Chapter 3

The office erupted in outrage. We were all employees, doing roughly the same work. Naturally, no one wanted to see a colleague take shortcuts and suddenly start living the high life.

Watching the scene unfold, Kristen's eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of a plot successfully executed.

I cast her a meaningful glance, though my words were directed at the general manager.

"Sir, don't you find this a little too coincidental? Just ten minutes after I arrived at the company entrance, 800 thousand dollars suddenly appeared in my account. I assume these so-called pieces of evidence were provided by Kristen?"

Kristen's expression flickered.

"Yes, I provided them. So what? We may be colleagues, but I can't stand by and watch someone like you damage the company's interests. That's why I reported you to the general manager!"

I let out a cold laugh.

"I'm not the only one who can log into the financial system. And my login password—last time I accessed the system, you deliberately leaned over to watch. You must have seen it. How do I know you didn't log into my account on purpose and transfer the money to frame me?"

Even the general manager seemed to sense something was off. The investigation into the misappropriation of company funds had begun last week, and originally, it had nothing to do with me.

Yet somehow, today of all days, every piece of evidence suddenly pointed in my direction.

The general manager frowned and turned to look at Kristen.

A flash of panic crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself.

"Sir, don't listen to Melissa's excuses. The system's operation records aren't my only basis for suspicion—I also have a witness!"

"That's right. I can testify!"

The office instantly fell into an uproar as everyone stared in shock at Russell, who had suddenly appeared.

"Isn't that Melissa's husband? Oh my God!"

"If even her own husband says so, it must be true!"

Kristen smirked. "Melissa, even your husband has reported you. How do you explain that?"

I wasn't surprised by Russell's arrival.

After all, in my previous life, he had also stepped forward at the moment the entire company doubted me, delivering the fatal blow.

He was an excellent actor. Within a second, his eyes were red with feigned anguish.

"Melissa, I never wanted to expose you, but my conscience won't let me stay silent."

I laughed coldly.

"Russell, if you truly had a conscience, you'd be at the hospital taking care of our daughter right now—not standing here slandering me alongside Kristen."

A flicker of guilt flashed across his eyes, but the next moment, he steadied himself and shouted, "I'm doing this for our daughter! I can't watch you continue down the wrong path until there's no turning back!"

"A mother who commits crimes will only make her child hang her head in shame before her classmates. If you keep going, you'll ruin our daughter's future!" Russell spoke with righteous conviction. "Melissa, it's not too late to confess. Prison is simply the punishment you deserve for breaking the law!"

Kristen chimed in, "Russell is right. Melissa, you should turn yourself in. Maybe your sentence will be reduced."

In an instant, everyone was convinced I had embezzled the company's funds. Their voices urging me to confess and surrender rose in a relentless chorus.

"Exactly. The truth is already out. Denying it won't help. You might as well surrender."

"If you take what isn't yours, you should be prepared to pay the price!"

The excitement and triumph in Russell and Kristen's eyes were no longer concealed.

Yet, there wasn't a trace of panic on my face. I simply said calmly, "Russell, you're lying. If I had secretly embezzled company funds long ago, our daughter would have already had her surgery and been cured.

"Today, I won 800 thousand dollars and personally handed the card to you so you could pay for her operation. And yet you turn around and accuse me of stealing that same 800 thousand dollars from the company. Russell, how can you face our daughter, who is still lying in that hospital bed?"

At the mention of our daughter, his expression didn't soften in the slightest. Instead, he replied with brazen self-righteousness.