Chapter 4
As I watched my parents throw one accusation after another at me, twisting the truth to clear Rhea’s name, I couldn’t even put into words how I felt.
But what stung even more was Henry.
Ever since my parents hurt me again and again, Henry became the one person I trusted most, the one I cared about the most. I didn’t hide anything from him, not even the video Rhea posted.
Years ago, Henry, an amateur climber, went climbing alone and got caught in a sudden downpour, putting himself in danger. If I hadn’t happened to pass by and risked my life to save him, he probably would’ve died there.
After Henry was discharged from the hospital, he wouldn’t leave me alone. He followed me everywhere, his eyes shining as he looked at me, begging me to be with him.
“Jessica, if you don’t accept my feelings, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life!
“I can tell you have a lot on your mind and are struggling. From now on, I’ll face it all with you.”
With Henry’s relentless efforts, I finally agreed to be with him and told him everything about my family.
At first, he would comfort me, promising that we would build a real home together.
But at some point, I didn’t even notice when it started; he became closer to Rhea. By the time I realized what was hap- pening, Rhea was in trouble, and before I could confront Henry, he and my parents teamed up to pin the blame on me.
After seeing the video, my heart for him completely died.
Henry came back that evening, and when he saw the injury on my hand, he rushed to my side, anxiously asking what happened.
“How did this happen? Let me take you to the hospital!”
I pulled my hand away from him, glaring at him. “What’s going on with the video?”
Realizing what I was referring to, Henry’s face turned pale.
“Rhea wasn’t in a good mood earlier. You have no idea what that trophy means to her. I only showed her the video to stop her from doing something reckless. Besides, you won’t be able to climb anymore, so those things don’t mean anything to you.”
“How would you know if those things mean anything to me? You’re not me!”
At my question, Henry’s eyes finally showed a hint of guilt. He stepped closer and took my arm again, speaking soft- ly.
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Chapter 4
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“The situation was urgent, and I didn’t have time to think. From now on, I’ll go with you to any mountain you want and help you film new videos.”
Seeing the seriousness in Henry’s eyes, my emotions were all over the place. My mind was a whirlwind, and just as I was trying to process everything, my parents burst into the room.
“Henry! Rhea’s in trouble!”
Henry released my hand and rushed out the door. As my parents ran halfway, they noticed I wasn’t moving and glared
at me.
“You don’t even care that your sister’s in trouble! This is probably all your fault!”
After scolding me, they hurried off.
Just as I was about to rest, I suddenly received a call from Henry.
He was silent for a long time before speaking in a serious tone.
“Jessica, you need to get here as soon as possible. There’s new evidence in the climbing accident case, and the injus- tice you’ve suffered will soon be cleared up.”
Though I was skeptical of Henry’s words, the desire to clear my name from the murder accusation pushed me to go to the address he provided.
When Henry saw me arrive, he bit his lip and lowered his head.
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