Chapter 3

On Saturday, December 26, 2024, a girl on a bed clucked irritably at the wall clock showing 9:00 am while class started at 8:45 am. She overslept due to the rain last night and was sick all night.

 

Zella quickly took a shower before heading to the campus. Zella saw police cars and ambulances parked in front of the campus.

 

Usually bustling with people passing by, the atmosphere in front of the campus is quiet.

 

Zella furrowed her eyebrows once more as she glanced at the calendar on her cell phone, and sure enough, she was correct. There should be an exam now; why would she bother entering the campus while still feverish if she did not take the exam?

 

Zella was about to step inside, but a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to a deserted warehouse with no one around.

 

“Lily, why did you pull me?” Zella stared in surprise at the unusually agitated girl in front of her.

 

Just look at her; her face was so agitated that she closed the door hastily and repeatedly looked at the window to make sure someone wasn’t following them.

 

Zella touched her best friend’s shoulder, looking at the girl in front of her questioningly.

 

“You know what?! I've contacted you numerous times; why didn't you answer? Then why did you come here? Don't you realize the risk involved in coming here? Lily looked at Zella angrily.

 

“Sorry, I haven’t had time to buy quota and credit; I had a fever last night, and I didn’t pick up my phone because I didn’t have credit or quota.” Zella scratched her head unpleasantly.

 

Lily rubbed her rough face, turned on her cell phone, and typed something. The screen then displayed a series of announcements and chat messages. A picture of Zella was displayed at the back of the campus, accompanied by some chatter accusing her of killing Brian.

 

Zella bulged her eyes in complete shock; she covered her mouth in disbelief. Zella looked at Lily in horror, then pointed at her best friend’s cell phone. “This is a hoax, right, Lily? Isn’t it possible that Brian died?“

 

”No, it’s true. Wait a minute, take a look at this,” Lily said, immediately showing a video of Brian’s face full of blood spots being put into a unique yellow bag for corpses.

 

Brian was still dressed in the same clothes as the man who had asked Zella to go to the back of the campus to say something.

 

Zella shook her head in disbelief, her legs instantly going limp. “No way! It’s Brian. Brian and I met yesterday. He expressed his desire to speak but instructed me to wait for him at the back of the campus.

 

"Zella, this is the truth: Brian is dead, and the police suspect that you killed him. At the time of the incident, Brian was stabbed to death with a knife behind the campus, and his body lay behind a tree where you were sitting. At that time, the police found your fingerprints on the chair." Lily spoke in detail.

 

Zella sat tightening her legs and staring blankly ahead, shocked to learn that the man she had admired for so long had just died, and she stupidly had no idea.

 

“There they are, Sir!”

 

The door opened forcefully, causing Zella and Lily to turn around and see a man in a blue college suit pointing at them.

 

Zella and Lily stiffened in their seats for a moment. Three policemen came inside and quickly restrained Zella.

 

“Sir, let my friend go. Sir, my friend is innocent!” Lily yelled loudly, eager to assist Zella, only to have her hands immediately restrained.

 

The middle-aged policeman said, "You're under arrest. You can settle any defense at the police station. Come," he pulled Zella out and into the car.

 

The police station jailed Zella until the relevant investigation was completed.

 

For three days, Zella was in jail, and every time she returned from college, Lily, her best friend, would come to see her, cry, and apologize for not being able to help.

 

Lily's father, who usually obeyed his best friend whenever Lily asked for something, did not obey her this time.

 

Zella heard that and smiled bitterly, released a resigned sigh, and stroked Lilly’s back gently. “It’s okay; I understand.”

 

“I’m sorry, Zella... I’m such a useless friend!” Lily continued to cry until the on-duty policemen covered their ears.

 

Embarrassed and unable to bear it, Zella stuffed the girl’s mouth with a banana. Lily was silent for a while but continued to chew the banana until she ate it all, leaving no banana on the table.

 

“Delicious?” Zella looked at her best friend mockingly.

 

“Delicious.” Lily nodded with tears still flowing, wiping away the tears that kept falling. “When I’m sad, I just feel like eating.”

 

The man in the police uniform said, "Sorry, the hour is over; it's time for prisoners to enter the prison."

 

Zella immediately stood up and walked into the prison.

 

After 6 days, the investigation concluded that her fingerprints were not on the corpse and that the fingerprints on the chair did not constitute substantial evidence.

 

Regarding the issue with the photo behind the campus, it is not admissible as evidence because the CCTV clearly captures Zella conversing with Brian, during which Brian is clearly seen requesting that she move to the back of the campus.

 

Upon inspecting the rear of the campus, the police discovered some damage to the CCTV, leading them to conclude that Brian committed suicide due to his parents' divorce and intentional damage to the CCTV. Upon further investigation, they discovered fingerprints from Brian on the CCTV behind the campus.

 

On campus, Zella went as usual, wearing a big smile, despite her inner strangeness and inability to believe that Brian's death was due to his parents' divorce.

 

Someone purposefully threw a paper ball at Zella as she was walking. Zella looked sharply at the perpetrator who threw it.

 

“I’m afraid....” Viola laughed loudly as she looked at Zella mockingly.

 

Just as Zella was about to respond, she found herself the target of disgusting stares from both male and female students. Zella let out a long sigh, chose to ignore them, and swiftly walked past them into the classroom.

 

 

But there were scribbles on her desk when she entered the classroom.

 

Murderer!

 

Disgusting!

 

She was about to get angry, but the class bell rang; she closed her eyes, trying to muffle the anger inside her.

 

She was furious inside; it was clear that she was innocent, but they had the heart to treat her like this.

 

Fortunately, they wrote with chalk, so Zella could still clean her desk with her handkerchief.

 

She sat down and saw three notifications of incoming messages from Lily and an unknown number. She opened Lily’s message.

 

“Zella, sorry I can’t come in. My father has requested that I leave town temporarily. I’m glad you’re out of jail and not guilty, but don’t worry; I’ll go back to school the day after tomorrow.”

 

Turning to a message with an unknown number, Zella furrowed her brows in surprise. As she opened the message, her eyes expanded perfectly.

 

“Hi! Still, know me? I’m Cale, your online husband. How was the show? Interesting?”

 

Zella messaged Cale back, only guessing. “Did you kill Brian and plan all this?”

 

“Do you think, sweetheart?”

“Never mind; don’t forget to save this number under my husband’s name. Do you know what will happen?”