After my parents passed away, Uncle Mike took me in. When greedy relatives tried to snatch away my inheritance, he chased them off with a kitchen knife.

“As long as I’m here, nobody lays a finger on this girl!”

Aunt Rachel doted on me, calling me her precious baby and making me nutritious meals every day.

My cousin Pete secretly slipped me pocket money and made sure to pick me up and drop me off at school, afraid I might get bullied.

The neighbors all said I was lucky and to repay their kindness someday.

On graduation day, I cooked them a lavish meal to show my appreciation. Every dish was laced with rat poison. I didn’t spare a single soul, not even the neighbors.

I killed them all!

When the police arrived, I was still finishing the job.

The blade was buried deep in my cousin's stomach, and when I pulled it out, blood splattered all over my face.

Even the officers, who had seen their fair share of murder scenes, couldn't help but gasp.

Calmly, I placed the knife down, walked toward them, and extended my hands. "Take me in. I made the call."

Captain Jefferson froze. He could not believe that I had killed all three tables of bodies.

"You? Annabelle? Are you kidding me?"

He knew me. When my parents passed away, it was he who handled the case.

Back then, when my relatives stormed into the house fighting over the inheritance, and my uncle brandished a kitchen knife, he was the officer who diffused the situation.

Now, seeing me drenched in blood, his expression was a mix of shock and confusion.

Even after I was taken to the interrogation room and the forensic team reconstructed the crime scene, Captain Jefferson was still in disbelief.

"Annabelle, why? Is there something you're not telling us?"

I looked up to see a familiar face—Ms. Jackson, my teacher.

She had come in with Captain Jefferson, her eyes red.

"Tell me, Annabelle. I’ll find a way to help you. We’ll fight for leniency."

Leaning back in the chair, I felt an unprecedented sense of calm.

Ms. Jackson's voice was filled with desperation. "Annabelle, did they treat you badly?"

I thought for a moment. "No, they treated me well. Everyone said they were my saviors. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to go to school. Working at some dead-end job by now."

"Did they steal your parents' money?"

I shrugged. "Nope. They spent it all on me.

"Ms. Jackson, stop asking. I'm the killer. I did it. Sentence me to death."

I smiled faintly at her, my composure unnerving even the officers in the room.

Sergeant Keller slammed his hand on the table. "Watch your attitude!

"Annabelle, what's your motive for the murders?"

I spread my hands. "No motive. Just felt like it."

Sergeant Keller's glare sharpened. "You ungrateful monster! They were good to you, and you didn’t spare a single one of them!

"Even the neighbors. How could you?!"

"Yeah, I killed them. What are you waiting for? Skip the trial and sentence me already!"

I sat there, sneering at their outrage.

Ms. Jackson shook her head, heartbroken. While Sergeant Keller fumed, Captain Jefferson said firmly, "No matter what, we have to follow procedure. Annabelle, think about it. Dying is the easy way out. Our job is to uncover the truth."

He stood up and left, leaving me alone in the room.

I exhaled slowly.

I had killed them.

They all deserved it, though!

Outside the interrogation room, Captain Jefferson’s colleagues were baffled by his reaction.

"Sir, she's clearly a heartless killer. Why are you going easy on her?"

"The truth isn’t as simple as impulsive murder. The crime scene shows clear premeditation. She planned this for a long time. And let's be real. How could a young girl like her take down that many people without a reason?"

Sergeant Keller scoffed. "You really think there's more to this, sir?"

Ms. Jackson chimed in. "I know Annabelle. She's hardworking and ambitious, and despite the hardships she faced growing up, she's always been well-behaved.

"If she really did this, there has to be a reason. I hope the police will find out the truth and clear her name!"

Captain Jefferson nodded. "Don't worry, Ms. Jackson. As police officers, it's our duty to seek the truth. We won't let any criminal walk free, but we also won’t incriminate an innocent person."

Ms. Jackson left reluctantly, turning back with every step.

I closed my eyes in the interrogation room, resting calmly. If they thought uncovering the truth would be easy, they were in for disappointment.

After all, I was the killer.

When the first round of questioning ended, it was time for dinner. Captain Jefferson brought me a bowl of Alfredo pasta.

Seeing the steaming meal, my eyes stung unexpectedly. He noticed my reaction and chuckled. "Eat up, kid. Pasta isn’t as good when they get cold."

"Yeah. Pasta goes bad when they’re cold. Just like people—once they're completely cold, there's no saving them. And when the heart dies, there's no bringing it back either, right?"

Hearing me speak so much for the first time, Captain Jefferson perked up. "Tell me, how’ve you been living all these years?"

I inhaled my food and answered quietly, "School, home, back and forth. Nothing special."

"Your uncle’s just a retired factory worker. Your aunt doesn’t have a job. And your cousin, we saw he’s been unemployed since college, just playing video games at home. Yet they were supporting you?

“What on? Your inheritance from your parents?”

I nodded. "They did. But I get it, money’s needed for food and education.

"They take me in, spent my parents' money. All in the family, right?"

My words made Captain Jefferson frown. "The inheritance totaled around 1.2 million dollars. We looked into it, and there’s almost nothing left in your uncle Mike Wagner’s account."

Uncle Mike had long since stopped working, Aunt Rachel occasionally gambled, and my cousin, Pete, was a complete shut-in.

"Captain Jefferson, dig as deep as you want. I killed them, plain and simple."

I calmly continued eating my pasta as Captain Jefferson stared at me, his expression unreadable.

After the meal, the interrogation resumed with the same repetitive questions. However, I noticed something—Captain Jefferson was gone.

They could investigate all they wanted. It wouldn’t change a thing.

I refused to speak further. By the end of the session, it was already late, and I was locked up alone.

The night was quiet, and I slept better than I had in years.

Without monsters lurking around me, even a cell felt peaceful.

Meanwhile, the news of an innocent woman who poisoned thirty people in cold blood went viral.

The internet was ablaze.

People dug up my photos and backstory, fueling public outrage.

"Wow, women really can be the deadliest creatures! Look at that sweet face. Who knew she was so ruthless?"

"I went to school with her. Orphaned young, raised by her uncle. What a heartless snake!"

"What kind of hatred makes someone kill even the neighbors? Is she crazy?"

"Totally premeditated. She was just waiting for the right moment!"

"Good for her. They all deserved it!"

One particular comment caught the police’s attention. When they tried to trace the user, the account was quickly deleted.

For three straight days, I didn’t see a single officer.

I was held in solitary confinement, a surveillance camera fixed above me.

Staring directly into the lens, I flashed a cold smile.

On the other side, Sergeant Keller was fuming. "Sir, look at her! She’s smiling! She’s a psychopath!"

"Have you found anything? What about nearby investigations? I refuse to believe there’s no motive. She’s just a student. What’s the real reason?"

Captain Jefferson was puzzled. The truth gnawed at him.

How could they possibly know that beneath the calm surface, it had long been a lifeless, stagnant pool?

At this point, the families of the victims were relentless, contacting the media and demanding the death penalty for me. They wanted justice.

Some even stormed the police station, shouting that I should pay with my life.

The mounting public and media attention placed immense pressure on the police.

Three days later, Captain Jefferson finally came to see me.

He placed a cup of water in front of me and then handed over a folder of documents. My brows furrowed tightly as I saw the contents.

"Annabelle, your academic record is impressive. You won multiple scholarships, worked part-time jobs, and were even recognized as an outstanding graduate. Were you that desperate for money?

"We found out that throughout your four years in college, you held multiple part-time jobs—sometimes three at once. Yet your bank account only has three thousand dollars left.

"You could’ve landed a great job after graduation. With your qualifications, any top company would’ve hired you. So why resort to murder?"

Finally, they were asking the right questions.

I smiled calmly at Captain Jefferson. "Do you have kids? When your child grows up, will you let them marry whoever they want and pursue their dreams?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Naturally, I’d let them decide. You had a bright future ahead of you. Why throw it all away?"

"Because I didn’t have a choice."

Leaning back in my chair, I grinned bitterly. "My family, my future, my career—none of it was ever mine to choose. The only thing I could choose was death.

"You guys are pretty good investigators. Keep digging. Find out why I did this."

"Are you implying your uncle mistreated you?"

Sargeant Keller immediately shot up from his seat. "According to our interviews with neighbors, your uncle had big plans for you. He said he'd give you ten thousand dollars as a wedding gift and even renovate the house for you.

"The neighbors confirmed that you came home every weekend and seemed to have a good relationship with them."

"Good relationship? What kind of good are we talking about? Was it the part where a college student had to earn money to support the whole family, or when they tried to sell me off to a raper so their worthless son could keep living in luxury?"

My words left them stunned.

At that moment, Captain Jefferson received a call. He stepped out and was gone for quite a while.

When he returned, his face was pale.

"Annabelle, why didn’t you report Pete Wagner when he assaulted you five years ago?"

"Report it? Of course, I did! You can check the records!

"When I screamed for help, no one answered. When I begged for justice, they told me they had connections. They said if I dared to speak up, they’d ruin me.

"What you see is only what they want you to see.

"In your eyes, I’m just an ungrateful monster. But look closely, I’m a victim too!"

I yanked down the collar of my shirt, revealing a shocking scar.

"This scar... It's my shame and their crime!"

Captain Jefferson’s expression turned grave. Sargeant Keller’s eyes widened in shock.

"You..."

"July 23rd, five years ago. 7:10 p.m. Do I need to remind you, Sargeant Keller?"

He froze. With how dumbfounded he looked, one would’ve thought he’d remember.

"You were the one I rescued that night after my shift."

I nodded. "Yes. But I had no evidence. They destroyed it all. When I lost all hope, I tried to end it myself. You remember now, don’t you?"

Sargeant Keller clenched his fists, his body trembling.

"Annabelle, but... you can’t kill so many people!"

"They were accomplices! Every last one of them was guilty! Why shouldn’t I kill them?"

I screamed, my voice raw and hoarse, "My parents died because of them, too!

"Tell me, why shouldn’t they die?"

The room fell into stunned silence.