Chapter 3

3

Chief Walsh looked down at my parents groveling on the ground with icy detachment.

He looked at them like two filthy bugs.

After a long silence, he spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.

“Disown him? Too late for that.”

“If you want me to let your family off the hook, there's only one way.”

He paused, his gaze landing on me like he was appraising an object.

“Pull your son out of high school today. Have him kneel outside my daughter’s hospital room every single day to pray for her until she wakes up.”

My parents froze for a second before pure euphoria washed over their faces.

“Yes! Absolutely!”

They nodded frantically, treating his cruel demand like a divine blessing.

“Thank you, Mr. Walsh! Thank you so much!”

They scrambled to their feet, grabbed my arms, and tried to haul me away, muttering under their breath.

“Did you hear that? All you have to do is kneel. It won't kill you! Saving our family is your duty!”

I shook off their hands and stood up on my own.

Once we got home, I locked myself in my bedroom.

No matter how much they cursed or kicked at the door, I ignored them completely.

“Lucas! You ungrateful brat! We raised you for eighteen years, and you can't even kneel for our family?”

“If you don't open this damn door, we’ll kill ourselves right on your doorstep!”

I put on my headphones, blocking out their venomous threats.

Three days later.

The news reported that Valerie had finally regained consciousness.

My parents used the spare key to unlock my door and dragged me out of bed by force.

“Get up! Get to the hospital right now! Miss Walsh is awake! Our good days are finally here!”

They dragged me like a stray dog all the way to the hospital.

The hallway outside Valerie’s VIP suite was packed with reporters, cameras, and flashing lights.

My parents shoved through the crowd, dragging me to the very front.

The suite doors swung open.

Under the glare of the lights, Valerie lay in the hospital bed, looking pale and fragile.

She stirred weakly, her eyes scanning past the reporters and her parents before locking onto me.

In that split second, pure malice flickered in her gaze.

Yet it was quickly replaced by a veil of helpless tears.

She lifted her heavily bandaged hand and weakly pointed her finger at me with all her strength.

“It... it was him...”

Her voice was faint, but the microphones picked it up, broadcasting it clearly down the entire hall.

The corridor went dead silent.

Every eye in the room turned on me.

Valerie looked at me, tears streaming down her face.

She wept into the microphones, “When that truck rushed toward me, I tried to dodge...”

“It was him! He shoved me from behind!”

“When I turned around, I saw him smiling... He was smiling at me...”

The room exploded in an instant!

“What? He didn't just stand by―he tried to murder her!”

“What a total scumbag! Look at how devastated his parents are. How did they raise such an evil beast!”

“Just a jealous, broke loser hating on a rich girl! Absolutely sickening!”

My mother furiously grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me toward the floor.

“You murderer! I’ll kill you with my bare hands! Why are you trying to ruin our lives!”

Dad was even more vicious. He kicked my legs out from under me.

Together with my mother, he pinned my head violently against the floor.

“Bow! Bow your head and beg Miss Walsh for forgiveness!”

Dad roared, holding me down while slamming his fists into my back.

“I’ll beat you to death right now to rid society of this trash!”

Blood soon trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision.

Suffocation and searing pain overwhelmed me, and it felt like my ribs were about to snap.

Just when I thought I was going to be beaten to death by my own parents, a stern voice boomed through the hallway.

“Stop! Police!”

Several uniformed officers pushed through the chaotic crowd.

They rushed in and forcibly pulled my parents off of me.

The lead detective looked at me with a serious expression and said calmly:

“Lucas Holt, please come with us.”

“We’ve uncovered new evidence in this case.”

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