Chapter 4

The victim’s parents snatched the autopsy report right out of my hand and started comparing it line by line.

A moment later, their faces twisted with rage. They exploded at me,

“Are you kidding me?! What is the point of you hacking up bodies every day? Dr. Hans doesn’t even need to look, and she already knows the results!

“The conclusions are the same, but you turned my daughter into pieces! She couldn’t even keep her body intact. Aren’t you afraid of karma?!

“Get the hell out of here! Don’t make us have to look at you!”

Before I could react, they lunged at me like wild animals, yanking my hair and slamming my head against the wall.

If a colleague had not rushed in and stopped them, I might have been seriously hurt.

Someone in the crowd, who could not stand to watch anymore, tried to calm them down,

“Everyone, please, take it easy. Dr. Jaffe is just trying to find the truth…”

Yet a furious parent cut him off instantly,

“Easy? Our daughter is dead and can’t even rest in peace, and you want us to calm down?!”

Just then, Yvette stepped forward, putting on her usual fake show of compassion.

“Please, everyone, don’t be upset. Dr. Jaffe has always been our city’s Chief Forensic Pathologist. Her professional skills are unquestionable...”

She dragged out the words on purpose, shooting me a sidelong glance full of mockery.

“It’s just that our methods differ. I listen to the victims themselves. Hearing their voices is the greatest respect we can give them. And I, Yvette, swear to speak for every soul who can no longer speak.”

Her pretentious, self-righteous look made my stomach churn.

I could not hold it in anymore and yelled at her,

“Yvette, stop pretending you’re some mystical medium! What dirty tricks did you use? How did you steal my findings?!”

I fixed my gaze on her, moving closer with every step.

“If you really know everything, then tell us, what was in the victim’s stomach?”

Before I came here, I had intentionally left one detail out of the autopsy report.

I wanted to see how she would react.

Right then, my boyfriend, Gene, shoved his way between us. His face was burning red with embarrassment. Then he slapped me across the face in front of everyone.

“If you don’t have the skills, then stop humiliating yourself! Get down!”

I held my cheek, staring at him in disbelief. He felt like a stranger.

In that moment, I finally understood, he definitely knew the truth. He knew what Yvette was doing, yet he chose to stand with her against me.

Yvette curled her lips into a victorious smile and spoke slowly,

“The victim’s stomach contained cyanide. The dose was strong enough to kill her within minutes. That, in fact, was her true cause of death.”

I froze for a moment. My eyes widened. I could not believe what I heard.

How? How could she possibly know that?

The chief’s face darkened instantly.

“Wynn, look at yourself! You’re bringing shame on this entire department!”

As all of them turned on me, their accusations crashed down like a tidal wave. I felt myself sinking into a freezing void.

It was as though a thick fog was hanging over me, keeping me from seeing the key truth behind it all.

Just then, a flash of clarity struck me like lightning.

I finally understood. So, this is the truth!

I took a deep breath and looked straight at the chief.

“Chief, I’m requesting a transfer to a clerical position. Effective immediately. I am done working as a Forensic Pathologist.”

I want to see how Yvette, the so‑called ‘corpse whisperer,’ plans to communicate with the dead if I stop performing autopsies.