Chapter 3

"What! So you're the one who got my grandson killed! You heartless bastard! How could you not even spare your own child!"

My mother-in-law, Vivian Hancock, suddenly arrived shakily, still in a hospital gown. She was supported by my father-in-law, Gregory Stuart.

Her health had deteriorated ever since Justin's death. After learning about what happened to Jasmine this time, she got triggered even more, aggravating her condition, and ended up being hospitalized.

She swayed on her feet and nearly fell after hearing Riley reveal the "truth" about Justin. She broke into loud, wracking sobs.

Gregory held her up tightly and began questioning me in a disappointed, resentful manner.

"Alvin Richmond! Explain yourself! Is that really the truth? Speak!

"Your dad and I used to be good buddies, and I even watched you grow up! How could you have turned out to be someone like this!"

In an instant, I was made the target of everyone's ire and condemnation.

"Riley! How could you be so silly as to cover up for a monster like him? You should have told us the truth sooner! We'd have made you divorce him immediately! Then Jasmine would never have lost her innocence like this anymore!"

"Mom, did you know why Jasmine went to the birthday party at the bar that day?" Riley suddenly asked. "She had heard that her dad owed a lot of debts and went there to plead for mercy on his behalf! She only went there for the sake of her scumbag of a father!"

The crown got even angrier when they heard that and began insulting me even further.

Meanwhile, Gregory was the only calm one, still interrogating me about whether I really had a role in causing Justin's death.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I read the new text message and nodded without hesitation.

"So what if I had? He's my son. I'm the one who gets to determine whether he lives or not. It's got nothing to do with outsiders like you!" I shot back.

"You… You're such a…"

Gregory was so furious that he couldn't even speak anymore.

Raoul kicked me to the ground once again in a rage.

"You beast! You're worse than an animal! At least they would never kill their own young! How could you kill your son and then frame your daughter like this? What other terrible things have you not done? You're the Devil's reincarnate himself!"

The crown agreed with him and began egging Raoul on to beat me to death.

"Beat him up, son! Beat him till he's dead! Teach him a lesson for me!" Gregory cried. "Your mother is a good-for-nothing bitch as well who doesn't even care about you, Alvin! How could she not have said a word after you'd done such terrible things?

"She's hiding herself away, isn't she? She's not speaking up for you, is she? She's too ashamed to face the rest of us, isn't she?"

"Haven't you heard? Like mother, like son. I bet he's inherited his mother's evil genes as well…"

When I heard them insulting Mom, I immediately roared at them, "Shut up! If you dare say another word against my mother, I'm going to tear your mouth apart!"

Yet, my threat only fueled their malice even more, and they began cursing Mom more and more after that.

I lost all semblance of control at that point and rushed up to them, beating them up. However, I was no match for the crowd, and I was instantly pinned against the floor as punches and kicks rained down heavily on my body.

However, I still laughed loudly and said, "Go on! Keep beating me up! Even better if you beat me to death! Everyone can then be prison buddies on death row! Haha!"

They immediately stopped after that.

I laughed hysterically as I got back to my feet, wiping away the blood and dirt on my face while taking out a knife.

"You all want to punish me on behalf of the law, don't you? Come on! I'm standing right here! Come kill me if you dare!"

I then handed the knife to the person who was shouting and yelling the loudest earlier. "You! You love standing out, don't you? Here! Take this knife and stab me!"

He immediately turned away guiltily and refused to look at me.

"Ha! Such a coward. All you know is to add fuel to the fire!"

I then held out the knife to another person, but nobody dared to take it from me.

I swept my cold gaze across them, and they all avoided eye contact with me as if I were the plague. They were all afraid of getting imprisoned and facing the death sentence. They didn't want to give up their lives just to kill me.

However, Raoul was the one who suddenly grabbed the knife from my hands and brandished the point at me.

"They may be cowards, but I'm not! You got Justin killed, and you ruined Jasmine! I'm going to kill you today if it's the last thing I ever do!"

I laughed and retorted, "Jasmine wasn't sexually attacked. She was the one who seduced him first. The judge has already made his verdict!"

"You're asking for it!"

Raoul was enraged by my words. Just as he was about to attack me with the knife, Riley hurriedly stopped him.

"Raoul! Don't do that! Don't kill him!"

"Don't you dare plead for mercy on his behalf, Riley! He doesn't deserve it!"

"I'm not doing anything on his behalf!" Riley cried, grabbing Raoul's hand. "I don't want you to go to jail!"

Raoul finally turned to look at her with a pained expression, telling her to step aside.

"Move, Riley. If I don't kill him today, he will only continue to harm you next time. I'm not afraid of death. I'm not afraid of going to jail either. I will avenge you and Jazzy today if it's the last thing I do!"

Then, he shoved her roughly aside, and Riley stumbled on her feet, nearly falling to the ground.

Raoul then raised the knife in the air, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

"No!"

A slim figure suddenly threw herself before me. Then, there was the clear, gut-wrenching squelch of a knife plunging into flesh.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Jasmine collapsed toward the floor before me, blood soaking into her clothes.

"Jazzy!" Riley screamed.

Raoul was completely frozen. The knife then clattered to the floor as he shakily caught Jasmine before she hit the ground.

She lay weakly in Raoul's arms, a slight smile on her pale lips as she looked at me and said, "E-Even though you didn't save me… Dad… I still love you…"

She gasped for breath with each word as it seemingly took all of her energy to even speak.

"You will always be…the dad…I love the most…"

Riley collapsed next to her and screamed in tears. "Jazzy! Jazzy, my baby, no!"

The crowd erupted in chaos.

"This silly girl! How could she still protect her monster of a dad at a time like this?"

"Look what you did to your own daughter, Alvin!"

"How could you bear to let this happen to her? She's such a bright kid!"

I remained rooted to the ground, watching everything unfold before me with an expressionless face.

As everyone cried, screamed, and yelled at me, I lowered my head to check my phone.

The screen lit up, and a new text message popped up.

"Time to take action, Alvin."

My eyes sharpened at that instant. I then keyed in the three numbers on the dial pad and called 911.

"Hello, officer. I want to report my wife for kidnapping my mother and killing my child."