Chapter 7
Edith was taken to the police bureau. Soon, Dana and Samuel rushed over too.
My mother yelled, “What else do you have to say for yourself!”
Dana put herself in front of Edith. She stuttered, “W–What are you saying? J–Just wait for my mother’s lawyer to come!”
I grabbed Dana by the collar. “Dana, you encouraged your daughter to commit arson! Then, you got your mother to lie to the firemen that there was no one upstairs! You wanted my daughter dead!”
Samuel looked at the scene in disbelief. After a while, he came to his senses. “W–what did you just say?”
I sneered and played the recording on my phone.
Tilly’s innocent yet malicious voice rang out. “I only set a small fire. I wanted to see who Uncle Samuel would rescue first…”
Dana panicked. She hugged Tilly and shrieked, “Tilly is just a child! How can you believe what comes out of her mouth? D–Don’t you dare accuse us of this!”
She flung herself in Samuel’s arms and sobbed. “Samuel, they must have done something to scare Tilly. Tilly is not that kind of person. You know it…”
Samuel’s face was drained of color. He looked at me and the image of Nina’s notice of cremation appeared in his mind.
He shut his eyes and pushed Dana away. He said with a trembling voice, “Dana, is this true?
Dana’s sob loudened. “Samuel, how could you believe them and not me?”
Samuel ignored Dana’s sobs. He went up to Edith and grabbed her by the collar. His eyes reddened. “It was you! You were the one who told me that there was no one upstairs! It’s because of you that I missed out on saving my daughter!”
Edith was terrified by Samuel’s sudden outburst. She stuttered, “I–I… I–Id–don’t know what you’re talking about. I–I d–didn’t s–say such a thing to you!”
Samuel grabbed the hair on his head and knelt on the floor. He bawled. “Nina! I’m so sorry!
11
I looked at the scene in front of me without an ounce of emotion. How pathetic. It was too late to regret it.
Samuel, you will never be able to pay back all that you owe me and Nina!
Chapter
+25 BCAUS
I made a statement at the police bureau and requested that they reinvestigate the fire at the kindergarten.
Before leaving, the police officer tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Ms. Chapman, even if the fire was started by Tilly Sharp, we won’t be able to pursue this. After all, there isn’t direct proof that Dana Sharp instigated this. Besides, Tilly is still a minor.”
I nodded understandingly.
When I returned home, I gathered all of the flirtatious chats between Samuel and Dana, the case of the kindergarten fire, and Nina’s notice of cremation, and sent it all to the assorted media companies.
Soon, Samuel came under public scrutiny.
His heroic affairs became a joke. A wave of accusations flooded him.
“My gosh! I kept the photo of him carrying a little girl out of the fire that day! Who would have thought that it was his mistress‘ daughter…”
“His daughter was there that day too?!”
“He’s a madman!”
Samuel Leif, you will no longer be the heroic firefighter that everyone gushes over. I’m going to tear you down!
Dana’s history of seducing married men came to light too. She and Tilly became the subject of everyone’s scrutiny.
“Her daughter’s surname is Sharp too? Does that mean she doesn’t know who her father is?
11
“She must be addicted to stealing other women’s men! How shameless!”
“It’s really amusing. That fireman is the son–in–law of that prestigious security company, right? I’m guessing she must be regretting it right now!”
