"Nonsense!" Monica exclaimed, her eyes locked onto Jane. She bit her lower lip and clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her flesh. "Don't try to conflate the issues here. How does anything you're saying change the fact that you tried to kill me?"
Jane's icy expression intensified. She swiftly retrieved her phone and opened a file that Anthony had sent her the day before.
"Here is the record of your browser history. In the days leading up to the incident, you searched for methods of causing harm to someone without getting caught. Most of the articles you clicked on were about pushing people into a lake to make it appear as an accidental drowning."
Monica's face drained of color, and beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead as she saw her deleted browser history displayed on Jane's phone. She had cleared her browsing history, thinking it would protect her. How had Jane obtained this information? Monica struggled to reassure herself that this couldn't be real.
As far as she knew, recovering deleted browsing records was nearly impossible. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain a defiant façade. "You've fabricated these records. I've never searched for such things in my life. Jane, you're hurting me even further despite what you've already done."
Jane chuckled, her voice dripping with confidence. "Just so you know, I've already contacted the police to retrieve your computer. Erasing your browsing history won't change a thing. In this day and age, technology is advanced. A skilled hacker can easily recover deleted records. Soon, the truth will be revealed."
"You…" Monica was left stunned, unable to form a coherent response. She pointed at Jane, her face drained of color.
"Calm down, Monica. I'm not finished yet," Jane said with a self-assured smile. She pulled out a pen recorder and twirled it between her fingers. "I believe you'll find this even more intriguing."
Under the curious gazes of the audience, Jane pressed the play button. The recorded conversation was between Monica and her mother, Laura.
"Monica, your father went gambling again and lost a lot of money. He owes a large sum of money to a creditor. This morning, the creditor came knocking, threatening to kill us if we don't pay up. I don't know what else to do. Can you help us pay off the debt?" Laura's voice was filled with desperation.
"Mom, don't worry," Monica responded with a determined tone. "Give me some time. I'll soon return to Pansy Group. I'll have enough money to clear our debts."
"Really?" Laura's voice expressed skepticism. "Are you sure?"
"Of course," Monica replied firmly. "Once I get rid of Jane for good, I can go back to work at Pansy Group."
"Jane will be at Lover Lake for an advertisement shoot tomorrow. When I see that she's all alone near the lake, I'll push her in without anyone noticing. She'll drown in no time. Even if her body is later found, it will be ruled as accidental drowning," Monica said with a vicious tone.
A tumult of shouting broke out in the ward. The reporters were taken aback. None of them had anticipated such a shocking revelation. Jane turned off the pen recorder, her gaze cold and unwavering.
"Do you have anything else to say, Monica?"
At this point, Monica's face had turned ashen. She wished what had just happened were a terrible dream. How had Jane managed to acquire a recording of her phone conversation with her mother?
"Dear viewers, you've just witnessed the unfolding of events," one of the reporters spoke, addressing the audience.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Unexpected Fiancée