Chapter 3

I explained immediately, "I'm sorry. I was in so much of a rush to get out of the house that I forgot about it. I have the documents all prepared.

"Annie, you can first sign the papers, and I'll come back on my own to get the remaining procedures done."

Only then did the look on my parents' faces ease up.

"You'd better do as you say you would," they said.

Deep down, I chuckled bitterly. My time was almost up. These materialistic things didn't mean anything to me.

All of a sudden, Annie brought up the job assessment that we took together last month.

"Congratulations, Lori. The assessment rankings were released this morning. You placed first while I placed second, a whole ten marks behind you. My chances for the interview are definitely gone now."

I smiled at her. "I'll give up on the interview, then. I'm sure that you'll succeed in this job interview."

Right after I said that, shock settled across my parents' faces as they stood next to us. They were aware of how much I wanted this job. After all, I spent an entire six months studying day and night for it.

Yet, I gave my position up for Annie with such a candid statement.

Annie raised her brow. "Oh, Lori, I was just mentioning it casually. You don't have to say such spiteful things intentionally."

Thereafter, I sent a text message about giving up on the interview under their watch.

Because of that, my parents praised me for being understanding.

That afternoon, Oliver drove Annie and my parents to Hamlett City to watch a fireworks show. He said that my health wasn't good enough for long-distance travel.

I smiled and did not argue.

Over the course of those five days, Annie kept sending me group photos, showing off to me how much my parents and Oliver doted on her.

"Lorelei, you can never win against me."

As I read her message, I pressed the power off button silently.

Disbelief was written all over Martin's face. "Lorelei, didn't your parents win the bid for the wonder drug? How is it that your condition still worsens?"

My vision gradually became blurry. I forced myself to hold it together as I replied, "Dr. Snow, please handle my remains. I truly have no one else I can ask.

"Do not let my parents know of my death. I don't want their vacation to be ruined because of me."

…

Third-person POV:

After Michael and Jennifer returned, they realized that Lorelei wasn't home. Nevertheless, they weren't bothered by it. They simply assumed that she ran away from home out of retaliation.

At the medical symposium for rare diseases the next day, Michael was on his phone, selecting Annie's wedding gift. He chucked the body donor's information to the side without even looking at it.

It wasn't until the symposium began that he put on his white doctor's coat and walked up onto the stage.

After pulling back the white cloth, he froze in shock. The scalpel fell from his hand and onto the floor with a crisp clank.

"Lorelei!" he yelled.

Jennifer leaped to her feet from the audience seat, her eyes widened.

"What are you saying, darling? Where's Lorelei?"

A doctor within the audience recognized Lorelei. "Isn't that cadaver Dr. Judson's daughter?"

Right at this moment, Martin got to his feet.

"What's with the act, Dr. Judson? Information on the body donor had been given to you before the symposium began. Weren't you already aware that it's Lorelei who's on the table?

"You people gave Annie the wonder drug that could have saved Lorelei's life. Didn't that mean that you were planning to watch Lorelei die?"

Instantly, those in the audience started gossiping with one another.

"I heard that Annie is infertile. How could that be more important than their own daughter's life?"

"They couldn't possibly have given the wonder drug to someone else so that they can have a valid reason to watch Lorelei die, could they? Isn't that premeditated murder?"

Following that, those in the audience pointed at Michael and Jennifer, calling them murderers. Oliver, who tried to speak up for them, was called an accomplice in Lorelei's death.

Suddenly, Annie flung the doors to the main hall open. She barged in and announced loudly to Michael and Jennifer, "Lorelei didn't transfer ownership of her house and car to me at all. She didn't even deposit a single cent of the wedding gift that she agreed to into my bank account.

"She played us!"

Jennifer's expression was dark. "Was she plotting to take revenge against us by putting on an act and pretending to be well-behaved these last few days?"

Michael growled through gritted teeth, "Lorelei was wicked to the core, engaging in all kinds of bad behavior ever since she was young.

"We are not murderers. Do not accuse us mindlessly if you people don't even know what the truth is!"

What Martin saw made him sad for Lorelei. "Lorelei was absolutely not the kind of person you people claim that she was. She was a kind soul who wanted to donate her body to save the lives of others even when she was facing her own death."

Someone in the audience remarked cynically, "You people can slander her all you want, now that she's dead and can no longer speak."

"How could someone willing to donate their body be wicked?"

Michael and Jennifer were rendered speechless.

After a moment of silence, Michael suddenly said, "There's only one way to prove our innocence—to use the newly-developed memory-reading machine to replay her memories.

"Once all of you witness her bad deeds, you will know why we treated her that way!"

Martin scoffed. "Dr. Judson, this decision will be the greatest regret of your lives!"

Michael and Jennifer ignored Martin's comment, making arrangements for the machine to replay Lorelei's memories right away.

The moment the replay of Lorelei's memories began, Annie, who had been silent the whole time, yelled out agitatedly, "Don't replay her memories!"