Chapter 3

Three days later, I received a notice ordering me to appear at the recruiting agency and give a formal statement.

By the time I reached the gates of the provincial government compound, a crowd had already gathered outside.

Banners hung from the iron railings.

‘You killed my mother. You must pay with your life!’

‘A hit-and-run driver wants to become a government official?’

‘Give ordinary people justice!’

Several social-media streamers stood outside with their phones raised, livestreaming the scene.

“Everyone, our future government official is about to arrive. I heard he has powerful connections. They haven’t canceled his recruitment. They only put the background check on hold. Let’s see if he still has the nerve to show his face today.”

The moment I stepped out of the car, every camera swung toward me.

“There he is!”

“That’s him!”

“He kills someone and still has the nerve to dress like a decent human being!”

I wore a black overcoat over a white shirt. I had chosen the outfit for my background-check interview. Now, it felt like they had dressed me for a funeral in advance.

The victim’s daughter stood at the front of the crowd. She looked to be in her thirties, her eyes bloodshot from days without sleep. In her hands, she clutched a framed photograph.

The elderly woman in the picture had silver hair and a warm, gentle smile.

I later learned that her name was Mary Williams. She worked as a street cleaner for more than twenty years before retiring.

That night, she had only gone out to buy some blood-pressure medication for her husband.

Mary’s daughter, Natalie Williams, lunged toward me but was stopped by security.

“Reid Xander!” Her voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human. “What did my mother ever do to you? You hit her, so why didn’t you stop? And now you want to join the disciplinary inspection system and investigate other people? Do you even deserve to?”

The livestream chat exploded.

[Cancel his recruitment!]

[Someone like him belongs behind bars!]

[Is he trying to use his connections to bury the case?]

[The victim’s family is suffering so much.]

Vanessa was there too. She stood beside the media, her face pale, her eyes red, as though she had not slept in three days.

One of the streamers thrust a microphone toward her. “You’re his fiancée. What do you think about all this?”

Vanessa lowered her head and stayed silent for a few seconds. “I just hope the truth comes out as soon as possible. Whatever the outcome, I won’t let my personal relationship with him influence my judgment or excuse anyone from responsibility.”

How fair and how dignified she was.

She washed her hands completely clean with one sentence and left me standing alone on the other side of the crowd.

Jason came out supporting my mother’s second husband. His eyes were red, but he held his shoulders straight, looking every bit like the man who had stepped up to shoulder the family’s burden.

He turned to Natalie. “Ms. Williams, please don’t do anything rash. We trust the law.”

Then he looked at me and said, “Reid, if you’re really innocent, tell everyone the whole story. Don’t let people misunderstand you.”

His voice was calm, yet his eyes kept flicking toward the pocket of Natalie’s coat.

I noticed it too. The fabric bulged around a sharp, unmistakable shape. When her sleeve shifted, the black handle of a fruit knife appeared for a moment.

The blood in my veins seemed to freeze. The knife the comments had warned me about was right in front of me.

Another line of text drifted across my vision: [Don’t back down. If you do, they’ll say you’re guilty.]

I looked at Natalie. Her anger was real, and so was her grief. However, someone had turned her into a weapon.

Vanessa took a seemingly concerned step forward and spoke in a soft voice, “Reid, why don’t you go inside first? Don’t provoke the victim’s family.”

I turned to look at her. “Who exactly is provoking the victim’s family?”

Something flickered in her eyes. Jason immediately spoke in a low voice. “Reid, this isn’t the time to worry about who said what. Mrs. Williams is dead. The least you can do is apologize first.”

The crowd exploded into an uproar.

“You hear that? Even his own brother can’t stand him!”

“Why won’t he apologize?”

“He killed someone and he’s still acting this defiant. How terrifying!”

Natalie suddenly wrenched one arm free from the security guard. “Get on your knees!”

Her right hand plunged toward her coat pocket.

I did not wait another second. I pulled a stack of documents from my bag and held them high above my head.

“I’m not getting on my knees. The person who killed Mary wasn’t me.”