Chapter 380

Odalys stepped forward, facing Sophia, and sighed. "Sophia," she began, "I know your reputation has been damaged recently, and you're upset. But you can't accuse me of things I didn't do. Why would I break someone's security camera? I'm a good person. I don't do bad things. Why won't you let this go? You trapped me before, and now, in front of all these people, are you trying to frame me?"

The police officers remained silent. Both women were visibly distressed; Odalys appeared calm, but Sophia was badly injured. Her face was scraped, and blood trickled down. Her clothes were dirty and torn, scratched all over her arms.

Sophia stamped her foot, close to tears. "Officer," she shouted, "Everything I'm saying is true! She tried to hurt me! After hitting me, she contacted the Tillery family to finish the job. They even destroyed the security cameras! I'm not lying!" Her fury was palpable; she looked as if she might faint.

"Alright," the officer said with a sigh, "Let's call the property owner." Without evidence, the police couldn't make a judgment.

The owner, alerted by the commotion, emerged. Confused, he listened to the accusations. A cigarette dangled from his lips; he lit it and took a deep drag. "What's going on here?!" he demanded, irritated, still in flip-flops and beach shorts, running a hand through his messy hair.

The officer stepped forward, showed his badge, and explained briefly. "This woman claims she was assaulted outside your door. The security cameras supposedly recorded it. She also says Ms. Stone broke your cameras. I need to review the footage."

The man took another drag, squinting at Sophia. "Fuck, are you stupid or something? You're crazy," he snapped.

The crowd fell silent. They hadn't expected such harshness. Sophia was stunned. "Are you talking to me?" she asked, pointing at herself.

"Yeah, you. Damn it, I was trying to nap, and you woke me up!" he growled. "And my cameras have been broken for ages. She didn't destroy them."

He was so agitated that, had the police not been present, he might have punched her.

"Why are you lying too?" Sophia demanded. "You're protecting Odalys because her company is nearby, right? You're afraid of retaliation?"

"Just tell the truth to the police," Sophia insisted, nearly losing her composure. She couldn't believe his cowardice. All he had to do was tell the truth. Instead, he was insulting her.

"You need a shrink. Your face is swollen, you're stomping around," the man muttered. "You're whining, accusing people falsely. My cameras have been broken for ages; my son broke them."

He glanced at Odalys, calm and unconcerned, seemingly oblivious to the unfolding drama. He then added, "She definitely parked up a rock and threw it at the snake. I didn't know she was the one who called the family. I thought that was Sophia."

Odalys interrupted. "I picked up a rock and threw it at a snake. Earlier, there was a snake in the tire—a venomous one. Its head was loose, and I was worried it would fall and bite someone." She pointed to a spot. "I killed the snake with the rock. If no one had dealt with it…"

The officer, hearing her words, investigated. The crowd followed. They found a snake in the street with a stone lodged in its body; it had been killed instantly.

"There's a snake! A stone's stuck in it!" someone gasped. The officers confirmed Odalys's account. The snake was venomous and appeared to have fallen from a tree.

The homeowner looked thoughtfully at Odalys, then at Sophia, falling silent. "The house across from mine belongs to my grandfather. It has cameras. Let's check the footage," he suggested.

Sophia panicked. If Odalys killed the snake, the camera issue would make her look like a liar. She met Odalys's challenging gaze; unease settled in her stomach. She did this on purpose, Sophia thought.

Sophia tried to protest but couldn't back down with so many witnesses. Regret was useless.

"Check the footage! See who's lying!" the crowd shouted, beginning to believe in Odalys's innocence. Everyone knew she could handle snakes; they'd seen her kill a wild boar on a variety show.

"Alright, I'll check," the man said.

He retrieved a TV, plugged it in, and accessed the footage from his grandfather's house. The video showed Odalys bending down, looking up at a snake hanging from a tree. She picked up a rock and threw it, striking the snake perfectly. The entire scene was captured in high definition.

"How is this possible? I saw her smashing the camera!" Sophia's face went pale.