In the evening, two unexpected guests arrived at Samantha's house.
"Aunt, Uncle, why are you here so late? Have you eaten?" Samantha greeted them with a smile as bright as flowers, but Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher felt extremely repulsed.
They used to think she was quite innocent, gentle, and kind. But now, they couldn't help but find her hypocritical and disgusting.
Mr. Fletcher remained silent with a stern face, while Mrs. Fletcher glanced at Grandpa Miller, who was watching TV with Charlotte and Elliot in the room, and spoke instead, "It's not convenient to talk here. Let's find somewhere else to have a conversation!"
Samantha noticed their unusual expressions and a sense of foreboding rose in her heart. After giving some instructions to Grandpa Miller, she left with Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher.
The three of them chose a nearby café to sit down.
Mrs. Fletcher took out a cheque and handed it to Samantha expressionlessly. "Here is one million dollars, as compensation for you and your child. We've also bought you another place to live, hoping that you will move there."
Samantha's unease was confirmed, and the blood drained from her face, leaving her lips trembling.
"Uncle, Aunt, I... I don't understand what you mean."
Everything was fine just a few days ago. They had accepted her and Charlotte.
Why were they suddenly saying these things to her?
Mrs. Fletcher didn't beat around the bush either and went straight to the point. "We know that Justin likes you, and we were willing to accept you and your child according to his wishes. However, we cannot accept that Justin, for your sake, aborted his own child. As a man, he should take responsibility for his actions, but he has violated moral and ethical principles. If he continues to be with you, who knows what else he might do. I don't want my carefully raised son to be ruined because of you. As a mother yourself, you must understand my feelings, right?"
Samantha's heart gradually turned cold, her eyes becoming hot with tears. She wanted to cry but forced herself not to.
Seeing her silent, Mrs. Fletcher continued, "I won't hide it from you. Justin won't be back for the short term after going to New Zealand this time. We've already sent someone to watch over him there. You don't need to waste your youth on someone who is impossible."
Pauseing for a moment, Mrs. Fletcher continued, "You are a smart person, you should understand what I mean, right?"
At this point, Samantha had nothing more to be confused about. She pushed the cheque back, her voice choked, "You can rest assured, I won't bother him anymore! I won't accept the cheque or the house. I'll sell the house as soon as possible and move somewhere else. From now on, I won't appear in his life."
As she spoke, she felt distressed. She wanted to cry but there was no piercing pain in her heart. What she felt was the agony of knowing that Charlotte had finally found a father, only to have it shattered so soon.
Mrs. Fletcher pushed the cheque towards her again, "Please, just take it. It can alleviate our guilt."
If Samantha were to be convicted of murder, at least Charlotte could live comfortably with this money.
Samantha gave a bitter smile, "I won't sacrifice my dignity for your guilt."
With that, she stood up and left without looking back.
As Samantha left, Mr. Fletcher's phone rang.
Answering the call, an urgent voice came from the other end, "Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Justin is very angry now. He got into a fight with his subordinates and insists on coming back."
Mr. Fletcher's face turned cold, showing no mercy. "Let him fight as he wishes. As long as he doesn't kill anyone, let him keep his life! Tell him, if he comes back, he should be prepared to attend our funeral. Let's see which one he chooses between love and family."
With that, he angrily hung up the phone.
Mrs. Fletcher worried about Justin's situation, but she also knew that this period would be the most difficult to endure. They just had to get through these few days.
After leaving the café, tears finally streamed down Samantha's face uncontrollably.
She felt like her self-respect had been trampled underfoot.
She had thought that marrying Justin would bring her life back on track, and Charlotte would have a complete family. But everything had changed so suddenly.
After waiting for her emotions to stabilize, Samantha didn't want to worry Charlotte and Grandpa, so she sat on the balcony of the apartment complex until she felt ready to return inside.
On her way back, she made a casual call to a real estate agent to put her house on sale.
When she got back home, Grandpa Miller immediately asked about the situation.
Not wanting to worry him, Samantha casually replied, "It's nothing, Uncle and Aunt just came to ask about the wedding details. They are busy during the day and only have time at night."
Grandpa Miller didn't suspect anything and nodded before going back to play with Charlotte.
Samantha went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Halfway through, the doorbell rang.
Charlotte ran over and saw two policemen through the intercom.
She immediately shouted, "Mom, there are two policemen outside."
Samantha was startled. She finished rinsing the soap off her hands and went to open the door.
The two policemen simultaneously showed their badges.
"Are you Samantha Miller?" one of them asked.
Thinking they were here for Elliot, and afraid that Elliot would learn about his father's death, she closed the door and deliberately lowered her voice, "Are you here for Rex?"
The policeman sneered, "Since you know, please come with us."
Without much thought, Samantha nodded, "Wait a moment, I'll go inside and explain to my grandpa before going to the police station with you."
After saying that, she went inside, explained the situation to Grandpa Miller in a low voice, and Grandpa Miller's eyes changed when he heard the news.
"Okay, you go ahead, I'll look after the two little ones."
With Grandpa Miller's assurance, Samantha finally felt relieved and followed the police.
She had thought it would be a simple statement, but she was taken directly to an interrogation room.
"Samantha, we are accusing you of killing Rex James. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you."
Samantha was dumbfounded. Puzzled, she asked, "I killed Rex?"
The police placed the evidence and documents on the table.
"This is a button found at the scene, along with hair samples collected from the bed. Through DNA analysis, they match yours completely. The button is from this summer's new collection, and there are only three pieces in the entire city. The other two are intact, and we also found your fingerprints on the button. All the evidence indicates that you were at the scene of the crime on the day Rex died."
Samantha was stunned by the evidence presented before her.
She instinctively denied it. "It wasn't me, I didn't kill Rex. I have no grudge against him, why would I kill him?"
The police, accustomed to this type of response, showed disdain, "Do you have an alibi for the day Rex died? Is there anyone who can prove you didn't kill him?"
Samantha was at a loss. She had been at the company in the morning, and everyone there could vouch for her. There were also surveillance cameras.
But in the afternoon, she was with Suzy, who could testify for her. However, their relationship was fraught with deep-seated animosity. Would Suzy help her?
Seeing her silence, the police's face filled with contempt. "You have the right to seek a lawyer, but with solid evidence, even seeking a lawyer is a desperate attempt."
***