Chapter 6 — My Alibi

I did not mean to, the student shuttle bus had a mechanical issue, it cannot be blamed on me. I only wanted to bring the children to their destination earlier so I could have more time to converse with Bureau Chief Zhang. I never expected things to turn out like this...

The parents of the children were utterly dumbfounded. Bureau Chief Zhang, who had been punching and kicking me just moments ago, now looked as though he had been struck fiercely across the face by an invisible hand. His most cherished son was gone, taken away because of his position as bureau chief. Within his heart, fierce regret and boundless hatred intertwined. His only son had been killed by this foolish woman simply because of his own greed for power. He needed an outlet for his rage, and Liao Thanh Thanh was the powder keg he had ignited with his own hands. He lunged forward savagely, grabbing her by the hair and delivering a brutal blow to her face.

It was a vile, heartless creature like you who murdered my son. I will fight you to the death!

The moment he made his move, the other parents swarmed forward, their blows far heavier than those they had rained down upon me earlier. At the very least, the police had genuinely tried to restrain them then. Now, however, the officers merely went through the motions of intervention. After all, if such a tragedy had befallen their own flesh and blood, they would willingly shed their uniforms to beat this woman to within an inch of her life. Tran Tieu stood frozen to the spot, completely immobile. When I was surrounded and beaten earlier, he had not moved either. Back then, it was because he chose not to. Now, it was because he was entirely incapable of it. Total chaos erupted inside the room. A female police officer escorted me into an adjoining room, fetching antiseptic and medical supplies to tend to my wounds.

Endure it for a moment, it might sting a bit.

I shook my head. It is fine, I can bear it. Compared to the physical torment, the anguish weighing upon my soul felt far more unbearable. I closed my eyes, my mind replaying the terrified expressions of the children and the horrifying image of the school bus overturning. If only I could have been reborn a little earlier, returning to a time before the catastrophe unfolded, I could have prevented all of this. Yet, in this world, two things do not exist: the word what if, and the medicine of regret. Officer Jiang interrogated Tran Tieu and Liao Thanh Thanh deep into the night.

Who ordered the security footage at the school gates to be deleted?

Tran Tieu sat slumped like a defeated rooster, keeping his head bowed low the entire time.

It was me.

Who forged the dashcam recordings?

His voice grew even fainter.

Me...

How were the fingerprints on the steering wheel fabricated?

This time, Tran Tieu remained silent. Officer Jiang turned his gaze toward Liao Thanh Thanh.

You answer.

Liao Thanh Thanh trembled violently.

That part was real. I had just applied hand lotion, so I was wearing disposable gloves...

Officer Jiang reviewed the surveillance footage once more, zooming in closely. Indeed, the hands Liao Thanh Thanh had placed upon the steering wheel showed a distinct sheen. It was precisely because of this that when she attempted to steer, her hands slipped, causing her to lose control of the vehicle and crash directly into the tree.

Why did you do that?

Liao Thanh Thanh raised her head. I only wanted my hands to be softer...

Officer Jiang spoke in a harsh, unyielding tone.

I am not asking you about that.

What?

Officer Jiang’s gaze swept across their faces like a razor-sharp blade.

I am asking the two of you, why did you frame Lin Vi?

Liao Thanh Thanh lowered her gaze and said nothing. Tran Tieu fell silent for a long moment before finally forcing the words out with great difficulty.

Because Thanh Thanh is still so young, her future cannot be ruined.

The room grew so silent that the dropping of a pin could be heard. Sitting in the adjoining room, I heard every single word with agonizing clarity. My heart felt as though it had been violently slashed open, bleeding profusely. So, in his eyes, my future was not a future, and my life was not a life. Simply because Liao Thanh Thanh was young, I deserved to bear this vicious scapegoat, enduring all public fury and vilification on her behalf. Yet, I was only thirty-two years old myself. Officer Jiang voiced the exact thoughts echoing in my mind.

Lin Vi is only thirty-two, she is very young as well. Is her future not considered a future?

Tran Tieu spoke as though he were defending himself to Officer Jiang, while simultaneously trying to justify his actions to his own conscience.

Lin Vi is already a senior principal; she has already achieved success, and her life is already fulfilled in this lifetime. Thanh Thanh is different... her life has only just begun.

Hearing those words, tears silently slipped down my cheeks. So, in his heart, my achievements marked the end of my journey, while Liao Thanh Thanh’s life was just standing at the starting line. Therefore, I deserved to be sacrificed, deserved to be destroyed. Officer Jiang could not help but sneer coldly. It seems to me that your relationship goes far beyond that of a husband and wife between you and Lin Vi. Tran Tieu abruptly lifted his head, his lips trembling slightly without managing to utter a single syllable. Liao Thanh Thanh’s face turned ashen, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her garment. Once their statements were recorded, Tran Tieu and Liao Thanh Thanh were temporarily detained at the local holding facility. The traffic officer who had initially brought me in looked at me intently. Lin Vi, when you deliberately crashed into the traffic signal, did you somehow know beforehand what was going to happen? Meeting his piercing gaze, my entire body stiffened, and I forced a stiff, reluctant smile.