All Chapters of The So-Called Walking Lie Detector: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

In a matter of minutes, 20 thousand dollars hit my account just like that. I was the one who'd asked for a divorce, so of course my wife's mother, Connie Bronson, couldn't wait to see me gone.Ever since Shawn Quill started showing off his so-called lie-detecting skills, my reputation had been completely trashed.After I got a vasectomy, my recovery hadn't gone well, and I'd gone to the urologist a few times. Shawn had twisted that into "proof" that I had some disgusting STD.Every month, I used my own money to feed and care for stray cats. Shawn had turned that into a rumor that I was secretly keeping some college student on the side.Every single time, my wife, Eunice Quill, believed him without question. Everyone else did, too. I'd long since become the biggest joke in their wealthy little circle.Unable to take the humiliation, I'd kicked up a fuss and fought back more than once. But whenever I'd tried to defend myself, I'd just come off looking crazy and stupid."You believe

Chapter 2

Over the next three days, I devoted myself completely to arranging Callum's funeral. Not once did Eunice ask about it.It was just like the time I'd gotten lost in the mountains when we'd gone hiking. Shawn had insisted I was lying."At this hour, it's clear Finn just wants a little outdoor action. Don't tell me you actually believe he got lost," he said.With that, Eunice hadn't bothered to check on me at all. She'd just turned off her phone and left me up there overnight. I'd almost gotten my heart ripped out by wolves.I figured Shawn had probably made up some other story to smear me. I no longer cared, though. I just wanted to give Callum a proper goodbye.…Three days later, I finally returned home, my eyes still swollen from crying. The moment I stepped through the door, a pillow came flying at me out of nowhere."Eunice, you really are clueless about these things! How could you buy something like this without a heating function? And the size is totally wrong!" Shawn waved

Chapter 3

"Why are you suddenly packing your things and Callum's?" Eunice asked.She looked at me in confusion, her gaze making every nerve in my body pull taut."Callum…" I paused, pressed my lips together, and continued, "He wants to stay at Mom's place for a few more days."In the end, I swallowed the truth. I refused to humiliate myself, and I didn't want to use Callum's death to test Eunice's feelings. It wasn't worth it.She let out a breath of relief and nodded, as if everything made sense now. "It all works out. Shawn's going to be staying with us for a few days, anyway. He can just sleep in Callum's room."My heart clenched hard, like I'd taken a punch straight to the chest.Shawn had always had free run of this house. He could come and go whenever he pleased. Most of the time, he felt more like the real owner here, while Callum and I were just temporary guests.I'd blown up over this before. Eunice had sworn up and down that she wouldn't let Shawn just move in whenever he wanted

Chapter 4

Early the next morning, I went to Callum's room for one last look, all my luggage in tow. Breathing in that familiar scent made me feel like his adorable little face was still right in front of me.Just then, Shawn walked in, his leather shoes clicking against the floor. He glanced around, then smiled in smug satisfaction. "Your little brat is dead. You really are heartbroken, huh? But honestly… I feel pretty damn good about it."I froze. Shawn knew everything. It was precisely because he knew that he'd accused me of making things up when I'd gone to beg Eunice for money!Seeing me tremble in shock, he grew even more smug, and his face twisted. "Yes, I wanted to get rid of him. He kept clinging to Eunice and calling her 'Mom.' I got sick of hearing it. Now, Eunice can spend more time with me."I clenched my fists tightly as my eyes burned red. A tidal wave of hatred threatened to drown me. By the time I realized what I was doing, my fist had already slammed into Shawn's face."How

Chapter 5

Callum's name was the one on the cremation notice."How is this possible? There must be some mistake!" Eunice cried.Connie sounded confused on the other end of the line. "What mistake? I bet this is another one of Finn's tricks. Tell Shawn to expose him. I just can't stand—"Before she could finish, Eunice cut her off, her voice shaking, "Mom, Callum… Callum is getting cremated."On the other end, Connie froze. "What on earth is going on? Why would Callum be getting cremated when he's perfectly fine? Find Finn and get answers from him right now!"Eunice hung up, feeling panicked, and dialed my number. But even after over ten attempts, the only reply she got was a cold, mechanical female voice. "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…"Each repetition of that message felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head. She lost her patience and rushed straight to the crematorium.She almost broke down at the front desk. "There has to be a mi

Chapter 6

Eunice's mind seemed to explode with a loud boom."Mom! Why did you agree to Finn divorcing me? When did we ever say we were getting a divorce?" she cried.Connie realized she'd wrongly blamed me and suddenly lost her bluster and confidence. She said weakly, "He suddenly asked me for 20 thousand dollars the other day. He said that as long as I gave it to him, he would walk away from our family."Eunice froze where she stood. She couldn't believe I'd willingly left her for just 20 thousand dollars. It would've been beyond easy for her to fork out the money to save Callum, yet she'd kicked me out instead.Thinking of that, she raised her hand and slapped herself across the face, again and again. "It's all my fault for not believing Finn!"Shawn stepped forward to stop her, but she shoved him hard and sent him sprawling to the floor. "It's your fault, too! Why did you say anything if you weren't sure if it were true? This was a matter of life and death! Can you understand that?"He

Chapter 7

The surveillance footage was crystal clear. It showed me entering Callum's bedroom three days ago, with Shawn right on my heels.Through the audio, Eunice could vaguely make out Shawn's furious hiss. "Yes, I wanted to get rid of him. He kept clinging to Eunice and calling her Mom. I got sick of hearing it. Now, Eunice can spend more time with me."A few minutes later, the noise indicated that we'd gotten into a scuffle. Then, Shawn pulled a gas canister out of his pocket and hurled it hard at me, then rushed out and locked the door behind him.The truth was laid bare. Eunice looked at Shawn in utter disappointment. "So, this is the real you. I cared deeply about you, Shawn. Yet you killed my son, and now you're out to kill my husband, too?"Her chest heaved with anger, and her eyes turned red. All these years, she'd always felt sorry for Shawn because he was an orphan. That was why she'd favored him a little more, no matter what happened. It turned out that he'd ultimately let a wo

Chapter 8

When I came to again, I found myself already lying on a hospital bed. The doctor said I'd inhaled toxic gas and needed a few days of rest before I could be discharged.I grabbed my phone in a panic and realized I'd already missed the time for Callum's cremation. I was about to jump out of bed in a frenzy when my "sworn enemy" suddenly appeared at the door."Poisoned, and you refuse to lie still. Do you think you're made of steel or something?" she quipped.I just stared at her in shock as she marched over and shoved me back onto the bed. "Ingrid?""Yeah, it's me. If I hadn't risked my neck to drag you out, how were you planning to keep butting heads with me?"Ingrid Lynch and I were childhood friends, but we'd never seen eye to eye and couldn't go a day without bickering. We hadn't seen each other in the years since I'd gotten married, yet her tongue was still as sharp as ever.I couldn't help but snort with laughter. "I guess I owe you a thank-you."Ingrid rolled her eyes at me

Chapter 9

"Finn," Connie called my name with warmth. There was no trace of her usual high and mighty tone. "Finn, it was a moment of madness that made me believe that bastard Shawn. I've come to my senses now, and I don't want you and Eunice to get divorced. Why don't you two… just get remarried?"Connie had always looked down on me in the past. Thanks to Shawn's constant sowing of discord, she'd tried more than once—overtly and secretly—to force me to divorce Eunice.A few days ago, when I'd taken the initiative to ask for 20 thousand dollars in exchange for a clean break with Eunice, Connie had agreed without hesitation.I had to admit I hadn't expected her attitude to pull a full 180, but I didn't bother digging into the reason. I tried to keep it polite. "Mrs. Quill, the divorce is already done, and I won't turn back. We used to be family, so I hope you'll do the decent thing and give me back Callum's ashes. I won't bother you again."Seeing how firm I was, Connie opened her mouth as if

Chapter 10

At dinner, a friend snorted. "I knew Ingrid was still hung up on you. She's waited all these years, and look—she actually got her chance."Ingrid immediately punched him in the arm. "Watch your mouth. What do you mean 'still hung up' on him? As if I'd ever fall for a jerk like Finn!"Someone immediately called her out, saying, "Please. You say one thing and feel another. You think we don't know why you've been single all these years? You've just been waiting for him to get divorced.""Honestly, we don't know whether to feel relieved or miserable for Finn," another friend chimed in. "Sure, his ex was a total train wreck, but at least he's had you keeping him sane, Ingrid."The laughter died down. One by one, they all sighed for me.I broke the silence. "It doesn't matter anymore. Callum may be gone, but I know he's still with me."As I spoke, my fingers went to the urn pendant at my neck. I touched it gently and forced a small smile.Thankfully, Ingrid jumped in and changed the s

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