Chapter 6 âEmily, Iâm Davidâs mother. Iâm entitled to a share of the money.â
âGive me my cut, or Iâll sue you,â my motherâinâlaw said, furious.
âThatâs right. Margaret has a right to the money. You canât deny that,â Sarah said smugly.
âYouâre not getting a penny,â I said calmly.
âWhat? Youâre just going to keep it all?â
âMargaret, if David had really won that money, Iâd gladly share it with you. But he didnât.â
âLiar! If he didnât win, how could you afford this villa and car?â
âMy mom gave me the money.â
âYour mom? Sheâs a retiree. Where would she get that kind of money?â
âMy mom won the lottery.â
âAh, I see. You gave Davidâs ticket to your mom and had her claim the prize.â
âYou scheming witch! Give us the money!â my motherâinâlaw screamed.
âProve it. Whereâs your evidence?â
âI have proof,â Sarah said, pulling out her phone and playing a recording.
[Davidâs voice]: âI bought a lottery ticket and won $200 million. I donât want to share it with Emily.â
âIf we divorce, itâll take too long, and she might find out about the money. Iâve come up with a plan to fake my death...â
âIf it works, Michael, Iâll give you $5 million. Sarah, Iâll take care of you.â
âMom, youâve always wanted to gamble. Iâll give you the money to go.â
Chapter 6 Sarah had recorded Davidâs plan as insurance.
âSee? David clearly said the $200 million was his,â Sarah said triumphantly, âDavid faked his death?â I pretended to be shocked. âYou murdered him.â
âYouâre the one who killed my son! You burned him alive!â
âIâll let that slide if you give us the rest of the money. Otherwise, Iâll call the police,â my motherâinâlaw threatened.
âDonât bother. Iâll call them myself,â I said, dialing 911.
âI want to report a murder. My husband was killed.â
They were stunned. They hadnât expected me to turn the tables.
âYou knew about Davidâs plan! You killed him to keep the money!â
âEmily, you knew all along!â
I ignored them.
The police arrived and took us all to the station.
The key issue was the lottery ticket.
If David had really won $200 million, and Iâd claimed the prize, it would suggest I knew about his plan to fake his death and wanted to keep the money for myself.
But if there was no evidence of Davidâs winning ticket, I had no motive.
The police investigated and found that my mom had claimed the prize, and her account now held over $100 million.
My mom explained sheâd won the lottery.
The police took her to the lottery shop, where the clerk recognized her as the winner.
The security footage confirmed sheâd bought the ticket.
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Chapter 6 The shop was right across from my momâs neighborhood.
My story checked out, while Davidâs claim of a $200 million win had no evidence.
My motherâinâlaw insisted I knew about Davidâs plan to fake his death, but there was no proof. Iâd even bought a burial plot for David.
With no evidence against me, the focus turned to my motherâinâlaw, Sarah, and Michael.
Sarahâs recording exposed their involvement in Davidâs fake death plan.
The police found irregularities in Michaelâs handling of Davidâs case, and hospital staff confirmed his suspicious behavior.
I had been at work when Michael called me about Davidâs âdeath,â so there was no way I could have known it was a scam.
Even though Iâd cremated David, I had no criminal intent.
But the three of them were guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and manslaughter.
They were arrested, but since Sarah was pregnant, she was placed under house arrest until the baby was born.
Six months later, they were sentenced to life in prison.
Eight months after that, Sarah gave birth and begged to see me before going to prison.
âEmily, I know I wronged you, but the babyâs innocent. Once Iâm in prison, heâll have no one. Will you take him in?â
âI know itâs a lot to ask, but heâs Davidâs child. Please, for Davidâs sake, help me,â she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
âIâm not that generous. The state will take care of the child,â I said coldly.
With everything settled, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
Back at the villa, my mom had prepared a delicious meal.
This time, Iâd make sure to cherish every moment with her and live a happy, fulfilling life.
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Chapter 1