Chapter 7
Eddie dropped everything when he heard the news of my death and rushed back, leaving his unfinished business trip behind.
When he got home, our parents were sitting on the couch, their faces heavy with pain. Lily was beside them. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her nose tinged with pink.
“Eddie, you’re finally back. Emily was murdered!
“The killer hasn’t been caught yet. Emily had a habit of offending people. Could this be because of—”
Suddenly, my dad’s voice broke, hoarse and filled with anger, “Enough! The killer has already been identified, and the police are closing in on him! Emily had nothing to do with him.”
As he spoke, he exchanged a pained look with my mom. When they learned that the killer had been seeking revenge for the arrest of his brother, both of them collapsed under the weight of the revelation. Their least favored daughter had lost her life because of them.
Hearing this, a flash of nervousness crossed Lily’s face. She clenched the hem of her skirt tightly, and cold sweat formed on her forehead. “They caught the killer so quickly? Why would he murder Emily?”
My mom who now had dark circles under her eyes, spoke wearily, “Lily, it’s our fault we couldn’t attend your match. It must’ve affected your performance.”
Eddie let out a cold laugh. “She’s probably relieved Emily is gone. Look at her. Does she seem even a little sad?”
Lily shot a pitiful look at my brother and buried herself into my mom’s embrace. “Eddie, I know you and Emily were close, but you can’t take your anger out on me because of her death.From NôvelDrama.Org.
“I’ll make sure to take care of Mom and Dad for Emily’s sake.”
My mom was touched and responded with a nod.
Initially, when I saw my mom cry for me, my heart swelled with a mix of gratitude and sadness. But hearing her defend Lily, all I felt was a sense of injustice for myself.
Lily had pushed me into the abyss. She was an accomplice in my death.
When I was alive, I always hoped my mom would see through Lily’s lies and protect me with her gentle care.
Now, I could only wait to see how they would react when they learned the truth.
My dad, however, cast a suspicious glance at Lily and quietly motioned for Eddie to go upstairs.
Meanwhile, my mom still held Lily close, as if drawing warmth from her. “Lily, Emily is gone. From now on, you’re my only daughter.”
Lily gently comforted my mom. She was also distractedly typing something on her phone, clearly impatient.
“Lily, are you hurt?” My mom noticed the red mark on Lily’s arm. It was the scratch she got when I had fought back.
But Lily quickly explained, “I got hit by a tennis ball. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
Feeling guilty, she pulled her sleeve down to cover the mark. My mom looked at her thoughtfully but said nothing more.
My parents quickly returned to their duties, determined to capture the killer.
“I’ll catch that devil as fast as I can, and avenge my daughter’s soul,” my dad said through gritted teeth.
While the police had no luck locating the suspect, Eddie stumbled upon a clue. His sharp instincts, honed as a journalist, told him that someone had been hanging around our house.
After checking with security, the surveillance footage revealed a milk delivery man who had been loitering around.
Just like many killers, Eugene Walter, the man who murdered me, could not resist returning to the scene of the crime. He wanted to witness my parents‘ suffering up close, feeding his sick satisfaction.
But his arrogance led to his capture.
Eugene showed no sign of fear or regret. He calmly watched as Eddie supported my parents into the interrogation room.
Eugene shook the silver cuffs on his wrist and pulled a malicious smile. “Got a cigarette?”
My dad slammed the table hard. “You think this is your home? A murderer like you, and you’re still smiling?
Eugene’s grin only widened as he met my mom’s hate–filled eyes.
“Mr. Lambert, Dr. Zimmer, such a perfect couple in the police force.
“When you arrested my brother, did you ever think there’d come a day like this?”
My mom screamed hoarsely, demanding answers, “Your brother killed someone. He deserved to die for it! What did our Emily ever do?”
Seeing their pain only made Eugene happier. “Her mistake was being your daughter.”
“The last words you left her were about how she was pretending to be dead, and how you wished you’d never taken her back.”
“She probably couldn’t close her eyes and rest in peace. Too bad I wouldn’t know for sure, since I gouged them out.”
Eddie was unable to hold back and swung a powerful punch at Eugene.
Blood spurted from Eugene’s mouth, but he only grinned wider. “She sure could endure it. I slashed her face over and over, trying to make her curse you, but she never said a word.
“She kept saying you two were her heroes. I got sick of hearing it, so I cut out her tongue.”
“You monster! You don’t deserve to live!” My mom’s eyes were bloodshot as she screamed. Her voice was hysterical.
Eugene reveled in the scene before him, his joy growing as my parents‘ agony deepened.
The sound of his laughter pierced my parents‘ hearts like arrows, leaving them utterly broken.
My mom trembled violently, biting her lip to keep from bursting into tears. “It’s our fault. We failed Emily. We weren’t the parents we should have been.”
My dad wrapped his arm around my mom’s shoulders. His voice was filled with grief. “Emily died because of us. It’s our fault.”
Their sorrow had affected them physically, making them suddenly seem older and more frail.
As my parents and Eddie turned to leave, Eugene smiled wickedly, whispering like a demon, “Care to guess why I spared your other daughter?”