Chapter 4
"I don't know what kind of trick she used, but she's the one who killed your children!" Malcolm barked. "The person you're looking for is right in front of you. Grab her!"
Malcolm stepped in front of the families, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Something about his attitude felt off, and even the grieving parents started to notice.
Jack frowned and spoke up, trying to keep things fair. "If we both think the other video is fake, then let the police examine them and decide."
Malcolm let out a cold laugh, his gaze moving back and forth between Jack and me.
"Now I get it. You two must've gotten close while she was admitted, huh? Sandra, that's disgusting! No wonder even the hospital guards are lining up to defend you."
He made a show of looking revolted.
Jack clenched his fists.
"What are you talking about? When she was admitted, she wasn't even conscious. She was out of it for days before she stabilized. And you, her boyfriend, didn't visit her once. Now you're standing here throwing accusations without a shred of proof?"
Malcolm shrugged it off like it meant nothing. "She went crazy on her own. What does that have to do with me?"
The people watching started exchanging looks. For someone who had been with me for ten years, he didn't act like it at all.
When Malcolm saw everyone hesitate, his anger flared. "The person who killed your kids is standing right there, and you're still hesitating? Are you even their parents?"
He kept pushing, as if he wouldn't stop until I was dead.
But by now, everyone could tell something wasn't right. The tension eased just enough as they waited for the police to sort it out.
Soon, five officers pushed through the crowd.
"After examining the scene, we determined the fire was started with this lighter. There's a fingerprint on it, and it matches Ms. Hill's."
A female officer stepped in front of me and showed her badge.
"You're Sandra Hill, right? You'll need to come with us."
In an instant, all the anger swung back toward me. The parents pointed at me with shaking hands, eyes burning as they began to shout.
"Beat her to death! Make her pay for our children!"
"Kill her!"
The scene felt painfully familiar.
Last time, not long after the fire, the police took me away just like this.
They showed the footage, said I was the one who set the fire, and that I had killed over two thousand children.
It all felt like a trap closing in, piece by piece.
And the only thing I was certain of was this: someone wanted me dead.
The officer's words sent another wave of chaos through the crowd. If the police hadn't been there, the mob would've torn me apart already.
I stepped back behind the officers and spoke, steady and clear.
"Don't you want to know who the real killer is?"
A flicker of panic flashed through Malcolm and Christine's eyes, but they quickly covered it up and pointed at me again.
"Sandra, the police already matched your fingerprint. How are you still denying it?"
"At this point, you should just turn yourself in. Maybe you'll get a lighter sentence!"
The families, barely held back by the officers, grew even more furious, as if they wanted to rip me to pieces on the spot.
The female officer frowned slightly and took out a pair of handcuffs.
"Sandra Hill, you're our primary suspect right now. We have to bring you in for questioning."
"I didn't kill anyone."
I pulled my hand back, took out my phone, and brought up the hospital surveillance footage.
The moment the audio started playing, a smile tugged at my lips.
This was what I had been waiting for.
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