Chapter 3

“I’ll return your mother’s body only after Richard is declared innocent.”

I never expected Melody and Derek to be this shameless.

They plotted this to stop me from showing up in court, all because they thought that body was my mother.

As her immediate family member, I refused to reach a settlement with Richard. Hence, Melody’s pardon letter would be deemed void.

I gritted my teeth and punched Derek in the face.

“You’re worse than trash!”

Melody screamed as she shielded him behind her.

“Henry, believe me when I say I can have you thrown in prison!”

I stared at Melody with bloodshot eyes.

“An adulterous couple like you should go to jail instead! Desecrating a corpse is considered a crime too!”

Melody just sneered at me.

“Have you forgotten that I’m a lawyer? No matter who goes to jail, it’ll never be me. You can’t threaten me.

“You’d better think carefully about this. Do you insist on testifying in court, or do you want your mother’s body back?!”

A cold laugh escaped my lips.

“Melody, have you ever considered that the body is probably your mother’s instead of mine?”

Melody did not take my words seriously.

“My mother’s an honest and decent lady. How could she be so wicked to the extent that a kind-hearted college student would stab her to death?”

Then, she took out her phone and gave someone a video call.

“A word from me, and your mother’s body will end up rotting with maggots!”

On the screen, they dragged my mother-in-law’s body to the side of a sewer.

As they dragged her toward the sewer, a large burn scar was revealed on her forearm.

My mother-in-law once told me that when Melody was a mischievous child, she knocked over a kettle of boiling water. My mother-in-law got scalded in the process of protecting her.

Later, she told Melody that it was a birthmark to prevent her from getting upset.

Derek narrowed his eyes and quickly pointed at the scar as he said, “Melody, Henry’s mother is such a copycat! Not only did she copy the way your mother dressed, but she also created the same birthmark!”

Melody’s doubtful expression instantly twisted into that of disgust.

“The one my mother has is a real birthmark. Don’t tell me your mother tried to fake a burn scar too? What a pathetic imitation.

“Henry, I never thought your mother could be this despicable. Yet, my mother still praised her for being a kind person.”

My mother tried to copy the way her mother dressed, huh? Even my mother could tell how hard my mother-in-law’s life had been!

Whenever my mother bought clothes or jewelry, she would always buy extra for my mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law was very grateful for that, so she always treated me really well.

My heart was filled with sorrow as I tried to stop Melody from desecrating my mother-in-law’s body.

“It’s true that she’s your mother! That’s not a birthmark. It’s a burn scar from that time she protected you from being scalded!”

However, Derek egged her on without hesitation.

“The dead woman has the same birthmark as your mother. That’s a sign of bad luck. Just get rid of the body.”

Right after he finished speaking, he took his phone and gave the men on the other end of the video call some instructions.

I quickly grabbed Derek’s phone, but Melody swung her handbag at my face.

“Derek’s right! Stop mistreating him!”

The metal charm on her handbag scratched my forehead, and it bled.

Meanwhile, the person on the other end of the video call slashed my mother-in-law’s arm.

The already damaged limb looked even more grotesque, and I shook with rage.

“Melody, do you still have any humanity in you?!”

Melody shouted at me, “You’re the one who has no humanity for being so hell-bent on throwing Richard into prison!

“I already gave you a chance, but you didn’t appreciate it.

“Toss her body into the sewer!” Melody snarled at the person on the other end of the phone.

After that, she shoved the phone screen in front of me and forced me to watch as they tossed my mother-in-law’s body into sewage.

Melody raised her chin proudly as she looked at how furious I was. She walked into the courthouse with Derek as if she were the victor.

The trial officially began, and the judge outlined the facts of the case.

“The defendant, Richard Murdoch, had a conflict with the victim, Rosie Swift, after which he stabbed her to death.”

At that moment, Melody’s face went blank. Rosie was her mother.

She could not help but interrupt. “There must be a mistake in the victim’s information! How could it possibly be my mother’s name?”

The judge frowned and gave her a strange look.

“The victim’s identity has been verified. There’s no mistaking that she’s your mother, Rosie Swift.”