"Something’s wrong... she's trying to commit suicide!" the doctor shouted.
Zachary sat beside me, his grip tightening around my neck as he forced my mouth open.
Blood surged out, choking me as I gasped for air.
“So this is how far you’ll go to protect him?”
Zachary’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth grinding in fury.
The doctor hurried over, attempting to tend to my wound, but the struggle had already sapped most of my strength. I could do nothing but lie there, helpless, completely at Zachary's mercy.
I managed to give Zachary a faint smile, and the effect was instant. His anger flared, and the crowd below started to stir, their voices filled with righteous fury.
“She’s too arrogant! How dare such scum still live!”
“Die, you bitch!”
The hall erupted in noise, but the giant screen flickered again, revealing a new scene.
It was during our high school days, sitting at desks and chairs that seemed like relics from a past era.
With my backpack over my shoulder, Zachary and I left the classroom and headed toward the middle school section.
After standing at the school gates for a while, we heard a cheerful voice calling out to us.
“Zach! Sis! I’m here!”
Zoey skipped toward us, her backpack bouncing as she caught my arm.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a lollipop.
“I knew you were the best, Sis!” Zoey beamed with joy, her eyes lighting up.
“Stop saying that,” I teased, my face turning red with embarrassment.
The crowd stirred at the sight.
Aunt Mary broke down completely, sobbing so hard she could barely speak.
“Zoey was such a good child! Why can’t you just tell us who hurt her?” she wailed. “Why couldn’t you let Zoey rest in peace? My poor child! You… you don’t deserve to live!”
Aunt Mary sobbed uncontrollably, her voice heavy with grief, while the people in the audience looked visibly moved.
Although their father, Uncle John, had seen many tragedies and usually kept his composure, witnessing his beloved wife break down like that caused him to falter.
He pulled his wife into his arms, whispering comforting words, but his eyes turned to me, filled with unmistakable hatred.
The memory on the screen continued.
After school, Zoey and I went to our secret spot—an abandoned park near the school with a small creek running through it.
We’d set up a tent there, a place almost no one knew about. We often went there to buy snacks, grill food, and have little picnics, away from the world.
Seeing this on the screen, the audience collectively gasped.
This was the very place where Zoey’s tragedy had occurred.
When the case was first opened to search for clues, this spot was mentioned, but unfortunately, no useful evidence was found.
The place had been abandoned for too long.
Zachary broke down in tears, unable to hold it together any longer.
“It’s all my fault," he cried out. "If I hadn’t taken Zoey to that place, everything would’ve been different.”
But then his gaze shifted to me.
“Zoey loved you so much! How could you be so heartless, Joanne? Is your heart made of stone?!”
He punched the bed railing with all his might, as if somehow doing so would release the anger burning inside him.
Tears from Zachary fell onto my hand.
I could feel their heat, their sting.
“I… I tried, Zach,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, exhausted.
“Tried? You call this trying? You’re shielding a murderer! You’re breaking the law! You’re helping him escape justice!” Zachary screamed, his emotions spiraling out of control.
I closed my eyes, and the memory of that sunny girl flooded back. Her smile was so warm, it seemed able to melt even the coldest glaciers.
“Mr. Mitchell...”
The doctor beside us tried to speak, but hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Zachary shot him a cold glance.
The doctor involuntarily shivered, his body tensing in fear.
“Say it," Zachary ordered.
“She’s… she’s resisting,” the doctor stammered. “She's avoiding that part of her memory deliberately.”
Zachary's lips curved into a cold, twisted smile.
“Good,” he said softly. “Very good.”
"Then increase the current," Zachary said coldly. "I want to see just how tough her bones really are."
The doctor hesitated for a moment, but then he obeyed Zachary’s command.
Electricity surged through my head and limbs, and slowly, I began to lose all sensation. It felt as if my body was shutting down.
I knew my time was running out.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay silent, not letting a single sound escape.
“Who the hell are you protecting?!” Zachary roared, his voice thick with rage.
I opened my eyes, tears clouding my vision.
Through him, I thought I saw that bright, sunny boy I once knew.
"I... I can't say," I whispered weakly.
Zachary’s face darkened, his eyes growing colder. He stood up, walking toward me, towering above.
"If you won’t speak, I have my ways. Zoey endured more pain than this. What you’re going through is nothing."
