Chapter 5
Suddenly, air rushed into my constricted throat, and I erupted into a fit of coughing.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
The police who arrived swiftly secured the scene. Caleb, my friend from college, stood by my side, assuring me not to be afraid, that he had all the evidence.
Finally, I felt a sense of relief.
In my previous life, I had died consumed by hatred, never receiving justice in my final moments.
I had been stabbed into a bloody mess by Arthur, and no one had bothered to uncover the truth for me.
My own closest relatives had banded together, united in their desire to see me dead.
No mother could ever accept her own child falsely accusing her.
And no wife could ever accept being betrayed by her husband.
Fortunately, this time, I hadn’t been stabbed to death.
Everything was still salvageable.
The female officer had barely switched on her body camera when Mark eagerly pointed at me, his face a mask of grief. “Officer, I’m Alice’s husband, Mark Peterson. I’m officially reporting her for deliberate murder, for killing my dad!”
Hearing this, all the police officers looked solemn. Before they could speak, Brenda, clutching Leo, chimed in.
“That’s right, she’s an evil daughter-in-law! She killed the old man, and I’m definitely next! Officers, please arrest her and execute her!”
I regained my composure, watching their synchronized performance with cold eyes.
My closest husband and my own son were willing to falsely accuse me, desperate for me to die.
Even Caleb, just a friend from college, couldn’t stand it. He spoke up for me. “You people are truly heartless animals! Alice marrying into your family was a charity case, and you’re still not grateful. I think *you’re* the murderers, trying to kill Alice and seize everything she owns!”
To my surprise, my son, whom I’d loved for five years, blurted out, “Good, good if she died! I don’t want a bad mommy!”
“Alright, regardless, justice will be served by the law. This is the first time I’ve seen a child disown their mother.”
The police officers’ eyes showed suspicion, wondering what terrible things I must have done to be so utterly abandoned by my family.
“She is, after all, the child’s mother and your wife. How did it come to this?”
“Ptooey! Don’t even say she’s my grandson’s mother! She’s not worthy!”
Brenda held Leo, her eyes fixed on me, filled with venomous hatred.
“Officer, it’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve been repaying evil with good, tolerating her until now. Otherwise, letting her continue to harm innocent people would be a true menace!”
Mark’s words were self-righteous; in his narrative, I was a heinous criminal.
Arthur, standing beside him, was itching to tear me apart on the spot.
The neighbors cursed me as an evil daughter-in-law, wholeheartedly supporting Mark, demanding that I pay with my life.
“‘Repaying evil with good,’ huh? You’re so heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
My heart was utterly frozen.
“You ruthless? I think you should just surrender quietly; you might get a lighter sentence.”
Brenda was triumphant, utterly confident that she could send me to prison.
Ordinarily, Brenda had always verbally abused Mr. Peterson, treating him like useless baggage, constantly tormenting him mentally. Now that he was dead, with me taking the blame, the biggest beneficiaries were clearly her and Mark.
I wouldn’t let her succeed.
“You wouldn’t expect me to forgive you, would you? Absolutely not!”
Mark immediately declared, afraid I’d try to drag him down with me.
I scoffed. “In that case, I won’t hold back.”
In front of everyone, I pulled something out of my bag, something that surprised Mark’s entire family.
“Officer, I have evidence to prove who the real murderer is.”
Chapter
Seeing what I held in my hand, Mark instinctively lunged to snatch it.
I sidestepped, mocking him, “What, suddenly scared now?”
Brenda’s face also changed. Though she didn’t know what I was holding, she blindly trusted her son. “You bitch! What fake thing are you trying to trick people with?!”