Chapter 5 - The Snake Sheds Its Skin
At 10:45 PM that Tuesday, the rain began to pour over Capitol Hill, drumming heavily against the massive glass windows of my condominium. I sat at my kitchen island, a glass of red wine in my hand, watching the live feeds of my newly installed security cameras on my phone.
Suddenly, a motion alert flashed on my screen.
Camera 1: Front Entry Hallway.
A figure in a dark, hooded jacket stepped out of the elevator. Even with the hood pulled down, I recognized the gait, the broad shoulders, and the aggressive posture instantly.
Diego.
He had been released on bond just six hours earlier. A mandatory protection order had been issued by the court, explicitly stating he was not allowed within five hundred feet of me or my property. Yet, here he was.
I watched the screen calmly as he walked up to my door. He pulled out his old set of keys, sliding the brass key into the lock. He turned it.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, twisting it violently, his frustration visible even through the low-light camera feed. When he realized the key wouldn't even fit into the new biometric cylinder, he flew into a rage. He began striking the heavy wood with his fist, then kicked the door with his boot.
"Valerie!" his muffled voice screamed through the thick framing. "Open this damn door! You think you can lock me out of my own life? You think you can ruin my family's business?"
I didn't panic. I didn't scream. I stood up, walked leisurely to the front door, and stood safely behind the reinforced steel core. I checked the digital display mounted on the wall, which showed his red, sweating face through the peephole camera.
"Diego," I said through the intercom system. "You are currently violating a felony protection order. The police have already been automatically dispatched by my smart-security system the moment your face was scanned."
"I don't care about the cops!" Diego roared, slamming his palms against the door. "My dad’s firm is ruined! Sterling pulled his accounts! The banks are calling in our corporate notes because of the audit your lawyer filed! You did this to us! You’re going to drop the charges, Valerie, or I swear to God I’ll make sure you regret the day you met me!"
"You did this to yourself, Diego," I replied, my voice cool and mocking. "The moment you decided to smash that plate over my head, you thought you were breaking a helpless woman. You forgot that an architect knows exactly how to identify a structure's weakest point—and your entire family is built on a foundation of rotten wood and stolen money."
"Open the door!" he screamed, kicking it again.
Suddenly, a loud command echoed through the hallway monitor.
"Denver Police! Step away from the door and put your hands on your head! Do it now!"
Through the camera, I watched three officers advance down the hallway with their tasers drawn. Diego turned around, his eyes wild like a cornered animal. For a second, he looked like he was going to fight them, but an officer grabbed his arm, spun him around, and slammed him face-first into the concrete wall of the hallway.
"I have a right to be here! This is my wife’s apartment!" Diego shrieked as the handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists for the second time in three days.
"Sir, you have a restraining order against you," the officer barked, dragging him toward the elevator. "Your bail is officially revoked."
May you like
I stood behind the door, listening to the sound of his fading screams as the elevator doors closed. I walked back to my kitchen island, picked up my wineglass, and took a slow, deliberate sip.
The snake had shed its skin, showing its true, ugly nature to the world. And now, the cage was about to lock permanently.
