Lucy got home late one night, and Chris was waiting for her, visibly angry and drunk.
"Where have you been?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry, I had a long shift," Lucy explained, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Long shift... LIES! You were probably messing around with Tim!" Chris accused, his voice dripping with venom.
"My boss? No, I was saying a kid was missing," Lucy started to explain, but Chris cut her off. He stormed up to her, hitting her and slamming her against the wall by her neck.
"Let me go," Lucy pleaded, her voice choked with fear.
"Why should I, huh?" Chris sneered, tightening his grip. He continued to beat her until she could barely stand.
"Tell anyone and you are dead," he threatened before finally letting her go.
Lucy lay on the floor in pain, every movement sending waves of agony through her body. She struggled to get up and slowly made her way to her bed. Chris followed her shortly after, looming over her with a menacing glare.
The next morning, Lucy woke up and saw the bruises on her neck and face. She did her best to cover them with makeup before heading to work. When she arrived at the station, she was unusually quiet. After roll call, she and Tim went on patrol.
"Hey, Lucy, you okay? You've been very quiet today," Tim asked, noticing her unusual silence.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm just really tired," Lucy replied, forcing a smile.
Tim nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced. Their day continued uneventfully until the end of their shift, which was delayed due to a kidnapping that turned into a shooting. Lucy got home late again.
"You're late... again!" Chris snarled as soon as she walked through the door.
"Yeah, sorry, I got caught up with a kidnapping and—" Lucy began, but Chris interrupted her by charging at her with a knife.
"If you come home late again or I see you with Tim, I will kill you!" he hissed. Before he walked away, he lifted her shirt and made a small cut on her rib.
Lucy tried to get up but struggled due to the pain. When she finally managed to stand, she told Chris she was going to bed. He didn't respond, his eyes cold and indifferent.
The next morning, Lucy's alarm went off, and she got ready, carefully covering all her bruises. At the station, she went into the locker room to change. As she was about to put on her shirt, Angela walked in and saw the scar on her rib.
"What happened? Did someone hurt you?" Angela asked, her voice filled with concern.
"What do you mean?" Lucy replied, trying to play dumb.
"You have a big scar on your rib!" Angela exclaimed, running towards her to get a closer look. Lucy flinched and quickly put on her shirt, scrambling for an excuse.
"Um, it happened on patrol," she said, standing up too quickly and nearly fainting due to the fact she hadn't eaten in three days.
"Lucy, are you okay?" Angela asked, worry etched on her face.
"Yeah, I just stood up too fast... it happens," Lucy said, avoiding Angela's gaze. She glanced at the clock and realized roll call was starting, so she hurried out.
After roll call, Angela pulled Tim aside and told him what she saw. Before they could talk to Lucy, she was already on the streets. It was a quiet morning, and later at the food truck, Lucy sat alone at a table, zoning out. Tim and Angela joined her, bringing food for her as well.
"Hey, Lucy?" Angela called out, but Lucy didn't respond.
"Lucy?" Tim tried, more insistently.
"What?" Lucy snapped out of her trance.
"You okay?" Tim asked.
"You told him?!" Lucy accused Angela, her eyes filling with tears.
Before Angela could respond, Tim interjected. "Yes, but answer my question."
"I'm fine. Can everyone just stop asking?" Lucy's voice broke as she tried to hold back tears. "Sorry for caring," Tim said softly. Lucy's eyes brimmed with tears, and she abruptly got up and ran to the bathroom. Angela and Tim exchanged worried looks and followed her, hearing her sobbing and struggling to breathe.
Tim was about to say something, but Angela stopped him. After five minutes, Lucy calmed down and was applying more concealer when there was a knock on the door.
"You okay in there?" Angela asked.
"Yeah," Lucy replied, finishing with the concealer. She walked out, but it was clear she was on the verge of breaking down again.
"You're literally about to cry... again," Angela observed.
"No, I'm not," Lucy insisted, but her voice was shaky. She quickly went to her shop before they could stop her.
After her shift, Lucy hurried to the locker room and went home. She called out a greeting when she arrived, but no one answered. Thinking Chris wasn't home, she let out a sigh of relief.
