Favored Her Lies, Faced Their Regret

The autopsy was grueling, yet Orlando still rushed home that evening.It was Gina's victory banquet, after all. He would never miss a chance to celebrate his beloved little sister.When Orlando arrived, tired and dusty, Gina was nestled beside my fiancé, Leo Sawyer, giggling.Jeremy pointed to the mountain of gift boxes stacked nearby. "Only the best for our genius sister."Our dad, Nicolas Zimmerman, who usually looked at me with coldness and disdain, now gazed lovingly at them.My chest ached. These people were supposed to be my family, yet I was forever the outsider.Even sewer rats could peek at happiness, while I was locked in the basement, hearing the laughter and joy from above.Now, even as a ghost, I had to listen to them slander me.Gina sipped the drink Leo handed her, her eyes sparkling. "I want to call Mabel back to celebrate with us."Jeremy's face darkened. "You're still thinking about that vixen? She only ever bullies you. Gina, you're too kind."Orlando nodde

The room fell into dead silence.Orlando gritted his teeth, his voice dry and strained. "What kind of sick joke is this? Did Mabel put you up to this?"Neville took a deep breath. "We found her phone in the swamp near the scene. Our captain and the team think the victim might be..."I had always sent Orlando peace charms and health tonics through Neville. He and I got along reasonably well. And yet now, even he was being doubted.Gina's pupils shrank. She had thrown away my main phone, never dreaming I kept a backup.I watched the people in front of me with a strange, cold curiosity, almost eager to see how they would react to the news of my death.Jeremy froze, his gaze unfocused for a few seconds before a cold laugh slipped out. "Mabel really is fearless, huh? She even dared to murder someone and left evidence?"I couldn't believe my ears. A sharp, crawling pain spread through my chest as though something venomous was gnawing at me.His words burrowed deeper and deeper, stabb

Nicolas had taken Gina on an overseas vacation and given the employees a holiday break.Orlando buried himself in work, while Jeremy suddenly suffered from kidney stones, so painful that he vomited nonstop.I dragged him to the hospital in such a rush that I didn't even put on my shoes. By the time we arrived, my bare feet were torn and bleeding.When he woke up and saw me running around taking care of him, he whispered, "I won't treat you that badly anymore."I smiled and cut him a slice of apple, tears shining in my eyes. For the first time, I thought I had finally been accepted. My heart was full of joy as I secretly planned a birthday surprise for him.But the cuff design I drew for him was spotted by Gina, who cried to everyone, accusing me of stealing her idea.I thought Jeremy would side with me this time, but he shoved me away, his eyes filled with unmistakable disgust, as if my very presence contaminated the air around him."Old habits die hard, huh? I thought you'd cha

In the interrogation room, the captain laid out all the evidence.Gina's usual pitiful show was useless now."After finding the diamond shard under the victim's fingernail," the captain said, "we checked every buyer of that necklace. None was missing a stone. Then we contacted the manufacturer, who told us about one necklace that never went through official purchase records—yours. The one in your jewelry box is missing exactly one diamond of the matching size."Gina's gentle mask shattered. The grievance disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness. "That's your evidence? Maybe Mabel stole it and ripped the stone out herself."The sudden shift in her attitude stunned the Zimmermans and Leo. The girl they always believed to be obedient and sweet now looked like a stranger—cold and terrifying.I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. Her mask fell too fast, leaving the people who trusted her defenseless."How ruthless!" said the captain, gritting his teeth. "If not for the wildlife cam