Chapter 90
1
I took the USB drive to the police station.\
That day, Jane and Eric were arrested.
The charges: insurance fraud involving two lives.}
The video not only contained evidence of their affair but also their conspiracy.”
The first victim was my father–in–law. A young Jane and Eric had been involved for a long time.”
They exploited my father–in–law’s high–value insurance and staged an accident to collect the payout.”
Later, Jane found a young girl from her hometown to marry Eric.
She bought a large amount of accident and illness insurance for the girl.
Grateful and unsuspecting, the girl became their servant.”
The girl accidentally drowned, and the beneficiary was Eric.”
Finally, there was me. As a college graduate, I wasn’t so easily fooled.”
At first, I listed my parents as my beneficiaries.}
Out of guilt for how I’d hurt them, I wrote down their names.
But after I became pregnant, under Eric’s manipulative influence, I changed it to his name.”
I thought we were a family now, and if anything happened to me, he would be the one to care for our child.”
It turned out to be all part of a plot.”
The boating accident on May 1st had been planned by them, but they didn’t expect the boat to capsize so quickly.”
The second trip to the beach was another attempt when they realized I was becoming uncooperative.”
After I returned from the trip, they decided to make their move–luring me back home to ensure I fell ill during my postpartum recovery.”
Eric and Jane were ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined 200,000 dollars for murder and insurance fraud.
Eric repeatedly requested to meet me.”
At first, he wanted me to testify, claiming everything was a lie.
I refused.”
Then he tried to threaten me, saying he had inappropriate videos of me.”
I knew he was bluffing.
Before leaving the city, I went to see Eric one last time.”
When he spoke, his tone wasn’t as arrogant as before. “Gloria, I really did like you,” he said.”
I quietly listened to his nonsense.
“Do you remember the first time we met? You looked like a fairy. You were performing in a play on stage, dressed as the evil queen, but your smile was beautiful. I was mesmerized. After that, I did everything I could to chase you–sneaking out late at night to watch the stars with you, skipping class with you, being there for you…“}
“Shut up, you idiot!” I interrupted.”
“I only came to see how miserable you are now. You don’t need to pretend to be pitiful. I won’t do anything for you anymore. Who hasn’t fallen for a scumbag at some point? Rot here with your precious Jane.”
Eric was momentarily stunned by my outburst.”
No matter how sweet our past had been, it was all meaningless if it had been for ulterior motives.
From the start, I was merely prey to him–sheltered, naïve, and kind–hearted.
But none of that justified the harm he caused me.”
He still had the nerve to try and use my sympathy to get me to pay his fine.”
Did he think I couldn’t see through his plan?”
I chose to go home.”
Standing outside with a suitcase and the urn in my arms, I waited.”
My mom finally saw me when she stepped out to take out the trash.”
She stared at me in silence, her eyes brimming with tears, her hand hesitating to strike me.”
“You’ve lost weight,” she finally said.%
My dad came out to check when he noticed Mom hadn’t returned for a while.
By then, I was already in my mom’s arms, sobbing.”
“Mom Dad I’m sorry I was wron I’m so sorry”
12:34 PM
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I was wrong… I’m so sorry.“}
They didn’t yet know the full story about Eric. I told them bits and pieces, leaving out the worst parts.”
They didn’t pry further, their eyes fixed on the urn I was holding.”
“This is my child… He was born prematurely… He didn’t make it.“}
Unable to hold back any longer, my parents embraced me, weeping, “Our poor girl… What have you been through? It’s our fault. We should’ve never been angry with you…“”
I shook my head. “No, no, it’s not your fault. It’s me who was selfish and childish. I won’t be reckless again.“}
My parents insisted I stay home to fully recover.
Dad cooked delicious meals for me every day–braised pork, chicken soup with pig stomach, pig trotters with seaweed.
It had been so long since I’d eaten such a hearty meal, I ate until I was stuffed each time.
Mom took me to yoga sessions every day, saying it would help me recover after childbirth.”
I could do whatever I wanted–eat what I liked, do what I wanted.}
No one scolded me or made me feel like I wasn’t good enough.
I was finally loved again. I wasn’t alone anymore.”
At night, I held the urn close and dreamed of my baby.”
He stood in the light, calling out to me, “Mommy.“}
He told me he loved me the most and that he would come back to me one day.”
With a smile on my lips, a single tear rolled down my cheek. “My sweet baby, Mommy will always wait for you.“}
