Chapter 127

"I'll never be like that!" Rilla suddenly yelled, completely losing her cool.

Zoey's words had struck a nerve deep within her.

In all their interactions, this was the first time Zoey had seen Rilla so unhinged.

Zoey glanced at her, unfazed. "Based on what we know, everything Hugh said checks out. The three victims committed suicide out of guilt. In this village, a woman's worth is tied to her ability to have kids, right? They thought they couldn't get married anymore, so they saw suicide as the only way out."

"That's ridiculous!" Rilla shouted again, her eyes dark and furious. "Hugh is lying! It's a miracle he didn't harass those women. Them harassing him? Have you seen him? He'd be over the moon if anyone showed interest in him."

"Rilla, you should act like a college student. If you start making baseless accusations, you're no better than the other villagers in Willowbrook."

Rilla's eyes were filled with rage. Zoey's words only fueled her anger. "Your cops are useless! How could you come up with such a ridiculous conclusion? This case has nothing to do with me, but even as an outsider, I find it laughable. Can you honestly say that again and believe it makes sense? No one would accept this! I certainly don't."

Robert, sensing the rising tension, stepped in with a hint of frustration. "Rilla, whether you accept it or not doesn't matter. You didn't know them, and you're not their family. Your opinion doesn't count. The case has been ruled a suicide."

Rilla looked at Zoey and Robert in disbelief, her expression shifting from shock to resentment, and finally, she closed her eyes.

She laughed bitterly. "I thought you were serious about your work and would be good cops. Turns out, you're just hypocrites making up stories to get the job done!"

Zoey remained unfazed by her sarcasm. "Yeah, in your eyes, I'm not a good cop. So why should I tell you about Haven?"

Hearing Zoey use this to threaten her again, Rilla was speechless.

Seeing Rilla fall silent, Zoey smiled slightly. "So, don't insult the cops so casually."

Rilla was trembling with anger. To find out Haven's whereabouts, she had to swallow her pride and apologize. "I admit, I got a bit too emotional earlier. I shouldn't have called you hypocrites. I am sorry. I'm really hoping you can tell me where Haven is."

Seeing Rilla change her tune so quickly, Robert was speechless.

Zoey leaned in closer to observe Rilla, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I accept your apology. Now, I'll tell you where Haven is."

Rilla's eyes were fixed on Zoey, waiting for her to continue. "Haven couldn't have kids and felt like she let Hugh down, so she chose to end her life."

Rilla clearly didn't buy it. She glared at Zoey with pure hatred. "Are you even real cops? How can you twist the truth like this? It's impossible. Do you have any proof?"

Zoey pulled out an evidence bag, containing Haven's phone. "This is Haven's phone. You should recognize it. There's a video she recorded herself... a suicide note, explaining everything."

"A suicide note? A video?" Rilla was taken aback.

She stood up in a panic, reaching for the phone. "Let me see it."

Zoey quickly pulled the evidence bag away, not letting her grab it. "No, it's not convenient."

Rilla was about to faint from anger, but thinking of Haven, she had to hold back.

Recalling her memories with Haven, she still couldn't believe Haven would commit suicide.

Her lips trembled. "Haven isn't dead, right? You're lying to me, right? She wouldn't commit suicide. Even if she did, it must have been Hugh and his family who forced her. I told her that a woman's worth isn't just about getting married and having kids. I told her many times, and she agreed with me. We were going to see the ocean together. Why would she commit suicide? Even if she couldn't have kids, she doesn't need to die.."

She couldn't accept the news of Haven's death, teetering on the edge of a breakdown.

Zoey saw that she had lost the ability to think clearly, mumbling to herself.

Taking advantage of the moment, Zoey said, "Why would Hugh and his family force her to commit suicide? And why can't you accept this fact? Aren't you the one who likes to manipulate others into committing suicide?"

"That's different, they were..."

Rilla suddenly realized what Zoey had said. "What did you just say?"

"I said, aren't you the one who likes to encourage others to commit suicide? Did you tell your good friend to do it too? Even if you didn't mean to, maybe she took it that way." Zoey's smile was devoid of warmth. "And those strange ideas, reincarnation, heaven... they do sound appealing."

Rilla knew Zoey was trying to trap her.

But she couldn't stand Zoey using Haven as an example.

How could a casual word or story from her lead to their deaths?

"Shut up! I never said those things to Haven!" Rilla was agitated, defending her friendship with Haven. "Haven wasn't naive. She wouldn't die because of something I said. I just wanted her to live well. Those things I said were only to comfort those poor fools."

"Poor fools? Who do you mean?" For the first time, Zoey felt a bit of a connection with Rilla. "Let me guess, Janet, Faye, and Sadie?"

Rilla clammed up completely, refusing to speak further.