Chapter 3 Evidence

Watching Sylvester reveal his utter stupidity in real-time made me question my own judgment for ever loving him. Had I truly wasted years on this man? I had no interest in their circus anymore. I adjusted my grip on my bag and turned to leave. Lynn’s voice stopped me. "I would never admit to something I didn’t do! Why won’t you believe me?" she wailed, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Do you think I destroyed your marriage and now you want revenge? That’s absurd! I’ve barely been around you two all these years. I only came back to film a movie! Why are you targeting me like this?" Though her words were meant for the room, I knew they were aimed at me. The spark of dark amusement in my chest flickered to life. This family was a joke. One man blinded by misplaced love. One woman playing the role of innocent victim to perfection. And Sylvester, practically foaming at the mouth to pin something, anything, on me. “So if it wasn’t you,” Sylvester snapped, “who else would be so malicious toward Lynn?” I let out a slow breath, feeling exhaustion settle deep in my bones. "Since you're so convinced it’s me, where’s your proof?" I turned to Lynn, watching her pale. "Otherwise, I could sue you for slander." The room fell silent. Even my ever-hostile mother-in-law hesitated. She wasn’t the brightest, but even she recognized when someone was cornered. Lynn’s face crumpled, her lifeline slipping. Sylverster was her only hope. As long as he stood by her, it didn’t matter what was true. "You believe me, don’t you?" Lynn’s voice trembled, her delicate frame shaking. "We’ve known each other for so long. We were almost family once! You saw how hard I worked all these years. How could you think me capable of something like this?" Sylvester hesitated, guilt flickering in his gaze. He indulged Lynn more than he should, always had. And the cost had always been me. "I know you wouldn’t do this," he said finally, but there was doubt in his voice. "Still, we need proof. Do you remember where you were that day?" That hesitation, Lynn heard it too. It was a crack in her carefully built façade. Her expression twisted. "You still doubt me?" she gasped. "Just because Georgia said something, now I need to prove myself? Fine! You want proof? I’ll die right here if that’s what it takes!" She made a sudden, sharp movement. My mother-in-law let out a horrified shriek. Lynn bolted for the dining table, where a row of decorative glassware gleamed under the chandelier’s light. In a single sweeping motion, she grabbed the largest crystal goblet and raised it high, then smashed it down against the edge of the table, shattering it. I sighed. Sylverster lunged forward, but not before Lynn pressed the jagged edge of the broken glass against her own wrist. "I swear I didn’t do it!" Her voice shook, but her grip on the glass was steady. "If you still doubt me, I’ll end it here, right now!" Sylverster froze, horror washing over his face. "Lynn, put that down!" Her breathing was ragged. "Not until you believe me!" I crossed my arms. "If you’re going to do it, at least have the decency to cut along the vein instead of across," I said dryly. "That’s how you get the job done." Lynn’s face went paper-white. The glass slipped from her fingers, shattering again on the floor. I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Sylverster caught her before she could collapse completely. "Lynn! Are you okay?" He cupped her face like she was the most fragile thing in the world. She shivered in his arms. "Now you must believe me… right?" Sylvester nodded, his grip tightening. "Of course. I believe you." I wanted to slow-clap. What a stellar performance. I turned toward the door again, my patience long since drained. But before I could take another step, Sylvester’s voice cut through the room. "I said, stay where you are!" I didn’t even flinch. I turned back, meeting his gaze head-on. "What more do you want?" "You pushed her to this! Don’t you have anything to say?" My eyebrows shot up. "Are you stupid?" I asked, my tone laced with genuine curiosity. "I made her do that? I didn’t force her to grab a glass, smash it like some deranged lunatic, and wave it around as if she were starring in a tragic play. She chose that little stunt all on her own. So now her botched suicide attempt is somehow my fault? What’s next? If she’d actually gone through with it, would you be dragging me to court for murder?" Sylvester opened his mouth, face flushed with anger, but I held up a hand. "Don’t," I said sharply. "Don't even try to justify this nonsense." I took a slow step forward, my heels clicking against the floor. "Let me spell it out for you. I had nothing to do with her little show. She wanted attention, and you gave it to her. She wanted sympathy, and you handed it over on a silver platter. But me? I’m fresh out of patience for this ridiculous farce. And frankly, if you had a single functioning brain cell, you’d realize how utterly pathetic this entire situation is." Sylvester clenched his fists. His mother hovered behind him, wringing her hands, torn between her loyalty to Lynn and the sliver of doubt I had planted in her mind. Lynn, for all her theatrics, sat trembling on the floor, her wide eyes darting between us, waiting for Sylverster to defend her. I exhaled, shaking my head. "I'm saying this one last time, go get your head checked because it’s clearly not working. And if you’re so concerned about Lynn’s health, then maybe you should call an ambulance instead of wasting your breath blaming me for things I didn’t do." I pulled out my phone and deliberately pressed a few buttons, watching Sylverster’s expression twist with panic. "It’s an hour’s drive to the hospital!" Sylverster shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. "By the time they get here, she could be dead!" I tilted my head, feigning interest. "Well, then you really should hurry up, shouldn’t you?" I gave him a pointed look before slipping my phone back into my bag. "If she’s so fragile that she’s on the brink of death from a self-inflicted scratch, maybe she should’ve thought twice before pulling this ridiculous stunt." Lynn whimpered, curling into herself, but I refused to feel an ounce of guilt. With that, I turned on my heel and strode toward the door, my steps steady and unhurried. I could hear Sylverster’s ragged breathing, his mother’s frantic whispers, and Lynn’s barely restrained sobs behind me. Not my problem. Not anymore. And as I stepped outside, inhaling the crisp air, I realized with perfect clarity, this was the best decision I had ever made.