On getting to the back of the crowd, someone cried out in puzzlement.
"Isn't that Jeslyn? What is she doing here?"
It only took a moment for those words to sink in, and the next moment, the reporters had swarmed around Jeslyn like ants searching for sugar. As some took pictures, so were others shoving their microphones in her face all for the sake of getting statements from her.
"Miss Jeslyn, tell us. Is it true you killed your grandfather?"
"Miss Jeslyn, why did you kill your grandfather?"
"Miss Jeslyn, what can you say for yourself?"
"Miss Jeslyn, how could you cheat on your poor fiance and abandon him at the altar?"
"Miss Jeslyn, don't you think you are too heartless to remain a celebrity?"
"Miss Jeslyn, say something. The people want to know.
"Miss Jeslyn…."
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The tormenting and mocking voices of the reporters drowned out Jeslyn's thoughts and she grabbed her messy hair tightly to abate the throbbing pain in her head. Just when she thought the reporters would be the death of her, a loud sound rang in her ear accompanied by a stinging pain on her right cheek.
She sharply turned her gaze to see who it was and came face to face with her sister's teary eyes that were mixed with rage.
"You monster! I'll kill you!" Christine yelled and was about to attack Jeslyn's face with her long nails when Ray rushed forward and grabbed her by the waist, preventing her from going physical.
"C–Christine?" Jeslyn called as she held her stinging cheek.
"Don't call me, you devil! What did grandfather do to you? Grandfather loved you so much and saw only you as his granddaughter, yet you paid him back with this? You killed him! What kind of heart do you have? You devil!!"
She flung her hands in the air in an attempt to fight Jeslyn but Ray wouldn't let her go further.
"Christine, I didn't do anything, I–"
"When has a thief ever agreed that they stole anything? Even when they are caught red-handed, they would say they were just about to keep the stolen goods in its right place."
Hearing that voice, Jeslyn shifted her gaze to Ray's older sister who just spoke, and returned her gaze to her sister. It doesn't matter if the world doesn't believe her, but her sister has to.
"I didn't do anything. Grandfather was poisoned and he–"
"Stop lying! Grandfather was healthy. He was pushed and hit his head on the coffee table. Maya and the guards witnessed it all!"
"W–what are you saying?" Jeslyn looked lost and immensely confused.
"Maya and the guards gave their testimony to the police, which included video clips of how you and grandfather argued over what you did to brother Ray. Then you disagreed with grandfather and he slapped you.
"You got upset and started to yell at him. Realizing his mistake, he tried to pull you for a hug like he always did and you pushed him… you pushed him, you monster!!" Christine yelled.
By now, all the guests were gathered and most of them were already jeering at Jeslyn and pointing fingers while the others were cursing her loudly and calling her all sorts of demeaning and cruel names.
"Christine, that's not true; that's a lie! That's a lie!" She yelled repeatedly as she held her head to block off all the noises in her mind.
"Shove the evidence in her face. She will never cry until she sees the coffin." Someone said from the crowd.
Ray's older sister pulled out her phone. She scrolled through it and brought out the evidence. She started playing the video before literally shoving the phone into Jeslyn's face.
Jeslyn subconsciously rescued the phone from falling while coincidentally seeing the footage.
What drew her attention was her old man. Teardrops slowly fell from her eyes and dropped on the screen.
All that was being said or scripted in the video didn't get to her. She wasn't even hearing any of it as all her attention was focused on her old man.
She brushed the phone with her fingers, outlining his figure, and suddenly she jolted when the lady on the screen that looked like her pushed the old man, who fell back and hit his head on the side of the coffee table.
"Grandfather!" She subconsciously screamed, at the same time, dropping the phone to the floor in shock.
"Officers, arrest her!" Christine said to the police officers that had just walked over.
"Miss, please come with us to the police station." One of the police officers said.
"I– I… I didn't… I didn't kill my grandfather, he was poisoned… ask the doctors. Christine, I did nothing to grandfather!"
Christine chuckled in rage. "What doctors? Is it the ones you bribed? Unfortunately for you, the doctors testified against you. They told the police that you urged them to cremate grandfather the minute he was pronounced dead to hide what really caused his death and you also forced him to diagnose you with fake mental health issues…"
"That's not true! Stop lying!" Jeslyn cried in disbelief.
"I didn't lie against you, sister, those were the doctors' statements in the station."
"Where are the doctors? Tell me, they–"
"It's unfortunate because the two doctors committed suicide out of guilt."
"W– w– what are you talking about?" Her heart dropped to her stomach when she heard that. How was she going to prove her innocence now?
"You heard me. You killed two innocent workers too! Officer, take her away!" Christine pulled her face away in disgust as the police officers tried to force the resistant Jeslyn out of the crowd.
"Let her go." The voice wasn't loud, nor was it low. However, it was able to stop the commotion.
The people turned around to look at the owner of the voice. The person pulled the policeman's hand away from Jeslyn's wrist and said: "I'll bring her."
Jeslyn raised her misty eyes to look at the man in front of her and slowly recalled he was the man she got married to.
She wasn't the only one who remembered who he was. Those that attended the wedding last week knew this man because of his outstanding appearance and the suppressed air around him.
"I–it's you?" Jeslyn asked like she didn't expect him to be here.
"What are you doing here?!" Ray, who hadn't said anything since the bickering started, finally spoke up when he saw this man again– his enemy.
The groom ignored everyone else and held Jeslyn by the wrist as he walked her out of the crowd with the police officers following behind them and camera lights flashing after them.
The crowd watched as the man and Jeslyn got into an inconspicuous black car parked not far away and Ray suddenly laughed.
It wasn't clear why he was laughing, but he murmured: "The last time he wasn't wearing custom-made, nor branded clothes. This time also, he is still wearing an unknown brand and even a rickety car. I was right; he only has that superior air and nothing else."