The Man They Blame

A dangerous liability

“No, sir, you shouldn’t go there just yet.” Victor quickly stood up and blocked his path. The old man looked nervous, but he mustered his courage nonetheless.

Fae sighed and agreed. “Victor’s right—you haven’t fully recovered yet.”

Having worked as the head butler at the West residence for years, he had learned to act immediately; he then exchanged glances with his subordinate. The man who had briefly stepped out and seemed busy now returned with a tablet in his hand and handed it to Victor.

Victor examined it for a moment, then showed it to Derek. “You don’t need to go that far to check what’s happening.”

Dereka took the tab with a furrowed brow, then opened it. He opened a report stating that he had left his designated duty area during a wildfire support mission in Los Vangees County, disobeyed on-site orders, and entered a vacation home in Morelbu Hills without permission, thereby exposing the rescue team to unnecessary danger.

Even more outrageous, Christian described Derek’s act of saving Jacob West as “an act of individual recklessness,” framing Derek’s actions as a disciplinary violation and exacerbating the situation by adding that the reason Jacob ended up in the hospital was that Derek’s improper rescue methods had worsened his injuries.

Derek remained silent for quite a while.

He used to believe that as long as his conscience was clear, the truth would eventually come to light.

But after everything involving Erin, Dick, Christian, and the West family members, he finally realized that if he didn’t try to defend his good name, people like them would write his story differently in his biography for others to read.

His jaw tightened. He refused to remain silent. He looked at Victor. “I’ve lived in silence long enough, and now I’m sick of it.”

He changed out of his hospital gown into a simple black coat. His wounds still ached, and his body trembled slightly as he stood, but he didn’t back down.

Fae, seeing his resolve, understood. “All right, then—don’t go alone. Let the lawyer and the bodyguard accompany you.” She turned to the other servant. “Prepare an SUV to take Sir West.”

“There’s no need for that.” Derek stopped them once again. “I know how to handle them.”

He didn’t want the confrontation to get too dramatic right from the start. First, he wanted to see just how far Christian intended to go.

Accepting this, both Victor and Fae then let Derek return to the fire station on his own.

He stood there, gazing at the familiar red-brick building, the fire trucks, the training ground, and the rows of equipment standing before him.

This place had once been his second home. It was here that he trained late into the night, responded to emergency calls, and saved lives. It was also where Christian had ostracized him and where the leadership had repeatedly ignored what was actually happening.

As Derek entered the fire truck garage, the firefighters, who had been noisy moments before, fell silent.

Some were surprised that he was still alive. Some looked at him with admiration. Others immediately bowed their heads and didn’t dare approach him because Christian had already spread the word that Derek would likely be suspended and investigated for his actions during the wildfire.

Christian stepped out from behind the crowd, a smirk appearing on his face with a mocking gaze. “Look who’s back. Don’t cowards usually hide away longer?”

Derek didn’t respond to his insult. He simply asked, “Where’s the report?”

Christian’s eyebrows shot up arrogantly. “What’s with your attitude? Shouldn’t you be the one to apologize first? Let me remind you of the proper order.” He bent down so his face was right beneath Derek’s, grinning. “Show some remorse, then beg. Don’t go around giving orders.”

Christian assumed Derek was scared, which made him even more arrogant. He brushed it off with a laugh, then signaled to his subordinates. “But fine, I’ll show you. I’ll give you a chance to leave with dignity.” His eyes locked onto Derek, who stood staring back at him without hesitation.

Christian then continued, “If you admit to disobeying orders and acting without permission, you’ll still be allowed to leave with dignity. If not, the department will suspend you and investigate the matter, while the remainder of your salary, workers’ compensation, and medical coverage will be withheld.” He smiled smugly.

Just then, Zack Reed appeared.

Zack had originally been just a low-level administrative clerk who always followed Christian everywhere. Now he had been promoted to Assistant Administrative Officer and handled payroll processing, disciplinary documents, injury records, and termination procedures.

Zack was wearing a perfectly pressed uniform, and his name tag was polished and gleaming.

He deliberately slammed a stack of documents down on the table. “You are currently under investigation, so you have no right to demand standard procedures,” he warned.

Derek took over reading the documents.

The conclusion had been written from the start. Derek’s injury was caused by his own misconduct. The department could deny full responsibility for the injury he sustained while on the job. Derek had left his assigned area without permission. The rescue at Morelbu Hills was a reckless act taken on his own initiative.

Derek would have to face disciplinary action.

What surprised Derek even more was the final attachment. Its title read: Spousal Well-Being Statement, signed by Erin Chase-Moss

The statement claimed that Derek had been experiencing serious domestic conflict before the mission. His wife was said to have issued a risk warning beforehand. Derek was suspected of having a tendency to take risks driven by his emotions.

If he made high-risk decisions during the mission, the department should consider his psychological state as part of the investigation. In other words, even before Derek set out for the wildfire, Erin had already prepared the allegations that Christian is now using to destroy him.

Finally, Derek realized that Christian truly intended to destroy his entire professional record.

Zack pushed a pen toward Derek. “Sign it. At least you’ll still get something.”

Christian added, “Or don’t sign it. Then we’ll see how long a hero can last without a paycheck.” A broad smile spread across the man’s face. He had calculated everything about Derek and was eagerly looking forward to witnessing Derek suffering.

Derek then took the pen. Everyone thought he was going to sign the document. However, he instead put the pen back down and slowly pushed the papers away.

He looked at them all calmly. “I won’t sign a lie.”

Christian’s face immediately darkened.

Zack, looking flustered, said, “If you refuse, the entire procedure will be halted. Your salary settlement, medical certificate, and work injury records will remain under review indefinitely.”

Although he heard this, Derek ignored it; he even turned and walked away. As he was leaving the hallway, he overheard some administrative staff discussing the department’s financial crisis.

“I can’t believe Station 17 is going to be shut down so soon.” One of them, sitting with his back slumped against the wall, sighed deeply.

“It’s because the wildfires have exposed just how badly the department’s equipment has been damaged,” another man replied.

Another man spread his legs wide and sat with his head bowed. “The state government is willing to provide a much larger emergency wildfire grant, but the department must first secure five million dollars in matching funds.” To him, that was impossible.

The man who had started the conversation nodded. “You’re right—this is a major threat. If we don’t secure that funding today, the grant will be forfeited, and Fire Chief Page will be held accountable by the committee.”

Derek stopped in his tracks.

Christian watched his reaction and smiled deliberately. “Don’t bother worrying about it or thinking this is your way back, because you can’t do that. Besides, Page has already negotiated a five-million-dollar donation from Jacob West.”

Then Christian added, “Too bad for you, Moss. Mr West doesn’t donate to departments that still employ careless firefighters. That’s because they want competent, highly disciplined people on the job. Meanwhile, people like you are just a dangerous liability.” He pointed at Derek without hesitation.