They Turned Me Into a Criminal in My First Life—This Time I Fight Back Chapter 04
The moment the officer finished speaking, the crowd exploded again.
“Listen to her. She’s still trying to talk her way out of it!”
“Then why was your face on the dashcam footage?”
“It’s honestly terrifying. She murdered someone and still had time to catch a flight afterward.”
I swept my gaze across the crowd.
In the distance, I caught the smug looks in Ethan’s and Clara’s eyes.
They had managed to swap my face into the footage without leaving a trace.
Changing flight records wouldn’t be much harder.
But I’d anticipated this move long ago.
The day before our anniversary, I had deliberately arranged for Killian Thorne to sign a contract with me in person.
Because no piece of evidence was stronger than a living witness.
After several minutes of hesitation, the police finally placed a video call to my boss.
The call connected.
The moment Killian saw the massive crowd surrounding me, his eyes widened.
“Vivienne?”
He looked completely bewildered.
“Weren’t we supposed to finalize the contract this afternoon? Where are you?”
I didn’t have time to explain.
“Mr. Thorne, can you confirm that we were together yesterday?”
For a moment, he simply stared at me.
Then he nodded.
“Yes. Of course we were.”
Concern flashed across his face.
“Vivienne, what’s going on?”
After receiving his confirmation, the officers took my phone and questioned him extensively before ending the call.
At the same time, investigators pulled security footage from the signing location.
The video clearly showed me participating in the contract meeting.
The officers exchanged stunned looks.
“There are… two of you?”
The entire crowd fell silent.
A dark shadow flashed across Ethan’s eyes.
Before anyone else could speak, Clara stepped forward.
“So what?”
She folded her arms.
“That doesn’t prove anything.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Clara pointed at the screen.
“It just proves you’re sleeping with your boss.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“Excuse me?”
She immediately pressed forward.
“You and your boss are having an affair. Of course he’d lie for you.”
I smiled.
“But the surveillance footage isn’t lying.”
I tilted my head.
“Just like the dashcam footage. Evidence is evidence, right?”
I expected Clara to panic.
Instead, she grew even more arrogant.
“Vivienne, are you serious?”
She scoffed.
“That footage is blurry. You can barely make out your face.”
She pointed at the screen.
“All your boss had to do was hire a woman with a similar build and put her in front of the camera.”
Her voice rose confidently.
“Then he provided a fake alibi and created a time discrepancy. That’s why we’re looking at this mess now.”
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin triumphantly.
“And I know I’m right because the man you’re cheating with is Killian Thorne.”
The crowd immediately stirred.
Clara continued.
“I couldn’t see the man’s face in the photo, but when you video-called your boss just now, I recognized him.”
She pointed at me.
“The man in that picture and your boss are the same person.”
Just like that, public opinion swung again.
“What a manipulative woman.”
“She’s using her lover to cover up murder.”
“What are the police doing? Arrest her already!”
“You owe us an explanation!”
Even the officers looked uncertain.
“The woman in the surveillance footage is difficult to identify.”
Just then, my phone buzzed.
A new message appeared on the screen.
One of the officers looked at me.
“Ms. Rhodes, is there any truth to what she’s saying?”
I met his gaze steadily.
“No.”
Then I pointed directly at Clara and Ethan.
“Clara Avery is the murderer.”
“Ethan Caldwell is her accomplice.”
I drew in a slow breath.
“You all wanted to know where the missing child is, right?”
I glanced toward the back of the crowd.
“Well… here he comes.”
The crowd turned as one.
A tall figure in a dark navy suit emerged from the distance.
His deep voice cut through the silence.
“I’m here to testify on Ms. Rhodes’s behalf.”