“I did lie to you, but you schemed against me, too.”

William didn’t mince his words in exposing her. “Do you really think I had no idea that you got close to me because you were eyeing the Lewis family’s wealth and power? You ended up like this through your own doing. It has nothing to do with me.”

Even as Samantha grew hysterical, William remained unmoved. “We’re already divorced. We have nothing to do with each other. I’ll have my assistant give you some money to cover the medical bills, but you’re on your own after that.”

With that, William turned to leave. He ignored the crying, yelling, and cursing Samantha, resolutely not turning back to look at her.

Eventually, the screaming and yelling in her ward died down. Only her desperate whimpers echoed in the cold, dark air.

Half an hour after William left, two police officers entered Samantha’s ward.

The beeping from the monitor rang clearly in the quiet room. Samantha lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes. The legs of her pants lay flat on the sheets like two lifeless pieces of fabric.

“Samantha Judd, we are the police. We’re here to know more about what happened at the entrance of the wedding boutique earlier today.”

One of the policemen pulled out a notebook and said in an authoritative voice, “Based on surveillance footage and statements from witnesses, you approached Rachel Lloyd this afternoon and tried to push her. Is that true?”

Samantha’s body stiffened as she gripped the sheets tight.

She looked up, her eyes still swollen from all the crying, and denied hoarsely, “I didn’t push her! She avoided me, and that’s how I lost my balance and flew out onto the road!”

“The surveillance footage clearly showed that you tried to push her with force. Cars were speeding past on the road at that time. It was impossible that you didn’t see them.”

The other police officer held a tablet in hand and showed her a screenshot of the surveillance footage.

“Look here. When you stretched your arm out, you were clearly looking at the cars on the road. This meant you were aware that your action could bring danger upon Rachel Lloyd. It indicates intent of deliberately causing her to be hit by a car.”

“I did not!” Samantha started shrieking, slapping the tablet away from the police officer’s hand. “I was only arguing with her! I didn’t want her dead! She was lucky she dodged me. I was the unlucky one who got hit by a car!”

“The law will judge based on the evidence whether she was in the wrong or not.”

One of the police officers picked up the tablet on the floor and went on calmly.

“But based on the evidence we currently have, your actions deem you a suspect of deliberate injury, perhaps even attempted murder. You clearly knew that pushing her to the road would put her life in danger, yet you still did it. That is clear criminal intent.”

“Criminal?” Samantha’s body started shaking involuntarily. “I didn’t commit a crime! Rachel is well and fine. I, on the other hand… Don’t you have eyes to see? I’m an invalid now, and you want to throw me into jail?”

“The law will not absolve you of responsibility just because of your injury.”

There was a tinge of sympathy in the officer’s voice at the sight of Samantha on the brink of collapse.

“With the concrete evidence we have right now, we advise you to cooperate with us and tell us the truth about your actions. We might be able to show leniency in your punishment.”

“Leniency?”

Samantha burst out laughing, her laughter mournful and hopeless.

“I’m already in this state! So what if you’re lenient to me? I’ve lost my legs. My whole life is doomed!”