I raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for the "truth" this young man was about to reveal.
He was practically vibrating with excitement.
"I suddenly realized all the deceased have one thing in common—"
"Their children all went missing ten years ago!"
A tremor ran through me.
Officer Liu quickly caught my subtle reaction and encouraged the young man to continue.
"My theory is that on the surface, she was a model teacher, but secretly, she was a human trafficker. After abducting several children, she got into a car accident and ended up in a vegetative state."
"The children's families then pretended to be caregivers to get close to Song Yue, hoping to find out where their children were."
"But during their investigation, they discovered their children had been tragically killed. When they learned the truth, the grief was too much to bear, and they took their own lives, one by one..."
It was a compelling theory.
Their expressions grew even more furious, especially when they discovered that some of the missing children had once been my students.
Officer Liu asked me in a low, stern voice if this theory was true.
I shrugged, a look of indifference on my face.
"Since you all hate me so much, go ahead. Pin whatever crime you want on me. Just get it over with."
"I quite like the human trafficker theory. It's creative."
Officer Liu was so angry he was shaking.
If the caregivers were really the victims' families seeking revenge for their children, they would have killed me first before committing suicide.
Besides, even if this theory were true, with no physical evidence and no witnesses, the court still couldn't convict me.
Amid the standoff, a young girl suddenly squeezed through the crowd.
"Ms. Song! Do you remember me?"
My pupils constricted. I ducked my head instinctively, trying to hide the wave of shame and misery that washed over me.
The young girl walked right up to me, her eyes filled with tears.
"Ms. Song, ten years ago, my parents wanted to marry me off for a bride price. It was you who fought for me and paid for my education out of your own pocket."
"There were countless students in our class that you supported! You were like a mother to us. We even called you 'Mom' when you weren't around."
"Ms. Song, is someone forcing you to take the fall for them? You could never be a serial killer!"
Her words jolted everyone.
They had been blinded by hatred and hadn't considered this possibility.
A few of the people who had just beaten me showed looks of remorse.
"I wasn't thinking straight. How could a person in a vegetative state kill someone?"
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Song. We were just overwhelmed earlier..."
Officer Liu also looked a bit embarrassed. He blushed as he tried to persuade me to tell the truth.
"Song Yue, no matter who is threatening you, tell us and we will protect you."
Meeting their earnest gazes, my whole body trembled.
But soon, I calmed down again, my voice returning to its cold indifference.
"I did it for the thrill of it."
"No one is forcing me to take the blame."
"Didn't you all just say it? I'm a human trafficker. The reason I sponsored those students… was just to give them a better education so I could sell them for a higher price later!"
The light in the young girl's eyes died, her concern dissolving into pure disgust.
The crowd erupted once more.
"She confessed! Who needs evidence? Let's just kill her and get this over with!"
In the chaos, a white-haired old woman stumbled through the crowd and fell to her knees in front of me with a thud.
"My granddaughter, Liu Xiaoxiao, was your caregiver for a year. She suddenly disappeared on New Year's Eve, and to this day, we haven't found her, dead or alive."
"I'm begging you, please, tell me where my granddaughter is!"
The old woman's tearful plea brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd.
Officer Liu quickly leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"This old woman has a heart condition. Go easy on her..."
I nodded as if in understanding, a cruel smile playing on my lips.
"I remember your granddaughter."
"She was the most meticulous and dedicated caregiver I had. I couldn't find a single fault with her."
A flicker of hope ignited in the old woman's eyes.
But my next words plunged her into an abyss of despair.
"But I was bloated from the steroids at the time, while she was so slender. Seeing her just... bothered me."
"Your granddaughter drowned in the ocean. Her body was bloated like a balloon when they found it."
"The sharks got her in the end, tore her to pieces. That's why you never found a body."
The old woman's eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.
This scene was filmed and posted online, and the public tore me to shreds.
I shot them a contemptuous glance.
As long as I didn't reveal the truth, the court wouldn't have enough evidence to convict me.
No matter how furious they were, they couldn't pose any real threat to me.
But just then, a doctor came rushing over, shouting.
"The tenth caregiver, the one who just died—he's been revived!"
"He says he knows the truth behind the entire case!"
