I laid out the facts, refuting every accusation,
then challenged Mark, “You say I seduce
men, send nudes, sleep around. Where’s your
proof?”
Last time, he’d fabricated evidence after I
was in a coma. Now, my phone was safe.
Let’s see him lie.
11
Mark faltered, his confidence wavering.
He stammered, “You… you deleted
everything! You’re too careful to leave
evidence!”
“So, I’m so careful, yet you still saw
everything?” I countered. “And you saw those
supposedly instantly–deleted nudes multiple
times?”
Mark stuttered, sweat beading on his
forehead.
I pressed on. “Mark, one question. Where’s
Lily?”
His eyes widened, panic flashing.
Tasting blood, I fought to control my
trembling voice. “You think a voice changer
fools me? You always raise the inflection at
the end of your sentences. Can you change
your habits?”
My phone calls were always recorded,
originally to help me remember client details.
I played the recording. Gasps filled the air. I
roared, “Mark, you claim to care about our
daughter, yet you kidnapped her to force me
into that car! You’re a monster!”
Mark’s composure crumbled. He kept denying
it, but his sweating and darting eyes betrayed
him.
Sarah, seeing her plan unraveling, shrieked,
“Lisa, stop bullying Mark! Everyone knows
he’s a good, quiet man!”
“We’re friends! I have no reason to lie about
you!”
“But I heard you! You told me you were
having an affair with David! You said Jessica
was in your way, that you’d get rid of her!”
A voice rang out from the crowd. “So, you’re
saying Lisa wouldn’t confide in her childhood
best friend…
دو
“But she’d tell you, her coworker?”
Vivian pushed through the crowd, her eyes
blazing at the sight of my injuries.
Sarah stammered, “You’re in on it! You’re
hoping Lisa will share David’s money with
く
you! You two are partners in crime!”
I scoffed. “Sarah, you lied about having
cramps. Even knowing my ankle was injured,
you insisted I take that test drive.”
“You knew that car was tampered with, didn’t
you?”
“And Mark, your accomplice, he helped you,
right?”
I turned to the mechanics. “There are plenty
of experts here. When the police arrive, they
can examine the car and see the sabotage for
themselves.”
Seeing Sarah’s panicked expression, I
continued, “And Sarah, why didn’t you want
anyone to call 911? Were you hoping Jessica
would die before help arrived?”
Sarah frantically shook her head, denying
everything.
David, who’d been cradling Jessica, suddenly
roared, lunging at me. “You bitch!”
く
He threw down a handful of pictures. In them,
a woman with my face was helping a drunken
David into a hotel room.
12
David sneered. “You want proof? I took these
pictures to confess to Jessica!”
“But now, they’re evidence against you!”
“I’m a scumbag. I cheated. But you, you’re a
manipulative whore! You used this against
me! I’m exposing you, even if it ruins me!”
Mark and Sarah’s failures had pushed David
over the edge. And Jessica, still alive, must
have been his final trigger.
His grip was like iron. I couldn’t break free.
Vivian grabbed a rock and slammed it against
his head.
David staggered back, releasing me.
Vivian pointed at the photos. “Lisa is 5’7”,
almost as tall as you. That girl in the picture
is barely 5’4“!”
“That pathetic photoshop wouldn’t fool a
child!”
Clutching my throat, I yelled, “If you cared so
much about your wife, why didn’t you call
911?! You know if she’s breathing or not!”
Silence descended. Then, a coworker spoke.
“She’s right. You should have called 911
immediately.
“The three of you, delaying, delaying… Did
you even want to save her?”
Sarah sputtered, “I didn’t want the murderer
to escape!”
I dusted myself off, tilting my head. “The
murderer being me? And after all this, you
think I’m planning on running?”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
13
Sarah, Mark, and David paled.
Vivian had texted the police during the chaos.
David panicked. “No, this can’t be
<
He lunged at Jessica, his hands clamping
around her neck.
Before I could react, Mark, his face contorted
with rage, charged at me.
Vivian yanked me back. Mark’s fist grazed my
ear as he stumbled.
“Help her!” I screamed, fighting Mark with
Vivian’s help.
The manager and others pulled David off
Jessica. Sarah, seeing the situation
deteriorating, tried to slip away.
A coworker caught her, and another brawl
erupted.
The police arrived quickly, restoring order.
David was pinned to the ground, roaring like
an animal. Jessica, tears streaming down her
face, sat up, clutching her belly.
Seeing Jessica alive, David’s roars ceased,
replaced by stunned disbelief.
He went limp, giving up the fight.
く
I told the police about Lily, begging them to
find her. I pointed out the tainted water
bottle.
As they loaded me into the ambulance, I knew
I would live.
Exhausted, I fell asleep.
14
In the hospital, I gave my statement, handing
over my phone as evidence.
A female officer told me Lily was safe.
Hearing what happened, I shuddered.
I’d assumed Mark would leave Lily with his
parents.
But that monster, to avoid delaying his arrival
at the crash site, had abandoned her at an
amusement park.
Thankfully, a group of college students found
her and called the police. My parents had
picked her up.
The officer said Mark had claimed, “She’s
<
just a girl. I don’t want her anyway.
وو
The daycare teachers and security footage
confirmed he’d picked Lily up.
My refusal to take the test drive had thrown a
wrench in their plans.
The mechanics at the dealership had
examined the car, confirming the sabotage.
Later, I learned Mark’s motive.
He had a gambling problem. His parents had
sold their house to pay off his debts, hoping
marriage and fatherhood would reform him.
They’d coached him to act stable and reliable
to secure a wife.
He’d kept up the act for five years.
But gamblers rarely change. He’d relapsed,
drowning in debt. His parents knew, but kept
it from me.
Last month, they’d run out of money. Loan
sharks came calling.
Mark was desperate.
Mark was desperate.
David was at his poker table. Jessica’s money
wasn’t enough to satisfy his greed.
One day, he visited the dealership. Sarah,
assigned to him, got his number. She quickly
seduced him.
David, despite his education, was insecure
and easily flattered by Sarah’s attention.
Sarah had proposed the plan, wanting to take
Jessica’s place, but aware that Jessica
controlled the money. Killing Jessica became
the goal. They recruited Mark for the car
tampering.
Desperate for cash, Mark agreed instantly,
suggesting I be framed. He would inherit our
joint assets.
The police discovered David had taken out a
massive life insurance policy on Jessica three
months prior and finalized their prenuptial
agreement.
The construction site? David owned it. He’d
given his workers the day off, clearing the
area.
He’d hired a thug to cause the crash,
promising a hefty sum. The thug, terrified,
had fled.
David gave up his name. He was quickly
apprehended.
15
After I was discharged, Jessica and I became
friends. She lost the baby, but said she felt no
sadness.
David’s “inferior genes” weren’t worth it.
Cutting her losses was good business
practice.
Jessica referred me to a lawyer. I filed for
divorce.
The lawyer assured me I wasn’t responsible
for Mark’s debts.
His parents, having exhausted all options,
came to my house, begging me to drop the
charges.
I sent my parents and Lily to their room, then
faced Mark’s parents.
My hatred for them was immense.
I didn’t let them in, speaking through the mail
slot. “Your son committed a crime. No one is
letting him off.”
“When you knew what he was, yet still
pushed him to marry, did you ever think to
spare me?”
“When he relapsed and drowned in debt, did
you ever think to spare me?”
His mother wailed. “Mark’s just a child! He
made a mistake! A good wife would have
kept him on the right path! It’s your fault!”
His father pointed at me. “You’re divorced
with a kid. Who else would want you besides
my son?”
I laughed, tears streaming down my face.
“Right, a 34–year–old child.”
Laughing, I called the police.
Lily ran out. Hands on her hips, she declared,
“I want Mommy! Grandma and Grandpa want
Mommy! Auntie Vivian wants Mommy!
Mommy is the best! Everyone wants her!”
“But we don’t want Daddy!”
I kissed her cheek. As Mark’s parents cursed,
I raised my voice.
“Instead of harassing me, worry about your
retirement fund being gone, your son in jail,
and who will take care of you now.”
“Reap what you sow.”
I slammed the mail slot shut, smiling at Lily.
“Let’s go eat watermelon with Grandma and
Grandpa.”
“Yay!”
It was good to be alive. From now on, life
would be sweet.
Like watermelon
