River fought back and laughed maniacally. “You call me a murderer, but do you have proof? Your ex loves me, and your husband loves me too! Both of them believe that I’m innocent and kind! They help me! What can you do about it?”

My rage burned even more because of what she said. But since I had been sick for so many years, I could not kill her. She even managed to fling me to the side.

“Do you hate me that much, Lyra? I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me anymore!”

“River, are you okay?” Dale had apparently heard the commotion and rushed over. He glared at me and slapped me before I could even defend myself. Disappointment burned in his eyes.

“Lyra, she’s your sister! How could you try to kill her?! Are you mad?!”

River shook her head sadly. “Don’t blame Lyra, Dale. It’s my fault. I killed her mother.”

I ignored the burning pain on my cheek and glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

“We’re the only ones who know where my mother’s grave is located. Are you the one who told River where it is so that she could desecrate her grave?”

“What on earth are you saying?” Dale was in disbelief. “River just went to visit her. How could you think that your sister would do something so horrible?!”

He said that he would hide his feelings for River perfectly.

However, the slightest hint of trouble on her side had completely exposed his feelings for her.

Even so, he remained completely unaware of it.

I stared at him while trembling, and suddenly, I laughed. “Dale, since you want to protect her, carry on. Don’t ever change. Even if I die tonight, don’t change.

“Otherwise, you’re going to regret it.”

Suddenly, Dale panicked. He let go of River to comfort me. “Don’t say those things to scare me. I’ll get worried. I’m not protecting her. You were just too terrifying earlier. You were going to kill her, you know? Your mother saved River, and she just wanted to visit her. She couldn’t have possibly desecrated your mother’s grave. Don’t be so paranoid. It’ll just make both of you sad.

“I hit you just now, and I’m sorry. I was too rash. Go back and get some rest first. Take your medicine. I’ll send River to the hospital for a checkup.

“If she’s okay, I’ll immediately go back home to keep you company, okay?”

With that said, he left with River.

River gave me a look and sneered.

I stared at her and could not take a single step forward. My hands kept trembling, and I found it hard to breathe.

My emotions crashed into me like a tidal wave, and I slumped down, broken.

I also knew that these were the effects of psychological distress.

My phone rang a few times, but I did not even have the strength to answer it anymore.

After a long time, I finally picked up one of the calls.

“Miss Stane, we’re the South Road Riverstate police. We’ve obtained the pardon letter you mentioned and sent it to your house. Please sign the delivery receipt.”

“Thank you.” I squashed down the turbulent emotions in me and forced my broken body out of the restaurant.

I deleted all of Dale’s contact numbers and threw away my SIM card.

From this moment on, I had cut all ties with him.

…

Dale’s phone rang while he was sending River back home.

He answered it, only to receive terrifying news.

“Hello, we’re the South Road Riverstate police. We’ve retrieved a drowned corpse from the river, along with a suicide note and a pardon letter.

“The pardon letter was written by you for River Stane, and we’ve verified the contents of the suicide note. Lyra Stane, your wife, is the one who wrote it. Please come and retrieve her body…”