The police took Alex and Jason Wang away for investigation.
Lily Zhang, who wasn't directly involved, was temporarily left behind by the police to give a statement.
Jason Wang, the scoundrel, immediately pushed all the responsibility onto Alex, claiming that Alex forced him to come after me.
After being taken to the police station, Alex also tried all sorts of excuses at first, saying that Jason Wang and I were willing parties.
However, the hospital's surveillance footage clearly recorded the entire process, including Alex drugging me.
My lawyer and company assistant also witnessed this scene.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, Alex finally confessed without reservation.
The police immediately took compulsory measures against Alex and Jason Wang.
Grandma looked at me, her eyes filled with guilt and heartache.
"Sophia, it's all the family's fault for indulging your brother too much.
Don't worry, this time we'll definitely make sure those who bullied you go to jail!"
I looked at Grandma's red-rimmed eyes, feeling a mix of emotions.
At that moment, I felt an unprecedented sense of security.
I held Grandma's hand, and tears couldn't stop flowing down my face, "Grandma, I'm glad I have you."
I turned my head and said to Lawyer Li, "Lawyer Li, we need to report this to the police.
My car was stolen by my brother and his girlfriend, Lily Zhang, in a conspiracy.
I shouldn't be held responsible for what happened."
I had just bought my new car not long ago and hadn't had time to install a dashcam yet.
But I had a habit of always carrying a voice recorder with me to record design inspirations.
Last night, before I parked my car at home, I suddenly had a new idea and started recording it verbally.
I was halfway through when my mother called, asking when I would be home.
I hurriedly got out of the car, accidentally dropping the voice recorder under the seat, and went straight upstairs without looking for it.
After Alex got into the car accident, I went back to the car and retrieved the voice recorder.
The recorded conversation became the most powerful evidence.
At that time, Alex and Lily were about to drive away in my car.
Jade said, "This car belongs to your sister.
It's fine for you to take it out for a spin.
She's so rich anyway, what's one car to her?"
Alex said dissatisfiedly, "Mom, is that all you've got? My sister won a hundred million, and you're letting me drive her used car?"
Jade was a bit embarrassed, "Well, your sister didn't agree.
She's a girl, isn't she earning all that money for our family to use?"
"Alex, your sister's apartment is so beautiful.
In the future, our whole family can move in and live there.
We'll just wait to enjoy the good life."
It was Henry who reminded from the side, "Alex, you just got your driver's license.
Why don't your mom and I accompany you?"
Alex said impatiently, "Dad, what do you mean? You don't trust me? Mom already said I can drive however I want.
Mind your own business."
Alex pulled Lily into the car.
Along the way, Lily sat in the passenger seat, constantly urging Alex to drive faster.
Until the sound of a crash rang out.
I turned off the voice recorder.
The facts proved that Alex had committed theft.
The insurance company refused to pay out.
Now, as the driver responsible for the accident, Alex not only had to compensate for Jason Wang's injuries but also bear the cost of repairing my car.
In an instant, the Sue family was in a predicament.
My parents stood outside my company every day, crying and complaining.
"Sophia, he's your own brother.
Can you bear to see him go to jail?"
They had become shrewd, always acting weak and pitiful in front of me.
But I knew clearly in my heart that it was only because he was their son, so no matter what he did wrong, it didn't matter.
The Wang family had wanted to come and cause trouble for me, but they found it too much of a hassle to come to the city.
They only had a broken three-wheeled vehicle.
So, they started harassing my parents instead.
"Alex is your own son.
Hurry up and pay compensation! If you don't have money, your son will have to spend a few more years in jail!"
In the end, the Sue family had no choice but to sell their land and house to pay the compensation.
Since Jason Wang's injuries weren't severe, the final negotiated compensation amount between the two parties was two hundred thousand yuan.
With medical expenses and car repair costs added, the family scraped together everything they had to pay it off.
I was well aware of all this but didn't intervene.
I only took Grandma away to live with me in the city.
My parents wouldn't realize who the true pillar of their family was until they went through this ordeal.
A year later, I heard news about my brother again.
After Alex was released from prison, the village was full of gossip.
He hid at home every day, doing nothing except arguing with our parents.
Lily also broke up with him.
"If you hadn't insisted on me extorting money from my sister, would I have been so unlucky? Now look, the car is gone, our savings are depleted, and we're in debt up to our eyeballs!"
Alex had been brainwashed by Jade and felt that everything was someone else's fault.
He expressed more than once that he would work hard to pay off the debt, but unfortunately, a lazy person like Alex was all talk.
Our parents scolded him every day for eating without working, saying he was just a good-for-nothing.
As time passed, Alex also started feeling unbalanced.
He had also grown up spoiled, so how did he suddenly change after a stint in prison?
So, when he was scolded again, Alex chose to run away from home.
Who would have thought that when he passed by Jason Wang's house, he discovered his ex-girlfriend Lily and Jason Wang being intimate with each other.
"The Sue family is so stupid.
Brother Jason, you can get so much money just by going to jail, that's amazing!"
"Lily, you're so smart for coming up with that money-making scheme."
"Come, give me a kiss!"
Alex seemed to understand something.
That day, he had already drunk a lot of beer.
Upon hearing this, he grabbed an iron shovel and rushed over.
In the chaos, he directly smashed the shovel onto Lily's head.
Seeing that he had hit the wrong person, Alex didn't sober up but instead pounded her a few more times.
He then grabbed a kitchen knife and charged at Jason Wang again, directly injuring Jason Wang's leg.
The leg that had been injured in the previous scam was truly broken this time.
Lily fell unconscious on the spot.
After Jason Wang was sent to the town hospital, he died due to excessive blood loss and failed resuscitation efforts.
The Wang family was left with just the elderly couple.
After discussing, they decided to demand a huge compensation from Alex.
Alex was imprisoned again.
Upon hearing the news, our parents were grief-stricken and wanted to reduce his sentence through compensation.
Unsurprisingly, they came to me for money again.
I didn't give them any, so they went to cry to Alex.
But Alex had already become numb and indifferent, only advising our parents not to waste their efforts.
A few days later, Alex committed suicide in prison.
Our parents never came to harass me again.
That family that had once hurt me gradually faded out of my life.
Many years later, one day, I received news of my mother's passing.
I didn't shed any tears, only silently returning to my hometown to burn a stick of incense.
All the grudges and gratitude, along with time, slowly became blurry and distant.
I sighed softly, turned around, and threw myself into the hustle and bustle of the city.
That girl from the small mountain village had finally grown up.
(The End.)