I needed time. I needed time to get my bearings once again, feeling overwhelmed with the onslaught of information that just surfaced into my brain.

My gaze drifted unconsciously to the officer, who was now staring at me with a look of pure annoyance.

'Oh crap, I don't have time.'

I would have to save those thoughts for later. Somehow, I managed to quell down how overwhelmed I felt as there were more urgent matters to deal with.

I had drowned out what the ignorant person in front of me had said a few seconds earlier while I was mentally freaking out, but I got the gist of it. 

He was not going to help me. He wasn't even going to pretend about doing so. That had been evident from the start. 

I didn’t know why. And even if I did, it wouldn’t have changed how pissed off I felt.

I mean, the least the guy could have done was lie to my face, but even that seemed too much. 

“So you’re not going to help me?” I asked him. I felt like I would waste my time arguing with the guy about the derogatory words he had mentioned earlier, and so I chose to get to the main thing.

“Like I told you before, no one here will help you.”

And he had looked serious when he said that. 

I glanced at his uniform, spotting a badge hanging from his shirt with his name on it that I hadn’t noticed earlier.

“Huh. Okay. Well then, thank you for your time, Officer Henry.” 

I got up and walked out of that office. When the door shut behind me, I recalled what he had said. 

Things were different now because of what I had just realized. Things weren't going to be as easy as I thought. If I managed to make a report, there was a possibility that it would be manipulated in a way that I wouldn’t be helped. Or that I would be ignored altogether.

That was what the cop told me, and he was right in some ways. But, fortunately for me, he was not the only cop in the precinct.

I made quick work of entering the working area where the other officers were.

‘Time to make a scene.’

“What is going on with our country?” I started. Everyone paused what they were doing, turning to face me.

"Wasn't this nation once considered great? Is this what a police station has become? Huh? Why won’t anyone help me?” I fake teared up.

 “Young lady, what is the problem?” one of the cops in the vicinity approached me with a concerned look.

‘Bingo,’ I thought. 

“I need help. My father hits me,” I began to explain my sob story.

“Just this morning, he punched me across the face and even on my body. Whenever he does so, he says it’s a punishment for not being a good girl. He said I didn’t greet him at the table today but--”

“Miss, please calm down.”

“Please don’t send me back,” I told the officer who had come to help me, grasping at his arm in desperation.

At that point, I was not lying. Who knew what might happen if I saw James again after the show I was putting on. 

“Please, I can’t go back there.”

“Miss--”

“What is going on out here?” another officer approached. They appeared to be wearing a different uniform than everyone else, and one that was darker.

Based on her appearance, the woman appeared to be more senior than the other cops. 

The woman regarded me as she slowly approached me.

“Young lady, how can I help you--”

“Don’t listen to her!” Henry, seemingly out of nowhere, rushed to where I was. “Don’t listen to that girl! She’s–!”

The officer looked at Henry as though he were insane. The others in the precinct murmured among themselves, wondering what was going on with him.

Then Henry flinched, his expression indicating that he had not expected the woman to be there.

“Young lady, can you explain to me what’s troubling you?” I was asked by the officer.

I pretended to gather my thoughts.

“My father…” I paused, pretending to be moved to tears.

Henry rolled his eyes. His counterparts, on the other hand, appeared to be more concerned with my current state.

The officer who had approached me after I left Henry's office began to explain my situation to the senior.

“He hit you?” the woman said, shocked.

“He did it this morning too. And…” I started to raise my shirt.

“What the hell?” the officer trailed off once I exposed my stomach.

Even though Alice had managed to treat the wounds I had gotten from James, there were still signs of fading cuts and bruises.

The officer saw the bruises James had inflicted on me in the morning, as well as the ones that were still healing when I became Emma.

“He also did the same a while ago,” I added, even though there was no need to.

Everyone in the precinct who happened to be watching was shocked, including some of the civilians present. Henry also, for some reason, looked shocked.

“I am so sorry this happened to you,” the woman said. Then she gave a look as if she remembered something. “Who did she go to?”

"She went to Henry's," said the officer who had rushed to my aid.

The woman appeared irritated as she approached Henry, who was becoming rapidly pale.

"Officer Henry, did this young lady not tell you about her situation?" 

Henry stammered.

"Did she really come into your office and you did nothing to help her?"

“Ma’am, that’s not true. I did listen--”

“He called me a slut,” I interjected.

Just for good measure.

“He what?”

Henry paled even more, if possible.

“Ma’am, that’s--”

“He also called me a whore. He said I deserved to be hit. He told me I wouldn’t be helped here.”

“Unbelievable.”

“I didn’t think the police had such kind of people working for them.”

The civilians in the precinct were murmuring loudly enough to be heard.

I took a glance at Henry, noticing he looked very scared at that moment.

“I… I…” Henry stammered again.

The woman looked at him with narrowed eyes. She seemed to convey a nonverbal message to him before returning her gaze to me.

“Young lady, on behalf of the precinct, I want to apologize. This isn’t something that should have happened, and for that, I am truly sorry.”

“… does that mean you’re going to help me?”  I asked.

“Yes,” the woman nodded. “Come with me to my office. I’ll help you from there.”

I nodded.

A glance at Henry confirmed that his terrified expression had not faded. 

It took a lot for me to conceal the victorious grin I wanted to show.