Chapter 3

The knife hovered over Ashley’s brow. I frowned:

“Uncle Robert, what are you talking about?”

Uncle Robert stood before the camera, righteous indignation in his voice:

“As a forensic analyst, I’ve analyzed your mother’s case no less than ten times. This matter, indeed, was your mother’s fault.”

I stared at the camera in disbelief:

“Uncle Robert, are you saying my mom staged an accident?”

Uncle Robert sighed: “Chloe, you must respect the facts. The crime scene analysis unequivocally indicates that.”

“I think you’re the one not respecting facts!”

I pointed at the camera: “She was your sister! Your own sister!

“Back when we were so poor we couldn’t even afford food, Mom would return a hundred-dollar bill a stranger dropped.

“From the day I was born, she taught me kindness. You’ve known her for nearly fifty years, and you actually think that of her!”

Uncle Robert frowned:

“Chloe, people change.”

I laughed.

I ripped off the cloth gagging Ashley: “I think you’re the one who’s changed.”

“Help…”

Ashley couldn’t even finish her word before I clamped her jaw, forcing her mouth open.

Pliers reached into her mouth, one, two, three.

The floor was littered with the teeth I’d wrenched from her mouth.

“Ah!!”

Ashley’s screams were bone-chilling.

Uncle Robert leaned closer to the camera:

“Enough! Stop it! Chloe! Stop it now!!”

After pulling out the last tooth, Ashley collapsed, her mouth a bloody mess, her body trembling uncontrollably.

“Ashley…”

Uncle Robert’s pupils trembled.

I glared directly into the camera:

“What, Uncle Robert? You knew her all along?”

Uncle Robert paused, then immediately regained his righteous expression:

“Chloe! You’re a disgrace to your mother’s memory!”

I chuckled, glancing at my watch:

“You’ve already wasted three chances.

“Fourth chance, ten minutes. Timer, start.”

I sat back down on the chair beside Ashley, calmly twirling the pliers.

Alex paced frantically in front of the camera.

With thirty seconds left, I began to count down:

“29, 28, 27…”

“There’s no such thing as evidence of premeditated murder! What do you want me to submit?!”

Alex was losing his mind.

The online crowd was also indignant:

[If there was, anyone would have submitted it by now! Isn't she forcing Alex Miller to commit perjury?]

[Exactly! Forcing Alex to ruin his career!]

[This woman is utterly malicious!]

“5, 4…”

“Chloe!!”

“3, 2…”

“Chloe, come to your senses!”

“1…”

“Mommy!”

A small, childish voice piped up.

I froze, quickly standing up:

“Leo…”