The two of them rushed to the hospital.
Julie’s body had already been wheeled out of the emergency room.
Under the white sheet lay Julie’s lifeless corpse.
Simon was stunned.
“Doctor, she…?”
“We’re sorry, we did everything we could, but her injuries were too severe-multiple fractures throughout her body…”
Even the doctor trailed off, unable to continue.
He sighed and motioned for Simon to see for himself.
Simon’s hands trembled as he lifted the sheet.
Julie’s pale face appeared before him, and he stumbled back in shock.
“No… this can’t be real. You’re lying to me, right? Is one lie not enough for you? Get up! Stop pretending to be dead!”
He shook Julie’s body violently, and in his frenzy, her body slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.
James shoved Simon aside, furious.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Every child in the orphanage was Laura’s heart and soul. Do you think this is how she’d want you to treat them? You know how much Julie meant to her!”
I had adopted Julie mainly because, like me, she had been abandoned by her father.
When I found her, she was being beaten and scolded by her father and stepmother.
At that moment, I saw myself in her, which is why I decided to adopt her.
Simon knew all of this-he knew that hurting Julie was like hurting the person I used to be.
Simon’s face was flushed with anger, but he still refused to admit his mistake.
“Who the hell do you think you are? This is all some big setup, You think you can force me to apologize to her? Dream on! Where is Laura? She’s here, isn’t she? Come out!”
He shoved the stretcher aside and stormed into the operating room, overturning everything in his path, searching the entire hospital for any trace of me.
In his mind, I had to be there.
“Sir… what should we do with the body?” Patel asked cautiously.
He had no idea how to navigate Simon’s ever-changing moods-one moment he was focused on Laura, the next on Hollie.
Patel was terrified of saying the wrong thing and triggering Simon’s wrath.
“What body?” Simon asked coldly.
“The little girl’s… uh…” Patel hadn’t finished speaking when Simon kicked him hard.
“I told you, she’s not dead. Can’t you understand that? This is just another one of Laura’s tricks!”
“She’s trying to deceive me!”
“I can’t believe I ever thought she was kind-hearted!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Simon’s phone rang.
It was the forensic examiner responsible for identifying the body.
“Mr. Smith, the autopsy report is ready…”
Simon, now calmer and with a mocking tone, replied, “So, what is it? Did she use an unclaimed body to fool me? I knew it would come to this. Does she really think I wouldn’t find out the truth? I’ll hold a press conference tomorrow and make her apologize to Hollie in front of the entire town!”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
After what felt like an eternity, the voice finally spoke.
“Mr. Smith, according to the report, the identity of the body… matches your wife’s.”
Simon froze.
“What… what are you talking about?”
“It means that the body… is your wife’s.”
“You’re spouting nonsense! How could that body be Laura’s? Did you make a mistake? Or did she bribe you to lie to me too?”
“Mr. Smith, if you don’t believe me, you can come see for yourself.”