Chapter 445


    ?


    After that, the cops showed up, asking about Melody.


    I kept mum, and Ste did all the talking for me.


    The officer said Melody had dropped the charges, said she wasn''t pursuing it, so all I had to do was apologize to Melody.


    Still, I said nothing.


    "What do you make of this whole survival game debacle? As far as we know, you''re just an average Joe, barely out of college, with little to no real- world experience, and yet you spend your time helping homeless kids. How did you walk out of that wreckage unscathed? Your husband, too, isn''t exactly... I''m sorry."


    The officer questioning me was a stranger, just doing his job.


    I knew he didn''t mean anything by calling Colin mentally disabled, but it still put me on edge.


    "I wouldn''t say I came out unscathed. I fell down the stairs, ended up with a brain injury, and was in aa for two weeks before I finally woke up. As for Melody getting hurt, in the pitch-ck chaos, she freaked out and mistook me for an enemy, so I don''t think I owe her an apology," I stated, sticking strictly to the facts.


    But I carefully skirted around certain moments in time.


    Like when I deliberately aggravated her wounds on the stairs to press her for the truth.


    "I can vouch for that!" Ste interjected angrily.


    She was telling the truth, she hadn''t seen me harm Melody.


    And in her eyes, I would never do such a thing.


    Especially since Melody had been painted as the viin.


    The officer nced between Ste and me. "Mr. Dexter ims he was at the scene and corroborates the fact that you hurt Melody."


    "Mr. Dexter was also under extreme stress in that situation; I don''t think eyewitness testimony holds much water under those circumstances," I replied calmly and logically to every question.


    "Melody took a nasty fall, lost her footing on the stairs. By the time I got to her, she was already crying out in pain."


    A montage of truths, my words were factual but rearranged.


    It was my actions that had frightened Melody into falling...


    The officer nodded. "Alright, I''ve got a clear picture now. Since Melody isn''t pressing charges, this matter is essentially closed. Rest up, and someone from the special investigation team will be in touch soon. We''d appreciate your cooperation then."


    I nodded.


    After the officer left, I looked at Colin.


    His gaze was intense and jittery.


    Ste, cursing under her breath, went through a list of insults aimed at Melody''s entire lineage.


    I sat numbly, finally speaking up. "I did hurt Melody."


    I had resorted to violence.


    Ste looked at me, shocked. "How did you not finish her off?"


    I gave Ste a helpless look. "You can''t let friendship cloud your judgment; you''re a forensic scientist."


    Ste scratched her head. "Oh, right."


    She muttered, "Well, whatever. Since Melody''s not making a fuss, who cares?"


    “I just wanted to see... how many steps it takes for a lie to be the truth." I knew Melody would drop the charges; Dexter had his ways.


    But my recent words, outsiders already believed them.


    This meant the police had taken statements from everyone who made it out alive, including Ste, Robin, and Finn.


    With their testimonies and Melody''s viinous reputation, people were more inclined to believe me.


    "So, why do you think Annora


    managed to Ride among us without being discovered? It''s because the underdog naturally wears a filter in everyone''s eyes, and with the likes of Melody and others painted as viins, we were all more inclined to suspect them."


    In other words, we only see what others want us to see.


    And Damian, he presents himself as the perfect husband and father, which means he''s hiding something... What secrets is Damian keeping?


    "Colin, do you think I should have lied just now?" I asked Colin.


    He''d been quiet this whole time.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    "You lied because you knew Melody would drop the charges, so it was harmless. If she hadn''t, you wouldn''t have died; you''d have owned up," Colin said softly.


    He really did know me too well.