Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Angela's Heartbreak
Uncertain if Americans have a concept similar to a housewarming party, Jack was nonetheless excited. He prepared a lavish meal and invited colleagues from the Wilshire Station and some new friends for a small party.
Among the guests were Dr. Scarlett from Central Hospital and the cheerful young girl, Carla, who had recovered and now frequently visited the Wilshire Station. She idolized Hannah and vowed that her future goal was to become an LAPD officer.
Detective Hunter and his wife also attended, making the stern-faced Inspector Grey a bit nervous. Clearly, it wasn't just Hannah, Tim, and Angela who idolized the Hunters.
Midway through the party, Zoey and Maureen, dressed in evening gowns, made a stunning entrance, dazzling everyone present. Luckily, at least at the Wilshire Station, there seemed to be no strict hierarchy in daily life, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Finally, the day came when Hannah would leave the LAPD. It was her last day at the Wilshire Station. Although she was headed to Quantico, so the sadness was mixed with well-wishes for the Texan girl.
As one of the station's beloved figures, Superintendent Anderson might not have been very approachable, but Hannah was everyone's darling. Despite her slight androphobia, her cheerful personality and sweet looks won her many male friends as long as physical contact wasn't involved.
Hannah, having received a pile of gifts, glanced at Jack, who obediently handed over the gift he had prepared—a sandalwood-carved bobblehead figurine.
Last night, Jack had painfully spent a system coin to upgrade his carpentry skill to proficient, partially because he realized his entry-level skill wasn't enough for the renovations he planned for his new home. After wasting quite a bit of material, and feeling the pinch financially, he had no choice but to level up the skill.
Seeing the cartoon figurine that resembled her by about 60%, Hannah cherished it and carefully put it away before joining Jack to collect their equipment from the armory for their last patrol together.
Fortunately, it was an ordinary day—no shootouts, no murders, just a few traffic tickets. The city felt unusually calm, not like Los Santos.
Returning to the station in the evening, the other teams had also encountered no major incidents, except for John and Neela, who had arrested a scantily clad, sexy woman.
Seeing the woman striking seductive poses for the booking photos, Jack patted John's shoulder in amusement.
"What did you do to her? The strap of that sexy dress is broken."
John, filling out his report, looked exasperated. "I arrested this lunatic at a valet service at a five-star hotel. She tried to stab a waiter over a minor scratch on her car."
"When I handcuffed her, she struggled, tearing her dress and exposing herself."
Jack shook his head. Fortunately, this was America. In his previous life, he had seen women on Bilibili who stripped off their underwear to throw at police officers to resist arrest.
"Good work. This way, ma'am." John, having finished his report, thanked the colleagues assisting with the booking process.
He walked the woman to a temporary holding cell, sincerely explaining, "Please believe me, I didn't mean to expose you like that."
"The bystanders who took photos have deleted them at my request."
With that, he locked her in the holding cell.
The woman, defiant and arrogant, sneered, "Do you even know who I am?"
John replied professionally, "Your name is Astrid Haeser. No criminal record, no notable offenses."
Astrid snorted, looking down her nose at him, "What's your name?"
John, having dealt with many such characters over the past few months, pointed to his badge, "I'm John Nolan, badge number 25253. If you want to file a complaint, that is your right."
"Oh, believe me, you'll have something 'filed' against you soon," Astrid replied with a hint of menace.
John closed the cell door, unconcerned, not responding further. Jack, who had been watching, frowned, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu about the scene.
Just then, Angela, looking dejected, approached with Hannah, "Do you gentlemen have time? Join me for a drink. I plan to get wasted tonight."
Jack hesitated, deciding not to speak. Ever since deciding not to be everyone's go-to guy, he consciously controlled his behavior around other women.
Good-guy John, however, was concerned, "What's wrong, Angela?"
"She checked Wesley's phone, thinking he was cheating," Hannah explained for her.
"And he found out?" Jack, always eager for gossip, couldn't help but ask.
Angela glared at him, making him shiver.
"I apologized to him, but he didn't forgive me. I think we're done."
Seeing her dejected state, Hannah comforted her best friend warmly, "If he really loves you, he'll come around. Maybe you just need some time."
With that, she led Angela, and the four of them headed to their usual bar.
To comfort her heartbroken friend, Hannah treated them to an expensive bottle of whiskey.
It was clear that Angela truly liked Wesley. After just a few drinks, she started crying about her unhappy childhood.
According to her, she was so insecure about this relationship because her father had left home when she was young, abandoning her mother and five siblings. Her mother had struggled to raise her and her four brothers alone.
So, although she had always pretended to be a tomboy, deep down, she longed for someone to rely on. She believed Wesley was her destined one, which led to her irrational actions.
John and Jack, sweating bullets, whispered to each other.
"Do you think she'll shoot us when she sobers up?" Jack asked nervously.
John looked worried, "I'll probably be okay, but you're definitely doomed. You kept prompting her."
Jack felt uneasy. It wasn't his fault his psychology skill was still at the beginner level. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, prompting him to try it out, not expecting this tomboyish woman to open up so easily.
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