When I was discharged from the psychiatric hospital, my brother and sister-in-law dropped everything to personally pick me up. Even my nephew, who had just finished his college entrance exams, arrived with a box of carrot cake he had waited in line all day to buy. His warm smile was the picture of innocence. “Auntie, congratulations on your discharge. With me here, you’ll never feel lonely again.” To outsiders, we were the perfect family—envied by all and even awarded the title of a local model family. But behind the facade of family bliss lay a very different story. On the very day my brother transferred the last of the family properties to me, I went live on social media. In front of an audience that idolized my so-called perfect family, I boasted about my "accomplishments." I conned my nephew into paying for a spot at an elite school, duped my sister-in-law into stepping into a scandalous club, and tricked my brother into losing everything he had worked for. “My brother has treated me with nothing but kindness. And I can only repay his kindness with betrayal.”
View MoreXerxes stumbled back, falling onto the ground with a thud. I stepped closer, my gaze locked on him. "You stole my brother’s identity. You took his life. You destroyed my entire family, yet here you are, dressed to the nines, living like you’re better than everyone else. Why? "What gives you the right? Not a single cent of that money belongs to you. Don’t you ever wake up in the middle of the night haunted by ghosts seeking revenge?" Xerxes’ expression grew increasingly panicked. As I closed the distance between us, his entire body began to tremble, and then a dark stain spread across his pants, accompanied by the pungent stench of urine. "No, no, no! Don’t come any closer! It wasn’t me. It wasn’t my fault! It was my dad who arranged everything! How was I supposed to know your brother was so weak? All he did was lose his chance at college, and he chose to die over it!"If you want to blame someone, go blame my dad! He’s the one who made the deal with Victor’s family! I had not
Victor froze for a moment, then his face darkened, and he ground his teeth. "Young lady, watch your mouth. Don’t think that just because you’ve had mental health issues, I won’t sue you for slander. Helping someone swap identities to cheat on college entrance exams? Where would I even get that kind of power?" I smiled, knowing full well that the harsher his tone, the more scared he truly was inside. The others in the room glanced at me with uncertainty, their expressions filled with doubt. "That kind of thing isn’t even possible anymore," someone commented in the livestream. "Bribery, though? That seems a lot more likely. They should investigate his income thoroughly!" "It’s not possible," another viewer replied. "As much as I feel bad for Claire Bowden, the investigation needs evidence. We can’t just accuse Victor Hayes without proof, even if he’s guilty." Aaron turned his gaze to me. "Ms. Bowden, you’re accusing Victor Hayes of helping someone swap identities to cheat o
As my sister-in-law was dragged into the interrogation room, I continued speaking."Speak of the devil, huh? The other one? It’s his wife—was there ever really a choice?"The room fell into stunned silence, the kind where even breathing seemed too loud.Aaron’s smile was completely gone, replaced by a grim, serious expression."Ms. Bowden, do you have more evidence?" he asked, his tone softening just slightly as his gaze met mine."Don’t worry," he assured me, his voice steady. "As long as I’m here, no one who deserves punishment will get away with it."I nodded, pointing to my sister-in-law, battered and barely conscious, thrashing and clawing at anyone who came near her."I hid a pinhole camera on her. The big shot knows her too well to bother with a thorough search. As for what it managed to capture—or whether it was found and destroyed—I can’t be sure."The station’s specialists immediately conducted a body search.Fortunately, the camera was still intact.As the footage was decryp
Bruce’s face turned ashen, his finger trembling as he pointed at me. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. Aaron gave a subtle signal, and two officers quickly restrained Bruce while another team was dispatched to collect the evidence. Years of experience told Aaron that I wouldn’t be able to detail such specific proof unless there was truth to my claims. For a moment, the livestream chat went completely silent before exploding with activity. "I can’t believe it’s actually true… no wonder they needed Detective Ford on this. Who else would dare investigate something this scandalous?" "Who’s the big shot involved? What kind of sick underground network is this?" "I think I’ve heard rumors… there’s this pervert who’s into married women, especially when they’re pregnant. Real twisted stuff." When Aaron looked back at me, there was a trace of sympathy in his eyes. "And your depression later on… that was because of…" I nodded, my chest tightening as I forced dow
Across the table, my thoughts drifted back to that winter.Most of my twenty years had been spent in a psychiatric hospital. As a child with autism, I was like a sealed jar—silent, unresponsive, and nearly indistinguishable from someone who couldn’t speak at all.Even though I knew there was a brother who would visit me, no matter how gently he spoke or how patiently he tried, I remained unmoved.“Many children with autism retreat into their own worlds,” I overheard a nurse explain once. “They’re indifferent to everything around them, emotionally distant, and often have no memory of past events.”The man who came to see me—a man I later came to know as my brother—pulled the corners of his lips into a small, tired smile and sighed.“What a pity. Autistic yet blessed with such beauty. Still, I won’t give up on her.”At the time, I didn’t understand the complexity of his expression. Later, when I grew older, I realized that it was a mix of fondness and twisted pleasure.My brother was we
Aaron’s brow twitched as he flipped through my case file again. "You’ve got to be kidding me, ma’am. You’re the one who had all three of them wrapped around your finger, aren’t you? You conned them so thoroughly you didn’t even leave them with a dime."And you’ve admitted yourself that they treated you exceptionally well. Even the housekeeper, along with the doctors and nurses who cared for you, can confirm it." The livestream chat was exploding with disbelief, most viewers clearly doubting my claims. Aaron clicked on the live feed to bring in witnesses. The first to join was the housekeeper, Zoe Warren, who testified, "Before the Bowden family fell apart, everyone in the house bent over backward for Miss Claire. If she asked for the stars, Mr. Bowden would have found a way to give them to her!"Next, a doctor from the psychiatric hospital where I had been treated appeared on the feed. "Mr. Bowden visited her nearly every day. Mrs. Bowden came every three days, always bringing to
No matter how many questions they threw at me, my answers always circled back to money. They couldn’t squeeze a shred of useful information from me. Because I had confessed to my crimes during the livestream, the entire nation was following the story. Under the mounting pressure of public opinion, the interrupted livestream was soon restored. Furious viewers flooded the chat, spewing insults and prying into every detail of my personal life, dragging my family’s reputation into the mud."This woman is the lowest of the low," one message read. "Guys, I just hacked into something private. Turns out Claire Bowden had multiple abortions at a private clinic. And it wasn’t just once!" "She’s been admitted to psychiatric hospitals twice—once for autism and once for depression. Her abortion records show one happened after her first discharge, and the other just a month ago!" An officer holding a phone shoved one of the chat messages in my face. "Claire Bowden, if I recall correctly, y
The officer's eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hand on the table with a loud thud. "What did you just say? Get to the point!" My thoughts drifted back to three months ago. After being brought home, I was pampered like a princess. My once stern brother treated me with nothing but gentle smiles, Daniel spoke to me in soft tones, and my sister-in-law personally took care of me day and night. They all gave me their absolute best, sparing nothing. Whatever I wanted, they bought without a second thought. Then one day, I noticed Daniel, usually so full of life, sitting quietly with a defeated look as he checked his SAT scores. Curiosity got the better of me, so I glanced over his shoulder—six sections, and he couldn’t even break 400. What a failure. I handed him a flyer I’d been saving, feigning sympathy as I watched his forced smile crumble. "Interested in an easy way to get into a top university? Spend a little money, and you won’t even need to study." Daniel’s eyes lit u
I squirmed in the cold, rigid chair. After being used to plush seats, this hard one was unbearably uncomfortable. "Haven’t I told you already, officer? I wanted all the money. My brother wouldn’t give it to me, so I decided to take it myself." The door to the interrogation room suddenly opened. My brother walked in, his face weathered and drained, looking utterly exhausted. Yet, he still managed to give the officer a strained smile. "There must be some misunderstanding. Claire is a good kid. She’s been through a lot, and with her past illness... maybe she’s relapsed and couldn’t control her actions." The officer’s gaze flicked between me and the medical file he had just placed on the table. "Claire Bowden, you were previously diagnosed with autism and depression. You—" I interrupted him with a radiant smile. "I’m completely cured now, aren’t I? I’m lively, cheerful, and perfectly fine mentally. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m perfectly calm. Everything I did was part o
When the police burst through the door, I was still in my livestream, animatedly bragging."Yes, that’s right. I swindled the entire family fortune—every last cent."The lead officer’s expression darkened as he clenched his fists."Claire Bowden, you’ve been reported by viewers in your livestream for fraud. Come with us."I yawned lazily and draped the limited-edition fur coat my sister-in-law bought me two months ago over my shoulders. It was a one-of-a-kind piece, now a collector’s item worth a fortune.My sister-in-law adored high fashion, but as long as I cast a lingering glance at something, she would give it to me without hesitation.The viewers in the livestream had sharp eyes, and the chat exploded with comments."Isn’t this the same coat Mrs. Bowden bought at that charity gala? When Mrs. Bowden was rescued from that club, she was covered in bruises, her clothes torn to shreds, and now this ungrateful Claire has the audacity to wear her things?""That’s not all! The Bowden fami...
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