Chapter 2 Just a Telemarketer

Cedric gave me the model of the spine, probably because I had a nightmare last night. I was screaming in my dream and yelling, "No!" I didn't dare tell Cedric that the person who appeared in my dream was my ex-boyfriend, Jason Bell. Jason was known in the industry as "The Mad Dog". Three years ago, I grew fed up with his unpredictable, volatile nature and wanted to break up with him. He nodded in agreement, but the next day, he posted a large number of falsified pictures online. He threatened to sue me for fraud and money laundering. My phone buzzed once, and a text message from an unknown number popped up on the screen. "Emily, did you think that by marrying some broke forensic doctor, I wouldn't be able to find you?" What immediately followed was a photo. The photo was taken from downstairs of our apartment building, with the lens aimed directly at our balcony. I could even vaguely make out the figures of Cedric and me eating dinner through the window. Jason was watching me. A chill ran down my spine. My hand jerked in response, and the phone clattered onto the table. The sound of running water from the kitchen stopped. Cedric walked out while drying his hands. His gaze fell to the phone on the ground, then on my pale face. "Who is it from?" He walked over and bent down to pick up my phone. I felt my heart stop, and I instinctively lunged over to snatch it back. "No one! It's just a telemarketer!" My actions were too frantic, resulting in my fingernail scratching the back of Cedric's hand and leaving a red mark. Cedric's hand holding the phone paused in mid-air. He hadn't unlocked the screen yet. He just looked at me quietly. His usually calm gaze now looked deep and unfathomable, like a stagnant pool of water. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. "Your nails have grown." Cedric handed the phone back to me, his tone still calm. "Find time to trim them. They can harbor bacteria easily." After saying that, he turned and entered his study. That night, Cedric didn't return to the bedroom. I lay in bed and listened to the occasional sound of pages turning from the study next door. I clutched the silver spine pendant tightly in my hand. The hard metal dug painfully into my palm, yet it strangely gave me a bizarre sense of security.