Chapter 3The Good Samaritan Scandal

That question was a bomb that detonated in the middle of the crowd.

“Are you insane?!”

Jonny’s face paled. He instantly shook Ava’s hand off his arm and roared, his voice betraying a hint of panic.

“How dare you say something like that in front of all these people!”

Ava’s reaction was even faster.

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she pointed a trembling finger at me.

“Chloe! You’re the one who’s done something shameful, and now you’re trying to blame us?”

She turned to the onlookers, her voice catching with a perfectly timed sob. “This is the woman I’ve called my best friend for ten years!”

Whispers rippled through the crowd. A few older women shot me looks of disgust.

“Enough! Save your act!” I raised my voice. “The issue here is, on what grounds are you accusing me of fraud?”

I pointed to the young traffic cop who had brought me home. “He can be my alibi! I’ve been with him since nine o’clock this morning!”

Every head turned to the officer.

He looked momentarily surprised, then stepped forward.

“That’s correct. I pulled this woman over at 9:10 AM for a suspected DUI, and she has been with me, cooperating with the investigation, ever since.”

“This is a police matter! Unrelated personnel should not interfere!” Ava shrieked without thinking.

I laughed coldly. “He’s a police officer. How is he ‘unrelated personnel’?”

She blurted out, “You… you must have hired an imposter! Are you crazy? That’s a felony!”

The traffic cop’s expression hardened. He pulled out his badge and presented it to the investigating officers. “I’m with the East Precinct Traffic Division. Here’s my identification.”

The officer took the badge, examined it, and spoke into his radio to confirm.

When he looked up again, his eyes were sharp. “This officer’s credentials are real. I’m going to need an explanation.”

His gaze darted between Ava and Jonny. “Why would you identify someone as a suspect when she has a confirmed alibi?”

The statement landed with the force of a thunderclap.

Ava, who clearly hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, took a nervous step back, trying to hide behind Jonny.

I was about to press my advantage when Mr. Davies suddenly lunged forward, pointing a finger at my face.

“I can prove she’s the fraud!”

He shakily pulled a crumpled piece of paper and a scrap of fabric from his pocket and handed them to the officer.

“Here’s the evidence, officer!”

“Last week, at a community event, it was her! She kept pestering me to invest in some retirement project, making it sound like the deal of a lifetime.”

“She specifically told me to come to the bank today, said she’d get a commission.”

“I was foolish enough to transfer the money, and then she ran off without even giving me a proper contract!”

I countered, “I’ve never even been to your neighborhood, and I don’t handle investment products.”

“Besides, you’d believe a total stranger just like that?”

Mr. Davies licked his lips, his cloudy eyes raking over my body.

“Such a bad memory for a young girl. You worked very hard to get me to invest, you know.”

He lowered his voice, but just enough for everyone nearby to hear.

“Those three nights… you were very enthusiastic. It’s been a long time since this old man has been taken care of so well!”

Camera flashes erupted. The crowd gasped.

“Shut up!” A chill ran down my spine. “I can sue you for slander!”

Unfazed, he pulled a pair of lace panties from his other pocket and shook them out for everyone to see.

“Here’s the proof. You left in a hurry that morning and forgot these on my bed.”

“I’ve been cherishing them.”

The dubious stains on the fabric were sickeningly visible in the daylight.

But what truly made my blood run cold was that they were, unmistakably, a custom-made pair my husband had given me for our wedding anniversary. On the inside, my initials were embroidered in silk thread.

C.H.