By this time, I had already calmed down.

I looked straight at the police and said evenly, “You’re accusing me, then show me the evidence.”

The officers immediately pulled up the proof.

It was surveillance footage.

In the video, I was clutching my stomach, moving suspiciously into the secure room where the exam papers were kept. I was clearly seen pulling out two test papers and carefully using a small knife to scrape off the barcodes and swap them.

I stared, dumbfounded.

Then they brought out two sealed exam papers, each locked in a plastic bag, undeniable evidence.

One was completely blank, bearing Zion’s barcode.

The other was fully completed, with my barcode stuck neatly on it. Judging by the handwriting, it was clearly Zion’s exam.

One officer continued, voice flat.

“The two guards responsible for watching the exam papers have already been arrested.”

“Each of their accounts received a transfer of one million dollars.”

“They confessed that during the exam period, someone contacted them, promising one million each if they spent half an hour in the restroom while on duty.”

“We traced the account that made the transfers. It belongs to you.”

I stared at the bank records in disbelief, my mind completely blank.

Zion looked at me with deep disappointment and asked quietly, “Was it really you?”

I drew in a sharp breath and raised my voice. “I don’t know what’s going on with this so-called evidence, but I can prove it wasn’t me. I have an alibi!”

I held up my phone, my tone firm. “These past few days, I’ve been live streaming from my hospital bed, twenty-four hours a day, without a single break.”

“The entire internet watched me. Anyone can testify that I never left that room.”

But the police officer gave me a knowing smile.

Clearly experienced, he went straight to the point.

“You’ve never had a habit of livestreaming.”

“Why did you suddenly decide to stream nonstop these few days? Don’t you think that seems a little too deliberate?”

I was left speechless.

The officer said, “And you should know, the content of a livestream isn’t necessarily real.”

“There are plenty of streamers who loop old footage to pretend it’s live and trick viewers into sending money.”

“This kind of fraud has happened before.”

“We have every reason to believe your so-called livestream was pre-recorded, and you were the one who went to commit the crime.”

“Little girl, you’re clever; you even knew how to create an alibi.”

“But fake is still fake. With professional criminal investigation techniques, you won’t get away with it.”

“I advise you to confess. If you do, your sentence might be lighter.”

I stammered. “My livestream was real. You can examine it.”

The officer’s gaze was stern. “We will examine it. But in the meantime, you will be held in custody.”

Zion looked at the police with worry in his eyes. “She just had an appendectomy. If you lock her up now, she won’t be able to handle it.”

“Don’t worry,” the officer replied flatly. “We have doctors here. Her condition won’t be neglected.”

Under Zion’s anxious gaze, I was locked away.

My body had mostly recovered, but the crushing psychological pressure made it impossible to eat or sleep.

Even though I was cut off from the world, I knew the entire internet was cursing me and cursing my parents, too.

I was terrified the tragedy of my past life would happen all over again.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my parents struggling in the river, calling for help that no one gave.

I cried until my eyes were too swollen to open.

On the third day, my mom and dad finally bailed me out.

The moment I saw them, I threw myself into their arms, choking on my sobs.

“I didn’t do it,” I cried.

My parents gently patted my back. “We believe you. Our daughter would never do such a thing.”

The police attached an electronic shackle to my ankle and warned me sternly that I was not allowed to leave the city, had to be reachable at all times, and must never remove the device.

I agreed to everything without protest. At that moment, all I wanted was to stay with my parents, never leaving their side again.

When we arrived home, I was surprised to see Zion waiting at the doorstep.

As soon as he spotted me, he hurried over, worry etched on his face.

“Heidi, are you okay?”

Before I could answer, his eyes turned red. “You’ve lost so much weight.”

“Heidi, I’m sorry. If I had known it was you, I never would have called the police.”

His words were full of affection, but hearing them, a dull ache rose in my chest.

“Zion, you didn’t believe me either?” I asked softly.

Zion looked stunned. “No, I just…”

Before he could finish, a woman walked up and shouted, her voice sharp, “Believe you? Why should Zion believe you? With all the evidence clear as day, you still want to pretend you’re innocent?”

Startled, I instinctively asked the woman, “Who are you?”

She let out a cold snort. “I’m Zion’s legal representative.”

Zion looked a little embarrassed and lowered his voice. “Heidi, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not suing you. I just asked her to help me negotiate with the Department of Education to see if they can restore my scores.”

While we were speaking, a crowd had already gathered around us.

They clearly recognized me and started shouting angrily. “That’s Heidi! So arrogant, she actually got released?”

“Do rich people really think they can do whatever they please?”

“Spending two million to steal someone else’s future, what kind of world is this?”

Suddenly, someone screamed, “The college entrance exam is the fairest system we have. These rich people want to destroy even that. Beat them!”

In an instant, countless bottles and trash rained down on us.

Zion tried to shield me, but his lawyer grabbed his arm and pulled him back, widening the distance between us.

My parents held me protectively and tried to get us away, but more and more people crowded in, forming a tight circle.

Then, the crowd began to hit us; some even threw stones.

My dad shouted with all his strength, “Stop! My daughter just had surgery. She’s still a patient!”

But the onlookers didn’t believe a word.

Someone yelled, “Liar! This whole family is nothing but liars!”

“I don’t believe a single punctuation mark of what you say. Surgery? You probably faked those medical records, too!”

The situation grew more and more dangerous.

My mom shouted, her voice trembling, “My daughter never swapped any test papers! She had no reason at all to do it!”

She pulled out a thin piece of paper and raised it high. “I have proof. If you’d just look at it, you’d understand!”

But the crowd kept shouting, “What proof? All fake!”

My mom lifted the paper as high as she could, trying to let everyone see.

It was a university admission notice.

While shielding me, she gasped between breaths, “My daughter was already recommended for admission to Wellington University. If you don’t believe me, check the official website.”

“She only took the college entrance exam to accompany Zion.”

“When she gave it up to have her surgery, we weren’t even that upset because the exam didn’t really matter for her.”

“She already had her place secured. Why would she need to tamper with test papers?”

The crowd fell into a stunned silence.

Zion looked at me in shock. “Heidi, you were already guaranteed admission? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

I sighed softly. “I didn’t want to put pressure on you.”

I had thought that once my mom showed me the admission letter, the netizens would finally leave me alone.

After all, I didn’t even have the most basic motive for committing the crime.

But who could have guessed that Zion’s lawyer would step forward and say coldly, “Since you were already guaranteed admission, why did you still harm Zion?”

“Aren’t you two a couple? Why do you hate him so much? I truly don’t understand the mindset of you rich people.”

That single sentence was like a spark thrown onto dry grass.

The netizens erupted again.

“Damn it, we almost got fooled by them. Whether she was guaranteed or not doesn’t change the fact she committed a crime.”

“Rich people really know how to twist the facts. They just love playing with other people’s lives.”

“Hurting others without even gaining anything, just because they can.”

“Look at Zion’s clothes. He clearly comes from an ordinary family. Maybe these rich folks think regular people don’t deserve a future.”

“Wait a second, how did Heidi get her guaranteed admission? Was it bought with money?”

“I think Wellington University should open their eyes and strike Heidi off the list.”

The netizens grew more and more frenzied. Someone even snatched the admission letter from my mother’s hands and tore it to shreds.

My parents panicked, trying to shield me as they forced a path toward home.

But there were too many people, we couldn’t move an inch.

The security guards had arrived earlier and were shouting for everyone to stop.

But the seething crowd didn’t hear a word.

All they wanted was to unleash their rage on us because, in their eyes, I was the criminal who had shattered the fairness of the exam.

In the chaos, someone suddenly struck the back of my head with brutal force.

My vision went black, and I collapsed onto the ground.

My parents screamed my name, their voices cracking with fear.

They tried to push through the surging mob, but how could they? All they could do was crouch down and use their bodies to shield me.

I heard people kicking them over and over, and my mother’s mouth and nose were already bleeding.

I cried out, my voice trembling, “Mom!”

Even though she was clearly in pain, my mother forced a weak smile and whispered, “Mom’s okay.”

Finally, the wail of police sirens rose in the distance.

The crowd began to settle, their rage slowly fading as they scattered.

My dad gripped one of my hands and supported my mom with the other.

When I stood up, I saw that both their faces were covered in cuts and bruises.

I burst into tears, heartbroken beyond words.

At that moment, a police officer approached, his expression troubled.

“We’ve received orders from above. This case has stirred too much public anger. Heidi’s bail is being revoked.”

“Honestly, it’s also for your own safety. If you stay out here, the crowd might lynch you.”

He took out the handcuffs and locked them around my wrists again. “Come with me for now. The trial will begin soon.”

My mother sobbed as she clung to my arm, but the police ignored her and pushed me toward the car.

Just as I was about to be forced inside, a flash of realization struck my mind like lightning.

I cried out, my voice shaking, “Wait! Please, I know who set me up!”