Chapter 3: Scandal, Rescue, and Ruin

That’s when my brother, Caleb, drove by in his old Ford pickup, headlights sweeping the alley. He slammed on the brakes, rushed over, and scooped her into his arms. I remember thinking he looked like a hero straight out of a John Wayne movie.

A hero saves a beauty. It became small-town legend—told at backyard barbecues and high school reunions. The young general and the city’s infamous call girl—love at first sight.

Rumors ran wild: Was it fate, or just another rich man out for a thrill? Caleb didn’t care. He sent someone to the credit union, signed a cashier’s check for $100,000, and bought Natalie’s freedom. The Velvet Room’s madam thought she’d hit the jackpot.

From then on, another story was added to Maple Heights’ lore. People gossiped at the post office, saying the town hadn’t seen such drama since the Smith family feud back in ’82.

While folks whispered that Natalie would be hidden away, Caleb paraded her down Main Street, daring anyone to speak. Then, neighbors gossiped over coffee: "Did you hear? Caleb’s camped out on the Governor’s lawn again. Swears he won’t leave till they’re married."

He pitched a tent in the rain, refusing to budge until the Governor signed the license. The wedding was the talk of the county—white roses, a string quartet, and half the town there to watch.

The marriage certificate made her legal, but it couldn’t silence the rumors. They lingered in every grocery aisle and church pew. For three years, it never stopped. Some said Caleb had lost his edge, bewitched by a woman with a past. Others said her leap from the building was a ploy to ensnare him. They ignored the scars on her arms and the fear in her eyes when she heard sirens.

Caleb wanted to go out with his shotgun and settle things, but Natalie stopped him, her hand gentle on his shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were red, but her tone was calm and strong. "Let them say what they want. It’s their mouths; it doesn’t hurt us."

Caleb fumed, cheeks flushed, jaw clenched. "Let them slander me, but to smear your name is intolerable..."

She squeezed his hand, a silent message. "You hold military power and are already watched by the new President. We have to be careful."

She glanced at the kitchen window, shades drawn. "We can’t give them a reason to take more from us."

Natalie pulled Caleb to sit, then stroked my hair. "Jamie, do you like your sister-in-law?"

I nodded, nestling close. "I do! I like you best."

I blinked at Caleb. "What does ‘watched’ mean?" I was just a kid, the world still small.

He didn’t answer. He stared out at the thunderclouds, lips pressed into a thin line. After that, I rarely saw him. He was always gone—sent east to fight, or north to handle unrest. We tracked him on a wrinkled map in the study, pins marking every place, each farther from home. Each time, more of his team didn’t come back.

This time, even Caleb didn’t return. The phone rang before sunrise. Mom collapsed, coffee mug shattering. When the news came, Natalie fainted at the table, head cracking on the floor. When she woke, she grabbed a kitchen knife and lunged at her own heart. She moved so fast, the blade glinting in the morning light. I’d never seen her so desperate, her whole body shaking like she was coming apart.

I dove across the table, nearly knocking over the salt shaker. My hands shook as I wrestled the knife away, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Sister-in-law, brother left you a letter before he died. Please read it."

Her eyes widened, gaze falling to the envelope on the bed. The envelope was stiff, Army green, with a bloodstain spreading over the return address. The bodyguard who brought it was covered in wounds, barely managing to hand me the letter before collapsing, and hasn’t woken since.

Natalie stared at the letter, lips trembling. Tears spilled down her face, but she turned her head, afraid to let them fall on the paper. After steadying herself, she opened the envelope—inside was a strip of white silk, words scrawled in dark red—clearly blood. Her hands shook as she read, then she crumpled the silk into a ball, gripping it tight.

I tugged at her sleeve. "Sister-in-law, what did brother say?"

"Caleb said he did not die in battle, but was murdered."

Natalie’s gaze drifted to the distant golden dome of the Capitol. "He wants me to avenge him. But how could I, a powerless woman, possibly do that..."

Her words hung heavy, thunder rumbling in the distance.