Chapter 2

"Defendant, what was your motive for these murders?!"

It was a live-streamed court session.

Facing my stone-cold defiance, even the seasoned judge looked visibly frustrated.

"You know the jury will decide your fate, yet you publicly bit your lawyer?"

"I felt like it!"

Licking the blood from the corner of my mouth, I pulled a cruel smile.

The victims' families in the courtroom erupted instantly.

"She admitted it! What more do you need? Just give her the death penalty and let my daughter finally rest in peace!"

I coldly watched the disheveled, distraught woman in the spectator's box.

It was Chloe Miller' s mother, one of my former high school dorm mates.

Just two days ago, I' d personally sent her daughter straight to her grave.

Beside her, crying inconsolably, were the parents of my other two dorm mates.

"Kill her! Four lives lost and not a shred of remorse!"

"This kind of antisocial filth, leaving her alive will only lead to endless trouble!"

The comment section of the live stream was a furious torrent.

The jury stared intently at my every move, trying to find a crack in my facade.

But I just looked indifferent, even leaning back, legs crossed, and letting out a casual whistle.

Only three days, anyway.

If I kept my mouth shut during this time, they couldn't pry anything out of me.

It was a shame I survived the crash, by some twist of fate.

But I had to die.

"Defendant, please show some respect!"

The judge' s face darkened. "You have a successful career, a decent income, a reasonably happy life. Not long ago, you even booked plane tickets for a family vacation."

"How did you suddenly become a sociopath and brutally murder your high school dorm mates?"

I paused, then quickly regrouped.

"They were showing off their wealth."

I pointed a finger back towards the spectator box. "It was her daughter, Chloe Miller. In the car, she insisted on showing me some designer jewelry and luxury bags, even laughing and calling me a poor nobody!"

"Back in school, I was the poorest in the whole class, fighting tooth and nail just to get by! How dare she get all that without lifting a finger?"

"Just for that?"

"Just for that!"

"You' re lying!"

Mrs. Miller gasped, choking back sobs. "My husband went bankrupt three years ago! Chloe couldn't possibly buy luxury items anymore!"

I stammered. "Then I misremembered!"

"Anyway, one of them was showing off. As for who... I hit my head, I can't quite recall!"

"I' ve always hated you holier-than-thou rich people. It' s disgusting..."

With that, I spat in the direction of the spectator box.

Then I flipped off the jury.

"Jade Vance is a pathological liar!"

"This kind of person is obviously consumed by jealousy! Her three dorm mates had such bright futures, all ruined by her!"

"And her homeroom teacher, Mr. Davies, was a top educator in the district!"

"My daughter wasn't a bad person!"

A staggering figure suddenly burst into the courtroom, making my heart lurch.

It was my mom, Eleanor, who had been knocked unconscious and sent to the hospital just moments ago, after arguing with the victims' families outside the courthouse.

She' d returned, dragging her injured body back here.

"Here' s her junior high transcript, look... A straight-A student, always in the top ten!"

"Even if she did something wrong, it' s because her dad and I failed as parents. If someone needs to be jailed, send us to prison!"

The mention of my dad, Arthur, brought a sudden surge of bitter memories.

My mom' s tearful plea made the jury exchange uncertain glances.

Netizens were buzzing.

"It' s been over six years! What does a junior high transcript prove now?!"

"Jade Vance is 22, and in her mom' s eyes, she' s still a child? No wonder she raised a daughter like this!"

"Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, and victims' families, I' m kneeling here on behalf of my daughter!"

My mom dropped to her knees, her bandaged forehead hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

A shocking crimson stain spread.

I struggled to look away, forcing myself to stop trembling.

"There must be some hidden story here. How could Jade harm four strangers for no reason?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the judge' s eyes.

Suddenly, I went wild, shoving past the court officers and scrambling out of the defendant' s box.

I lunged forward, tackling my mom to the ground.

Quickly, I chewed up the transcript and swallowed it.

In doing so, my clothes ripped, revealing a mosaic of old scars on my back.

"Defendant, who caused these injuries on your body?!"

I' m done for, I thought.