoed the absence of his

presence. The initial days were filled

with tearful phone calls and hopeful

texts, but as mere days stretched on,

so did the distance between them, at

least in Amelia’s mind.

Loneliness gripped Amelia like a

vice, and her emotions spiraled into a

wave of uncertainty. Sleepless nights

turned into bleary-eyed days as her

mind replayed the scenes of Jack

leaving, him having affairs, him

enjoying new friends, money and life

without her. Each replay carving

deeper grooves of anguish. The hollow

promises of frequent trips home did

little to assuage her growing sense of

abandonment.

As the days passed, the more

silence from Jack became a gnawing

ache, and Amelia's mind concocted

scenarios of betrayal far beyond what

a normal person might imagine. In the

void left by his departure, resentment

and insecurity took root. Driven by a

potent mix of fear and frustration,

her texts transformed from the initial

pleas for connection to venomous

accusations and threats.

The glow of her phone screen

illuminated her face as she typed out

messages in a fevered frenzy, a

digital battleground for a war of

words that she couldn't win because

Jack would not answer her. Each text

became a manifestation of her

unraveling emotions, a desperate

attempt to bridge the emotional chasm

that widened with every passing day.

Amelia's tone shifted from sadness

to bitterness, from longing to anger.

The text messages, at first filled

with "I miss you" and "come back

soon," now dripped with accusations,

resentment and hostility. The

insecurities that simmered beneath the

surface erupted into a torrent of

accusations, questioning Jack's

commitment and loyalty.

Her coworkers, witnessing the

transformation from a vibrant and

happy Amelia to an angry, bitter

shadow of herself, expressed concern.

Yet, she was oblivious to anyone's

worries, her focus fixated on the one

person who seemed to hold the key to

her happiness. The spiral continued,

to the point that even friends like

Patricia and Jody started to become

concerned.

In the silence of her empty

apartment, Amelia's phone buzzed with

yet another message sent into the

digital void. The words, a mixture of

longing and anger, echoed the tumult

within her. Little did she realise

that the more she grasped at the

fragments of their relationship, the

faster they slipped through her

fingers, leaving her alone in the

chaos that she had unwittingly

created.

It didn’t help that she kept

drinking, she drank from the very

minute she got home and didn’t stop

until midnight or shortly thereafter

and all day each weekend. She was

sometimes still drunk when her alarm

woke her up for work but she didn’t

care about that. All she knew was it

was beginning to feel like her

relationship was slipping away and

falling apart and she was finding

herself powerless.

Amelia and Jack’s apartment became

a dimly lit cage for her shattered

mind. The persistent silence from Jack

created a desperation she could no

longer contain. Seeking solace in the

bottom of a bottle, she embraced the

numbing comfort of alcohol night after

night. The clink of ice against glass

echoed the hollowness within her.

Sitting at home was not enough, she

headed out to seek solace from others

as well as alcohol. The bars, dimly

lit and pulsating with life, became

her escape from the desolation of her

home. She sought solace in the arms of

strangers, faces blurred by the haze

of intoxication. Each night, she

meticulously applied a facade of

confidence, drowning her vulnerability

in shots and mixed drinks.

In the midst of the neon glow and

thumping music, Amelia found a

temporary reprieve from the chaos in

her mind. The dance floor became her

stage, a place to lose herself in the

rhythmic beats and the illusion of

connection. Yet, as the nights

unfolded, the facade crumbled,

revealing the raw edges of her anger

and resentment. Amelia used that anger

and resentment as an excuse to go home

with different men on more than a few

occasions.

Amelia's encounters with strangers

became a reckless attempt to fill the

void Jack had left behind. In case

Jack left her she needed insurance.

The thrill of the unknown, the

transient intimacy, and the fleeting

whispers of affection offered a

fleeting sense of control over her

fractured emotions. Yet, with each

passing morning, reality dawned, yet

she felt no guilt and no regret, just

anger and resentment which lingered

like a bitter aftertaste.

She was also disappointed with the

fact that recently the men she had

been meeting were not interested in

anything more than fucking her, she

was happy to oblige but she also

needed an insurance policy she needed

someone else who would fall for her

just in case.

Her friend and lover Patricia, now

gravely concerned, watched helplessly

as Amelia descended further into this

self-destructive cycle. Attempts to

reach out were met with deflection and

denial, leaving her on the sidelines

of Amelia’s unraveling life. The

vibrant woman that she had once known

seemed like a distant memory, replaced

by a version of Amelia lost in a fog

of heartbreak.

As the cycle repeated, a dangerous

routine emerged. The bars, the

strangers, the empty encounters—all

woven together in a desperate attempt

to reclaim a sense of control. The

messages to Jack became increasingly

erratic and threatening. Amelia was

losing all of the control over Jack

that she had spent so long building.

In the quiet moments between one

reckless night and the next, Amelia's

reflection in the mirror betrayed the

toll her choices were taking. Her

eyes, once bright, now carried the

weight of exhaustion and emptiness.

Yet, she continued the ritual, chasing

temporary highs in a quest for a

semblance of the happiness she felt

that she had lost.

Hatred towards Jack began invading

her every single thought and she

started plotting revenge against Jack

in her quest to exact revenge for his

leaving her feeling so badly. She

would find herself daydreaming of his

death in painful ways and she would

imagine him losing his job.

During brief moments of sobriety

she would plot her revenge making

plans to make Jack’s happy life a

complete nightmare. How dare he leave

her like this!

————-

CHAPTER 21

Amelia would also text Patricia,

begging for her to let her come over.

Patricia had been traveling a lot for

work herself so she didn’t have much

time right now for Amelia. She felt

bad about it but she was not able to

change her work schedule and come home

at the drop of a pin.

Amelia did not waste time letting

Patricia know that her decision not to

return home displeased her. Amelia

started belittling her, using her own

feelings for Amelia against her in an

effort to guilt make her feel guilt

for not coming home.

Patricia felt personally attacked

by Amelia yet she loved her deeply.

She promised Amelia that she would

come home for three days when Jack’s

trip was extended. Because Patricia

loved Amelia she planned a weekend

getaway for them and booked a room in

Aspen thinking that all Amelia needed

was a getaway.

Once home Amelia showered Patricia

with affection and love, not waiting

for Patricia to let her know about the

trip she immediately started making

love to Patricia. She roughly started

to undress and kiss Patricia

everywhere, truthfully it excited

Patricia in ways she that didn’t

expect this more dominant side of

Amelia was very much a turn on. To her

surprise Amelia had purchased more

toys for them to try out as well but

told Patricia that she’d have to wait

until they were at the hotel.

Patricia found herself both excited

and turned on yet also a little

nervous about the prospect of the toys

because some were not toys she’d

choose herself. She worried a little

about what Amelia’s plans were but

truly trusted that Amelia would never

hurt her in any way.

After they had made love Patricia

told Amelia about the trip she had

planned for them. The news was met

with a shriek of excitement from

Amelia who ran home to pack a bag for

the weekend. As Patricia started to

pack her own bag she found herself

full of hope that maybe Amelia would

finally come around and would finally

find the courage to leave Jack behind

and start life with Patricia. It would

mean the world to Patricia if Amelia

would realise that she loved Patricia

the same way as Patricia did her.

During the drive up to Aspen Amelia

was happy and very loving, telling

Patricia how much she had missed her

while she had been away. Patricia

shared that same sentiment towards

Amelia and felt completely content.

As the women checked into their

hotel room they again made love

passionately as if they had never done

it before. Patricia and Amelia headed

out afterwards to take in the sights,

Patricia spoiled Amelia buying her

anything she desired. They had a

wonderful afternoon and evening.

The next morning Patricia sensed a

change in Amelia’s demeanour but

brushed it off as nothing but her

imagination. They showered together

and again Patricia sensed something it

was as if Amelia was more dominant

than she’d ever been and it excited

Patricia.

They spent the day out at the local

bars, Amelia laughing and enjoying

their time together. After they had

enjoyed a nice meal they decided to

turn in, they had been drinking all

day and Patricia was not feeling

herself.

The next morning Patricia was sore

and spotting a little. She felt groggy

and disoriented not remembering much

about the night before. Upon looking

around the room she started feeling

sick. The adult toys some of them were

so big they were the type used in

domination and submissive encounters.

Just then Amelia walked out of the

bathroom with the biggest strap-on that

Patricia had ever seen, “Hmmm your

awake finally, I wasn’t sure you’d be

up so early you wanted me to fuck you

all night.” Amelia said in a husky

deep voice as she pushed her naked

body up against Patricia.

Grabbing her by the back of her

hair she forced Patricia to kiss her

as she pinched her nipples hard, “you

need to be filled again don’t you

whore?” Amelia asked.

Groggy still and in shock Patricia

was unable to find her voice when

Amelia turned her around and bent her

over the table she thrust the strap on

deep inside of Patricia which caused a

great deal of pain and suddenly she

felt something entering her anally

while Amelia pumped away using the

strap on, the pain it hurt so bad she

couldn’t breathe or cry out then

nothing. Everything went black as

Patricia passed out again, Amelia

enjoyed what she was doing very much

and continued going until she was

exhausted.

Patricia was not sure what had

happened between them, she was sore

and disjointed not really remembering

everything that happened over the

weekend. During the drive home she

tried to talk to Amelia about it only

to be told that she begged Amelia to

use the toys on her while she was

drunk. Patricia didn’t want to believe

her but why would Amelia lie about it?

Once home Patricia struggled with

her inability to remember the weekend

trip, she had hazy memories about

being tied up and of having toys used

on her, toys she’d never have

consented to being used on her. She

tried to put the pieces together and

when she could not she met up with

Jody to talk about it.

After telling Jody everything Jody

looked at her with a confused

expression “Patricia, what you’re

describing is sex assault, it’s rape,

she drugged you and she raped you.”

The thought that Amelia would

sexually assault her was unfathomable,

no Patricia would never consider that

to have been true at all. She told

Patricia she had asked for it and

that’s all it could have been, she has

asked for Amelia to do it.

————-

CHAPTER 22

Amelia's life took an unexpected

turn as the shadows of consequence hit

her right in the face. Full of a

reckless impulse that she had been

using to supplement her income, Amelia

found herself caught up in a situation

that led her into becoming in trouble

with the police.

Amelia had decided to call out from

work for the week hoping that she

could use Patricia sexually like she

had while they were on their trip at

some point during the week.

She enjoyed every second of it,

Patricia’s soft begging for her to

stop, Amelia got completely off on

having that much power over Patricia.

Seeing Patricia in pain made Amelia

feel a high that she had never felt

before. She loved it in a way that

could not describe she only knew that

she had to have that again.

Amelia could make more money not

going to work anyway and just peddling

drugs at the local bars. Patrons in

this part of town loved coke and

Amelia knew how to sell it.

So she was out selling cocaine, at

every bar she went into, she knew most

of the patrons at almost every single

bar and she knew that they would buy

the coke nightly from her.

This night however would prove

different for her. She rolled up to

one of the bars, drunk, high and

looking to score with a stranger when

a man walked up to her, claiming to

have met her two weeks ago at the bar,

he claimed he didn’t have the cash to

score the first time he met her but he

did have the cash now.

Because of Amelia’s slip down the

mountain into a drunken, high haze of

bitter anger, although she did not

remember him, she thought that they

could have met. They could have and

she just didn’t remember besides, who

cares she was out to have some fun.

He was tall, good looking, blonde

hair, blue eyes and muscular build.

Nice smile, smelled good too. He

looked like had lots of money and

maybe, just maybe she could a little

more than just score with him, a man

with lots of money was right up her

ally, in case she and Jack did not

work out, she needed a backup plan.

While talking after having

purchased her another drink after she

had finished hers, he asked if she

could hook him up and maybe hang out

at his place for some fun after. Of

course she delightfully answered yes

and added “You asked the right gal

because I happen to know where you can

get a little more than just blow.” As

she slid her hand along the shaft of

his penis through his pants.

Smiling back at her, “Oh really?

Maybe we should take this outside so I

can calm myself and then maybe head

back to my place?” Amelia giggled and

agreed.

Once outside she spotted someone

she knew who had been looking for a

hit, she did a deal right in front of

the man that she was about to go home

with and fuck. After she sold her

friend some blow the man grabbed her

kissed her deeply sending shockwaves

of excitement throughout Amelia’s

body.

During the walk a block and a half

away to the mans apartment, he handed

her a wad of cash and she reached into

her purse and pulled out an eight ball

and handed it over to him. That’s when

the shit hit the fan and lights and

cops came from just about every

direction.

The red and blue lights of a patrol

car flashed, casting an eerie glow on

the anxious faces around her. Panic

set in as the reality of the situation

unfolded. The police, stern-faced,

questioned Amelia about the coke, her

heart racing with the weight of

impending consequences. In that

moment, the facade she meticulously

crafted began to crumble.

As the events of that night

unraveled, Amelia's attempts to

navigate her way out of the situation

proved futile, the police were

arresting her, it was not negotiable

they had plenty of evidence. The

consequences of her choices loomed

large, casting a dark cloud over her

already broken mind, she felt the

control over her own life slipping

from her very grasp. The arrest, the

cold metal of handcuffs, and the stark

realisation of the legal ramifications

became frightening reality, her entire

carefully constructed life was going

to gone in an instant.

Amelia's mind became filled with a

kaleidoscope of regret and fear as she

grappled with the repercussions of her

actions. As the arrest process

unfolded, an officer told her that

they had been watching her for some

time, the DA had already cleared the

arrest, she had no way out of this

mess.

It dawned in Amelia that someone

who she had considered as a friend

reported her and undercover police had

been watching her as she provided

loads of cocaine to eager bar patrons

up and down Colfax. They had been

watching her for months based off of

intel fed to them from someone close

to her. Amelia immediately thought it

had to be Jack, he somehow found out

and turned her in. Anger welled up to

the point that it almost boiled over.

Her second thought was of Cal

someone who called himself her friend

but who only used people close to him

for money, food and drinks. He never

bought anything himself and more often

than not snorted his rent money away,

he was always on social media asking

for handouts, hitting up people he

knew.

At the jail they strip searched

her, forced her to wear some jail

clothing, it smelled and asked her a

thousand questions about suicidal

thoughts, medications, had she been

drinking. “Of course I’ve been fucking

drinking you morons, you grabbed me

after I left a fucking bar.” She spat

out at the officer questioning her.

Instead of focusing on her

predicament Amelia focused on who she

needed to blame. Either way she would

find out who was behind this and pay

them back, her revenge would be swift

and she would deal a blow so

unexpected and ruthless that it would

ruin lives.

Suddenly her mind saw the issue at

hand. This unexpected encounter with

the legal system became a weapon that

Jack could use against her provided it

was not him who turned her in. That’s

if he ever found out.

He would be able to force her to

stop drinking or to seek therapy or

worse yet, leave her altogether. She

could agree to move to Texas right

away and just run away from the entire

situation. She knew that Jack could

never find out and that she needed to

get bailed out of jail ASAP.

Amelia called the one person that

always saved her when things got

really bad. The only person she could

every truly count on, the one person

she had been able to use like a rag

her entire life.

————

CHAPTER 23

The shrill ring of Patricia's phone

pierced the stillness of the night,

jolting her awake from a deep slumber.

Groggy and disoriented, she fumbled

for her phone, glancing at the clock

to find it well past midnight. The

caller ID revealed an unexpected name

– Denver Sheriff’s Department. A wave

of concern washed over Patricia as she

answered the call, a prerecorded

voice blaring “you have a call from an

inmate - Amelia’s voice chimed in

stating her name, then the prerecorded

voice, at the downtown Denver

detention facility, press 1 to accept

the call. With zero hesitation

Patricia accepted the call, the

urgency in Amelia's voice cutting

through the darkness.

Amelia's words tumbled out in a

frantic cadence, painting a dire

picture of her predicament. Patricia's

heart sank as she learned that Amelia

was sitting in a cold jail cell,

facing the harsh reality of her

actions. A tangled mix of emotions

swirled within Patricia – concern for

Amelia’s well-being, frustration at

the choices that led to this moment,

and the looming question of how to

navigate the storm that had suddenly

descended upon them.

In the dim glow of her bedside

lamp, Patricia listened attentively as

Amelia explained the need for someone

to post bail. Patricia, wrestling with

a mix of loyalty and a pragmatic sense

of responsibility, knew that she had

to act swiftly. The night air carried

a chill as she hastily dressed, making

her way to the police station where

Amelia awaited her release.

As Patricia navigated the bail bond

rules and regulations and the

paperwork, the weight of the situation

hung heavy in the air. The process of

securing Amelia's bail became a tense

dance with bureaucracy and

uncertainty. Patricia, filled by a mix

of concern, love and determination,

forced herself to just get through the

night with the understanding that this

unexpected turn of events would leave

a lasting mark on her relationship

with Amelia.

The flickering fluorescent lights

of the police station provided a stark

backdrop to the release process. As

the paperwork was finalised and the

bail bond secured, Patricia couldn't

shake the somber realisation that

their lives had taken an unforeseen

detour. The car ride back home was

filled with a heavy silence, both

women grappling with the unspoken

questions that lingered in the air.

Patricia wrestled with not only the

practicalities of bail but also with

the deeper implications of Amelia's

late-night call. Could she truly trust

Amelia to show up for her court date?

These are very serious felony charges,

if Amelia tried to run from them as

she did with any difficult situation,

Amelia could go to prison and Patricia

would be out the money she had just

forked over for the bond.

The dawn of a new day brought with

it a sense of overwhelming worry for

both women. Patricia lay next to

Amelia watching her sleep, full of

hope that this would finally bring

them closer together in the loving

relationship that Patricia had always

wanted.

She had always been there as both a

friend and lover to Amelia. She wanted

nothing more than to spend the rest of

her life with Amelia. But Amelia

always seemed to want something else.

The harder Patricia tried the more

Amelia wanted from her and it just

never seemed like Patricia would ever

be enough in Amelia’s eyes.

She was also concerned about

Amelia, when they got to Patricia’s

Amelia popped open wine and started

drinking as if nothing had happened,

she was joking around, dancing,

hugging and kissing Patricia, groping

her, she even tried to have sex like

they normally would as if nothing had

happened.

Patricia ended up telling Amelia

that she was just too exhausted. The

whole thing confused Patricia and she

felt as if Amelia was not taking any

of it seriously.

Amelia was behaving as if nothing

had happened at all, she did not seem

phased in the least that she had been

arrested and that the charges were

felony charges. No, Amelia just wanted

to party as if nothing had happened.

Patricia was still struggling to

understand what had happened during

their weekend trip together and as

much as she loved Amelia she was

having a hard time understanding what

happened and not knowing if she really

did ask for it.

Over a steaming cup of coffee,

Patricia delicately broached the

subject that hung heavy in the air,

the felony charges that now shadowed

Amelia's every move. The atmosphere

between them was charged with a mix of

concern and the unspoken

acknowledgment that life had taken an

unexpected turn.

Patricia, choosing her words

carefully, asked Amelia about her plan

for addressing the legal consequences.

“What are you thinking about last

night? These charges are no joke.”

The weight of the conversation

pressed upon them as Amelia, still

grasping with the fallout of her

actions, revealed a nonchalant

attitude, as if she had not a care in

the world. “Like I am worried but I am

pretty sure I’ll get let off, this

isn’t as bad as it seems.” Came

Amelia’s response.

In shock at her response “Amelia,

these are serious charges from what I

read of the arrest record, they have

been watching you for months selling

Cocaine, Meth even? Why didn’t you

come to me, I would have given you the

money you needed, to do this, I—I- I

don’t know what to think.” Patricia

said as tears rolled down her face.

Laughing “Don’t be dramatic here, I

made a choice not to come to you

because I can make more selling drugs.

Hell, I make more dealing than I do

working.”

A profound sadness filled

Patricia’s heart as Amelia spoke. She

simply did not care one bit with

regard to the gravity of this

situation and if she had been making

that much money from the looks and

sound of it, she had been using her

share of the money she had been

making.

Pulling her thoughts together

Patricia, with a steadying presence,

offered support and encouragement,

urging Amelia to confront the reality

of the situation and to consider the

paths toward some type of redemption.

She talked to her about getting

pre-trial services, offered to pay for

them, a good lawyer would get her into

classes, therapy, everything and prove

to a judge that this was a simple

mistake, she had been trying to make

ends meat although illegally, it was a

tough economy after all.

As the discussion unfolded Patricia

could see clearly that Amelia was not

hearing any of it really, all she

wanted to do was drink, party and

fuck. Amelia didn’t seem bothered that

she was facing felony charges in the

least. She could face years in prison

and she did not care, all she wanted

was a drink.

In many ways this let Patricia

down, she loved Amelia, she wanted to

spend the rest of her life with her,

have a family and home with her and

all Amelia wanted was to drink and

party.

She complained that the police took

all of her coke so she had nothing to

get her through the week. She asked

Patricia if she could borrow a couple

thousand so that she could score some

more both to sell and use.

Patricia was in complete and utter

shock at the idea yet gave Amelia the

cash. She explained to her that she

had to travel for work for a few days

but would be back and made Amelia

promise to stay home, lay low and wait

for her to return.

After Amelia left, Patricia felt

exhausted both emotionally and

physically. Amelia was draining and

unmoved by everything that had just

happened the night before.

While Patricia wanted to save her,

she was not sure how to save someone

who didn’t care. What’s worse is that

if Amelia had lied about the weekend

that they spent together Patricia

would never be able to forgive her.

What if Amelia had assaulted her?

Could she even file charges? Would

anyone listen to her if she told, they

were in some sort of sexual

relationship as it was, so why would

anyone listen to her.

————

CHAPTER 24

As Amelia's legal troubles cast a

looming shadow over her life, she kept

drinking the days away. The weight of

felony charges pressed heavily on her

shoulders, and instead of facing the

consequences with resolve, she sought

refuge in the numbing haze of alcohol

and drugs.

Each drink offered a temporary

reprieve from the harsh reality of her

arrest and impending repercussions.

Each line of coke gave her the energy

to have another drink and turn a blind

eye to the realities that were

happening around her.

Amelia quite simply put, was not

capable of facing the reality of the

situation, she was not equipped to

deal with real life. Her mind never

allowed her to do so, she manipulated,

controlled and got her way at every

turn, this problem simply did not

comply with how Amelia’s mind worked.

Patricia attempted interventions

when calling to check in on Amelia,

expressing concern and urging her to

confront the looming legal storm, but

Amelia's stubborn refusal to

acknowledge the severity of her

situation persisted.

Within days Amelia's behaviour

became increasingly erratic. She

failed to grasp the gravity of her

actions, the alcohol-induced fog

blurring the lines between

accountability and escapism.

In her more drunk moments she would

send Jack the most hateful texts, she

would become deranged and out of

control. It had gotten to the point

where Jack just simply stopped trying

to call her which did nothing to help

sooth Amelia’s frail psyche.

Close friends like Patricia and co-

workers watched helplessly as Amelia's

self-destructive tendencies deepened,

the hope for redemption nothing more

than a fleeting idea or memory of a

conversation with someone.

Attempts to reason with Amelia fell

on deaf ears as she continued to seek

solace at the bottom of a bottle,

stubbornly refusing to face the

consequences. The once powerful woman,

full of life and laughter, now moved

through the world in a drunken

dramatic haze, still going out to the

bars, still going home with anyone

willing to have sex with her.

Amelia’s main focus was finding out

who turned her in. Consumed by a toxic

blend of anger, paranoia, vengeance

and desperation, Amelia's singular

focus became a relentless quest to

unveil the identity of the person who

had ratted her out.

The person who was responsible for

leading to her legal woes. Every

waking moment was dedicated to tracing

the source of her downfall, as she

sifted through relationships and

scrutinised every interaction for

perceived betrayals.

Friends and acquaintances became

potential suspects in her eyes, and

the once vibrant connections in her

life turned into a tangled web of

distrust. The pursuit of this elusive

truth overshadowed any semblance of

self-reflection or accountability,

leaving Amelia trapped in a cycle of

suspicion that threatened to erode the

bonds she had left. Amelia’s obsession

with blame would further entrench her

in a web of self-destruction.

She did not care at all if she hurt

anyone in the process of trying to

unravel who it might have been that

turned her in. She seriously started

to suspect Patricia they were lifelong

friends after all and Patricia knew

about her drug habits, so did Jody,

Jack on the other hand did not have

any idea.

Maybe her dad came back somehow and

found her and turned her in, she knew

that he hated the she left him, he was

her money train he could apply for and

get state benefits if she had stayed

at home and lived in that shit hole.

Or it had been Cal, she had to figure

out turned her in and she had to exact

her revenge before Jack found out,

maybe that would save her from these

felony charges.

————-

CHAPTER 25

When the plane touched down in DIA

Jack was filled with both excitement

as well as fear, he hadn’t been home

on time since his stay was extended

for work and he couldn’t wait to share

his experiences with Amelia having

temporarily forgotten the hell she had

been putting him through.

While in the car with Amelia, going

home to Denver where they had built a

life together something about Amelia

made Jack feel afraid, an unspoken

tension lingered in the air.

He couldn't ignore the subtle

changes in Amelia's demeanour, she

seemed angry, really angry like never

before but as if she was trying to

hide it. She didn’t greet him with

excitement or enthusiasm or anything,

she barely uttered two words to him

during the drive home, she asked him

if he was hungry.

Jack was taken aback by how she was

behaving, he did not know what to

think, do or say. He was worried that

she planned to hurt him physically but

quickly pushed the thought from his

mind.

Amelia looked haggard, worn down,

like she hadn’t slept in days. Like

someone who had been on a three week

drinking binge. Maybe she was just

tired?

Jack knew because of the texts and

voicemails that Amelia had been

drinking the entirety of his time

away, he had planned to discuss that

with her but perhaps now was not the

time. He couldn’t place what was wrong

and he did not want to tempt the fate

of her rage by brining anything

negative or bad up.

As Jack walked through the front

door of the apartment the warmth of

familiarity clashed with an unexpected

chill. The place was a wreck, laundry

everywhere, dishes pilled up, empty

bottles of booze all over.

Amelia, once his confidante and

partner, once the woman he would do

anything for out of love, took her

coat off and turned to met him with a

forced cold smile that barely masked

the storm brewing within.

Her eyes betrayed a mixture of

jealousy and anger, creating an

atmosphere more uncomfortable than the

turbulence he experienced during the

flight.

Amelia's greeting lacked the usual

enthusiasm. "Welcome home, Jack," she

said, her tone distant and seething

with ice. Her eyes void of any loving

emotions.

Jack, sensing the shift, attempted

to break through the icy facade. "I've

missed you, Amelia. How have you

been?” He tried to grab her for a hug

and she pushed him off of her.

Her response was terse. "Fine. Just

fine. Not like you really fucking

care, you barely call or text.”

Jack at a complete loss looked at

her shaking his head. “That is not

fair, you knew before I left that I

would have little time to text and

call.” He decided not to remind her of

the hateful calls and texts she had

made to and sent to him.

Whatever was in the air made Jack

feel on edge, he worried she was on

the warpath and that is not what he

wanted to come home to. He tiptoed

around her anger.

“Riiight,” Amelia retorted her

voice dripping with anger.

Jack decided to let it be, he

wanted peace and had no desire to

argue, he simply wanted the peace that

he felt during his time in Texas when

she wasn’t near him, around him or in

the same room with him.

The night was difficult to get

through for Jack, she was eerily

distant and quiet, although angry, he

could feel it in the air between them.

He ordered pizza for them and they

agreed to watch a movie, although

Amelia decided to open two bottles of

wine and down them both. She passed

out thankfully.

Jack sat quietly in deep thought.

He knew it was not going to work with

her, he had to end it. He felt happier

than he had in years while he had been

away from her, despite her nonstop

calling and texting.

Throughout the week, Amelia's

jealousy became palpable. Innocent

conversations turned into heated

arguments as she questioned Jack about

every detail of his time away. The

trust Jack thought they shared seemed

frayed, broken and unraveling in the

face of suspicion and resentment.

One evening, as they sat at outside

on their balcony overlooking the town,

the tension reached its breaking

point. Amelia's eyes betrayed a storm

of emotions as she finally confronted

Jack.

"Why did you spend so much time

away, Jack? Is your job more important

than us? You promised just two weeks

and it was so much longer without so

much as an explanation.”

Jack, finding himself caught off

guard, tried to explain. "It's just

work, Amelia. I need to be there for

my job, but it doesn't mean that I

value it more than our relationship.

My time got extended because I am a

new hire and had to be onboarded in

the middle of project"

Amelia's anger flared. “Right , I

hear the way you talk to your

colleagues, especially that woman,

Mallory. Don't think I haven't

noticed."

Jack sighed, realising the depth of

Amelia's insecurity and quite frankly

shocked that she had been listening to

his calls with Mallory about work.

“Mallory is my boss, Amelia. We had

to talk about my return. There’s

nothing more to it.” He flatly

responded.

Shooting Jack a look of pure

hatred, Amelia got up, grabbed a

bottle of wine and went into the spare

bedroom, the room she slept in the

entire time Jack had been home.

The week that was meant to rekindle

their connection became a battleground

of emotions. Jack, torn between his

career and his relationship, struggled

to bridge the growing divide. Despite

attempts to reassure Amelia, the

lingering jealousy and anger cast a

shadow over their time together.

Amelia’s drinking all week did not

help matters. She would start happy

with a few glasses of wine, but the

more she drank each night, the worse

things got, the more argumentative she

became and would pick a fight just for

the sake of picking a fight. Saying

things that were meant to rip him

apart emotionally and mentally. Trying

each and every time to break him down

into a weak little shell of a man.

The night before he left he joined

her in a drink over dinner assuring

her that he loved her and would be

home soon. Then things got blurry and

hazy, Jack struggled to remember what

had happened.

When he woke he saw a very large

dildo on a towel on the floor and he

was sore. He could not remember what

happened but he was sure that he knew

and he was deeply troubled and

embarrassed.

During the drive to the airport he

tried to talk to Amelia about what

transpired the night before but she

simply brushed it off explaining that

Jack had asked her to do it. She said

that he told her that he’d always

fantasised about taking it in the add

and had become obsessed about it ever

since he met Cole his new coworker.

It didn’t make sense he was not

attracted to Cole or any man for that

matter. None of it made sense and he

had only drank a glass and a half of

wine despite being told that he just

kept pouring them back and begged her

to ruthlessly fuck him.

He couldn’t shake the thought “did

Amelia drug and rape me?” He couldn’t

tell anyone not even Sarah what

happened he was so humiliated by it.

For the first time ever he knew real

fear of what Amelia could be capable

of. He feared her now more than ever

before.

As Jack boarded the plane back to

Texas, he felt a huge amount of relief

for the distance between them that

suddenly seemed more profound than

ever.

To be away from her made him feel

alive, less afraid and in control of

his own life and thrilled for what was

to come if stayed the path. Afraid of

anyone learning what had happened

during this trip home.

The challenge ahead was clear – to

navigate the storm of emotions and

find a way back to the solid ground,

alone. He made up his mind this week

and he thought, that perhaps it was

time to leave Amelia once and for all

and start his new journey alone. The

only question remained, would he be

able to do it without help?

He considered talking with Cole and

Mallory, they were all so very close

as it was. Maybe they could offer some

advice at least on how Jack could best

end things with Amelia in the safest

way possible.

—————

CHAPTER 26

While back in the safety of work

far away from Amelia, Jack’s phone

buzzed incessantly as he continued to

navigated the challenges of his

demanding job.

The hectic schedule of his second

flight out, left him with little time

to catch his breath, let alone respond

to every message that flooded his

inbox. Yet, within the whirlwind of

deadlines and meetings, one source of

constant disruption emerged—Amelia's

texts.

A week and a half had passed since

his second departure, and he no longer

found himself feeling the anticipation

of messages from Amelia for they had

morphed into a jarring shock. The tone

of her texts had shifted from the

initial expressions of longing to a

barrage of accusations and desperate

pleas. Jack, immersed in his

responsibilities, found himself

confronted by a digital storm he had

not anticipated.

As he scrolled through the

onslaught of messages, each filled

with a cocktail of Amelia’s drunk

emotions, Jack's brow furrowed in

bewilderment. The demands for

attention, the veiled threats, and the

stark contrast to the woman he had

given an ultimatum to, one she agreed

to uphold, only intensified his sense

of disorientation. The pace of his new

life clashed with the intensity of

Amelia's unraveling emotions.

Attempting to decipher the torrent

of texts, Jack grappled with a mix of

concern and confusion. She sent him a

video of her fucking him with a large

dildo as the laughed and kept saying

“this is what you want isn’t it

darling, you like being used don’t

you?” Jack found himself feeling sick

and quickly deleted the message.

Amelia had raped him and although

he couldn’t prove it, he was sure she

had drugged him to do it. The

realisation that his absence had

triggered a maelstrom of emotions in

Amelia and highlighted her need for

mental health help not only further

worried him but he became very afraid

of what she could do to him.

The distance between them, once

measured in miles, now seemed

insurmountable as he struggled to

maintain peace with the woman he once

loved, the woman who now seemed to

hate his guts.

He had been torn as to what he

should do here, he did not want to

upset her further, she was not well

and he felt sorry for her, yet at the

same time, he needed it to just stop.

In the midst of back-to-back

meetings and pressing deadlines, Jack

started to feel free from Amelia and

her ice cold grip on him. Part of him

wanted to reach out, to explain, to

comfort, because he is a human being.

The constraints of his new

responsibilities bound him in a

frustrating silence because he could

not respond to her, he could call the

police, he did not want to risk his

new job. The pings of Amelia's

messages became a dissonant soundtrack

to his attempts to focus on the

demands of his professional life.

As the days unfolded, Jack grappled

with the challenge of finding a

balance between his personal and

professional worlds. He had to find a

peaceful way to end things with her,

she had been sending pictures of her

cut up wrists, not deep enough to

consider a suicide, it was a cry for

attention.

In the midst of Texas sunsets and

the relentless pace of corporate life,

part of Jack yearned for a moment of

simple silence, no calls, no texts,

just silence. He craved time alone for

on other reason other than to think

and figure out how to leave Amelia.

Should he pay for the apartment and

let her stay in it a month or two,

should he ask her to move out and let

her figure things out on her own?

Jack was absolutely hitting his

breaking point with all of the wild

accusations, the drunken voicemails

her slurring every goddamn hateful,

vile word meant to break him, meant to

make him fail at his new job.

Jack considered calling his

apartment management company and

asking them if they could evict her

but thought better of it, she would

trash everything in the place and he

knew that.

Her unpredictable and violent

behaviour all but assured that, and she

would make a scene, a loud, violent

scene on her way out. He worried she

would make some wild accusations that

would get him evicted too.

He had thousands of hateful and

mean texts and voicemails, some where

she made drunken threats to destroy

his life. Threatening to tell his

mother that he was into men as well as

women. It was awful.

After his trip home plus all of the

texts, Jack finally resigned himself

to going to Cole and Mallory, he might

lose his job over revealing everything

but he needed help, he needed someone

to help him out of the mess that he

had gotten himself into.

He was not sure how much he should

share with them other than his

girlfriend was mentally ill and needed

help but that he was having trouble

breaking up with her due to her mental

illness.

He hoped and prayed that they would

not judge him for wanting to throw in

the towel and walk away from a

mentally ill person. He also hoped

that they did not judge he seemingly

picked a mentally ill woman to live

with, to be his girlfriend.

It was a huge risk but he felt that

he had to take it no matter what. If

things kept going as they were she

could hurt herself, hurt him, become

much worse and it could break him.

—————

CHAPTER 27

Patricia's heart raced as she made

her way to Amelia's home, her mind

swirling with a mixture of nerves and

excitement. She was going to throw

caution to the wind and try it one

last time with Amelia.

Jack was away in Texas on business

again, providing Patricia with the

perfect opportunity to share her

deepest feelings with Amelia. She

wanted to try to save her, she loved

her and wanted a life with her.

As she approached Amelia's

doorstep, Patricia took a deep breath,

steadying herself for the pivotal

moment that lay ahead. The door

creaked open, and there stood Amelia,

a curious expression on her face.

"Amelia, there's something

important I need to talk to you

about," Patricia began, her voice

tinged with both hope and uncertainty.

Amelia invited Patricia inside

smiling because she had been feeling

so very alone and this was a perfect

opportunity to draw Patricia in using

sex. She needed some more money, she

wanted to feel wanted and she knew how

to play at Patricia’s emotions. After

the other night when Patricia turned

her down Amelia was worried that she

was losing Patricia too but now, not

so much.

The room felt charged with

anticipation as Patricia poured out

her feelings, expressing the love that

had blossomed within her heart. She

looked into Amelia's eyes, hoping to

see a reflection of the emotions she

was laying bare.

“I just want to tell you or well I

want to start by saying Amelia, you

are my entire world. I love you, I am

deeply and madly in love with you. I

want to give you a life of pure

happiness and fill all of your wants,

needs and desires. I want a home with

you, I want us to adopt a kid or two,

I want us to move away. I want to

marry you!” Patricia excitedly blurted

out.

However, as Patricia bared her

soul, an uneasy tension filled the

room. Amelia's demeanour shifted, and a

cold silence settled between them as

Patricia finished professing her love

for Amelia. Patricia sensed that

something was amiss and fear of

rejection welled up inside of both her

heart and her soul.

"I appreciate your honesty,

Patricia, but I can't reciprocate

those feelings, you’ve always been

just a fuck to me,” Amelia spat, her

words cutting through the air like a

sharp blade.

“Yea I used you even as a kid, your

family. None of you meant anything to

me, I needed a way out and you gave it

to me.” Amelia said with a cool

coldness that it sent shivers down

Patricia’s spine.

“I don’t give a shit about your

love, I would never marry you, kids

with you, ha, what a fucking joke.

Like you could provide me all of the

wants and needs that I have like a man

could. Don’t kid yourself girl, you

live in a fantasy, I live in reality,

you’re nothing but a whore like when I

fucked you, you love spreading your

legs and being used.” Amelia said half

laughing in a sinister mean way.

Stunned, Patricia felt a wave of

disbelief crash over her. This was not

the response that she had envisioned.

She had hoped for warmth,

reciprocation, or at least a

compassionate rejection. Instead, she

found herself facing a wall of

rejection that felt ruthlessly abrupt.

Amelia continued, "Our friendship

and the sex are all it is for me but

your not a really great friend, I have

others that are way better and no, I

can't see us as anything more than

friends with benefits. I think it's

best if we maintain what we have

without complicating things. Besides I

don’t view us as a couple, I never

have and I never will,” She said as

she sneered at Patricia.

“You act like you are the fucking

greatest thing since sliced bread but

the truth is you are nothing, you are

nothing but a plain, bland boring

fucking person. YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME

STUPID FUCKING WHORE!” She yelled at

Patricia.

Patricia's heart sank, the weight

of unrequited love settling heavily

upon her. She had laid bare her

vulnerability, only to be met with a

rejection so cold that felt more

brutal than she could have imagined.

The air grew thick with discomfort as

the realisation of shattered

expectations hung in the room.

Through tears Patricia looked at

Amelia “But you can’t mean that, I

have always loved you, I have always

been her for you, cared for and about

you, taken care of you when you were

at your worst. Please Amelia?”

Laughing in her face Amelia simply

picked up the drink she had just made

and took a sip “ you sound fucking

pathetic. I think you should leave,

besides, I told you to never come to

my fucking home, the one I share with

a man, the one who can actually truly

satisfy me.”

Feeling wounded and vulnerable,

Patricia excused herself from Amelia's

home, the once-promising bond she

thought they shared was now clouded

with the sting of rejection. As she

walked away, Patricia couldn't shake

the pain of unreciprocated love,

leaving her to grasp what had happened

and with the aftermath of a fateful

visit that had not gone as planned.

Amelia on the other hand could have

cared less about the pain she

inflicted upon Patricia. While at the

bar later that night Amelia bragged

about it to others, as if Patricia was

something Amelia could actually love?

She was a fuck toy and nothing more.

Bar patrons laughed and joined in on

the conversation slamming Patricia.

Someone had sent Patricia a text

message, a mutual friend and it broke

her heart. Was this truly how Amelia

felt about her, did she get played all

this time? Patricia truly loved her,

she wanted to marry her and raise a

family with her, how could she betray

her so? Amelia told Patricia for years

she wanted the same thing, but the

truth was she was only using her for

money, sex and help. Patricia found

herself completely heartbroken.

————

CHAPTER 28

Cole decided that it was time to

bring Jack further into the fold. Cole

had Jack over to meet his wife and

kids, they couldn’t help but notice

how many times Amelia had been texting

Jack. It was non-stop. Shelly, Cole’s

wife felt terrible for poor Jack who

started to open up about Amelia.

Sharing with them all that this

horrible woman had been putting him

through. It had now been three months

of Jack working with the team and

Amelia was unraveling pretty fast.

Amelia was being relentless and

kept emailing trying to get Jack

fired. Cole had a PI tailing her and

it looked like her lesbian love affair

was about fizzle out, but she was

going home with strangers. Amelia was

out drinking day and night. It looked

like she might have lost her office

job and had been offer a job working

at a bar called Blush and Blu a

lesbian bar. It appears that her

friend Jody the owner hired her out of

pity.

Her destructive nature was causing

Cole to worry for Jack’s safety each

time he returned home. Amelia had sent

a video of what appeared to be her

raping a drugged Jack. It was time

Cole and Mallory spoke with Jack in

full disclosure.

The next morning Jack saw the email

calling him to a meeting with Cole and

Mallory. Jack entered the dimly lit

room where Mallory the enigmatic

figure who held considerable

influence, and Cole, known as "the

Hand" sat at a polished mahogany

table. The air was thick with an air

of authority and secrecy that seemed

to define the inner circle they

formed.

"Jack, glad you could make it,"

Mallory said, her expression

inscrutable as she gestured for Jack

to take a seat.

Cole, a figure shrouded in mystery

with a reputation that extended beyond

the room they occupied, nodded in

acknowledgment. “Jack, I think it’s

time we talked about Amelia.”

Jack took a deep breath, collecting

his thoughts before launching into his

heartbreak. He detailed the intricate

web of Amelia's control, the

manipulative patterns, and the

emotional turmoil that had become the

backdrop of his life, carefully

leaving out her having drugged and

sexually abusing him.

"It's like I'm caught in a game I

didn't sign up for. Amelia knows how

to play me, and I can't seem to break

free," Jack explained, his frustration

evident.

Mallory listened attentively, her

piercing gaze revealing little. "And

what do you propose, Jack?"

Jack, now facing the enigmatic

figures who held sway over the shadowy

realm they inhabited, spoke with a

sense of determination. "I need to

untangle myself from this web. I can't

continue down this path, and I need

your guidance on how to navigate these

waters."

Cole leaned back, studying Jack

with an intensity that hinted at the

depth of his understanding. "You've

got to be careful, Jack. Once you

start pulling at these threads,

there's no telling where it might lead

much less how she might react."

Jack nodded, acknowledging the

risks involved. "I understand, Cole.

But I can't let this continue. It's

affecting my life in ways that I never

anticipated."

Mallory, the silent orchestrator in

the room, finally spoke. "We'll

support you, Jack. But you need to

tread carefully. Unraveling from

someone like Amelia can be a perilous

journey."

As Jack left the room, the weight

of his decision lingered. The inner

circle, with its mysterious figures

and clandestine operations, had become

an unexpected ally in his quest for

liberation. The shadows of

manipulation and control were about to

face the piercing light of truth, and

Jack braced himself for the tumultuous

chapters that lay ahead.

————-

CHAPTER 29

Cole sat back shocked as he

uncovered the unsettling truth about

Amelia's actions. A trail of betrayal

unfolded before him, revealing her

interference in Jack's job searches

and the calculated move to have his

dream job rescinded. Her recent

arrest. The weight of her deceptions

pressed heavily on his shoulders.

As he dug deeper, Cole unearthed

the painful reality of Amelia's

multiple affairs with married men,

each revelation would crush Jack.

Amelia used the married men for money,

apparently unable to hold down stable

employment, she lied to Jack the

entirety of their relationship. Cole

knew she had sexually assaulted Jack

as well and he feared Jack’s safety

should he continue with her.

Cole kept himself in check and

contemplated confronting Amelia but

he knew deep down what the aftermath

might be. It would be best to share

everything in full disclosure with

Jack.

The revelation of Amelia's affairs

took an even darker turn as Cole

stumbled upon a shocking truth. Not

only had she engaged in multiple

affairs with married men, but she had

also become pregnant and resorted to a

ruthless scheme of blackmail to secure

financial gain. The gravity of the

situation weighed heavily on Cole's

conscience, realising the depth of her

deceit and the potential devastation

it could bring about in Jack’s life.

The looming fear of Jack

discovering on his own this web of

betrayal heightened the emotional

turmoil, creating a sense of impending

catastrophe that threatened to shatter

the life of Jack and the new life he

was trying to build at work. Cole had

to tread with care on this one, it

would be tricky to get Jack out of

this relationship but he had to help

in any way that he could and he had to

protect Jack from this woman at all

costs.

Cole picked up the phone,

conferencing in both Mallory and Elon,

he revealed every horrible detail of

Amelia. Shocked and sickened “Cole,

you need to save him, he is worth so

much to our program and what we are

doing here. Mallory, do you agree,

that Jack is worth saving?”

“Of course he is, like I said

before he is important to our work and

too important to lose. Cole, you have

a green light to do whatever it takes

to help him get out of this. Do let me

know how I can help.”

With that Cole knew what he had to

do, but first, had to make another

call, a call to son that he had grown

to love as his own.

“Hey son, how are you doing

tonight?”

“Hi dad, I am doing okay, feeling

sick but okay.” Responded the soft and

frail voice of the boy Cole took in as

his own so long ago. “Chemotherapy is

no fun son, we both knew that you

would feel like this. But the good

news is that you are tough like me,

you will get through this with flying

colors.”

“I know dad, when will you be able

to break free of work and come see me?

I miss you, school, mom, my friends

and my little brothers.”

Smiling Cole couldn’t help but know

the love and adoration that his son

had for him, adopted or not, this was

his boy and he cherished every single

moment and word that they had.

“Adam, I’ll be flying out tomorrow

afternoon to see you for a few days. I

love you so much son, and together we

will get through this. I promise.”

Hanging up the phone Cole knew that

he had to work quickly to arrange

protection for Jack. Adam needed him

for a few days and Cole was determined

to be there for his son. Jack would

have to wait just a couple of days so

that Cole could slip home and take

care of his son. Besides he missed his

wife and needed her input with regard

to how best to help Jack.

————-

CHAPTER 30

Cole sat across from Jack, his

expression weighed down by the burden

of a heavy secret. The hum of the

office faded into the background as he

took a deep breath, preparing to share

news that would help secure Jack

further into the fold.

"Jack," Cole began cautiously,

"there's something you need to know

about Amelia."

Jack raised an eyebrow, concern

flickering across his features. "What

now? I’m sorry, I’m frustrated by her

behaviour and betrayals. Is everything

alright with her?"

Cole hesitated for a moment,

choosing his words carefully.

"Amelia's facing some legal troubles.

Serious legal troubles, of the felony

kind. She's been trying to keep it

under wraps, going out of her way to

hide it from you."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise, a

mix of emotions flashing across his

face. "Legal troubles? What kind of

felony trouble are we talking about?

For fuck’s sake, I have only been away

for a few months.”

Cole leaned in, lowering his voice,

"It's cocaine distribution, Jack.

Undercover police had been watching

her for quite some time, and it really

does seem like she really has been

dealing drugs for a while.”

A cloud of concern settled over

Jack's expression as he processed the

revelation. "Why would she hide this

from me? Why would she even do this?”

Cole sighed, knew the delicate

nature of the situation. "I think she

is unraveling Jack, she has been for

years."

Jack leaned back in his chair, his

mind racing. "Everything about her is

a lie isn’t it? Our life as a couple

is based on a carefully designed lie

by her isn’t it?”

Cole placed a reassuring hand on

Jack's shoulder. "You will be taken

care of Jack, I assure you."

A mix of profound sadness and worry

flashed in Jack's eyes. "There’s more

isn’t there? She’s been hiding the

real her from me, tell me everything,

Cole.”

Leaving Cole’s office, Jack was in

a haze of confusion and misery. He yet

again fell for a woman who was a liar,

a cheat, a manipulative woman, not to

mention someone who was bat shit

crazy. Every single aspect of Amelia’s

life was a total and complete lie.

Everything.

Not even her name was real, Cole

could not find her real name and no

birth records ever existed for Amelia

Eckenhart, she never existed prior to

when Jack met her in college. As for

college, Cole carefully pointed out

that while Amelia showed up on campus,

no one ever saw her attend a single

class, in fact in digging through

records Amelia was never enrolled at

CU in, around or during the same

timeframe Jack was.

Her multiple affairs as well,

abortions to keep the affairs hidden

from Jack. Nothing about her was real,

it was all faked but why? Surely it

wasn’t for the sake of somehow

entrapping Jack?

Remembering how they first met, it

was at a party, she was full of life,

easy to talk to, open up to. Jack had

revealed too much that night to her,

she was able to get into his head by

posing as a sympathetic ear, someone

who he could confide in and trust.

She was never in college, she would

just show up and pretend as if she

was. She had nothing to her name, a

pile of debt and legal problems. If

Jack were to stay by her side the coke

distribution alone could also take him

down with her, Cole was right about

that.

Deeply hurting, scared and worried

all of this could ruin his career

Cole, promised Jack that he would be

safe from harm. He had explained that

this happens sometimes to even the

most educated and talented of

individuals. People who prey on those

weekend by emotional pain tend to find

a way in and create a false sense of

love and safety.

Cole warned Jack that he had more

to share, but would only share it when

Jack was ready. Jack half wondered

what could be worse than what Cole

already shared, he both wanted to know

and didn’t want to know. This was all

just a terrible nightmare.

How could he ever go home and face

Amalia after all of this? He was so

disappointed in himself for staying

with her and for not speaking up for

himself. She was a horrible human

being and a monster as far as Jack was

concerned.

————-

CHAPTER 31

When he first called Cole,

recognised the urgency in Jack's plea

for liberation from Amelia's web of

control. The shadows of manipulation

that clung to Jack's life demanded

intervention, and Cole took it upon

himself to be the shield that would

protect Jack from the storm that

loomed.

After a meeting with Mallory, Cole

invited Jack out for a drink, it was

time he shared everything else with

Jack, all that Elon, Mallory and Cole

learned about Jack and Amelia before

they even hired Jack.

"Jack, you're under our protection.

Amelia won't harm you while you

untangle from this mess," Cole

assured, his voice carrying a weight

of authority that hinted at the depths

of his influence.

As the mysterious figure within the

inner circle, Cole wielded a power

that extended beyond the ordinary

realms of control. He understood the

intricate dance of manipulation that

defined Amelia's tactics and knew that

untangling Jack would require

strategic manoeuvres.

“I want to share the emails that

Amelia has been sending in an attempt

to get you fired Jack.”

Handing over the printed emails,

Jack turned pale reading the torrid

lies Amelia had been attempting to

present the team with. Lie after lie,

stating that Jack abused her, raped

her, shared her with other men against

her will, even engaged in sexual

activity with other men in front of

her. She went to the extent of sending

pictures of two men having sex, she

must have been drunk when she sent

them, clearly neither were of Jack.

But she did send the video of her

sexually assaulting Jack.

Jack looked up pale and before he

could speak Cole raised his hand. “We

are getting you out of this and now.

Anything in your apartment we will

escort you to retrieve once she is

moved out and gone from your life.”

“Cole, I can’t make you do that, I

should go ask her to leave myself

honestly.” Jack looked shaken up but

Cole persisted.

“Nonsense, I will not hear of it.

Jack, this woman has taken a lot of

your life. We found you because of CU.

Yes we know that they rescinded the

job offer they had sent to you. You

know why they did that deep down don’t

you? I know your mother certainly

does.”

Jack could not believe it, his

mother was right. All along she

suspected Amelia of having ruined his

opportunity, she was right. At this

point Jack agreed with Cole, it was

time to get out of the relationship

and be done with Amelia, she was not

going to get any better. It broke

Jack’s heart but he had no choice it

had to be done before she ruined his

life along with her own.

Under Cole's guidance, Jack was

discreetly moved to a secure location,

away from the immediate reach of

Amelia's influence and his personal

cell phone had been turned over to

Cole and the security team. The layers

of protection were carefully woven,

each step calculated to shield Jack

from the storm that threatened to

engulf him.

Meanwhile, Cole, with his network

of connections and influence,

initiated a plan to disrupt the

mechanisms of control that Amelia had

deployed. The shadows of manipulation

were met with the penetrating light of

counteraction.

Amelia, accustomed to exerting

dominance and control, found her

efforts thwarted at every turn. The

subtle manipulations that once held

Jack captive began to unravel, and as

frustration mounted, she realised that

Jack was slipping away from her grasp.

In the secure confines arranged by

Cole, Jack underwent a process of

self-discovery, untangling the

emotional knots and rediscovering his

own agency. As Cole's protective

shield held firm, Jack gained the

strength to confront the patterns that

had bound him to Amelia.

The showdown between Amelia and the

protective forces orchestrated by Cole

reached its zenith. The shadows of

manipulation faced the unyielding

shield that Cole had become for Jack.

The battle lines were drawn, and the

outcome would redefine the trajectory

of Jack's life.

As the storm of confrontation

loomed, Cole stood steadfast, a

guardian in the shadows, ready to

shield Jack from the turbulence that

awaited.

The intricate dance between control

and liberation was about to reach its

climax, soon all would reveal the

extent of Cole's protective influence.

————-

CHAPTER 32

Amelia and Patricia's connection

traced back to the roots of their

shared past, a bond forged through the

years that transcended societal norms

and expectations. Lifelong friends,

they had navigated the twists and

turns of life together, their

connection evolving into a deeper,

unspoken love that defied

categorisation.

Despite Amelia's relationships with

men, Patricia remained a constant

presence in her life. An anchor, a

confidante, and a lover who patiently

waited in the wings. Amelia's romantic

endeavours came and went, but

Patricia's unwavering love persisted,

a silent undercurrent weaving through

the tapestry of their intertwined

lives.

As Amelia navigated her complex

relationship with Jack, Patricia stood

by, a supportive force amid the

storms. She harboured a love for Amelia

that transcended the conventional

boundaries of friendship, an enduring

flame that refused to be extinguished.

Patricia decided to give it one

last try and she invited Amelia over,

as the two women sat in the comforting

embrace of Patricia’s living room,

Patricia broached a topic that had

lingered since she and Amelia had

their fight. The air was thick with

unspoken sentiments, and Patricia's

voice trembled with vulnerability.

"Amelia, I've always loved you,

more than just as a friend," Patricia

reminded Amelia, her gaze searching

Amelia's eyes for understanding.

Amelia, felt a sudden surge of

emotion driven by her need to be cared

for and about now that Jack was for

sure done with her. "Patricia, you

mean the world to me. You've been my

rock through everything, my favourite

lover even.”

Patricia smiled, a mixture of

sadness and acceptance in her eyes."I

know, Amelia. And I've always been

willing to wait, to be whatever you

needed me to be. But I can't stand by

and watch you hurt yourself and others

with these destructive choices.”

She continued on after Amelia did

not respond or look angry, “I poured

out my heart to you and you threw it

in my face even shared it with

strangers in a bar. You sexually

assaulted me, you drugged me and you

sexually abused me without my consent.

You cannot deny what you did to me and

neither can I.”

“I’ve not dated a woman in years

while I stood by and waited for you as

you strung me along with sex and an

empty promise to decide what you

want.” Looking deep into Amelia’s

eyes.

Amelia sighed, the weight of

Patricia's words sinking in. "I never

wanted to hurt you, Patricia. You mean

everything to me, and I've taken that

for granted."

Their connection, layered with the

complexity of years of shared history,

underwent a transformation in that

moment. Patricia, despite her enduring

love, was no longer willing to be a

passive lover let alone observer to

the turmoil in Amelia's life.

"Amelia, it's time for you to make

a choice. I'll always be here for you,

but you need to confront the patterns

that are hurting both of us," Patricia

urged, her gaze filled with a mix of

love and resolve.

“Your drug use and drinking not to

mention that fact that you are

mentally ill. You are manipulative and

controlling and nothing seems to

matter to you other than just your own

feelings, other than just you.”

Amelia, accustomed to wielding

control in her relationships, found

herself in uncharted territory when

her lover Patricia expressed a desire

for independence. Patricia, once

patient and understanding, decided

that waiting for Amelia's

unpredictable moods and manipulative

behaviours was no longer sustainable.

As Patricia asserted her need for

autonomy, Amelia's sense of control

slipped through her fingers, replaced

by a brewing rage. The realisation

that Patricia was no longer willing to

endure the emotional turbulence of

their relationship ignited a fiery

storm within Amelia, a tempest fueled

by wounded pride and a fear of

abandonment.

The rage within Amelia manifested

in accusatory words and a torrent of

resentment. Unable to comprehend the

idea that someone could break free

from her carefully constructed web,

she lashed out at Patricia with a

mixture of anger and desperation.

"You can't just fucking sit here

and tell me what to do, Patricia!"

Amelia erupted, her voice laced with

anger and defensiveness.

Patricia, her eyes reflecting both

hurt and determination, stood her

ground. "Amelia, I'm trying to help

you see the impact of your choices. I

love you, but I can't watch you

destroy yourself."

Amelia, unable to confront the

truth before her, felt a surge of rage

building within. The years of shared

history, the depth of their

connection, now seemed like shackles

constraining her.

"I don't need your help, Patricia!

I hate that you think you can control

my life. If you can't accept me for

who I am, then maybe you should leave

me!" Amelia shouted, her fists

clenched in frustration.

Patricia, hurt by the venom in

Amelia's words, struggled to maintain

her composure. "Amelia, it's not about

control. It's about love and

understanding. I can't be a silent

witness to your self-destruction and

I’m not happy just being your lover. I

am deeply disturbed by the way you

sexually abused me and are sitting

here unapologetically, you won’t even

acknowledge it!”

Amelia was feeling attacked but

Patricia continued “you have never

once stopped and admitted any

wrongdoing on your part Amelia, you

have never once addressed your needs

for either medication or mental health

care. No it’s always been someone

else’s fault that you behave the way

that you do.”

Breathing in deeply “you have never

had a real relationship because you

are more concerned with control than

you are about someone else. Every

relationship that have ever had was

built on your manipulation and

manifestations while you confused lust

for real feelings. And it needs to

stop Amelia if I am to remain a part

of your life.”

————-

CHAPTER 33

The atmosphere crackled with

tension, the unspoken emotions

escalating to a breaking point. In a

moment of overwhelming anger, Amelia,

driven by a mix of frustration and

fear, lashed out physically, slapping

Patricia so hard that her nose started

to bleed. The sound of a slap

resonated through the room, a sharp

reminder of the emotional volcano that

had erupted.

Amelia started to throw dishes out

of the cabinets and onto the floor,

opened the refrigerator and began

tossing contents everywhere. She

punched and kicked Patricia knocking

her to the ground as she hurled

insults at her.

Pushing her off and shakily getting

back on her feet Patricia grabbed her

phone and put up her hand in a sign of

surrender.

Through tears “Amelia, stop or I am

going to call the police.”

“I am going to leave you Patricia!

Never contact me again!" Amelia spat,

her eyes burning with a combination of

rage and hatred she spun around and

stomped out of Patricia’s apartment

slamming the door behind her.

Patricia, stunned by the sudden

turn of events, felt the sting of both

the physical and emotional blows.

Silent tears welled in her eyes as she

turned away, realising the profound

shift in their relationship.

"I never thought it would come to

this, Amelia," Patricia whispered, her

voice cracking with a mix of pain and

sadness. As Amelia walked away,

Patricia carried with her the weight

of a severed connection, the echoes of

hurtful words, and the realisation

that sometimes, even the deepest bonds

can shatter under the weight of

unresolved emotions.

The unraveling of their connection

became a bitter pill for Amelia to

swallow, and her attempts to regain

control only pushed Patricia further

away. The lifelong bond the women

shared unfolded with Amelia grappling

not only with the end of a

relationship but also with the harsh

reality that her manipulative tactics

had backfired, leaving her isolated in

the wake of her own destructive

behavior.

Patricia called her friend Julie

and her wife she needed emotional

support right now. They made Patricia

spend the night which Patricia was

thankful for. When Julie took her home

the next day upon opening the door to

her apartment Patricia stopped letting

out a small cry.

Pushing past her Julie, looking

around while she stepped in she let

out a gasp as saw the state of the

apartment - it as if someone had

broken into Patricia’s apartment and

wrecked everything. The walls had been

spray painted with the word “whore”

clothes cut up and shredded, furniture

cut up, tipped over and everything in

the fridge, freezer and cupboards

emptied out all over.

Julie looked over at Patricia who

was silently crying “Pats we need to

call the police, she’s unraveling and

it’s not going to get better.”

————-

CHAPTER 34

By the time the police arrived they

were stunned at the damage in the

apartment. Luckily the building had

cameras throughout and they saw Amelia

and a strange man that Patricia did

not know enter into the building and

Patricia’s apartment where they spent

several hours trashing it.

Then everyone realised that a video

had been playing on loop, upon closer

inspection it appeared that a drugged

Patricia was being sexually assaulted

and beaten by Amelia. The police took

Patricia to the police station where a

victim’s advocate spoke with Patricia

and convinced her to file charges for

sexual assault. “It’s never okay for

someone to drug you and assault you no

matter what type of relationship you

have.” The advocate told Patricia.

Patricia had called her mom who

came to the station. She was horrified

by what Amelia had put her daughter

through. She assured police that

Amelia did not know where she lived as

she had moved about two years after

Patricia’s dad passed away.

Once at her mom’s Patricia broke

down, completely devastated and

destroyed crying hysterically. Her mom

tried to console her the best way she

could. The next morning Patricia’s mom

suggested that she stay with her for a

little while, Patricia agreed. In the

following days Patricia had lost her

job because of an email Amelia had

sent to her employer. Devastated even

more Patricia’s mom got an attorney

and filed charges against Amelia which

only added to her now mounting legal

troubles. Patricia’s mom also paid to

fix the apartment Patricia owned and

replaced the furniture. Patricia

decided that for the next year she

would stay with her mom and get

therapy to help her cope with

everything that happened.

————-

CHAPTER 35

Patricia's childhood unfolded in

the warm embrace of love and

affluence. Nestled within the walls of

a stately mansion, she found herself

surrounded by the opulence of her

wealthy parents' estate. From a young

age, Patricia experienced a world

where every whim and desire seemed

effortlessly fulfilled. Her days were

filled with laughter and joy as her

parents showered her with affection

and attention.

In the sprawling gardens that

adorned their estate, Patricia spent

countless hours exploring, her

imagination fueled by the beauty that

enveloped her. The air was filled with

the sweet fragrance of blooming

flowers, and the sound of her laughter

echoed against the backdrop of a

charmed life.

Her parents, pillars of support and

encouragement, cultivated an

environment that nurtured Patricia's

curiosity and talents. The walls of

her room were adorned with paintings

and sketches, a testament to her

scientific and nerdiness, inclinations

that were lovingly fostered. Family

vacations were grand adventures,

creating cherished memories that

painted her childhood with hues of

happiness.

In the evenings, Patricia often

found solace in the library,

surrounded by shelves filled with

literary treasures. Her parents,

recognising her love for knowledge,

indulged her voracious appetite for

books. They were not just providers of

material comforts; they were mentors

and guides, shaping Patricia's

character with values of kindness,

empathy, and a deep appreciation for

the beauty that life had to offer.

She had always been drawn to sci-fi

movies and television shows, she was

drawn to robotics and the possibility

of how mankind could create them to

help better the planet.

As she reflects on her formative

years, Patricia carries with her the

imprints of a childhood bathed in

love, security, and the boundless

opportunities that wealth and

affection can afford.

Patricia found Amelia while they

were both in grade school, she saw a

deeply rooted sadness in Amelia, she

became her lifelong protector and

friend. She always wanted to share her

good life with Amelia, was always

ready to share it with arms wide open.

Patricia’s parents were supportive

of her trying to save Amelia however

they saw that Amelia had been hiding

something deep down so they did not

trust Amelia one bit. They helped when

they needed to but only because they

knew that it would make their daughter

happy. They did try to create distance

between Amelia and their daughter as

the girls went off to college but it

didn’t work.

But no, Amelia was just too far

gone for that. Too far gone, even as a

little girl when they first met,

Amelia was a very lost and troubled

soul. Now she was so far gone that it

was now leaving Patricia to move on

without her and to bury deep within

the secrets that she knew about

Amelia. They swore as young kids to

keep one another’s deepest secrets, it

was a blood oath. Patricia would never

break that promise regardless of the

selfish, cruelty that Amelia had

inflicted upon her.

Patricia’s mom sat and reflected on

what they had done all those years ago

for Patricia and her love for Amelia.

She could not help but feel that they

had made a grave mistake. Amelia was

deranged and dangerous, they knew it

all those years ago when she had

gotten pregnant.

If the truth were to be told they

knew about it long before then. They

knew what Amelia had done to their

precious Patricia. Their daughter did

not remember what had happened and

they wanted to see that Amelia went to

jail but it was Patricia who stuck up

for her and protected her.

When Amelia had gotten pregnant and

had the baby it was Patricia and her

friend from school who came to them

asking for help. They insisted that it

would improve the lives of everyone

involved in particular Amelia and that

baby.

They had known who the father was

and because of Patricia’s love for

Amelia they helped seal a fate that

they could not undo no matter how hard

they tried. Patricia’s mom only hoped

and prayed that no one ever found out

the truth.

————-

CHAPTER 36

Amelia's downward spiral reached a

critical juncture as the self-

destructive tendencies that had

tainted her personal life began to

seep into her professional world.

One fateful morning, she arrived at

work visibly intoxicated, a haze of

alcohol clinging to her like a

suffocating cloud. Colleagues

exchanged concerned glances as her

behaviour grew increasingly erratic.

The workplace, once a realm of

productivity, transformed into a stage

for Amelia's unraveling. As she

stumbled through tasks, her words

slurred and actions erratic, the

disapproval from her coworkers became

palpable. The tipping point came when

she engaged in a heated confrontation

with her boss, a reckless display of

aggression that shocked those who

witnessed it. Accusations flew, and

the once-controlled façade that had

shielded Amelia's destructive

tendencies crumbled.

Amelia's intoxicated tirade not

only jeopardised her own standing

within the company but also left her

boss with no choice but to take swift

action. Termination became an

inevitable consequence, a final blow

that severed the professional ties

Amelia had worked so hard to

establish. It unfolded with the bitter

aftermath of self-destruction, as

Amelia grappled with the consequences

of her actions, realising that the

threads of her life were unraveling in

a way she could no longer control.

She went home and drank nonstop for

two days, sent hateful and spiteful

texts to both Jack and Patricia, she

was unable to control herself and

continued to send text after text.

By the third day Amelia was only

angered even more by the loss of

control she felt from her

relationships with Jack and Patricia

as well as at her termination so, went

to her friend Jody’s bar to drown her

sorrows as well as plot her revenge

against the world it would seem. Jack

was not answering her text or calls,

Patricia dumped her she had nothing

and feared losing everything.

Jody tried to console her, tried to

make her feel like she had people but

Amelia was so drunk that all Jody

could do was take her to the back

office and make her sleep it off.

Worried for her friend Jody called

her wife to discuss what they could do

to help Amelia before her life spun

further out of control. Jody did need

help around the bar and she and her

wife could let her stay with them

while she got back on her feet.

When Amelia woke in the morning

Jody and her wife were waiting to try

to talk to Amelia. Jody offered her a

job to help cover bills and offered to

let her stay with them for a while.

Jody softly suggested to Amelia that

she take a break from Jack, from

drinking, from the coke, from the

strange men and women she would bed

nightly. For her own good.

Amelia forced herself to agree with

Jody, this might be the only that

could save her for now, for Amelia

could feel something deeply amiss in

the air between she and Jack.

—————

CHAPTER 37

Jack was beginning the process of

self-discovery and had the protection

woven around him by the allies that

surrounded Jack as he faced the

pivotal moment of walking away from

the shadows of manipulation and

Amelia.

A newfound resolve, bolstered by

therapy and the support of those who

cared about his well-being, propelled

him toward the path of liberation.

Jack, once ensnared in the web of

control spun by Amelia, now stood at

the head of the table, ready to

control his own destiny.

The decision to walk away was not

just an act of physical departure but

a symbolic stride toward reclaiming

his agency and forging a life free

from the entanglements of

manipulation.

As Jack arrived home unexpected he

could see that it made Amelia feel

very uneasy that he had just shown up.

Glaring at her, he looked around his

apartment seeing how trashed it had

become. He saw holes in the walls, his

clothing strewn everywhere, bottles

everywhere and what appeared to be

baggies of coke lying about. He was so

disgusted that he felt for the first

time ever, this was the right thing to

do.

With a determined gaze, Jack faced

Amelia, the echoes of the battles

fought within himself reverberating

through the room. The emotional chains

that had once bound him to her were

now shattered, and the power dynamics

had shifted.

"I cannot and will not continue

down this path, Amelia. I deserve a

life built on respect and

authenticity, one without abuse, lies,

your substance abuse problem and your

mental illness” Jack declared, his

voice unwavering.

Amelia, caught off guard by the

strength in Jack's words, attempted to

deploy her familiar tactics of guilt

and manipulation. But Jack, armed with

the lessons learned and the protective

shield of self-preservation, remained

resolute.

The room, once suffused with the

tension of control, now held an air of

emancipation. Jack turned away,

walking out the door, mentally leaving

behind the shadows that had haunted

him for too long. Each step resonated

with the echoes of self-liberation, a

departure from the manipulative dance

that had defined his relationship with

Amelia.

The journey toward liberation had

begun, and as Jack stepped into the

unknown, he embraced the promise of a

future defined by authenticity,

resilience, and the newfound freedom

to shape his destiny. This the part of

his life that he had been dreaming

about and it awaited, filled with the

potential for growth, healing, and a

life unfettered by the shadows of

control.

As Jack walked away, Amelia’s mind

raced, she did not fully understand

what the hell just happened. She tried

to steady her mind and regain control

but it was too late, Jack did not stop

and turn around waiting for her to

respond or at least try to, he just

kept fucking walking away.

—————

CHAPTER 38

Stunned as she watched Jack walking

away a sheriffs deputy caught Amelia’s

eye, he just stepped in and handed

Amelia a court order to vacate the

apartment she and Jack shared for four

years.

It was giving her three days to

leave. A man walked in behind the

deputy and began taking pictures of

everything.

The Deputy turned to Amelia and

explained that the apartment

management knew that Amelia had a

propensity to destroy property and

they were cataloging everything in the

apartment including all of Jack’s

property. The paperwork indicated that

all she brought when she moved in had

been her clothes and nothing else.

The eviction notice didn’t even

come from Jack, it was the apartment

management company who had her served,

she was not on the lease, never had

been and was now being considered a

squatter.

What in the fuck? she could not

believe this shit. She was bewildered

and her head was spinning out of

control, she could gather a single

thought.

Four years, four years and as if

she were nothing she had three days to

move. Amelia panicked not knowing who

to go to, she didn’t have many friends

that she could depend on.

After the deputy and everyone left

she went to the liquor store and

bought a ton of wine and beer she was

going to get good and drunk now and

destroy Jack and everything he owned.

She did not give a fuck if he sued

her, “fuck him. Fuck him and his

entire pathetic fucking life.”

As she drank, she tried to think

about what to do, she could pick up

men at the bar and try to get one like

she did Jack, sleep with him and move

at the speed of lightening.

She was practically living with

Jack the day after they met, so it was

doable. She could also call Patricia

and beg for forgiveness but she didn’t

really want to be with a woman not as

in a relationship, while the sex was

hands down really good, she was into

men more, they just appealed to her

more.

She could also threaten Jack with

suicide it’s worked before although he

seemed really serious about things

this time. Pulling her out of her

thoughts she heard a knock at the

door. When she opened it a man shoved

an envelope into her hand and walked

away.

Confused she opened it only to see

that Jack had her served with a

restraining order, a goddman

restraining order? “That fucking cunt,

how dare he serve her with a

restraining order!” In that very

moment all that Amelia saw was red and

she what wanted more than anything was

to watch Jack die.

It read that she was not allowed to

contact him in any way, no texts, no

emails, no phone calls, not on social

media and most certainly not in

person. If she contacted him in any

way, she would be arrested. It was in

this moment she recalled her recent

arrest and pending court date, “FUCK”

she thought to herself.

She continued to drink until she

passed out, she was still so drunk the

next morning that when she go up she

just started drinking again.

Depression and anger began to set in,

she had nothing else to do but to

drink and feel sorry for herself.

She began to cry then became

enraged and started to trash the place

and ruin everything that Jack owned.

She sent him probably a hundred texts

some begging for forgiveness and

others telling him off, blaming him

for everything and trying to make him

feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.

He did not answer a single message

not a single one. Amelia decided to

bombard him with emails and after

about an hour she attempted to attack

him through social media only to learn

that he had blocked her on every

platform.

She decided to go to the liquor

store and go for a drive. She was

already pretty wasted but she didn’t

care a bit about that or the fact that

she should not have been driving.

—————

CHAPTER 39

Once free from Amelia Jack found

himself able to focus on and enjoy his

work as well as the world around him.

The months seemed to pass with ease

and he could finally breathe.

He made the decision to stay in

Texas and not return to Denver after

he had ended things with Amelia. His

mom replaced his belongings in his

apartment in case he decided to come

back but he couldn’t bring himself to

do it. He paid his lease for another

year and a half but did not return to

that apartment.

He did travel out to stay with his

mom a few times and to meet with

police who had been searching for

Amelia. She was in quite a bit of

trouble Jack had learned. Not only for

her drug charges but for violating the

restraining orders of his, someone

else had one against her that she had

apparently violated, she had also been

facing sex assault charges from

someone else she had assaulted. Jack

buried with the help of Cole the fact

that she had assaulted him.

Right after Jack left her she hit

three parked cars leaving a liquor

store and drove off. She was also

accused of hitting and severely

harming someone on a bicycle two

blocks from the liquor store. She did

not stop at that accident either.

According to onlookers she had been

completely unaware and out of it.

Her legal troubles were not

resolved she had skipped out on court

dates and had several warrants out for

her arrest. Thankfully Jack never

heard from her again after that second

day of crazy texts.

Once free of Amelia Jack began

therapy so that he could better

understand why and how Amelia and his

high school sweetheart were able to so

easily manipulate and control him. He

also went on a journey of learning to

be on his own and he liked it.

Through his therapy though, Jack

had learned that not only was he an

enabler, he was also to blame for some

of what had happened in both

relationships.

He was set in his ways, and

unwilling to budge on certain things

which was never good. He had to learn

to compromise with others. The reason

that both of his ex's fed off of his

low self esteem, his poor body image

is because they themselves had been

unable to accept how they looked, they

too had low self esteems.

Jack also used sex as a form of

power over Amelia albeit she allowed

him to have that perceived control, he

believed that he had it and that was a

form of abuse and manipulation.

Out of everything he had to learn,

that one was the worst of it. He did

not want to believe it at first and

had felt angry about it. He initially

said that it was what Amelia liked and

wanted but the truth was, he got off

on having that power and control.

Working through his own issues

would lay the groundwork he needed in

order to maybe someday have a

successful loving relationship.

Jack found that he enjoyed living

on his own, being free to go out with

friends or have them over for dinners.

He also found hobbies, hobbies that he

enjoyed really enjoyed.

He had meeting new people and

making lots of new friends. Work was

going great and he and his team were

making quite a bit of progress in fact

history making progress. Jack was

really living his once only dreamed of

life.

Cole and Jack had become the best

of friends and hung out together a lot

as well. Cole protected Jack from the

worst of Amelia and Jack was eternally

grateful for that protection.

He did sometimes wonder what

happened to Amelia hoping that

whatever demons that always haunted

her were finally quiet. Just as

quickly as he would wonder about her,

he would lay the thoughts to rest.

She had almost destroyed him and

for that he just needed to walk away

and never think of her in loving ways

again. He did not hate her, he just

did not care what became of her.

————-

CHAPTER 40

Detective David Albright's phone

pierced the silence of his evening

with an unexpected call from his

captain, jolting him from the calm

routine of his day off.

As he answered, a weighty tone in

the captain's voice hinted at the

gravity of the matter. The captain

revealed that the once-cold case of

Jane Doe from a year and a half ago,

whose identity remained elusive, had

taken an unforeseen turn.

The anonymous woman, Amelia

Eckenhart, had finally been identified

after all of this time. Excitement

shot through every vein in Dave’s

body.

The revelation sent a ripple

through David's thoughts, a resurgence

of a case that had lingered in the

corners of his mind. The captain

briefed him on the details: a

combination of new evidence and

persistent investigative work had

unveiled the mysterious woman's

identity. Amelia, once a nameless

enigma, now had a story, and David

found himself compelled to revisit the

shadows of the past.

The life of his Jane Doe would now

be unfolded with Detective Albright’s

mind raced with a myriad of emotions –

a mix of curiosity and resignation

because no matter what he learned it

was still a bear mauling. As he

reopened the case file, the quest for

closure propelled him right into the

intricacies of Amelia Eckenhart's

life, unraveling the layers of secrecy

that had shrouded her identity for so

long. Resurfacing shadows hinted at a

deeper, more complex narrative, urging

Dave Albright to delve into the

details of Amelia's past and the

circumstances that led her to become a

Jane Doe in the first place.

He called John, now retired to

gauge interest in venturing this path

with him. John didn’t skip a beat and

agreed to head to Denver with Dave to

learn about Amelia and her tormented

history in an attempt to learn how and

why she ended up on at the pass.

John met Dave at the station the

next day, he was so happy to have

something to do. Retirement was okay

but he found himself bored more often

than not, longing for time back at the

police station.

As the men poured over the case

files once again, Dave noticed that

John had a perplexed look on his face

while re-reading the autopsy report.

John shook it off explaining that it

had just been a while and the report

was gruesome.

But, John did see something that

the two men had missed the first go

around, he elected to keep this detail

from Dave and the Capitan until the

time was right. How they could have

missed this detail eluded John but

they missed it, which further

convinced John that they two had been

right all along, she was murdered not

killed by a bear.

This young woman seemed to have led

a very troubled life and had multiple

warrants out for her arrest. The

Denver police had been investigating

her and had been looking everywhere

for her.

No one could locate her until now,

the men stopped into the Denver DA’s

office to learn about her warrants and

what led up to them. The men were

amazed at the trouble Amelia had

caused and how she easily slipped

through the fingers of the police. It

was crazy to think that this young

woman just managed to slip by officers

that had been looking for her as if

she were a ghost in the night.

————-

CHAPTER 41

As the men, filled with a renewed

sense of purpose, embarked on a

journey to piece together the

fragmented puzzle of Amelia

Eckenhart's life, drawing insights

from the people who had known her

intimately.

Denver, a city intertwined with

Amelia's past, held the key to

unlocking the mysteries that had

eluded them for so long.

Amelia was a Jane Doe for so long

because of an error in filing the

initial missing persons report. The

operator indicated Amelia was a he and

also simply put her name in as A.

Eckenhart. An independent auditor was

listening to the recording and

realised the error when they were

comparing the calls to the records.

The police didn’t arrest her for

her violation of not one but two

restraining orders because she had

skipped town before they could nab

her. She was in multiple accidents on

her way out of town and according to

witnesses she appeared to be drunk or

high and just left the scene of the

accidents.

It was her work, Jody the owner of

Blush Blu, who had reported her

missing, neither Jack nor Patricia her

former boyfriend and her former

girlfriend.

They were all over by this time,

Amelia went to Jody’s bar the day

after Jack broke up with her, she had

been served a three day notice to

vacate the apartment.

She needed a place to stay and her

friend Jody offered so she stopped

into ask. Jody also offered to employ

her so long as she did not drink while

at work. Jody doubted she could keep

that promise but she tried to help.

When asked about Berthoud pass,

Jody explained that Amelia only would

have went up to the pass if she

thought she’d run into Jack. He grew

up around that area and snowboarded

all the time up there in the winter

and camped in the pass during the

spring and summer.

One thing was made clear to the

detectives by Jody, Patricia and Jack

knew about each other yet despite

their apartments being on the same

block, did not know one another

personally which Amelia used to brag

about. “I guess it made things easier

for her.” Jody shrugged.

Jody became close to Amelia years

ago after she had a bad breakup before

she got together with Jack she

explained to the men. Amelia would

come over to the bar and just order

coffee and they would chat about

things. Jody learned that Amelia was

bisexual and eventually Amelia started

bringing Patricia around.

Jody told the men that everyone

assumed that Amelia had an open

relationship so she was free to

explore and be with others or

something like that. It wasn’t until

recently that she learned that

Patricia had fallen completely in love

with Amelia and she learned the full

extent of Amelia’s relationship

problems.

Jody knew about her drinking

problems but not about the drugs. As

disturbing as it sounds Jody disclosed

that she learned that Amelia sometimes

laced her boyfriend’s drinks with the

date rape drug just so that he’d not

remember arguments or the night before

well enough to call Amelia out on her

behaviour. This concerned Jody and

although she tried to discuss it with

Amelia, she would just laugh it off.

Jody also explained that when Jack

worked nights, weekends and traveled

for his new job right before they

split, Amelia would hook-up with

Patricia or other people men or women

it didn’t matter. Jody felt sorry for

Amelia and tried to help her before

she had gone missing.

—————

CHAPTER 42

After meeting with Jody, the men

set out to reconnect with Jack and

Patricia, the figures closest to

Amelia during the moments right before

she went missing. Jack was a kind and

soft spoken man, both men could tell

that Jack would never hurt a soul.

He seemed saddened but troubled

about having to discuss Amelia. The

air buzzed with tension as Jack

recounted the complexities of the

relationship they once had, shedding

light on the darkness that lurked

beneath the surface.

Jack hesitated, the weight of the

past pressing on him as he attempted

to articulate the complexities of his

violent and troubled relationship with

Amelia.

The scars, both emotional and

physical, told a tale of a turbulent

journey marked by explosive arguments

and toxic patterns of control.

In the raw honesty of his words, he

conveyed the moments when verbal

conflicts escalated into physical

confrontations, leaving behind a trail

of shattered trust and broken

promises.

The troubled dynamic with Amelia

had been a relentless cycle of highs

and lows, a rollercoaster of emotions

that veered from passionate intensity

to the depths of despair. Jack

grappled with the internal conflict of

loving someone who wielded

manipulation and aggression as tools

of control.

The narrative unfolded with a

poignant honesty, exposing the

vulnerability that lingered beneath

the surface. As Jack shared the

intricacies of their deeply troubled

relationship, it became evident that

the scars of the past had etched

themselves into the fabric of his

being, a haunting reminder of the

turbulent journey he had taken with

Amelia.

The men learned that Amelia had

drugged and sexually assaulted Jack,

he sent them the video she had taken

while doing it. The men were disturbed

by the woman that had once considered

a poor soul. She was vile and filled

with a hateful spirit.

Patricia, revealed layers of a

woman that had been tormented by

internal struggles that tended to be

fueled by a dependency on alcohol.

She was able to shed light on

Amelia's social circle, so that the

detectives could seek out friends

later who might hold pieces of the

puzzle.

The Conversation unfolded like

chapters in a biography, each insight

offered a unique perspective on

Amelia's enigmatic personality.

From late-night confidantes in

bars, Patricia explained, to work

acquaintances, a mosaic of pain,

drunken behaviour and misdeeds painted a

picture of a woman wrestling with

demons that were unseen by all who

knew her.

—————

CHAPTER 43

Detective Albright and John Jacobs

methodically tracing the footprints of

Amelia's life, gathering fragments of

information that began to weave

together the tapestry of her

existence.

Denver, a city that had been the

backdrop to Amelia's triumphs and

tribulations, became the very canvas

for discovery. The journey of

unraveling Amelia's story continued,

revealing the complex layers of a

woman whose life had been veiled in

shadows for far too long.

Jack and Amelia had broken up

around the same time of her and

Patricia ending. Both served Amelia

with restraining orders after each

breakup.

Jack had continued to travel

between Texas and Denver for work, his

lease was not up at his apartment

until now, he had signed a 6 year

least in order to secure a better

deal.

The apartment Amelia shared with

Jack had sustained terrible damage

caused in the wake of the split of

Amelia and Jack. The apartment

management company sued Amelia and

won. Amelia never even showed up for

court. Jack shared every text message

she had sent him from day one of his

new job and provided proof that he was

back in Texas when she went missing.

Patricia lost her job because of an

email Amelia had sent to her company,

based in Beijing, the culture in that

part of the world would not tolerate

any nonsense so, they fired Patrica.

She also sued Amelia for sending

her former employer images of the two

women, the video of Amelia raping

Patricia a video according to

Patricia, that she had never consented

to having been recorded.

Amelia had also somehow doctored

her charges for drugs to make it look

like Patricia was arrested instead of

Amelia and sent that to her former

employer. Patricia explained that it

all caused her former employer to

sever ties with her.

As Patricia spoke to the

detectives, her voice carried the

weight of painful memories as she

described the physically violent

relationship she had with Amelia.

The words stumbled out, hesitant

and raw, revealing a narrative of a

love that had devolved into a perilous

dance of aggression. She detailed the

moments when heated arguments turned

physical, leaving scars that lingered

long after the bruises had faded.

Patricia's vulnerability laid bare

the emotional toll of being entangled

in a relationship where love had

become a battleground, and every

moment of tenderness seemed

overshadowed by the looming threat of

violence.

In recounting her experiences,

Patricia grappled with the

complexities of her emotions, the

conflicting currents of love and fear

that defined her time with Amelia.

The detectives listened intently,

recognising the importance of each

word in unraveling the truth behind

the enigma of Amelia's troubled past.

Patricia's testimony painted a

stark picture of a relationship marred

by violence, providing the

investigators with a crucial piece of

the puzzle as they sought to navigate

the intricacies of a case entangled in

the shadows of domestic turmoil.

As far as Dave and John were

concerned both had every reason to

hate Amelia and to want her dead. And

Patricia knew more about Jack and

Amelia than they had been led to

believe. But neither had a pet bear

lying around. Yet both worked in the

world of robotics.

Maybe this was just an accidental

death for all anyone would know. At

this point the detectives had to close

the case, no one in Amelia’s life was

to blame for this. They continued to

try to find her family so that they

could at least let them know what had

happened to their loved one.

————-

CHAPTER 44

Jack stumbled out of the police

station, his mind clouded with the

weight of devastating news. The

sterile hallway seemed to close in on

him as the reality of Amelia's death

settled like a heavy stone in his

chest.

The detective's words echoed in his

ears, each syllable a cruel reminder

of the irrevocable loss. Amelia, was

once the love of his life, the one who

once shared his dreams and fears, was

gone. The room blurred as Jack

struggled to comprehend the magnitude

of the tragedy.

In a daze, he found himself in the

cold embrace of the city streets, the

familiar sounds of urban life now

distant and muffled. The once bustling

surroundings felt alien as he grappled

with the harsh truth that his world

had irrevocably changed.

Every step weighed heavily on him,

and the bustling city seemed oblivious

to his pain. Jack's mind replayed

memories of laughter, shared secrets,

and the simple joy of being in

Amelia's company, yet his mind was

also quick to remind him about how she

lied about loving him, used him,

controlled and manipulated him. Now,

all that remained were echoes of her

presence, fading away like distant

whispers.

He sought solace in the anonymity

of the crowd, yet the faces around him

blurred into a sea of indifferent

strangers. Despite that they broke up,

Jack’s heartache was a silent scream

drowned out by the city's relentless

noise.

The ache in his chest intensified

with each passing moment, and he

yearned for a time machine to rewind

the clock, to reverse the cruel hand

of fate. But reality was unyielding,

and Jack could not go back and save

her.

Nightfall descended, casting long

shadows on the pavement as Jack

wandered through the city's

labyrinthine streets. He found himself

at familiar places – places he had

shared with Amelia – and each one

became a haunting reminder of what

once was.

As he gazed at the starlit sky,

Jack grappled with questions that

lingered like ghosts. Why her? Why

now? The answers were elusive, and the

question was only answered by the cool

darkness of the night. The pain was a

relentless companion, a visceral ache

that refused to be ignored.

Alone in the darkness, Jack

confronted the emptiness that Amelia's

absence left behind this was final a

finality that was unexpected. The

city, once a vibrant backdrop to their

shared adventures, now echoed with the

hollow sounds of his grief.

In the wake of this loss, Jack

stood at the crossroads of sorrow and

continuing to move on, he had already

planned to move to Texas. The journey

ahead was full of hope, he would not

wallow in this. With that he went to

the empty apartment and started to

pack, he scheduled the mover’s and

pushed the thought of Amelia’s death

out of his mind. He had to move

forward regardless of this loss, they

were over at the time she died and

Jack couldn’t help but believe in some

small part, it was part her own

undoing that led up to her death.

—————

CHAPTER 45

Unlike Jack, Patricia absorbed the

news of Amelia's demise with little

love left in her heart for her

lifelong friend and lover. The only

part of the whole ordeal that pained

her was that she had to recount the

many times Amelia hurt her and broke

her as a human being. Her face,

usually a canvas of emotions, remained

remarkably composed, a stark contrast

to the weight Jack carried visibly on

his shoulders.

In the dimly lit room, Patricia's

eyes betrayed no tears, her gaze fixed

on a distant point as if contemplating

a reality that had yet to fully

register. The detective's attempts at

empathy were met with a nod, the

stoicism of a woman who had weathered

storms before.

As she stepped out into the cold

embrace of the evening, Patricia's

exterior remained unchanged, how could

or why would she care now? The city's

chaotic symphony seemed distant, as if

it played for an audience she no

longer belonged to.

Patricia moved through the world as

if insulated from its shared sorrow.

Her steps were deliberate, guided by a

resilience that defied the gravity of

the news she had just received.

The city lights flickered, casting

a soft glow on Patricia's composed

silhouette. Memories of shared

laughter and whispered confidences

played like a silent film in her mind,

yet the outward calm persisted. To

onlookers, it was an enigma – a woman

seemingly untouched by the tidal wave

of grief that had engulfed Jack.

In the solitude of her apartment,

Patricia confronted the echo of

Amelia's absence. The emptiness,

though acknowledged, did not consume

her. Instead, it became a space for

introspection, a canvas on which she

painted the tapestry of memories they

had woven together.

The night stretched on, Patricia's

thoughts a labyrinth of reflection

rather than despair. Her resilience,

forged through years of navigating

life's unpredictable currents, became

a source of quiet strength.

Amelia a woman whom she loved and

wanted to marry is dead, the woman who

swore her to keep her dirty little

secrets all of her life, the woman who

abused and used her was dead. A sense

of relief washed over Patricia, she

had already lost Amelia this was just

a final nail in the coffin.

As days turned into weeks, Patricia

moved through the rituals of mourning

with a grace that left those around

her puzzled. Her best friend had died,

there were no public displays of

sorrow, no cathartic outbursts.

Instead, she embraced the solitude of

grief with a quiet determination.

In the midst of her loss, Patricia

found a peculiar serenity. Her new job

offer for Elon Musk, with its

ceaseless pulse, became a backdrop to

her internal metamorphosis.

As Patricia navigated the uncharted

waters of life without Amelia,

Patricia thought of the words her late

mother once spoke, “Sometimes people

are just meant to die especially those

who do us wrong.”

Patricia picked up the phone and

asked to speak with Mallory. “Hi

Mallory, I accept the job offer. I can

start as soon as you want. I will pack

up my home here in Denver and relocate

to Texas. I look forward to joining

the team.

With that Patricia was finally

ready to let go of the ugly past that

she had with Amelia and move forward

with her own life and career. Why

waste tears of sorrow on someone who

simply did not care if you loved them?

—————

CHAPTER 46

Detectives John and Dave

meticulously combed through Amelia's

life, seeking elusive clues that could

untangle the mystery surrounding her

disappearance while trying to find her

family. Hours turned into days as they

delved into her personal history,

leaving no stone unturned.

Their breakthrough came when they

decided to explore the uncharted

territory of DNA. With a sample in

hand, they turned to a DNA family tree

website, hoping to trace Amelia's

roots and uncover connections that

might lead them to her whereabouts.

As the results poured in, a glimmer

of hope emerged. A previously unknown

cousin, a missing puzzle piece,

surfaced in the extensive family

network revealed by the DNA analysis.

Eager to learn more, the detectives

reached out to this newfound relative,

hoping they held the key to Amelia's

vanishing act.

The cousin, Karen, proved to be a

goldmine of information. The first

thing she shared was that Amelia was

not the young woman’s real first name,

her birth name was Angela Marie

Edmonds.

The detectives were speechless upon

learning this. How could she change

her identity? Usually they have court

records about this type of thing,

sealed of course but law enforcement

can always access it and they found

nothing regarding a name change.

She had a social security card, a

Colorado ID, even had a birth

certificate which the men learned was

fake, it had been used to get her

social security card and ID.

Amelia’s prints were in the system

from a charge of trying to extort

money from a man she claimed had

gotten her pregnant shortly after she

had turned nineteen, as well as from

all of her recent charges.

Those prints matched her current

name not her real name. It left the

men perplexed how could she possibly

have changed her name legally without

any court records?

They dug deeper and learned that

she had never been enrolled in school

after she disappeared not even

college, she dropped off of the face

of the earth as Angela and reappeared

as Amelia several years later.

Karen disclosed that Amelia had

distanced herself from the family for

reasons shrouded in mystery. Her

vanishing from their lives wasn't

entirely unexpected, though the

circumstances surrounding it remained

unclear. Sensing a deeper layer to

Amelia's story, John and Dave decided

to travel to pay Karen a visit for

more information, determined to unveil

the truth.

Karen lived in Omaha so the men

decided that a trip was in order if

anything they were sure that her

family would want to claim her body

and give her a proper burial.

Through this newfound connection,

the detectives began piecing together

a complex web of relationships,

secrets, and potential motives. Each

revelation brought them closer to the

heart of the matter, and the shadows

surrounding Amelia's disappearance

started to dissipate.

The detectives realised that they

were not only searching for Amelia but

also uncovering the intricacies of a

family's dynamics. The journey into

her past became a voyage through the

uncharted waters of familial

complexities, and John and Dave faced

it with relentless determination,

driven by the belief that the answers

lay hidden within the ties that bound

her to her roots. They embarked on a

road trip to learn everything about

Amelia that they could.

————-

CHAPTER 47

Karen, a short slightly overweight

but pretty older woman, hesitated

before recounting the haunting tales

of Angela’s/Amelia's childhood. The

two men could see that the weight of

untold secrets bore down on her as she

unraveled the web of horrors that had

driven her cousin away from her

family.

Karen started by telling the men

how Amelia’s parents met, it threw the

family. Amelia’s mom had dropped out

of school while her father had already

graduated and signed up to join the

military. They had met at a high

school football game that my younger

uncle had been playing in.

They almost immediately moved in

together, Amelia’s mom was just

sixteen and had run away, of course my

grandmother had a soft spot for anyone

and agreed to take her in. She stayed

with my grandparents until my uncle

got out of the military, it was four

or so years. The second he got home,

they married and Amelia’s mom got

pregnant.

The two moved quickly out of our

grandparents home into a shitty little

trailer in a run down trailer park.

That is where Amelia met the worst of

the worst.

Amelia, it seemed, had been witness

to the storm that raged within the

walls of her home. Karen spoke of a

childhood marked by domestic violence

and Amelia’s long-buried grievances

and unspoken pain. Amelia, a spectator

and recipient, had absorbed the scars

of this turmoil, a victim of

circumstances far beyond her control.

Amelia’s mother was a drug addicted

abusive and manipulative woman who

hated having a daughter. She hated

being married to a loser even worse,

she only had love for her son, Bryan.

She used to call Karen’s uncle a

fat pig who stopped caring once he got

her knocked up. In Karen’s mind the

truth was that her aunt only married

her uncle as a way to escape her own

troubled home. She had no love for her

husband, her children or anyone and

that left a deep scar in Amelia’s

heart.

Imagine growing up with a mother

and father who only had you for show,

who also abused you at every turn? How

could a child cope, even worse as an

adult what would that child could have

ever hoped to become?

She inflicted such a torture and

torment upon Amelia that it carried

unimaginable levels of cruelty

coursing through the girls veins Hair

pulling, hitting, nasty name calling,

forced her to have a boy haircut and

hair style, in an effort to make her

look ugly, always bought her used ugly

clothing, always reminded her that she

was unwanted. Told her she was no

good, stupid and that she’d never be

anything but a cheap whore.

Karen’s aunt it seemed was full of

a jealous rage, she could not stand

the idea of having a daughter that

very well could end up more beautiful

than her mother was. Her aunt sought

to destroy the girls self esteem the

moment Amelia was out of the womb.

Amelia’s father was an angry

alcoholic who was mad that he was

tricked into marrying her mother was

even more angry that they were poor.

And he never wanted a son. His fear

was that the boy would become so much

more than he was.

Something Amelia’s mother was

determined to keep them as was poor.

If she kept them poor, the family

would stay together, Amelia’s dad

would never want to leave. Amelia’s

mother did everything that she could

to spend every single dime they ever

had. The kids suffered for it, they

often missed immunisations, doctor’s

appointments when sick, and seemed to

be suffering from malnutrition.

Amelia’s only saving grace was her

older brother Bryan. They had a strong

bond that was built on their shared

fear of their abusive parents. Bryan

was always protective of his little

sister, he loved her and worried about

her, he cared for her when their

parents were off drinking or getting

drugs, partying.

As Karen delved into the details,

the detectives listened with a mix of

disbelief and empathy. Amelia's

departure was not a mere act of

rebellion; it was a desperate escape

from the shadows that haunted her

past. The scars weren't just

emotional, Karen's revelations painted

a picture of physical abuse as well, a

grim reality that had driven Amelia to

sever ties with her family in a bid

for survival.

“She never wanted any of us to find

her. She blamed all of us for not

helping. Our grandparents wanted to

help, they did but they were shut out

by Amelia’s mom, she wanted to control

everything and every part of the

families lives. My parents tried to

help, they even offered to take them

kids. Eventually everyone just gave up

trying to help and left the family

alone.”

“We grew up with parents who grew

up in the 70’s and 80’s, our parents

were mean and sexual abuse ran rife in

their generation. It’s hard to find

someone who wasn’t abused who survived

that generation so, it sometimes got

passed down you know?”

Dave looked at John with a knowing

look, they realised what Karen was

about to tell them before she even

started speaking.

“Amelia was forced to stay with

this old couple who lived near her

parents. She was, I want to say nine

when it started, she tried to tell her

mom about what that disgusting dirty

old man was doing but my aunt didn’t

give a flying fuck. She told Amelia

that it was her fault, she deserved

it. By the time Amelia was twelve the

abuse had become worse, that old man

invited other men to join.

By the time her dad found out from

what my parents gathered, her mom was

taking so many drugs and Amelia’s dad

had learned that my aunt was getting

money for drugs from the men who were

molesting Amelia. Hush money! Amelia’s

mom died from a heroine overdose

shortly after.”

Both Dave and John felt sick and

Karen continued.

“Nobody believed it was an

accidental overdose, no one. Something

about it didn’t feel right to no one

in the family. The kids were obviously

in shock and neither cried or showed

much emotion. During the funeral one

of my aunts long lost cousins tried to

show up only to be met with bouncers,

hired hands by my uncle. Who the fuck

has bouncers at a funeral?” Karen

asked shaking her head.

—————

CHAPTER 48

As the men continued to learn

everything that could about Amelia,

they had started feeling sorry for

this poor woman, the adults in her

life who should have protected her,

threw her to the wolves it seemed.

“Her dad was a coward, he did

nothing to the man who was responsible

for molesting his baby girl for years,

sharing her with other men, he didn’t

even call the police.” Karen

continued, clearly upset by her

Uncle’s lack of care about his own

daughter.

“He just sat back and did nothing.

He let Amelia suffer with the

aftermath of everything that happened

to her alone, he didn’t even get the

girl counseling or therapy. The poor

girl when through her teens thinking

that sex meant love, it meant someone

would love and protect you.” Karen

angrily explained.

Shaking her head, look at the two

detectives, “before that her parents

would fight about everything and that

would be brutal on those kids. They

were both filled with fear every time

they fought and they bonded through

their fear.”

Karen paused drew in a deep breathe

and continued on, “now I’m not sure

what happened but when Amelia turned

sixteen she became pregnant. A family

rumour started circulating that my

uncle Amelia’s own father was the one

who got her pregnant.”

“This time the authorities became

involved and my uncle somehow

convinced them that it were her

brother Bryan was the one who molested

her. The police investigation revealed

that was not the truth but the damage

had already been inflicted. Poor Bryan

couldn’t go anywhere without being

harassed, beaten and accused.” In

Karen’s eyes the men could see a

profound sense of sorrow and sadness.

Taking a sip of her coffee Karen

continued on “I can’t tell you how or

why but the police dropped the

investigation. Nothing ever came of

it. Amelia had the baby, a boy named

Adam Michael.”

“Oh that Amelia, she loved that

baby like she ain’t loved anything

before. And, Bryan was a great older

brother and always looked after Amelia

and the baby.”

“There father always hated Bryan

and would pick on him relentlessly,

belittling him and knocking him down

emotionally and mentally at every

turn, the making everyone in town

believe he got Amelia pregnant in some

twisted brother/sister sex thing and

that’s why Bryan was so good to her

and the child.”

Sighing, “I guess it all finally

took a toll on Bryan. One day when

Amelia got home from school she found

Bryan in the kitchen, dead from a self

inflicted gunshot wound to the face.

Adam her little baby, was nowhere to

be found.”

Taking a long deep breath Karen

continued, “Bryan shot himself in the

face so you couldn’t even tell it was

him. It was terrible. He left no note,

nothing, just at the kitchen table,

dead for her to find. She freaked out

of course, went hysterical and when

she realised that her baby were

missing, she blamed her father for

everything.” Karen said, tears running

down her face.

“She left a week after. We never

heard from her again. The police

searched for the baby for about a week

then gave up. They also said that they

suspected that Bryan’s suicide was

staged but couldn’t prove it.”

With a serious look on her face, “I

suspect that they stopped looking for

Amelia and Adam thinking she had him

hiding with friends somewhere and

planned on running away from her house

of violence and child molestation

before Bryan killed himself.”

“The funny thing is, Amelia never

made a plan worth a shit so it’s hard

to believe that she planned on saving

herself and Adam, what, was she going

to just leave Bryan in that mess? She

never, ever would have done that, not

ever, that girl knew she could not

survive without her brother.”

John visibly shaken looked at Karen

and asked “What do you think happened

to Adam?”

“Personally I think Amelia’s dad

killed Bryan and that he killed that

little baby so that no one could ever

prove that he was the father. I

believe that he was the one who father

that baby, he forced himself on

Amelia.”

“My uncle was a pervert. With my

aunt gone, he was free to do whatever

he wanted, and what he wanted more

than anything was to make enough money

to leave that shitty home. Three

things stood in his way of getting

out,” Karen said with clear disgust.

According to Karen her uncle did

just that after Amelia vanished, he

left a year or so after and relocated

to Arizona, she was not sure where in

Arizona but he relocated.

About a year ago, Karen got word

that her uncle had died in some sort

of freak accident, he was walking

along the side of the road just miles

from where he lived according to his

friends, no one knows why he was

walking on the side the of the road,

he had a car which was at his home.

He had been hit by a semi that

possibly swerved over the white line

onto the side of the road. Killed him

instantly. It was an odd story

however.

The problem was, no one ever

located the semi, no one ever came

forward and it was unusual for a semi

to be driving down that road it was in

a residential area.

The horrors Amelia endured

explained her reluctance to maintain

familial connections. Explained her

inability have healthy relationships.

The fractures in her soul mirrored the

fractures in her family, and in all of

her adult relationships. She sought

solace in the anonymity of a life

untethered.

The detectives left Karen thanking

her for her help and information. She

had no desire to pay for Amelia’s

funeral or to take custody of her body

or belongings.

During the trip back, the

detectives wondered what had happened

to Amelia’s dad. Was it something

Amelia somehow concocted and had done,

she did seem to be friendly with some

seedy folks. And what happened to

Adam? Should they try to find the

child or leave it be?

Both men were thoroughly disgusted

with the how things were handled when

Amelia was a young girl, police failed

her at every turn.

She and her brother had both been

abused and from what the men could

tell the police made several visits to

the family home just based off of the

outrageous argument Amelia’s parents

would get into.

Teachers tried to report the

abuse, then you add the child

molestation? It was as if everyone in

this poor girls life just looked the

other way as all of the bad, the worst

of the worst happened to her. She was

seen and viewed as nothing more than

just a thing.

While her own behaviour had been

described as vile and deeply

disturbing it was not difficult to see

that her behaviour had been linked to a

troubling childhood, her behaviour had

been learned. The thought left both

men deep in thought about what could

have been if someone had stepped in

and stopped the abuse of that little

girl?

————-

CHAPTER 49

John stared at the crime scene

photos spread across the desk, a heavy

sigh escaping him. Amelia's death had

left a trail of sorrow, and the

realisation hit him hard – she was a

vortex of chaos, and in some twisted

way, a victim of her own self-

destructive tendencies.

Dave, leaning against the wall,

shared the weight of the somber

moment. "It's like she carried a storm

wherever she went," he murmured, his

gaze fixed on the haunting images of

the crime scene. "But she was also the

eye of her own hurricane."

John nodded, reflecting on the

tumultuous events that seemed to orbit

around Amelia's life. They had

investigated her connections, her

past, and it all pointed to a pattern

of destruction. It wasn't just the

criminal activities she was involved

in; it was the havoc she wreaked on

herself.

"Maybe she felt trapped in her own

turmoil," John mused, glancing at a

picture of Amelia from happier times.

"It's almost like she was caught in a

cycle of self-sabotage unable to stop

herself."

Dave added, "She left a trail of

shattered relationships and broken

trust. It's as if she couldn't escape

the chaos within."

The detectives, accustomed to

navigating the darker aspects of human

nature, found themselves grappling

with empathy for a woman who seemed to

be both perpetrator and victim.

Amelia's life had been a series of

choices sometimes not even her own

that lead to her destruction, leaving

them with an unsettling mix of

sympathy and frustration.

When they delved deeper into her

history, they discovered a troubled

past, a collection of missed

opportunities for redemption and every

single adult in her life letting her

down. Each layer uncovered added to

the complexity of Amelia's story, and

the detectives couldn't help but feel

a sense of regret for not having

intervened sooner.

"Maybe we missed something," John

said, his voice heavy with regret.

Dave shook his head. "A really

great detective once told me that we

can't save everyone. Besides some

people are their own worst enemies.”

“What about our brothers who didn’t

do anything to help her Dave, when we

lay her to rest, we lay them and their

inability to step in and help her to

rest.”

The men knew that they had no

choice but to let it go. Exposing

Amelia’s past would expose the two men

to countless attacks and ridicule. The

one thing you can never do as a cop is

turn on your own unless you had

absolute undeniable proof of

wrongdoing and even then you could

risk your own career for being a rat.

John looked at Dave, “are you

thinking what I am thinking?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, yes I

am. The whole thing makes no sense and

she has multiple people who would want

her dead.”

Nodding in agreement, John looked

up “Not to mention, the boyfriend and

the girlfriend both work in the field

of AI and robotics, they have a means

and every reason. Who do you have your

money on?” Dave only shook his head.

“What happened to her son do you

suppose?” David looked down at the

babies picture that Karen had given

them. “Do you think her father killed

him or did she?”

Shocked by the question only

because he had not considered this

possibility “I don’t know Dave, that’s

an unsettling take but none the less a

very plausible one, especially if it

were her father or brother who got her

pregnant.”

Shaking his head “We cannot move

forward you know, if we are to look

into everything here, we would need to

do it as private citizens Dave.”

John’s eyes peered into David’s.

“Yeah, I know, I do realise that.”

Since no one wanted to be

responsible for Amelia’s burial, Dave

and John put together the funds needed

and buried her in a marked grave at

Fairmount the headstone reads; “She

Couldn't Escape the Chaos Within."

—————

CHAPTER 50

As John drove away from the

station, he kept thinking about the

one thing he could not believe that

they missed in the original coroners

report.

They found no bear DNA of any kind,

scavenger DNA from mountain lions,

wolf’s and birds but zero bear DNA. He

saw it in the file when he rejoined

Dave to meet with Amelia’s family and

friends. Since everyone missed that

detail John decided to keep it to

himself.

Dave could not continue to

investigate this case any longer, he

had to move on because he had current

cases and they had closed this one as

an animal attack despite neither man

feeling that was right. While Dave

could not focus his time and energy to

this case, John was fully retired and

could devote his time to the case.

He knew that it was highly unlikely

that no bear DNA would be found, could

it happen sure, Amelia’s body had been

exposed to the elements for a time, it

could have happened but it was

incredibly unlikely.

He knew deep down that he and Dave

were right, this poor young woman was

murdered.

John also thought about something

both Jody and Patricia had told him

“When you are and adult you can’t keep

blaming your childhood for all of your

problems.

Amelia always did that, but she had

the choice to get help and change

that.” John hated when people said

things like that because the truth is,

sometimes even as an adult you are a

product of your childhood. Amelia was

very much that to the letter. She was

the epitome of the product of her

childhood.

Her parents made her the way she

was, she learned every single behaviour

she had from her very own parents who

excused that behaviour as nothing. She

was indeed a product of her childhood

environment.

Not any of that changed the fact

that someone was responsible for this

young woman’s death. John had the

time, the expertise and the way, he

was determined to solve this case and

bring the guilty party or parties to

justice, if it was the last thing he

did, he made a silent promise to

Amelia, that would find her murderer.

The more he thought about it, one

thing really started to bother him. It

had been Patricia, her lack of any and

all emotion.

Jack fought back tears, regardless

of what Amelia put him through the man

still felt love for her and showed a

tremendous amount of sorrow at the

news of her death.

Patricia on the other hand, showed

zero emotion, she did not cry, she did

not seem shaken much less surprised by

it.

Patricia also knew Amelia the

longest, knew her the best yet she did

not disclose much information about

Amelia, as if they were not that

close.

According to Jody and others from

the bar, they were in fact, that

close. Something about the whole thing

was off and John was determined to

find out what it was.

—————

CHAPTER 51

Bryan was always protective of

Amelia, his little sister, he was a

quiet and kind young man. He cared

deeply for others as well as animals.

He had none of the characteristic

traits that either parent had, the

narcissistic, manipulative traits both

of his parents shared. He was non-

violent unlike his parents and just

wanted to live a happy life.

He always protected his little

sister as best he could and loved her

more than anything in the entire

world. Lately, that was becoming

difficult for his little sister had

been acting out, she was becoming

manipulative, controlling, and had

been sleeping with any boy that she

could. She seemed to be trying to find

the love both of them lacked home in

the arms of high school boys.

Their mother was a horrible person,

she never really loved their father,

she abused him verbally and sometimes

physically, she was a drug addict who

cared very little for her children.

She treated Bryan better than she did

Amelia while their father treated

Amelia better than Bryan.

Their mother hated Amelia and never

missed a day of letting her know just

how much she hated her. Bryan’s father

treated Bryan the same way. The verbal

abuse alone was too much for them, but

the beatings were even worse.

They would come home from school

and find themselves locked out for now

reason, they would sometimes have to

go to a neighbours because no one would

let them in and it would be getting

late.

The pain and suffering their father

had inflicted on Bryan throughout his

life ran so deep into Bryan’s soul it

had been almost suffocating. Which is

why Bryan had made the painstaking

decision to join the military, he

needed to escape.

Amelia would not be happy at all

about this, in fact Bryan was trying

to brace himself for her reaction

because it also meant that he would be

leaving her for a time. He would come

back for her in a year. If, she would

stop behaving like their mother had.

Bryan wanted to be completely away

from this toxic and dangerous family

life. He wanted peace, he wanted a

future, and he wanted to start new

somewhere and never look back.

After his father had convinced

people that he was the father to his

sisters baby, Bryan had been beaten up

by strangers who ruthlessly attacked

him as he was getting off of work late

one night, the police drug him in for

questioning and his father thought it

was all funny. He did not care that

Bryan was completely innocent, all

that man cared about was that no one

accused him of doing it, he just

wanted everyone to accuse Bryan.

That almost broke Bryan as a human

being, a brother, it did break him of

being a son. He almost committed

suicide over it all. He could not show

his face anywhere without being

shunned or seeing people whisper about

him, suspecting him of something he

had never done.

No, he was determined to break free

of this place, the curse his parents

gave to both he and his sister and

start over. He was ready for a real

chance at life. Even if that meant

leaving his little sister and nephew.

His sister had become ill adjusted and

Bryan half wondered if there mother

hadn’t been using while pregnant with

his sister because she could be mental

in a way that was fairly severe.

Before she had gotten pregnant a

little six year old boy in the area

had been reported missing, he was

found about a month later on the side

of the road. He showed signs of having

been tortured and of having been

sexually assaulted, brutally.

The boy did not make it once found

he died of a combination of the

internal injuries, starvation and

dehydration. The contents of his

stomach contained dirt, his captor

only fed him dirt. He had been beaten

so severely that he had become

unrecognisable, both arms, hands and

feet were broken.

He had been missing three fingers,

several broken ribs, his brain was

swelling, teeth had been removed. He

had been repeatedly sodomised and

sexually tormented in ways that were

unimaginable.

According to the police the poor

little boy was conscious during his

torture. If he hadn’t of died like he

had the multiple infections would have

taken him in a very short period of

time. The brutality of what he went

through sent shivers down Bryan’s

spine because of his sister.

Years ago he had caught her

torturing neighbourhood kids physically

and she had been feeding them dirt.

Although he couldn’t prove it, Bryan

suspected that Amelia his own flesh

and blood had been responsible for the

death of the little boy. The police

profiled a man between twenty and

thirty as the potential killer but

deep down Bryan wasn’t so sure.

Other stories about girls being

drugged and raped had began to

surface, tortured and raped, one young

girl was beaten so severely that she

had to have surgery in attempt to try

to repair the damage to her face.

Another girl had been brutally raped,

almost drowned then set on fire. She

died shortly after they found her from

the injuries she had sustained.

It was then that he switched the

gears of his plan, he would not allow

for his sister to raise his nephew, he

couldn’t. He would have to change his

plans and make sure that both he and

his nephew were no longer a part of

his sister’s life ever again. He knew

it was a risk, but one that he was

willing to take in order to protect

them both.

—————

CHAPTER 52

On the bustling streets of Denver,

amid the flurry of moving boxes and

the hum of transition, Patricia and

Jack found themselves unexpectedly

face-to-face on moving day.

It took them both a few minutes to

realise who each was. The

serendipitous encounter sparked a

conversation that transcended the

awkwardness of the past as it

pertained to Amelia, redirecting their

focus toward shared memories and

common ground.

As they reminisced about their

college days, laughter punctuated the

air, washing away the remnants of

tension that had lingered between

them. The conversation inevitably

steered toward their collaborative

venture in the realm of artificial

intelligence.

Patricia's eyes sparkled with

enthusiasm as she recounted the days

when they dedicated themselves to

crafting robotic bears. The vivid

image of Patricia meticulously

creating grizzly bears and Jack

fashioning black bears emerged, a

testament to their shared passion for

merging technology and creativity.

The discussion unfolded like a

journey down memory lane, revisiting

the challenges and triumphs of their

joint projects. Amid the lighthearted

banter, the camaraderie of shared

goals and dreams rekindled, forming a

bridge between the present and the

echoes of their collaborative past.

In the midst of moving chaos,

Patricia and Jack found a moment of

connection, a nod to the enduring

bonds forged in the crucible of shared

endeavours. Patricia had been offered a

job with Elon Musk, she would be

working with Jack, once again.

They were both thrilled when they

realised that they would be working

together once again. Patricia had

always had a thing for Jack despite

her dipping her toes into being a

lesbian, Jack was someone she always

wanted. When in college he didn’t seem

to be drawing to her like he had been

to Amelia, Patricia was nerdy and

plain looking.

Now as they were talking on the

street, he seemed drawn to her brains

more than her lack of wit and charm.

The conversation flowed freely as if

they had never parted ways and went

off on their own.

Jack was pleased to see Patricia

and even more pleased to learn that

she was joining the team. He was

looking forward to working with her

and to getting close to her.

Maybe what he needed after all of

this time was a quiet, nice nerdy

type. Not that she was not funny, she

was, it’s just she was more laid back,

not as high strung, not as needy.

Jack felt a twinge of guilt though,

he could not help it. Amelia never

realised that he and Patricia actually

knew one another, if she had he

doubted that she would have had an

affair with Patricia. Of course had

Amelia really attended college, she

would have known that. But that was a

lie like so much of her life.

Looking at Patricia, “Do, do you

ever think we could have done

something to stop her from going up to

the pass that night?”

The questions swirled through the

air between them both for a long time,

Patricia let out a long sigh carefully

answering, “No, I don’t Jack. Nothing

either of use could have done would

have stopped her.

We did not even know who each were

until the police finally identified

her. We both lived with and felt her

pain and agony on the daily. As much

as we’d like to think it would have

been possible to stop her from going,

she would not have listened unless one

or both of us gave into her whims.”

“I guess that’s true.” Nodding his

head in saddened agreement.

“What we need to realise is that

she is no longer suffering and

wrestling with her internal demons.”

Patricia said softly looking at Jack.

The two continued to talk, they

agreed to have lunch together and

ending up helping each other move

boxes from their respective

apartments. Bringing them that much

closer. It was soft, tender and

meaningful. Both were happy to have

this moment.

The moving day encounter marked not

only a physical transition but also a

symbolic one, as they navigated the

currents of change with a renewed

appreciation for the collaborative

spirit that had defined their journey

it also brought back past romantic

interest.

Patricia would have to play it cool

for the time being. Jack did not

remember just how far back they went,

she had changed so much during

college. It was of no matter though,

no one ever really remembers the

awkward kid that she was.

She remembered Jack quite well

though. She had enjoyed the day with

him today and looked forward to what

she hoped would be many more.

Patricia adjusted really well to

Amelia being gone, she went to her

mom’s to “heal,” which everyone

encouraged. The truth was, now that

Amelia was gone, it was just one less

thing she had to worry about.

Patricia often wondered though, was

Amelia mentally stable enough to

realise that she was dying when she

was attacked? Patricia had hoped that

she was, just enough at the end to

feel a great deal of pain, suffering

as she was being attacked. The idea

made Patrica smile as she finished

packing for her move.

—————-

CHAPTER 53

In an unexpected twist, Elon Musk,

the visionary who was overseeing six

different companies, reached out to

Cole, acknowledging the unconventional

role he played in the intricate web

surrounding Jack's situation.

Elon distances himself from

situations like this, which is

precisely why he employs people such

as Cole. The less Elon knows the

better and Cole always made sure that

Elon could deny knowledge of

everything if it ever came to that

which Elon appreciated.

A private meeting was arranged, and

as they sat in a sleek SpaceX

conference room, Elon expressed his

gratitude for Cole's intervention. The

enigmatic entrepreneur, known for his

curiosity about the unknown, couldn't

help but be intrigued by the man he

employs who had played such a pivotal

role in the chaos and drama that had

almost destroyed Jack’s life.

As the conversation unfolded, Elon

couldn't resist delving into the

question that lingered in his mind:

What was Cole's fascination with

robotic bears? The unexpected inquiry

sparked a revealing exchange. Cole,

known for his cunning manoeuvres and

manipulative prowess, surprised Elon

with a genuine passion for artificial

intelligence and robotics. His

fascination with robotic bears stemmed

from a childhood dream, a desire to

blend the natural world with

technology.

Elon Musk, ever the enthusiast for

innovation, found himself drawn into a

conversation that lasted for hours

where Cole really opened up to Elon

about his fascination, about how AI

and even robotics could be the future

of mankind.

The human body has a shelf life,

but a robot if they could only find

the way, carry the essence of a human

mind allowing all of us to outlive out

bodies shelf life, perhaps offering

eternal life.

The enigma that was Cole began to

unravel, revealing a multifaceted

individual with unexpected layers.

Smiling at Cole, truly intrigued, Elon

extended an invitation for Cole to

explore collaborative ventures in the

realm of AI and robotics, the

narrative hinted at a future where

even the most mysterious figures could

find a place in the fast paced world

of innovation and discovery.

Of course this new opportunity

would mean that Cole would need to

find a suitable replacement for his

current role and that would not be an

easy task. In time Cole would find the

right person to fill his shoes, these

things take time and patience.

Elon sat back as he watched Cole

leave his office, he turned once again

to the window and looked out watching

the sky.

Elon let himself get a little lost

in his favourite daydream of space

travel and life on maybe Mars, maybe

another planet if they could find one

that might support life beyond this

world.

Shaken from his daydream he looked

at the file on Jack, on Cole and on

Patricia. He wondered how long it

would take before someone realised all

of those secrets that the three buried

deep within? He knew that it would not

be a matter of if, but of when.

He picked up the phone and called

Justin. “Hey man, hows it been? Elon

asked. “Look I am sure that you have

heard the news? I am so sorry and want

you to know that I am here for you

whatever you need.” Elon listened as

the unheard voice spoke on the other

end for a good length of time.

“Yes, well about that, I really

think that it I might need for you to

come join me here, I think things are

going to spill over and everyone is

going to want to talk to you at some

point."

As the unheard voice finished

speaking "It would be best if you were

to come out and stay with me and be as

transparent as possible.” As Elon

waited for an answer he found himself

doodling the planets and stars.

Suddenly “Great, it’s settle then,

I will send for you in three weeks. Be

ready Justin, you will be taking the

place of Cole as he steps into a

different role. I need to remove him

from his spot as the right hand of God

before his past catches up to him.”

Hanging up the phone, Elon went

back to his daydream.

————-

CHAPTER 54

Back in his office Cole looked at

the picture of Adam, his son who had

been fighting cancer and beating it at

every turn. Love and admiration filled

Cole’s usually stone cold heart, Adam

saved Cole just as much as Cole saved

Adam years ago.

Adam was technically his half

brother, no one knew this but Cole,

not even his mother knew, his father

never knew he had gotten the young

girl pregnant. If anyone at the time

had found out Cole would have watched

his family go down in ruins.

Cole would raise the child as his

own telling his parents that he had

gotten a girl pregnant and that she

didn’t want the baby.

His best friends would help him

with the story and with taking the

baby while it’s mother was away. At

nineteen years old Cole was a father.

While he attended college having a

baby at such a young age made it

difficult. In his sophomore year he

dropped out of college but had gotten

to know some really powerful people so

work was easy to come by.

Adam was a brilliant and gifted

child who excelled past kids his own

age. By the time he was in fifth grade

Adam was already taking college

courses.

When he was thirteen years old he

started not feeling well, he

complained of weakness, had been tired

all of the time and had no appetite.

Worried Cole took him to the doctor

where they had discovered a brain

tumor.

Cole was crushed and felt

completely helpless by the news. He

vowed to get the very best doctors and

scientists on board so that they could

save Adam. Elon also offered to help

and that’s where Neuralink stepped in

and changed the outcome for Adam.

Cole was both thankful and relieved

for that help, he was not sure that he

could have survived losing his son.

The thought of that proved to be too

overwhelming.

Looking back at everything

throughout his life Cole had no

regrets about anything. He had a

brilliant son and was just now able to

move up with his team at work.

Getting Adam over the cancer would

be a breeze now and all he had to look

forward to was his future and all that

it had to offer.

Things were going to be so much

better for all of them and Cole was

excited about the future.

——————

CHAPTER 55

Justin looked at the phone after he

hung up tears welling up in his eyes,

he couldn’t believe what had happened

but he hadn’t been surprised in the

slightest. Both his heart and soul

filled with a profound sadness at the

news of Angela's passing.

Angela had been found dead after

all of this time she had finally found

peace. She deserved better than life

ever let her have, the suffering she

endured in death must have been

excruciating and Justin felt so bad

for her suffering.

He knew that Elon was right of

course he just wasn’t sure how much

help he could be when the police

learned about her past. He reflected

on her as a little girl, the sweet

little Angela before the bad started

in her life.

She had been silly and funny just

full of life and love. She loved being

outside more than anything in the

entire world, you could see her

imagination kicking into gear whenever

she was outside. Justin always thought

she’d become an artist or something

due to that imagination of hers.

The pain she must have endured her

entire youth and adult life would have

killed most anyone, she lived through

the worst of it in a sad and tormented

way.

Years ago he had been made aware of

her inability to cope, her inability

to have successful relationships, both

romantically and platonic. She had

been in and out of trouble, and seemed

to be suffering from mental trauma

that she refused to seek help for.

None of that meant that she

deserved to die like she had. If only

he could have done something to help

her when he had the opportunity.

Jerking him from his thoughts

“you’re up way too early for your own

good love. Is something on your mind?”

Looking up at Lexi and smiling her

way “no, we’ll actually yes sweetie,

what do you think about us relocating

for my work?”

Lexi was an amazing woman and

Justin loved her more than anything in

the entire world. They met at a cafe

in France, two American tourists who

tried speaking perfect French only to

be met with English speaking French.

It had been comical and it was the

reason they had hit it off so well.

She had been on a backpacking

adventure but had given up after

having twisted her ankle, she referred

to it as her appendage.

Justin loved her humour and her soft

gentle nature, they hit it off

immediately and dated for two years

before moving in to together for

another two years before getting

married.

Initially they lived in separate

states, Lexi in Iowa and Justin in

California, they made it work and

would travel often just to be

together. Lexi finally got an

opportunity in California and moved to

be closer to Justin and the rest

became history.

Smiling back at Justin, “I suppose

I could get used to the idea of being

in love with a true Texan gentleman.”

Giggling she placed a soft kiss on

Justin’s cheek.

Laughing and pulling her into his

lap, “oh yeah you think Texas would

turn me into a gentleman huh?”

Laughing loudly together Jen

entered the room looking at her

parents in disgust “you guys are

gross,” she exclaimed.

Laughing even more Lexi got up and

looked at both her husband and

daughter smiling with pure happiness,

“who’s hungry?”

Watching his wife and daughter

leaving the room Justin couldn’t shake

the bitter memories of the past from

his mind.

He knew that eventually those

memories would return to haunt him and

he hoped more than anything that as

they did it would finally give Amelia

the justice that she had always

deserved.

One thing he knew for sure is that

he did not relish the idea of facing

everything finally. The death had

gained the attention of law

enforcement in a way no one had

expected and it also did not seem as

if it were an actual animal attack.

Justing thought for sure that this

had have been because Cole fucked

something up, what Justin had no clue

but he thought for sure that Cole

messed up big time.

It could also be her past coming

back to haunt everyone who had ever

been close to her or cared about her.

Whatever it was, Justin knew that he

was about to face it.

For his part, he could face some

consequences but not as sever as the

other two who had been part of it all.

He worried that he might lose his

family but the time to pay the bill

was drawing nearer and he would have

to pay his share of that bill.

———————-

CHAPTER 56

John spent a year looking for

anything that he could find with

respect to Amelia. In that year he