" I can see your disappointed face when you got that normal message.
Congratulations, Lee. Finally, you're alive."
I froze, staring at the screen. Who was this? And why is he calling me Lee?
What the hell is happening?
I felt strange at the same time. I was just blank, my hands trembling as I typed out a response. How do you know my name? Lee, it's only called by my mom.
Unknown user: I know everything about you, Lee. Trust me, present, past, and future too.
wait, what? Are you serious? I didn't know how to respond to that.
Unknown user: Do you want to know how Daisy died? What happened that day?
I froze, is that real or a dream? Even the police don't have the footage. The words hit me like a slap to the face. Daisy. I hadn't been ready to face that part of the past. I didn't want to know. But part of me needed to. A sick curiosity took hold, and my fingers hovered over the keyboard
I… I don't know, I want to say yes at the same time, I am not ready to watch that.
Unknown user: You don't dare to face it, but you have to watch. It already happened.
Everything on my side just froze like ice, I didn't want to do this. I didn't. But somehow, I found myself clicking on the video. My finger shook, and as the video started, I saw Daisy. It was her, frantic and hurried, packing medical supplies.
Daisy (in the video): After seeing Liam take my car... Okay, fine. I'll take his.
The words seemed so real, so immediate. It was like watching her in real time. I wanted to shout, to warn her, but I knew it was too late.
She drove down the main road, her voice shaky with anxiety.
Daisy (voiceover): I don't know why he's late. Even though I want to talk to him, he's not here. Maybe something came up. I have to call him before I get to the hospital. After that, I won't be able to.
I watched as she searched the car in a panic, and then I saw it—her phone wasn't there.
Daisy: Wait, my phone... shit! It's not here, I always make the same mistake.
Shit! I forgot my phone.
I clasped my phone more firmly, sensing warmth flush my cheeks. What was going on? What was about to unfold?
Daisy: I'm already in an emergency. I can't go home now. I'll inform him later. First, I have to handle this emergency case.
She sped up. The engine roared as she pushed the car faster, her anxiety increasing by the second. Suddenly, there was honking. Loud, aggressive honking from behind. The sound ground against my nerves.
Daisy: It's so disturbing! What the hell is your problem? If you want to go first, just go ahead! This sound is so annoying!
I could feel her frustration, her helplessness, as the honking continued. The car behind her wasn't letting up. And then something snapped. The brakes she slammed her foot down on them, but they weren't responding.
Daisy: What the hell? Why?! The brakes aren't working!
I gasped, my pulse racing. This wasn't real, I told myself. This couldn't be happening. But it was. She was losing control.
Daisy: I don't know how to handle this situation! I don't want to end like this. Liam can't handle this pain.
The crash came next, violent and sudden. The screen shook as Daisy's car slammed into the guard rail, and then... silence. The video completed; her car wedged in the wreckage. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
I found myself caught in that instant; this was the conclusion. She still thinks about me, even in the final moments.
The message from the unknown user flashed on my screen again.
Meanwhile, the room remained dim, illuminated solely by a laptop screen's cold, blue light. A man lingered in the shadows, his face hardly discernible, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The only sound was the low hum of the computer, occasionally interrupted by the steady ticking of a clock on the wall.
A smirk crept across the man's lips as he pressed the Enter key.
Processing...
Sending...
Seconds later, a message popped up:
Video successfully sent to: [Local Police Department]
He leaned back in his chair, "Time to unravel the truth," he muttered, his voice low and chilling.
Officer Henry was flipping through a stack of reports when a junior officer, holding a tablet, rushed in.
"Sir, we've just received a video," the officer, It's from an anonymous source.
Henry frowned as he grabbed the tablet. Pressing play, he watched intently. The video began to unravel, showing Liam's suspicious actions. The timestamp and location conflicted starkly with Liam's official statement.
Henry went to his desk, pulling Liam's statement from a folder. His eyes scanned the page, stopping at the line:
"I went to the orphanage for a personal issue. On the way back, my car got a flat tire, and I had to wait for roadside assistance."
This doesn't match, Henry's confused tone.
He looked at the junior officer. "Run this video through the forensic software. I need to know if it's real."
Yes, sir, the officer responded, plugging the footage into the system. The room grew tense, few minutes later, the officer turned back.
Sir, the video is Original.
Prepare an arrest warrant for Liam, he commanded. We need him brought in for questioning regarding his wife's murder.
The officers around him responded, "Okay, sir."
"Let's move," he said decisively, leading his team onward.
Meanwhile, in the dark room, the man quietly closed his laptop, shrouding the space in darkness. His footsteps were slow and deliberate as he faded into the night, the faint scent of cigarette smoke still hanging in the air.