All the guests began to murmur between themselves, looking at Odelia as if she were a monster. All the earlier compliments they had given her were forgotten as they began to label her as a vicious woman; what kind of wicked heart could she possess to push her sister down the stairs?
The Gray and Graham families heard the commotion and approached the scene only to find Anna lying on the floor with bruises on her face and other parts of her body, wailing in pain.
"Save me; it hurts. She wants to kill me," she cried pitifully. Adam walked towards Anna and crouched down on the floor beside her.
"What happened here? Who did this to you?" Adam asked with a tone full of worry and concern. Odelia nearly rolled her eyes at his stupidity. 'Were the both of them acting in a drama?' He had just shoved her out of the way before descending the flight of stairs to get to Anna. Obviously, that should tell him something.
Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed by Odelia without sparing her a glance and also looked at Anna worriedly when they reached her. Clutching Adam's hand tightly with her face contorted in pain, Anna cried,
"Mum, Dad, I was coming out of the dressing room when Odelia angrily approached me. She accused me of taking everything away from her and inviting Director Nick to come to the party to harass her. When I pleaded with her that I didn't do it, she unreasonably said she would kill me and pushed me down the stairs."
Seeing Anna explain with difficulty in such a weak voice, combined with the tears that streamed down her face, everyone tended to lean towards her, believing every single word she said.
Mrs. Gray walked towards Odelia with angry steps, pointed her finger at her, and yelled,
"You vicious woman, I warned you not to try anything funny, but you still decided to proceed with your plans and want to murder my daughter-in-law. Do you think you can do anything you want and not face the consequences?"
Odelia just looked at the raging woman and yawned lazily with the words, "What has that got to do with me?" written all over her face.
Full of rage for Anna's predicament and watching the culprit who caused everything stare at her with such a nonchalant gaze as if she was not the person she was speaking to, she raised her hands to slap Odelia, but Odelia held her hand and flung it backward and replied in a chilling voice.
"I didn't push her."
Miss Gray's heart skipped a beat as her eyes interlocked with Odelia's cold ones. 'Why did Odelia's gaze frighten her so much just now?' But seeing the crowd of people around, how could she take this lying down?
"You didn't push her? Do you think we are fools?" Turning to the security guards who had also come to witness the scene, she ordered
"Call the police to come and carry this murderer away."
Anna, who was still lying on the floor because she couldn't be moved in case there were any broken bones, smiled in satisfaction within her, but outwardly, she continued to cry out in pain as if she were about to die, making Mr. and Mrs. Graham look at her with heartache and fuss about with worry.
'She would make sure Odelia is charged with attempted murder so that she would spend a long time in prison,' Anna thought in glee.
"Yes, call the police; Anna won't get away with what she did because she is lying, and there is evidence," Odelia said and pointed at the CCTV camera in the hallway.
Anna wanted to laugh out loud; was Odelia stupid? If she had not put measures in place, would she act in this self-scripted drama?
"Sister, why are you lying? Do you think you can get out of this by using CCTV as an excuse? But if my sister wants to check the CCTV footage, let's let her check it. I don't want anyone to think I accused my sister unjustly," she said, whimpering as she spoke in a pitiful voice. Anna had nothing to fear because the cameras were not working, and even if everyone saw that there was no video, they would naturally blame it on Odelia, the one who was now a sinner in their eyes.
Unsurprisingly, the police arrived before the ambulance; it was as if they had been on standby and were waiting for a signal to come in. As soon as they arrived, Mrs. Gray pointed at Odelia.
"Officers, that's her; she wanted to kill my daughter-in-law; she's a murderer; take her away!" She said it impatiently, in an aggressive voice. The police could only approach Odelia and take her away; after all, that was what they came here for.
"Miss Odelia Graham, you are under arrest for attempted murder; everything you say or do would be used against you in a court of law," the police officer said. Never giving up an opportunity to act like a kind person, Anna's weak voice rang out.
"Mum, Dad, maybe it was a mistake and sister didn't mean it. What about letting her apologize and letting it go?" Anna knew Mrs. Gray would never let Odelia go; she just wanted to see Odelia on her knees, begging her for mercy before being thrown into prison. That would indeed give her much more satisfaction.
Mrs. Graham thought about it and thought Anna was too kind, but she agreed with her. Even if Odelia was such an evil person, she was still her own flesh and blood, and for a charge like attempted murder, Odelia might spend a long time in prison, so it would indeed be good if Odelia apologized; after all, it was their family matter, they could settle it among themselves.
"Apologize," Mrs. Graham looked at Odelia and ordered sternly. Odelia scoffed at the woman who was supposed to be her birth mother. 'What was she expecting? Ever since she stepped through those doors, both her mother and father had not said a single word to her and had treated her as if she were invisible, but when she had decided to talk to her, the word she said was "apologize." Hah!
"Why should I apologize? Shouldn't she be the one apologizing for framing me?" She told Mrs. Graham, pointing to Anna. Mrs. Gray, on the other hand, couldn't wait any longer; she turned to the police officer and said authoritatively,
"What are you waiting for? Take her away."
"With what evidence do you plan to arrest me for attempted murder? You have not even checked the CCTV footage," Odelia said pointedly, before placing a finger on her chin as if she were in deep thought and then smiling a few seconds later as if she had just had enlightenment.
"Or could it be that the police can do anything they want because their sense of judgment has been bought over by the Gray and Graham families?"
The leading police officer's eyes darkened at Anna's words.
"Miss Graham, please watch what you are saying; the law will deal with you if you give any derogatory remarks."
Odelia raised her hands in surrender and said, "Okay, if you say so, I won't talk again." she said, and made a zipping gesture on her lips and tossed the imaginary key into the air.
Seeing she was still in the mood to play around and brazenly say she didn't push Anna even when most of them had seen it, the opinions the guests had about Odelia became worse and worse.
The police finally relented and asked for footage of the CCTV video, but Odelia, who knew she couldn't expect anything good, stopped acting lazily and straightened her posture; all the playfulness from earlier was gone.
"Okay, I have had enough. I wanted to see the clown make a bigger fool of herself, but now I'm bored." She turned to scan through the crowd with a sharp gaze and pulled out a recording pen from a small opening in her gown. Holding it up, she said with a smug look on her face,
"Here is the evidence."