Chapter 3

Vera still did not know that the person on stage was not Anya.

I suddenly thought back to my past life. I recalled the cold, emotionless expression on her face during my daughter’s cremation.

I remembered how she had cried while making public statements, claiming that I had driven my daughter to her death.

The corners of her mouth had curled up ever so slightly.

At that time, I thought I must have misinterpreted it. I had blamed it on my shock and grief from my daughter’s death.

But at that moment, I felt a chill creeping up my spine.

Furious, I shouted, “Vera Sander, what if it breaks? Aren’t you afraid she’ll die?!”

There was a second of silence on the other end of the line.

Then, Vera’s voice grew a few degrees colder.

“Emery, you need to be reasonable. Are you really going to bring the entire school, thousands of students, to a standstill just because of your wild speculation?

“Enough. I’m hanging up.”

Beep, beep, beep.

Vera hung up the phone without a second thought.

I froze in place. My heart felt like it was being viciously crushed by an icy hand.

She did not ask “What’s the problem?” Neither did she ask, “Is Anya afraid?”

She did not even hesitate for a single second to verify the potential danger.

If she were a normal mother, upon hearing her husband say their daughter’s life was in danger, even if the probability were one in ten thousand, she should have erred on the side of caution and save her first, no questions asked.

Unless…

A contemptuous chuckle drifted down from above.

Steve was holding his phone. The screen was lit up, displaying a message that had just been sent.

The profile picture belonged to Vera.

I narrowed my eyes and looked closely. The message read.

[Is that crazy man causing a scene backstage? Keep an eye on him for me. Don’t let him ruin my plans.]

[As long as that good-for-nothing meets an “accident” today, no one will ever compete with our Tina for the family fortune again.]

Boom!

In an instant, all the clues fell into place.

Why had Tina been targeting Anya all along?

Also why had Steve, as the advisor, turned a blind eye to Anya being bullied?

So that was it… Steve was Vera’s lover!

Then, Tina… was she Vera and Steve’s daughter? She was their illegitimate daughter!

They were in cahoots.

They had been planning to get rid of Anya all along, just to make room for that illegitimate daughter!

“Get it now?”

Steve put away his phone, a smug smile on his face.

“Emery, you and your stupid daughter are nothing but a nuisance.

“Vera has always loved me. Tina is the one she cherishes most.”

She was actually so vicious!

The music on stage was gradually reaching the intermission.

“It’s too late…” I gritted my teeth.

I sprang up violently. I slammed my head hard into the bridge of the nose of the boy holding me down.

He cried out in pain and let go.

I shoved Steve aside and charged toward the control console.

“Stop him! Stop him now!” Steve roared.

But I was blinded by rage. I had to shut down this machine!

Just as my hand was about to touch the emergency stop button, a foot slammed hard into my lower back.

Agonizing pain shot through me, as I collapsed to the floor.

Tina had somehow made her way to the control room as well, and she stared at me with a ferocious expression.

“You old fool, do you want to die too?!”